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:
Oct. 27, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 03, 1997
Manfred G Becker, Novi, MI (US);
Peter C Dinardi, Livonia, MI (US);
Kenneth J Sprenger, Lake Orion, MI (US);
Timothy S Guitar, Clinton Township, MI (US);
Ernst Thielenhaus KG, Wuppertal, DE;
Abstract
Each of a plurality of thin-walled workpieces is held for machining in a machine in a respective rigid holder. Ends of unmachined workpieces are each first imbedded in a molten body of a metal alloy having a melting point between 45.degree. C. and 140.degree. C. contained in a respective one of the rigid holders in a cooling station and having a negative expansion coefficient. The holder and the alloy body are cooled in the cooling station to solidify the body around the imbedded end of the unmachined workpiece and the cooled holder is displaced with the unmachined workpiece from the cooling station into the machine. After machining of the workpiece in the holder, the holder is displaced from the machine into a heating station where it is heated to melt the alloy body. Then the machined workpiece is lifted out of the molten body in the heating station and the holder with the molten alloy body is recirculated from the heating station to the cooling station. Then another workpiece is imbedded in the molten alloy body and the cycle is repeated.