Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a connecting rod in which a pair of ball-shanks are connected to a rod main body such that they are axially perpendicular to each other, having a sufficient strength and which can be produced easily and at low cost, and a manufacturing method thereof. The connecting rod of this invention to achieve such an object comprises first and second ball-shanks and a rod main body to which the first and second ball-shanks are connected freely swingably and rotatably. The first ball-shank is connected to the rod main body such that the shank portion is perpendicular thereto, while the second ball-shank is connected to the rod main body such that the shank is in parallel thereto. Further, the rod main body is die cast with a ball portion of each ball-shank inserted as a core.

Abstract: An apparatus (105) and method are provided for feeding wire (135) to a tip (120) of a torch (115) in a welding system (100). The apparatus (105) includes a drive mechanism (150) attached to the torch (115), and a guide assembly (155) attached to the drive mechanism. The guide assembly (155) includes a bracket (180) by which it is attached to the drive mechanism (150), a wire guide (185) through which the wire (135) is passed, and first and second adjustors (270A, 270B) to position the wire guide relative to the tip (120). The guide assembly (155) is configured to pass the wire (135) in a straight line from the drive mechanism (150) to the tip (120). In one embodiment, the adjustors (270A, 270B) include gimbals (275) supporting the wire guide (185). Each gimbal (275) is attached to a screw (280) passing through an opening in an arm (285) projecting from the bracket (180) of the guide assembly (155).

Abstract: A tumbling unit such as a casting shake-out unit, rotary media drum, sand reclaimer or the like, is provided. The tumbling unit includes a cylindrical outer shell and a cylindrical inner shell. The inner liner is formed of a series of interfitting segments. The segments each have an inner surface, an outer surface, side edges, a front edge, a back edge, and a vane extending from the outer surface. The side edges of the segments have a groove formed therein which extends the length of said the edges. The grooves of neighboring segments define channel between the segments. A pin or liner lock key is received in the channel to urge the neighboring segments apart to form a tight interfit among the segments in a row of the liner. The retaining pin has a body having side surfaces, a top surface, and a bottom surface. A hole extends through the pin body and receives a dowel, which is sized to extend from opposite sides of said pin body.

Abstract: An expandable mold for use with metals that expand during solidification with the expandable mold having sidewalls that are forcibly laterally separated to thereby expand the mold cavity sufficiently so as to free at least one portion of the cast article from an interference fit with a first portion of the mold to thereby enable removable of the cast article from an interference fit with a further portion of the mold without fracture of the cast article and for forming a smooth surface finish on the cast article.

Abstract: A circuit assembly having a thin and large-area dielectric substrate and an improved grounding condition. To make the assembly, a circuit board comprises the substrate, and a circuit pattern and a metal layer that are formed on respective sides of the substrate. A bath of conductive bonding material (e.g., a low melting point solder) is made inside a tray-like metal chassis of the assembly. The circuit board is floated on the bath and excessive portion of the conductive material is absorbed. A branch circuit for branching a first path into at least two second paths is provided by mainly using impedance transformers but by using fewest possible stubs. Also, the elements are arranged in symmetry around the axis through the first path. This yields a wide operating frequency band. A waveguide-microstrip line transition that is easy to work and low in transition loss is provided by shaping the wider walls of the ridge waveguide so as to spread out toward the end.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the direct production, from molten metal, of scale-free thin metal strip. Hot thin metal strip exiting a continuous caster system is directed to a reducing chamber wherein a reducing gas reduces strip surface oxides while the cast metal strip is at an elevated temperature from retained heat from the molten metal. A cooling unit following the reducing chamber is used to cool the strip to a temperature below about 150° C. prior to exposing the strip to an oxidizing atmosphere. In various embodiments of the invention, strip thickness is reduced with use of hot and cold rolling mills and the scale-free surface of the strip is coated with protective coatings.

Abstract: A capillary for electrical bonding between a semiconductor chip and corresponding pins of a semiconductor device in which the chip is accommodated includes a body whose terminal portion is substantially frustum-shaped. The body has a diametrical through hole which allows the passage of a copper wire for electrical bonding between the chip and the semiconductor device. The portion of the body that is adjacent a lower end of the through hole is flared, with a flaring diameter and a flaring angle which allows formation of a substantially flat annular peripheral region on a copper ball when the copper ball is placed at a lower end of the copper wire. The copper ball is deformed by the action of the capillary. The formation of the substantially flat annular peripheral region is independent of the position of the copper wire within the through hole of the body of the capillary.

Abstract: The filtering molten metal injector system includes a holder furnace, a casting mold supported above the holder furnace, and at least one molten metal injector supported from a bottom side of the casting mold. The holder furnace contains a supply of molten metal. The mold defines a mold cavity for receiving the molten metal from the holder furnace. The molten metal injector projects into the holder furnace. The molten metal injector includes a cylinder defining a piston cavity housing a reciprocating piston for pumping the molten metal upward from the holder furnace to the mold cavity. The cylinder and piston are at least partially submerged in the molten metal when the holder furnace contains the molten metal. The cylinder or the piston includes a molten metal intake for receiving the molten metal into the piston cavity when the holder furnace contains molten metal. A conduit connects the piston cavity to the mold cavity.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a laminated structure formed by two bonded glass substrates comprises a worktable, and at least one laser generator. The worktable has at least one liner opening, wherein the laminated structure is placed on the worktable and a predetermined scribing line on the laminated structure is aligned to the liner opening. The laser generator generates a first laser beam over the worktable and a second laser beam under the worktable. The first laser beam irradiates the predetermined scribing line on the upper glass substrate of the laminated structure. The second laser beam passes through the liner opening and irradiates the predetermined scribing line on the lower glass substrate of the laminated structure.

Abstract: A process for continuously casting a thin metal strip controls has jets directed at casting rollers using sensor feedback. Sensor feedback can be taken directly from the rollers, or can be determined indirectly by sensing a condition of the thin metal strip. Surface conditions are controlled over a longitudinal extent of the rollers through locally controlled gas jets. The feedback control of the roller surfaces provides a more uniform casting surface and a more consistent output from the casting surface.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for manufacturing a directionally solidified columnar grained article with a reduced amount of secondary misorientation of the columnar grains. The method employs a casting assembly comprising a mold with a cavity, a selector section at a lower end of the mold, a heating chamber and a cooling chamber. The mold is fed with a liquid metal and then removed from the heating chamber to the cooling chamber where the columnar grained article is solidified. The article is solidified with at least two dendrites or grains emerging from the selector section and entering the main cavity of the shell mold. Further, the selector section is configured so that no dendrite or grain grows from the bottom of the selector section into the shell mold cavity along a continuous path of purely vertical growth.

Abstract: Scribe lines are formed in advance at cutting locations on both surfaces of a panel formed by bonding an upper substrate and a lower substrate to each other via a sealing material, and a laser beam is applied to each of the scribe lines on both surfaces, by which a liquid crystal panel having a product size is obtained.

Abstract: The present invention relates to metal casting and can be used in producing large sized blades with directional and single crystal structure having large horizontal shoulders. The apparatus comprises a vacuum chamber inside which there is positioned a mold preheating furnace with a ceramic mold and a vertical shield disposed therein, and a crystallizer. The shield is positioned concentrically to the casting vertical axis and is fixed on the mold upper portion or on a hanger. The shield can be made integral or as a row of members having projecting flanges which telescopically insert into each other. The shield is made of a graphitized foil or a carbon/carbon based composite material.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing male bimetal slippers includes the steps of forming a stem having opposite first and second ends; rigidly affixing a ball on the first end of the stem to form a male slipper body; and capacitance discharge welding a wear pad to the second end of the stem. To manufacture female bimetal slippers the method includes forming a slipper body of a first material, the body having opposite first and second ends, the first end having a ball socket formed therein; and capacitance discharge welding a wear pad of a second material to the second end of the body.

Abstract: Provided is a hot-top type continuous casting machine for stably producing hot metal hollow billets having a high quality, which comprises: (a) a molten metal holding part fed therein with molten metal; (b) a ring mold arranged being connected to the molten metal holding part; and (c) a core inserted in the hollow mold from thereabove, and composed of a low heat-conductive upper core and a high heat-conductive lower core to be cooled by coolant circulating therethrough.

Abstract: The invention relates to a casting method for producing a box piston which comprises recesses between the hub support and the ring band. The invention aims to further reduce the weight of the piston. The casting cores which produce the recesses can therefore be pivoted during stripping.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for producing a full face vehicle wheel and comprises the steps of: (a) providing a rim including an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange, an inboard tire bead seat, a well portion, an outboard tire bead seat, the inboard tire bead seat retaining flange including an outer surface, the inboard tire bead seat including an outer surface, an the outboard tire bead seat including an outer surface; (b) providing a disc including a generally centrally located inner wheel mounting portion and an outer annular portion, the outer annular portion including an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner wheel mounting portion including at least one of a fully formed center pilot hole and a plurality of fully formed lug bolt mounting holes, the center pilot hole defining a pilot hole axis and each of the lug bolt holes defining a lug bolt hole axis; (c) providing a wheel fixture tooling assembly for supporting the rim and the disc relative to one another, the wheel fixture tooling a

Abstract: Method and device to control the axial position of slabs emerging from continuous casting applied in rolling plants comprising at least a casting machine (11), a heating and/or temperature maintenance furnace (15) and a roughing and prefinishing (16) or finishing train (19) comprising at least one rolling stand (17), the method serving to align the axis (32) of a slab (24) entering the furnace (15) with the axis (25) of the first rolling stand (17), the method providing to control the axial position of the slab (24) and to activate at least a thruster element (26) able to be introduced inside the furnace (15) to act on the edge of the slab (24) and displace it laterally according to a measured discrepancy between the axis (32) of the slab (24) and the axis (25) of the rolling stand (17), wherein the thruster element (26) has a contact element (28) able to cooperate with the edge of the slab (24) advancing inside the furnace (15).

Abstract: Disclosed is a molten metal injector system including a holder furnace, a casting mold supported above the holder furnace, and a molten metal injector supported from a bottom side of the mold. The holder furnace contains a supply of molten metal having a metal oxide film surface. The bottom side of the mold faces the holder furnace. The mold defines a mold cavity for receiving the molten metal from the holder furnace. The injector projects into the holder furnace and is in fluid communication with the mold cavity. The injector includes a piston positioned within a piston cavity defined by a cylinder for pumping the molten metal upward from the holder furnace and injecting the molten metal into the mold cavity under pressure. The piston and cylinder are at least partially submerged in the molten metal when the holder furnace contains the molten metal. The cylinder further includes a molten metal intake for receiving the molten metal into the piston cavity.

Abstract: First line element made of, e.g., wire and second line elements made of, e.g., wire are disposed so that they cross each other and they are welded together at crossing points to form a net. The net is pressed to form an undulating net. An undulating net of a first layer and an undulating net of a second layer are laid one upon the other in such a manner that crossing points of the undulating net of the first layer alternately come into contact with and are separated from crossing points of the undulating net of the second layer. The crossing points which are in contact with each other are welded together by a welding machine. Subsequently, undulating nets of a third to n-th layers are similarly processed to form a three-dimensional net-like structure.