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:
May. 10, 2005
Filed:
Dec. 18, 2002
John E. Carsley, Clinton Township, MI (US);
Richard Harry Hammar, Utica, MI (US);
John Robert Bradley, Clarkston, MI (US);
John E. Carsley, Clinton Township, MI (US);
Richard Harry Hammar, Utica, MI (US);
John Robert Bradley, Clarkston, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A method is disclosed for heating a cold worked sheet of superplastically formable metal composition to recrystallize its microstructure to a formable condition and/or to heat the sheet to a temperature for an immediate forming operation. The sheet is placed between two electrical resistance heated platens maintained at a suitable temperature for recrystallizing and/or heating the metal sheet through its side surfaces. In a preferred embodiment a critical gap is maintained between the platens and the sheet to permit rapid conductive heating of the expanding sheet without marring its surfaces.