Abstract:
A catheter or fiberscope for the inspection of an intracardiac area or the like is proposed which has a flexible tube and a balloon mounted on its end. The flexible tube is divided into four passageways, i.e. two fluid passageways and an illumination light transmission line and an image transmission line. A flush of a physiological saline solution is spouted from one fluid passageway outside of the balloon to form a visual field without interfering natural movement of the area to be inspected. A catheter for dissolving a thrombus is also proposed which has a porous tube, instead of a balloon, at its end portion.
Abstract:
An improved method and apparatus for automatically resetting a wire electrode in an operating setup on an electroerosion (e.g. EDM) machine is disclosed. Upon termination of a given machining operation commenced with a starting hole in the workpiece, the wire electrode spanning in a continuous stretch between a supply side and a collection side is broken in a region adjacent to the workpiece and at one of the opposite sides thereof by forming the wire electrode in the region with at least two coplanar grooves substantially symmetrical about the axis thereof and then applying tension to the wire electrode to break the latter in the region. The broken wire electrode is threaded its broken end into and through a new starting hole preformed in a workpiece for machining a contour therein in a subsequent machining operation to reestablish the continuous stretch of the wire electrode between the supply and collection sides. An air jet may be applied at least in the region of the wire electrode to be heated, grooved and broken to blow off residue of the machining liquid which may remain adherent on the wire electrode to allow the latter to be uniformly heated without any localized thermal stress. This also allows the wire electrode which is broken to form a straight broken end.
Abstract:
A method of and an apparatus for electrical-machining a conductive workpiece with an axially traveling wire electrode displaced transversely to the workpiece along a predetermined cutting path to advance electroerosion effected across the machining gap supplied with a machining liquid, wherein the rate of supply of the machining liquid to the gap is controlled as a function of the shape of the cutting path.
Abstract:
An NC-EDM method and apparatus wherein a succession of electrical discharges is effected across an EDM gap to effect electroerosive stock removal from the workpiece while the tool electrode is consecutively advanced relatively into the workpiece under NC commands which in a prescribed set define a desired path and extent of the relative advancement. Control is effected to act on the EDM power supply for maintaining parameters of the electrical discharges in a given EDM mode during an initial period of the consecutive advancement of the tool electrode relative to the workpiece. The arrival of the tool electrode at a predetermined position relative to the workpiece spaced by a preselected distance from its final position which is determined by the said extent of the consecutive relative advancement is sensed for switching the parameters of the electrical discharges into another EDM mode and maintaining the switched parameters until the tool electrode reaches the said final position relative to the workpiece.
Abstract:
A feedpath deviation preventive NC path-controlled machining system in which a plotting unit is used, in a preliminary operation in advance of a machining operation, to produce on a record medium a continuous plot equivalent to a programmed machining feed path to be followed by relative displacement between the tool member and the workpiece during the machining operation. In the latter, a sensing head is disposed in sensing relationship with the plotted record medium for relative displacement to the latter jointly with the relative displacement between the tool member and the workpiece. The sensing head continues to trace the continuous plot as long as the actual machining relative displacement proceeds along the programmed machining path to produce an OK signal. An output circuit unit is provided to respond to any disappearance of the OK signal representing a deviation of the actual displacement from the programmed path for providing a warning signal and/or a control signal which acts to deactuate the machining-feed drive system.
Abstract:
A wire state of use indication apparatus for use with a traveling-wire electroerosion cutting machine is disclosed in which a sensing unit instantaneously responds to the rotation of a roller disposed in the wire travel path and rotated with the electrode wire travelling in bearing contact with the roller. The number of the rotations is counted to produce a sensing signal which represents the cumulative number of rotations of the roller a number which in turn represents the amount of the electrode wire which has been drawn out of the wire storage rool by a given time instant during a given cutting operation. A processing circuit is provided to process the sensing signal with an input setting signal representing the amount of the electrode wire stored in the reel prior to the commencement of the cutting operation to produce an output signal which represents the amount of the electrode wire remaining in the reel at that time instant. The sensing unit may also provide a further sensing signal representing the instantaneous rate of rotation of the roller which rate in turn represents the instantaneous rate of drawing the wire out of the reel.
Abstract:
A numerical-control (NC) method and system for machining a desired three-dimensional contour in a workpiece with an axial tool, e.g. a rotary milling cutter or electroerosion electrode, formed at its axial end with an active machining surface which is spherical about a center intersected by the axis of the tool. According to the invention, numerical coordinate values for the positions of this center of the tool to be displaced relative to the workpiece need not to be preprogrammed and stored on a record medium. Rather, the numerical coordinate values for a series of prescribed points on the desired contour, together with the angular values defining an imaginary line normal to the contour at each of these points are simply programmed and stored on such an NC tape or like medium, and a numerical datum for a constant value substantially equal to the radius of the sphere is keyed in into a computing device arranged between a tape reader and drive units for computing from the data reproduced from the NC tape and the keyed-in datum, for each of the prescribed points, the three-dimensional coordinate values of the position of the center of the sphere. The computing device is associated with a drive control unit for producing from the computed numerical coordinate values, command signals to operate the drive units so that the workpiece and the tool are relatively displaced to allow the desired contour to be progressively developed in the workpiece.
Abstract:
A spark-depositing apparatus includes an electrode storage arrangement which stores a plurality of rigid electrodes. When a new electrode is required, a chuck receives one of these electrodes. A clamp brings the chuck to a first position to allow the electrode to slide into the chuck and brings the chuck to a second position to hold the electrode fast. The electrode is then activated to deposit material on a workpiece in a predetermined pattern.
Abstract:
Sintering method and apparatus. A pre-sintered or compacted mass of particulate material is densified by loading the mass into a substantially closed three-dimensional space defined by three pairs of punches juxtaposed thereacross in three respective directions, and then by multi-axially compressing the mass by advancing the punches of each pair toward each other while energizing the mass with thermal energy. The axes of action of pressures applied thereto by the three pairs of punches intersect substantially at a point substantially constituting the center of the three-dimensional space.
Abstract:
A novel and highly efficient die forming method is disclosed wherein a plurality of blank workpieces, preferably plate blanks, are prepared and assembled together in a format such that a die blank may be produced therefrom which has a contour at least roughly approaching the contour of a desired die product. The blank workpieces are assembled together by permanently joining them, preferably by fusion-welding. The die blank so produced is then preferably subjected to heat-treatment and is thereupon machined, preferably by EDM, to progressively develop the desired contour therein from the rough-shaped contour.