International Business Machines Corporation

William Dale Carbaugh, Jr

David Clifford Long

Mark J LaPlante

Christopher D Setzer

Karl Friedrich Stroms

Lester W Herron

Mark William Kapfhammer

Nabil A Rizk

James Robert Wylder

Howard A Bender

Howard A Bender, Iii

Mark J La Plante

Disclosed is a flex die punching apparatus for forming an aperture in at least one sheet of material. There is a flexible, extrudable platen which, upon exertion of a force against it, extrudes at least a portion of at least one sheet of material through an aperture of a die. The flexible, extrudable platen may have a punch feature, corresponding to the shape and position of the die aperture, which assists in the extruding of the flexible, extrudable platen through the die aperture and also in the formation of the aperture in the sheet of material. In another embodiment of the invention, there may be a second die wherein the at least one sheet of material is placed between the first and second dies to form the aperture in the sheet of material.

Flex die punching apparatus and method

Dimpling of a workpiece by rebounding of a magnetic repulsion punch mechanism, when operated at high punching rates, is avoided by application of a damping pulse at a point at or subsequent to a mid-point of a return stroke of the punch from the workpiece and preferably within the last 10% of the return stroke. This damping pulse is preferably a fraction of the pulse width and of approximately the same amplitude as a driving pulse applying kinetic energy to the punch for causing punching of the workpiece. At high punching rates the kinetic energy of the return portion of a punching stroke is substantially determined by elastic rebounding of the punch from a guide bushing. The removal of kinetic energy during the return portion of the stroke allows the return of the punch to a position close to a rest position during a very short interval with small overshoot under control of mechanical damping. Since dynamic damping may be substituted for much of the mechanical damping in the punching arrangement, high quality punching may be accomplished at much increased punching rates. A preferred form of monitoring punch position employs RF reflected inductance and may be used to form a time expanded image of punch movement.

Magneto-repulsion punching with dynamic damping

A magneto repulsion electrical tape wound coil has been developed with improved current distribution and improved heat transfer. The coil is easy and is expensive to manufacture and simple to mount. The coil comprises a conductive strip (e.g., a copper strip) with rectangular openings stamped in it with a standard metal stamp. The single row of openings are at regular intervals and arranged so that the width of the openings and the spacing of the openings is such that when the coil is wound there is an overlap of the openings, forming radial passages extending from the outer periphery of the coil to its central core electrode. Cooling fluid may be supplied from a hollow inner electrode so that the cooling fluid flows radially, outwardly. Since the openings overlap to form radial passages, a cross-flow path for the cooling fluid may be established where fluid enters the passages on one side of the coil and exits from the other side of the coil.

Wound coil with integral cooling passages

A solid state lasing medium is pumped to produce a high repetition rate laser beam. The laser medium is pumped to cause maximum population inversion. The laser medium is greater in diameter than the aperture that defines the allowable beam path. In the preferred embodiment the off-axis laser beam that is produced is steered to become an on-axis laser beam using a novel SBSA (spinning beam steering assembly). The output of the laser is increased because as the SBSA spins, the area of the lasing medium that is not lasing is being charged or pumped. The laser medium can also be hollow to allow for pumping from either outside or inside the hollow bore or both. Similarly, this hollow bore in the laser medium could also allow cooling fluids to be circulated therethrough. Different embodiments of the SBSA are disclosed, including a variety of methods to pump the laser medium. Also, disclosed is a novel field removable or replaceable laser medium housing assembly.

Method and apparatus for an increased output for a pumped laser using a

A solid state lasing rod is spun on its long axis. The rod is pumped with photons while it spins. The rod is greater in diameter than the aperture. The rod is aligned off-center from the center of the aperture so that different portions of the rod are exposed to the aperture for lasing. The repetition rate of the lasing of the laser is increased because as the rod spins, the area of the rod that is not lasing is being charged. The laser rod can also be hollow to allow for pumping of the photons from either outside or inside the hollow bore or both. Similarly, this hollow bore in the laser rod could also allow cooling fluids to be circulated therethrough.

Growing community of inventors

Greencastle, PA, United States of America

William Dale Carbaugh, Jr