Abstract: An improved portable wood planing machine for the surface planing of wooden planks or boards is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the planing machine includes a carriage assembly locking mechanism for locking the carriage assembly relative to a plurality of vertical support columns to thereby vertically fix the carriage assembly. In one form, the carriage assembly locking mechanism includes a plurality of levers which cooperate to engage the support columns of the carriage assembly. The exemplary embodiment further includes a depth stop adjustment mechanism which allows the operator to accurately select a minimum workpiece depth from one or more predetermined depths and a material removal indicator assembly operable for enabling the user of the planing machine to accurately determine the amount of material to be removed during each pass of the workpiece.

Abstract: A method of scoring a metal panel such as a can end lid includes forming a first scoreline having a base and a pair of lateral walls and subsequently forming a second scoreline within the first scoreline by indenting a portion of the first scoreline base. The final scoreline may be created by employing two or more scoring operations after the first scoreline has been formed. The apparatus preferably includes a press which supports the first scoring die and second scoring die in such a manner as to establish the desired sequence of scoring operations. This method and associated apparatus provide a scored metal panel or container lid having improved performance characteristics. The resultant lid is characterized by reduced residual strain.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing, in situ, highly irradiated specimens at high temperature transients is provided. A specimen, which has a thermocouple device attached thereto, is manipulated into test position in a sealed quartz heating tube by a robot. An induction coil around a heating portion of the tube is powered by a radio frequency generator to heat the specimen. Sensors are connected to monitor the temperatures of the specimen and the induction coil. A quench chamber is located below the heating portion to permit rapid cooling of the specimen which is moved into this quench chamber once it is heated to a critical temperature. A vacuum pump is connected to the apparatus to collect any released fission gases which are analyzed at a remote location.

Abstract: The invention includes apparatus and method for lubricating and cooling a workpiece, dies or ironing rings, and punch at the interface between the workpiece and such dies or ironing rings and punch in forming a workpiece into a hollow closed end cylindrical article.A lubricant liquid phase is injected into a coolant liquid phase to form a "dispersion" prior to application to the metal-tool interface. Providing the lubricant as a dispersion in the coolant liquid phase rather than as an emulsion provides several advantages. The quantity of lubricant and the time of lubricant injection can be varied to control lubricity and, thus, friction. The invention makes it possible to achieve differential friction in the ironing process by having higher lubricity on the ironing die (low friction) and lower lubricity on the punch surface (high friction). Lubricities and cooling are controllable for the specific metal forming process employed to produce closed end hollow body containers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring the sidewall tension in a workpiece being drawn through a draw die and/or ironing die. A punch is provided which is adapted to measure and continuously monitor the axial load on the punch nose and the total axial load on the punch, the distribution of such loads around the periphery of the punch, and bending of the punch near the base and nose due to lateral and nonuniform forces acting on the punch as the workpiece is forced through a die or dies. Determination of the forces, their distribution, and punch bending enables accurately determining the tensile stress at any portion of the sidewall.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for determining the fracture resistance of thin wall hollow articles when ironed, the method including the step of providing a drawing die and punch or a mandrel having a portion thereof tapered in a continuous, linear manner. The taper is such that it provides a continuous decrease in punch-to-die clearance when the two are moved together, and thus a continuous range of ironing reductions along the side wall of an article located between the punch and die. The taper of the punch begins adjacent the forward end thereof and is sized to effect conventional thinning of the side wall of the article at the onset of ironing. The final diameter of the taper of the punch, however, is such that fracturing of the side wall is assured in the ironing process.