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:
Apr. 18, 1995
Filed:
Sep. 15, 1993
Thomas L Linsenbardt, Loman, MO (US);
Daniel H Hickman, Florence, SC (US);
ABB Power T & D Company, Blue Bell, PA (US);
Abstract
Twin metal billets are fed to dual circumferential grooves formed in a rotating wheel. The billets are advanced first to a wedge-shaped gap which deforms the billets and are then advanced to a die. The die has a die opening with a circumferentially discontinuous, annular cross-section. The metal from each billet merges in the die opening and exits therefrom in the form of a slit tube. The tube is then opened and flattened to form a flat strip by advancing the slit tube over a forming member having a progressively increasing width. As the tube is advanced over the forming member, an alignment system maintaining the tube in a centered position. The alignment system includes a light source disposed within the tube and two arrays of photo-transistors arranged to receive light from the light source, the amount of light sensed by each array being a function of the position of the slit in the tube relative to a desired position. Any difference results in a steering roll which is in contact with the outer surface of the tube being pivoted in a direction which will bring the tube back into alignment.