Patents Assigned to Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
  • Patent number: 4968356
    Abstract: A method of producing a hardened aluminum alloy forming sheet having a high strength and a superior corrosion resistance, the method comprising the steps of (1) providing a melt having a composition consisting of, in weight percentage, 4.0 to 6.0% Mg, 0.05 to 0.50% Cu, 0.10 to 1.0% Mn, 0.01 to 0.05% Ti and the balance being aluminum and impurities; (2) cooling to solidify the melt; (3) hot rolling and cold rolling to form a rolled sheet; and (4) heat treating the rolled sheet by heating to a temperature of 150.degree. to 300.degree. C. at a heating rate of at least 5.degree. C./second, holding within five minutes at the temperature of 150.degree. to 300.degree. C. and cooling to a temperature of 70.degree. C. or less at a cooling rate of at least 30.degree. C./second. The melt may further contain 0.05 to 0.20% by weight Cr and the heat treatment of the step (4) may be carried out under tension after flattening said cold-rolled sheet by leveling at ordinary temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Tanaka, Shin Tsuchida, Yuji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 4949895
    Abstract: A process of fixing a double-walled tubing structure to a titanium tube sheet, the tubing structure comprising a non-titanium outer tube and a titanium inner lining tube, comprising the steps of: pressure-welding a titanium collar to an end face of the outer tube to form an integral titanium end portion at one end of the outer tube; inserting the titanium lining tube in the outer tube and fixing the titanium lining tube to the outer tube in pressed contact with the inner surface of the outer tube to form the titanium-lined double-walled tubing structure; and inserting an end section of the tubing structure in a hole in the tube sheet, and welding the titanium end portion of the outer tube and an end portion of the lining tube to the tube sheet. Instead of the titanium collar being directly welded to the outer tube, an auxiliary collar made of a metal material for sound welding to the outer tube may be pressure-welded at its one end to the titanium collar, and fusion-welded at the other end to the outer tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Sugiyama, Tadashi Nosetani, Keizo Namba, Hiromiti Sano
  • Patent number: 4939044
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy support for a lithographic printing plate, comprising a cold rolled plate of aluminum alloy comprising, in % by weight:98.0% or more Al;Fe in an amount of from 0.15 to 1.2% as an alloying element; andimpurities, each of which is present in an amount of from 0.0% but less than or equal to 0.15%, wherein the cold rolled plate has a distribution of Al--Fe and Al--Fe--Si based intermetallic compounds formed from the alloy, having grain sizes of greater than 0 microns but less than or equal to 3 microns, which are positioned directly under an outer surface of the cold rolled plate and wherein the surface of the cold rolled plate is roughened by etching or electrochemical etching and anodically oxidized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignees: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Azusa Ohashi, Akira Shirai, Kazushige Takizawa, Shiro Terai, Shin Tsuchida, Yoshikatsu Hayashi
  • Patent number: 4931340
    Abstract: A honeycomb panel structure for thermal and acoustic insulation and for load bearing capability has a honeycomb panel which comprises a honeycomb core laminated with two facing plates, and a pair of housings. Each housing has a channel to engage and support a edge of the honeycomb panel. A first neutral axis passes through the center of gravity of the honeycomb panel and extends in the direction of the panel. A second neutral axis passes through the centers of gravity of the housings and extends parallel to the first neutral axis. The first and second neutral axes are spaced apart in a vertical direction so that the structure has much higher flexural rigidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1990
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeaki Baba, Keizo Nanba, Yoshio Takeshima, Hiromichi Sano, Koji Tobita, Atsuo Muneto, Toshihiro Hara, Kazuki Fujise
  • Patent number: 4907434
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and device for controlling a thickness of a strip in a rolling mill which has a roll gap adjusting device and a rolling speed adjusting device. Rolling environment disturbances received by the mill are classified into a first disturbance for which only the rolling speed should be compensated, a second disturbance for which only the roll gap should be compensated, and a third disturbance for which both the rolling speed and the roll gap should be compensated. The values of the first, second and third disturbances are estimated, based on detected values of a variation of a roll force exerted on the given rolling stand, variations of a thickness of the strip on the downstream and upstream sides of the given rolling stand, and a variation of a tension of the strip on the upstream side of the given rolling stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1990
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ikuya Hoshino, Hiroshi Kimura, Yukihiro Maekawa, Takayuki Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 4851192
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy for structures with increased electrical resistivity, consisting essentially of: 1.0-5.0% by weight of Li; one or a plurality of members selected from the group consisting of not more than 0.20% by weight of Ti, 0.05-0.40% by weight of Cr, 0.05-0.30% by weight of Zr, 0.05-0.35% by weight of V and 0.05-0.30% by weight of W; and the balance being aluminum, and impurities which would inevitably be included in the alloy. The aluminum alloy may further include (a) not more than 5.0% by weight of Mn, and/or (b) 0.05-5.0% by weight of Cu and/or 0.05-8.0% by weight of Mg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Baba, Teruo Uno, Hideo Yoshida
  • Patent number: 4808283
    Abstract: A method of producing high purity aluminum-lithium mother alloys essentially free from sodium, potassium and calcium, which comprises electrolyzing mixed molten salts consisting essentially of lithium chloride and potassium chloride preferably under a cathodic current density in the range of 0.005 to 1 A/cm.sup.2, using one or more hollow cylindrical solid aluminum cathodes, and thereby producing an aluminum-lithium alloy on the cathodes. In the method, the mixed molten salts may be composed essentially of 34 to 64 wt. % of lithium chloride and 66 to 36 wt. % of potassium chloride, and, optionally, 1 to 20 wt. % of sodium chloride based on a combined weight of the aforesaid two components. Preferably, throughout the electrolysis, the potential difference between the cathode and a two-phase (.alpha.+.beta.) aluminum-lithium alloy reference electrode is continuously measured and differentiated with respect to time and at the point of a sudden change in the differentiated value, the electrolysis is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayasu Toyoshima, Yoshiaki Watanabe, Yoshiaki Orito
  • Patent number: 4783245
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus for producing an alloy containing terbium (Tb) and/or gadolinium (Gd). The process includes the steps of: (a) preparing a bath of molten electrolyte which consists essentially of 20-95% by weight of TbF.sub.3 and/or GdF.sub.3, 5-80% of LiF, up to 40% of BaF.sub.2 and up to 20% of CaF.sub.2 ; (b) reducing the TbF.sub.3 and/or GdF.sub.3 in the bath, with carbon anode and with cathode made of a metal such as iron or cobalt, so as to electrodeposit Tb and/or Gd on the cathode, and alloying the electrodeposited Tb and/or Gd with metal of the cathode so as to produce the alloy containing Tb and/or Gd in a liquid state on the cathode; (c) adding the TbF.sub.3 and/or GdF.sub.3 to the bath so as to maintain the composition of the bath, for compensating for consumption of the TbF.sub.3 and/or GdF.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1988
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Nakamura, Katsuhisa Itoh, Shigeaki Sasaki, Masahiro Nishio, Mikio Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 4776384
    Abstract: A method of monitoring the inner surfaces of copper-alloy condenser tubes of a condenser through which seawater flows as a coolant by controlling a ferrous-ion injecting operation to inject ferrous ions into the coolant for forming a protective film on the inner surfaces of the condenser tubes, and a sponge-ball cleaning operation to clean the inner tube surfaces by passing sponge balls through the condenser tubes. During an initial period of exposure of the condenser tubes to the coolant after installation of the condenser tubes in the condenser, the ferrous ions are injected into the coolant to form the protective film on the inner surfaces of the condenser tubes until the polarization resistance of the condenser tubes has reached 10.sup.4 .OMEGA.cm.sup.2. Subsequently, the ferrous-ion injecting operation and the sponge-ball cleaning operation are executed while the polarization resistance and heat transfer rate of the condenser tubes are monitored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1988
    Assignees: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd., The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kawabe, Katsumi Yasui, Masaki Yamamoto, Koji Nagata, Tetsuro Atsumi, Mamoru Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 4762168
    Abstract: A condenser including a plurality of condenser tubes through which a coolant is caused to flow, a device for injecting ferrous ions into the coolant before it passes through the condenser tubes to form a protective film on an inner surface of the condenser tubes, and a device for introducing sponge balls into the condenser tubes for cleaning their inner surfaces. The condenser has a by-pass line extending outside the body of the condenser, in parallel connection with the condenser tubes. The by-pass line has a monitor tube of the same material and size as the condenser tubes, so that the coolant flows through the monitor tube under the same conditions as the coolant flowing through the condenser tubes. The monitor tube is equipped with a device for measuring a polarization resistance of the monitor tube, and a device for sensing a fouling condition of the inner surface of the monitor tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1988
    Assignees: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd., The Kansai Electric Power Company, Incorporated
    Inventors: Atsushi Kawabe, Katsumi Yasui, Masaki Yamamoto, Koji Nagata, Tetsuro Atsumi, Mamoru Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 4747924
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus for producing a neodymium-iron alloy by electrolytic reduction of neodymium fluoride in a bath of molten electrolyte, consisting essentially of 35-76% by weight of neodymium fluoride, 20-60% by weight of lithium fluoride, up to 40% by weight of barium fluoride and up to 20% by weight of calcium fluoride, conducted between one or more iron cathode and one or more carbon anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1988
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhisa Itoh, Yoshiaki Watanabe, Eiji Nakamura, Masayasu Toyoshima
  • Patent number: 4737248
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus for producing a dysprosium-iron alloy or a neodymium-dysprosium-iron alloy by electrolytic reduction of dysprosium fluoride or neodymium fluoride and dysprosium fluoride in a bath of molten electrolyte, consisting essentially of 20-95% by weight of dysprosium fluoride or a mixture of neodymium fluoride and dysprosium fluoride, 5-80% by weight of lithium fluoride, up to 40% by weight or barium fluoride and up to 20% by weight of calcium fluoride, conducted between one or more iron cathode and one or more carbon anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1988
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Nakamura, Katsuhisa Itoh, Masahiro Nishio, Mikio Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 4707195
    Abstract: A high corrosion resistant aluminum alloy sheet useful in the manufacture of containers for saline food and beverage, especially suited for easy opening can end manufacturing, which is made of an aluminum alloy consisting essentially of, by weight percentagesMg: from 0.50 to 2.0%Si: from 0.10 to 0.70%Mn: from 0.30 to 1.5%Cu: from 0.10 to 1.0%and the balance being essentially aluminum, the spontaneous electrode potential of the sheet being in the range of from -700 to -630 mV in a 0.1% sodium chloride solution at 25.degree. C., against an AgCl reference electrode. The aluminum alloy sheet is fabricated through a series of steps of hot rolling a cast ingot with the foregoing composition; intermediate cold rolling to an intermediate thickness which is at least one and a half times a final thickness; heating to a temperature of 500.degree. C. or higher; then rapidly cooling from the temperature; and then final cold rolling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shin Tsuchida, Hideo Ito
  • Patent number: 4694888
    Abstract: An electromagnetic horizontal casting process for continuously casting a flat ingot in a horizontal direction, including the steps of: transferring a mass of molten metal through a nozzle having an opening which has a rectangular cross sectional shape substantially corresponding to a rectangular transverse cross sectional shape of the flat to be formed, the cross sectional shape of the opening having long sides extending in the horizontal direction; causing the mass of molten metal to continuously emerge in the horizontal direction from an exit end of said nozzle; levitating the mass of molten metal which has emerged from the nozzle, in the horizontal direction with electromagnetic forces created by an upper and a lower electromagnetic coil which are disposed in a mutually vertically spaced-apart relation adjacent to the exit end of the nozzle; solidifying the levitated mass of molten metal into the flat ingot, by direct contact of the molten mass with a cooling fluid; and withdrawing the flat ingot continuou
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1987
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Yoshida, Susumu Inumaru
  • Patent number: 4686083
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy support for a lithographic printing plate, suitable for an electrochemical roughening treatment and excellent in fatigue resistance, heat softening resistance and printability, is provided which comprises 0.05 to less than 1% by weight of Mn, at most 0.2% by weight of Si, at most 0.5% by weight of Fe and unavoidable amounts of impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Assignees: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd., Skyaluminium Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazushige Takizawa, Hirokazu Sakaki, Yuji Abe, Mamoru Matsuo, Akira Tajiri, Shin Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 4684448
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus for producing a neodymium-iron alloy by electrolysis reduction of neodymium fluoride in a bath of molten electrolyte, consisting essentially of 35-76% by weight of neodymium fluoride, 20-60% by weight of lithium fluoride, up to 40% by weight of barium fluoride and up to 20% by weight of calcium fluoride, conducted between one or more iron cathode and one or more carbon anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhisa Itoh, Yoshiaki Watanabe, Eiji Nakamura, Masayasu Toyoshima
  • Patent number: 4676830
    Abstract: A superior high-temperature strength aluminum alloy material is produced by consolidating rapdily solidified particulates of an aluminum alloy into a desired configuration, the aluminum alloy consisting of, in weight percentages, 4 to 15% Fe, and 0.5 to 8% V and the balance being essentially aluminum. The aluminum alloy may further contain at least one element selected from the group consisting of 0.5 to 8% Mo, 0.5 to 8% Ni, 0.3 to 8% Zr and 0.5 to 8% Ti and these additional components develop a further increased strength in the resulting formed materials. Since the consolidated aluminum materials above specified have a superior strength at high temperatures as well as moderate temperature without an expensive Ce, they are highly useful as economical heat-resistant materials for various applications, particularly for the fields where high strength at high temperatures and lightness of weight are required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1987
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Inumaru, Shigenori Yamauchi, Kazuhisa Shibue, Hideo Sano, Kiyofumi Ito
  • Patent number: 4673551
    Abstract: Fin stock materials adapted for use in superhigh pressure service heat exchanger fabricated by brazing are made of aluminum alloys consisting essentially of, in weight percentages, 0.6 to 1.5% of Mn, 0.1 to 1.0% of Cu, 0.1 to 0.75% of Mg, and 0.05 to less than 0.30% of Si, and the balance being aluminum and incidental impurities, the Fe in said impurities being controlled up to 0.8%. The aluminum alloy fin stock materials contain optionally at least one component selected from the group consisting of 0.05 to 0.25% of Zr, 0.01 to 0.25% of Ti, 0.05 to 0.25% of Cr and 0.01 to 0.25% of V. The fin stock materials have a combination of advantageous properties, particularly a high prevention effect of excessive silicon diffusion of brazing materials into the fins, good strength and formability, whereby give good utility particularly in plate fin heat exchangers for use in superhigh pressure applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1987
    Assignees: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd., Sumitomo Precision Products Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Sugiyama, Keizo Nanba, Michiki Hagiwara, Takeshi Aoki, Shosuke Iwasaki, Tetsuo Abiko
  • Patent number: 4653729
    Abstract: The present invention provides a foot warmer for use in a car which is located at the floor of the car, the foot-warmer comprises a concave groove formed in a meandering form on one surface of a heat insulating material; a heat radiating sheet connected to the surface on which the groove is formed; and a tube disposed in the groove so as to transfer the heat of water flowing therein to the heat radiating sheet, wherein cooling water is heated by an engine and then is circulated through the tube into the foot warmer. In the foot warmer, although the groove may be provided in a meandering form, a plurality of parallel spaced grooves may be also formed on the heat insulating material in place of the meandering groove. In this case, the tube has portions exposed from the sides of the heat insulating material and, at the portions, is bent in a U-shaped form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yutaka Ando
  • Patent number: 4634656
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy, a lithographic printing plate support, a lithographic printing plate using the aluminum alloy are disclosed. The aluminum alloy is comprised of aluminum containing 0.20 to 1.0% Fe and 0.005 to 0.1% of elements selected from the group consisting of Sn, In, Ga and Zn. The support composed by the aluminum alloy can be chemically etched with an acid and/or an alkali solution and after undergoing etching the surface of the support is uniformly etched. The uniformly etched surface may be provided with a subbing layer or an anode oxidation film. The support is coated with a light-sensitive layer and utilized as a lithographic printing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Assignees: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Azusa Ohashi, Akira Shirai, Hirokazu Sakaki, Zenichi Tanabe, Shin Tsuchida, Yoshikatsu Hayashi