The Boeing Company

Continental Eagle Corporation

Reid W Williams

Neal W Muylaert

Steven C Low

Bryan E Ake

Richard J Nord

Blair E Thompson

Jerry G Clark

A method of sintering a 17-4PH alloy powder and a sintered 17-4PH sintered part are disclosed. The part is formed by selective laser sintering a 17-4PH alloy powder and binder mixture to form a green part that is sintered to form a part having a substantially pure martensitic structure. The metal powder includes boron. The sintered part may be further processed by shot peening to improve crack resistance.

Direct to metal sintering of 17-4PH steel

A safety, fluid-actuated cylinder-and-piston mechanism for use with an article which is movable between first and second positions. The mechanism comprises a conventional, fluid-actuated cylinder-and-piston mechanism and an automatic locking bar. The piston rod of the cylinder-and-piston mechanism has one end attached to the movable article, and is movable between a fully retracted position in which the article is in its first position and a fully extended position in which the article is in its second position. The locking bar has a pivot end proximate the attachment between the piston rod and the movable article, and an opposite, nonpivot end. The locking bar is pivotable between a lowered and fully raised position and has a plurality of partially raised positions between its lowered and fully raised positions. It is positioned to rest on the cylinder when the piston rod is fully retracted into the cylinder and the article is in its first position, and is further dimensioned to drop off the cylinder into its lowered position and lock against the end of the cylinder when the piston rod is fully extended and the article is in its second position. Another cylinder-and piston mechanism is provided for automatically moving the locking bar from its lowered position to its fully raised position with its nonpivot end above the article-moving cylinder to enable the article to be moved from its second position to its first position.

Cylinder safety lock

Growing community of inventors

Mesa, AZ, United States of America

Reid W Williams