The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 25, 1986
Filed:
Mar. 21, 1984
Roger S Raymond, Redondo Beach, CA (US);
Rockwell International Corporation, El Segundo, CA (US);
Abstract
An improved apparatus and forming method is disclosed for making laminate structures from a stack of worksheets using superplastic forming and diffusion bonding. A fluid line is inserted into the forming die which is connected to the stack by a slot in one sheet. A sheet is coated with a stopoff material to prevent bonding of selected areas of the sheets. The slot is positioned adjacent to the stopoff path and an inflation tube having an internal bore is inserted into the slot. The tube material is noncontaminating relative to the worksheet materials, and the tube material has a high compressive strength sufficient to form a groove in one worksheet without diminishing the bore area. When the tube is thicker than the sheet having the slot in it and the tube is subjected to compressive forces by the forming die, the tube acts as a male die and pushes out a groove in a surrounding worksheet without substantially changing the structure of the tube. Gas is fed into the fluid line, and into the stack of sheets creating a pressure differential within the stack for diffusion bonding and superplastic forming.