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:
Jun. 29, 1993
Filed:
Sep. 23, 1991
Todd B Lozier, Hamilton, OH (US);
James G Kelley, California, KY (US);
General Electric Company, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Abstract
An improved method and apparatus for laser trepanning a passage through a workpiece, gas turbine engine component or the like includes the method steps of: providing a linearly polarized beam of laser energy; focusing the laser beam on a selected location on the component; moving one of the laser beam or the workpiece relative to one another along a first selected trepanning path and along a second selected trepanning path, which is substantially opposite in direction to the first selected path, to compensate for the linear polarization of the laser beam and to reduce the processing time. The steps of moving one of the laser beam or the workpiece along the first and second trepanning paths are repeated until a passage is cut to a desired depth into the surface of the component or the passage is cut entirely through the component. An apparatus for accomplishing the method of the present invention includes a laser system for generating a linearly polarized beam of laser energy and a manipulator arrangement for moving one of the laser system or the component relative to one another. The apparatus further includes a computer controller which is programmed to move either the laser system or the component along the first and second selected trepanning paths.