Apparatuses and methods for processing a metal ribbon

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10400303-B2
Application number	US-201715438217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2017
Priority date	Jan 2, 2015
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus ( 102 ) for processing a metal ribbon ( 116 ) comprising a main portion ( 118 ) and a sacrificial portion ( 120 ) adjoining the main portion ( 118 ) of the metal ribbon ( 116 ), is disclosed. The apparatus ( 102 ) comprises a heater ( 108 ), configured to heat the main portion ( 118 ) of the metal ribbon ( 116 ) to a first temperature, a first cooler ( 110 ), configured to cool the main portion ( 118 ) of the metal ribbon ( 116 ) from the first temperature to a third temperature lower than the first temperature, a second cooler ( 112 ), configured to cool the main portion ( 118 ) of the metal ribbon ( 116 ) at a first rate from the third temperature to a fourth temperature lower than the third temperature, a drive system ( 124 ), configured to successively advance the main portion ( 118 ) of the metal ribbon ( 116 ) from the heater ( 108 ) to the second cooler ( 112 ) through the first cooler ( 110 ), and a guide system ( 114 ) configured to route the metal ribbon ( 116 ) from the heater ( 108 ) to the second cooler ( 112 ) through the first cooler ( 110 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing a metal ribbon comprising a main portion and a sacrificial portion adjoining the main portion, the apparatus comprising:
a heater configured to heat the main portion of the metal ribbon to a first temperature;
a first cooler comprising a cooling fluid bath configured to cool the main portion of the metal ribbon at a first rate from the first temperature to a third temperature lower than the first temperature;
a second cooler configured to cool the main portion of the metal ribbon at a second rate from the third temperature to a fourth temperature lower than the third temperature, wherein the first rate is higher than the second rate;
a drive system configured to successively advance the main portion of the metal ribbon from the heater to the second cooler through the first cooler; and
a guide system configured to route the metal ribbon from the heater, through the first cooler, and then to the second cooler such that the main portion of the metal ribbon is collected within the second cooler.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first cooler is configured to cool the main portion of the metal ribbon to the third temperature with a cooling fluid, wherein the cooling fluid has a boiling point.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the first cooler comprises a spray nozzle configured to discharge the cooling fluid onto the main portion of the metal ribbon and to cool the main portion from the first temperature to a second temperature lower than the first temperature and higher than the fourth temperature.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the first cooler is configured to cool the main portion of the metal ribbon to the second temperature that is lower than the boiling point of the cooling fluid.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the cooling fluid bath is configured to submerge the main portion of the metal ribbon in the cooling fluid to cool the main portion from the second temperature to the to the third temperature lower than the second temperature and higher than the fourth temperature.

6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:
the drive system comprises a second rotary drive in communication with the second cooler; and
the second rotary drive is selectively operable to successively advance the main portion of the metal ribbon from the heater to the second cooler through the first cooler.

7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the drive system further comprises a first rotary drive in communication with the heater.

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising:
a first spool, positionable in the heater to engage the first rotary drive, and wherein the first spool is configured to dispense the metal ribbon advanced from the heater to the second cooler through the first cooler; and
a second spool, positionable in the second cooler to engage the second rotary drive, and wherein the second spool is configured to collect the metal ribbon, advanced from the heater to the second cooler through the first cooler.

9. The apparatus in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the first rotary drive and the second rotary drive are simultaneously controllably operable to maintain a constant tension in the metal ribbon extending between the first spool and the second spool as the metal ribbon is advanced from the heater to the second cooler through the first cooler.

10. The apparatus in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising:
first means for sensing a first linear speed of the metal ribbon dispensed from the first spool in the heater;
second means for sensing a second linear speed of the metal ribbon collected on the second spool in the second cooler; and
third means for simultaneously controllably operating the first rotary drive at a first variable angular speed and the second rotary drive at a second variable angular speed to maintain the first linear speed of the metal ribbon substantially equal to the second linear speed of the metal ribbon as the metal ribbon is advanced from the heater to the second cooler through the first cooler.

11. A method of processing a metal ribbon using a heater, a first cooler, and a second cooler, the metal ribbon comprising a main portion and a sacrificial portion adjoining the main portion, the method comprising:
routing the sacrificial portion of the metal ribbon through the first cooler to the second cooler;
heating the main portion of the metal ribbon to a first temperature in the heater;
cooling the main portion of the metal ribbon in the first cooler at a first rate from the first temperature to a third temperature lower than the first temperature while successively advancing the main portion of the metal ribbon from the heater to the second cooler through the first cooler;
cooling the main portion of the metal ribbon in the second cooler at a second rate from the third temperature to a fourth temperature lower than the third temperature, wherein the first rate is higher than the second rate; and
collecting the main portion of the metal ribbon within the second cooler.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising marking a boundary on the metal ribbon between the main portion and the sacrificial portion.

13. The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein cooling the main portion of the metal ribbon from the first temperature to the third temperature comprises cooling the main portion of the metal ribbon using a cooling fluid, wherein the cooling fluid has a boiling point.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13 , further comprising discharging the cooling fluid onto the main portion of the metal ribbon, while successively advancing the main portion of the metal ribbon from the heater to the second cooler through the first cooler, to cool the main portion from the first temperature to a second temperature lower than the first temperature and higher than the fourth temperature.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising submerging the main portion of the metal ribbon into the cooling fluid, while successively advancing the main portion of the metal ribbon from the heater to the second cooler through the first cooler, to cool the main portion from the second temperature to the third temperature lower than the second temperature and higher than the fourth temperature.

16. The method in accordance with claim 11 , further comprising dispensing the metal ribbon from a first spool, positionable in the heater, as the metal ribbon is advanced from the heater to the second cooler through the first cooler.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein collecting the main portion of the metal ribbon comprises collecting the metal ribbon on a second spool positionable in the second cooler as the metal ribbon is advanced from the heater to the second cooler through the first cooler.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17 , further comprising maintaining a constant tension in the metal ribbon as the metal ribbon is advanced from the heater to the second cooler through the first cooler.

19. The method in accordance with claim 18 , further comprising:
sensing a first linear speed of the metal ribbon dispensed from the first spool in the heater;
sensing a second linear speed of the metal ribbon collected on the second spool in the second cooler; and
simultaneously controllably rotating the first spool at a first variable angular speed and the second spool at a second variable angular speed

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Porter John Richard
• Johnson Stephen Thomas
• Gabriel Mark Frederick
• Cardon Lisa Ann

Classifications

• C21D9/573

  with cooling · CPC title

• C21D9/5735 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• C22C21/00

  Alloys based on aluminium · CPC title

• C22F1/002

  by rapid cooling or quenching; cooling agents used therefor · CPC title

• B21C1/02

  Drawing metal wire or like flexible metallic material by drawing machines or apparatus in which the drawing action is effected by drums · CPC title