Abstract: An apparatus for forming flexible tubing wherein the apparatus provides a tube-forming mandrel adapted to form a continuous, reinforced, flexible tube from an indefinite length of a tape or ribbon of flexible material, together with an indefinite length of wire, which are wound and bonded together to form the tube. The mandrel includes a plurality of angularly disposed cylindrical rollers which are rotatably positioned adjacent each other, each roller being fixed at a given angular displacement with respect to the other and to the central axis of the mandrel, in order to establish the fixed skewed arrangement of a plurality of annular grooves formed in each roller, so as to allow the forming tube to advance axially along the rollers.

Abstract: A method of forming and attaching individual key tops to the key stems of a multi-key keyboard wherein each key top is formed of contrasting colors such that the key top indicia is clearly visually recognizable while also providing each key top with a bar code indicia for enabling a bar code reader to select a desired key top from among a random group of key tops and for enabling a transfer mechanism to selectably orient the selected key top with respect to a key stem for automatic attachment thereto.

Abstract: To permit easy attachment, for example, by soldering, of a connecting lead wire to a conductive track on a ceramic plate connected closely adjacent to another plate which may also be ceramic, the first ceramic plate, at least, is bent away from the other ceramic plate at the connecting portion during manufacture; the manufacturing process includes heating the plate to be bent away to be in plastic condition and then applying a bending force to form the bend, permitting the so bent plate to cool, and joining the so-bent plate to the other plate with which it is to form a composite, for example, by glass melt. The bending force may be gravity, by permitting the unsintered plate, upon heating, to fall on a curved surface; or the bending force can be generated by applying a layer of a material having differential shrinkage to the flat, unsintered plate, and heating the composite, so that, upon differential shrinkage, the ceramic plate will be bent away from its originally plane, flat state.

Abstract: There is disclosed a tube bending machine with a rotatable die having a tubing clamp associated therewith and a stationary wiper block to bend a tubing work piece around the die as it rotates. The wiper block and tubing clamp are placed into and locked in operative position with similar toggle linkages which are adjustable to accommodate different bending dies and wiper blocks. The die is rotated by a fluid pressure linear actuator chain driving a sprocket secured to a common shaft with the die; the chain is pinned at one end to the sprocket and the sprocket has a torsion spring connected thereto applying tension to the chain and causing the die to return when the actuator moves to slacken the chain. An adjustable stop limits the travel of the actuator shaft and a pointer which moves with the stop reads against a scale to directly indicate degree of bend.

Abstract: A machine having a multiplicity of work stations for performing a series of sequential operations on a work piece has all of said operations grouped into a plurality of generally homogeneous categories, with the motions required to perform operations in any particular category being provided by a single motion-generating cam, there being one cam for each category of operations.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding sliders for application to slide fastener stringers comprises an indexing plate for intermittently advancing sliders through consecutive angularly spaced positions, a chute, guide groove, and pusher rod for supplying a slider to the indexing plate at a first position, a presser member coacting with the indexing plate to lock the slider at a succeeding second position, and a pivotable lever for removing the slider from the indexing plate at a succeeding third position. The indexing plate includes a plurality of angularly spaced slider supports each for receiving one slider at a time and intermittently drivable by a rack-and-pinion mechanism powered by a fluid-pressure actuator.

Abstract: An improved method of lubrication in a deep drawing process utilizes a plurality of distinct plastic sheets, loosely overlying one another, laid across at least one major surface of a flat blank to be drawn. In preferred practice, a pair of such distinct plastic sheets are laid across each of the opposed major surfaces of a flat blank in preparation for a drawing operation. The plastic sheets are maintained in position while interfitting drawing tools, namely a punch and a die, close together to effect drawing of the blank. The plastic sheets serve as a lubricant during the drawing process. Selected surfaces of the sheets or the material from which the sheets are formed may be provided with an additional conventional lubricating substance to enhance lubricity of the sheets, or conventional lubricant may be utilized between the sheets of each pair.

Abstract: A method for producing, from metal strip, a cold roll formed shape strip, curved longitudinally a predetermined amount and having its edge portions on the concave side of the curvature and its web on the convex side thereof to inhibit elongation deformation of portions of the metal strip which constitute the edge portions of the shape strip.

Abstract: A self-threading fastener has circumferentially spaced thread-forming lobes on its thread, and with a thread depth at a maximum at the lobes and a minimum circumferentially between the lobes. A lobe in one turn is circumferentially offset from a lobe in an adjacent turn. The fastener is made on roll-threading dies each having grooves sinulsoidally varying in depth from a maximum at one region to a minimum at a second region. The spacing of the regions is equal to a fraction of the thread pitch multiplied by the cosecant of the thread helix angle.

Abstract: A method for hot rolling of a tubular blank over a mandrel in a mill utilizing a plurality of roll stands. The blank and mandrel are inserted into the mill and moved through the mill in a fashion such that the mandrel is present and controlled at each roll stand at the time that the blank leading end reaches each roll stand. The blank enters the mill inlet stand at a speed, V.sub.e, and the speed of the mandrel is controlled during all times that the blank is engaged at any roll stand. The control mechanisms achieve movement of the mandrel in the same direction as the blank and at a constant speed, V.sub.m, with the ratio V.sub.m /V.sub.e being maintained between about 0.75 and 1.3.

Abstract: Method and means for preforming the long edges of steel plate prior to manufacture into pipe by the U-O Process or the like by utilizing plate of a width exceeding that required for pipe of a given diameter by an amount at each edge having an excess at least equal to the width of the pipe. Roll-forming the plate to use the excess width thereof as a lever arm to obtain a bend at the bitter edges of the pipe (edges required for pipe) of a radius required for the pipe and thereafter shearing the plate to form the bitter edges, followed by bevelling and polishing the bitter edges, and further roll-forming the edge area to complete the preform thereof.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for bending straight pipe sections which are of predetermined length including cutting at a preset angle, bending, and calibrating to form a finished elbow.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing a serpentine tube by bending a straight tube including a plurality of dies each having an arcuate surface, the dies being arranged alternately on opposite sides of the straight tube and movable in a direction toward the center axis of the straight tube and at the same time in a direction intersecting the center axis of the straight tube. During a bending operation, the dies are spaced apart from one another in a manner to impart to the straight tube and the serpentine tube such a dimensional relationship that no excess material is produced in the tube. Each die forms a set with two wings, the two wings being operative to force the straight tube against the arcuate surface of the associated die while rotatingly moving for a circumferential extent of 90 degrees each along the arcuate surface of the die. Each set of die and wings is mounted on one of a plurality of front-to-rear ball screws supported for movement by a plurality of left-to-right ball screws.

Abstract: A method of forming a metal strip having a raised side uniformly plated with a layer of a different metal or metal alloy, preferably a precious metal, wherein the plating metal layer is applied to the flat strip and thereafter the strip is folded lengthwise to raise the plated side of the strip in order to obtain the desired profile. The method allows to apply the plating layer on a flat surface which can be easily done by known processes, the strip being bent together with the layer to form said raised uniformly plated side.

Abstract: A metal strip including an elongate web and a pair of longitudinal medial lands on both sides thereof, is successively stamped or coined so as to be provided with a series of coupling elements each including on each of its both sides a transverse projection and a pair of longitudinal teeth one on each side of the projection, the projection being higher than the teeth. The projection and teeth are formed from material of the medial lands and additionally from material of a portion extending all the way around the projection and teeth, which is thinned down to a thickness smaller than that of the web. Then, the metal strip is notched along its marginal edges to provide the outer profile of clamping legs, and is severed into individual coupling elements.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing cooling blocks for semiconductor lasers, in which the rounding-off radius of the line of intersection between two surfaces of the cooling blocks must have a very small value. In the method, two bodies to be formed into cooling blocks are each provided with a flat surface and these bodies are secured together with their flat surfaces by means of a curable adhesive. One side of the bodies connected together is subjected, transverse to the two surfaces connected together, to a machining treatment so as to obtain a further flat surface, in which machining treatment deformation and burring of the bodies near the line of intersection to be formed is avoided due to the presence of the cured adhesive, and a line of intersection having a rounding-off radius of only a few microns is formed.

Abstract: A method of tensioning metallic strips on a slitting line is combined with the steps of uncoiling a metallic web having a non-uniform cross sectional thickness from an uncoiler, slitting the web into a plurality of strips having varying thicknesses, and recoiling the strips into individual strip coils on a recoiler, the tensioning method being the additional step of deforming the thinner portions of the web intermediate the uncoiling and recoiling steps so that a raised pattern is imparted to the thinner portions thereby increasing the effective cross sectional thicknesses of the thinner strips to that of the thicker strips so that the strip coils formed from the strips are of similar diameter and the strips can be recoiled at the same rate, thus preventing the formation of slack strips.

Abstract: An inexpensive method to make a punch for piercing or forming metal includes cutting a piece from a bar or rod, applying a phosphate and lubricant coating to the piece, extruding one end of the piece into a polygonal shape, annealing the piece, press or machine relieving the piece, machining the end of the piece having the polygonal shape and heat treating the piece to the proper hardness.

Abstract: A cleaning method for steel plates is disclosed for removing rolling oil and metal powders by spraying highly pressurized cleaning solution on both surfaces of strip steel plates immediately before and/or after the final step in the cold-rolling process of the strip steel plates. The cleaning may be performed with efficiency by mixing abrasive grains, a rust inhibitor, a surface active agent or the like in the cleaning solution.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for tightening assemblies held together by threaded fasteners. The desired tightened condition is achieved by turning the threaded fastener through a precise tightening angle required to induce a predetermined preload in the threaded fastener and calculated from input parameters characteristic of the assembly being tightened and the predetermined preload. The tightening angle is measured from the onset of linearity of the preload-rotation curve for the assembly by sensing the onset of the substantially linear tightening portion of the torque-rotation curve through which the assembly is taken as it is being tightened.