Abstract: A process is provided for making stiff, lightweight laminate materials. At least one sheet of textured lamina having raised pointed structures is forced against a softer plain lamina so as to embed the structures therein. The pointed structures raised from grooves carved into the surface of the sheet material by means of a set of teeth carried on a knife element. The pointed structures may pierce through the softer lamina such that the protruding tips may be bent over or clinched to prevent their easy withdrawal. Two such texturized lamina may be used to sandwich and pierce through the softer lamina and are co-clinched by the other. In this way a light and stiff laminate is created.

Abstract: A workpiece includes a material with a face and a first plurality of barbs and a second plurality of barbs extending integrally from the face. Each barb has a height above the face. The barbs of the first plurality are at least 10% higher than the barbs of the second plurality. The first plurality of barbs includes at least 10% of the barbs on the face and the second plurality of the barbs includes at least 10% of the barbs on the face. The barbs of the second plurality of barbs are bent and pointed.

Abstract: The present invention is a differentially textured material made from a workpiece made of a ductile material with a substantially flat face on which are raised rows of integral and generally pointed barbs. Each barb has a height above the substantially flat face of the ductile material from which the barbs are gouged out. The heights of the barbs vary substantially. The material may be steel and in the form of a sheet. The differentially textured material is particularly well suited for manufacturing disc brake backing plates where the barbs are used to bond the backing plate to friction material. The present invention also includes methods for making such differentially textured material.

Abstract: A brake backing plate includes first and second sheet metal stampings. Each sheet metal stamping has a respective textured face with a plurality of integrally formed piercing members. A solid non-porous metal core is sandwiched between the first sheet metal stamping and the second sheet metal stamping. The piercing members of the first sheet metal stamping penetrate into the metal core, and the piercing members of the second sheet metal stamping penetrate into the metal core, to secure the first sheet metal stamping, the second sheet metal stamping, and the metal core together.

Abstract: A brake backing plate is provided in which a non-compressible core material is sandwiched between two sheet metal stampings to make a lightweight, composite brake backing plate. Each of the stampings has a textured face with a plurality of integrally formed piercing members. By rolling or pressing, the piercing members of the textured faces are fully embedded in the core material, and thus lock the stampings and the core material together.

Abstract: A layered brake backing plate is provided made of stampings in which a softer, lighter metal core, such as aluminum, is sandwiched between skins of harder metal stampings, such as steel, to make a lightweight composite brake backing plate. The harder stampings are textured with integrally raised piercing barbs. By rolling or pressing, the barbs are made to embed in the core, locking the layers together.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of making laminated material comprising the steps of providing a base lamina with pointed tipped piercing members, impaling successive layers of thin laminae thereon using a resilient pad, clinching the protruding tips down onto the top lamina with a hard pad.

Abstract: A process is provided for making stiff, lightweight laminate materials. At least one sheet of textured lamina having raised pointed structures is forced against a softer plain lamina so as to embed the structures therein. The pointed structures raised from grooves carved into the surface of the sheet material by means of a set of teeth carried on a knife element. The pointed structures may pierce through the softer lamina such that the protruding tips may be bent over or clinched to prevent their easy withdrawal. Two such texturized lamina may be used to sandwich and pierce through the softer lamina and are co-clinched by the other. In this way a light and stiff laminate is created.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for texturing the surface of a brake plate has three die plates and spring supports therebetween. A toothed tooling mounts to the top the plate above an anvil on the centre die plate both of which ride on posts held by the lower die plate. The toothed tooling comprises multiple blades each with multiple replaceable toothed inserts are held in a cartridge arrangement. The anvil receives brake plates from a separately supported plate feed mechanism with greatly reduced reciprocating mass. The complete die set can be set up on the bench and inserted ready to use in any style of press where the press ram contacts the upper die plate.

Abstract: A method for additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object includes: a) identifying a set of sequentially extending planar cross-sectional shapes of the three-dimensional object; b) cutting a metal sheet into a plurality of planar metal pieces, each metal piece cut to a metal piece shape corresponding to a respective one of the cross-sectional shapes, wherein the metal sheet has a first face with a first plurality of barbs extending therefrom, and an opposed second face with a second plurality of barbs extending therefrom; c) cutting a substrate sheet into a plurality of planar substrate pieces, each substrate sheet cut to a substrate piece shape corresponding to a respective one of the cross-sectional shapes; and d) positioning the metal pieces and the substrate pieces in facing relation in an alternating pattern and in sequential order, and pressing the metal pieces and substrate pieces together to force the barbs to penetrate the substrate pieces.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for texturing the surface of a brake plate has three die plates and spring supports therebetween. A toothed tooling mounts to the top die plate above an anvil on the center die plate both of which ride on posts held by the lower die plate. The toothed tooling comprises multiple blades each with multiple replaceable toothed inserts are held in a cartridge arrangement. The anvil receives brake plates from a separately supported plate feed mechanism with greatly reduced reciprocating mass. The complete die set can be set up on the bench and inserted ready to use in any style of press where the press ram contacts the upper die plate.

Abstract: The present invention is a laminate sheet having two laminae. The first lamina is a relatively hard material having first and second surfaces. The first surface has a plurality of raised and generally pointed piercing structures, each structure having a tip. The second lamina is graphite foil material, which is mated to the relatively hard material, such that at least some of the piercing structures pierce the graphite foil material. In one embodiment, the first lamina has no perforations and is uniformly smooth. In another embodiment, the second surface also has a plurality of piercing structures and a third lamina comprising graphite foil is mated to the second surface.

Abstract: A method is provided for joining textured sheet materials. Complementary edges of two sheets of textured sheet material are aligned in an adjacent fashion. A joining element is positioned along at least a portion of the textured surfaces of the two sheets so as to cover at least a portion of the exposed piercing elements and so as to at least partially bridge the gap between the edges of the two pieces. By rolling or pressing on the joining element to force the piercing elements of the textured surfaces into the joining element, the joining element thus connects the two sheets to form a joint. The method can also be used with laminated sheets or to form a laminate after the sheets are joined. A kit for joining is also provided. A method for joining continuously-fed textured sheet material is also provided.

Abstract: A process is provided for making stiff, lightweight laminate materials. At least one sheet of textured lamina having raised pointed structures is forced against a softer plain lamina so as to embed the structures therein. The pointed structures raised from grooves carved into the surface of the sheet material by means of a set of teeth carried on a knife element. The pointed structures may pierce through the softer lamina such that the protruding tips may be bent over or clinched to prevent their easy withdrawal. Two such texturized lamina may be used to sandwich and pierce through the softer lamina and are co-clinched by the other. In this way a light and stiff laminate is created.

Abstract: A process is provided for making bulk textured material sheeting. As a continuous supply of flat material sheeting is fed, the sheeting is repeatedly impacted with toothed knives, each knife creating a row of raised and generally pointed structures on the sheeting to texture the sheeting.

Abstract: A brake backing plate is provided in which a non-compressible core material is sandwiched between two sheet metal stampings to make a lightweight, composite brake backing plate. Each of the stampings has a textured face with a plurality of integrally formed piercing members. By rolling or pressing, the piercing members of the textured faces are fully embedded in the core material, and thus lock the stampings and the core material together.

Abstract: A solar collector array is disclosed. The array has a plurality of thin walled dishes interconnected by unitary webbing. The dishes and the webbing are formed from a single metallic sheet. Each dish is pressed into a symmetric parabolic surface that concentrates incident light to a position in front of the dish.

Abstract: A shim for a disc brake pad is provided. The shim is formed of a generally planar metal sheet that has a plurality of curved or bent edge tabs extending out from its edges thereof to engage the brake pad. A centrally disposed raised area is provided on the shim. The raised area serves as a compartment for lubricant when the shim is retained on the brake pad. The raised area has at least one lubricant access port to allow lubricant to be introduced into the compartment without removing the shim from the brake pad. A disc brake pad assembly having the shim is also provided. A method of lubricating the assembly via the access port is also provided.