Flexible compsoite article

Claim 1

A THIN, FLEXIBLE, HARD-SURFACED COMPOSITE STRIP MATERIAL ADAPTED TO BE CONFORMED TO THE SURFACE OF A MACHINE PART HAVING VARYING CONTOURS COMPRISING A THIN, METALLIC BASE STRIP HAVING A THICKNESS UP TO 1/16 OF AN INCH AND A MELTING POINT IN EXCESS OF 600*F. AND A COATING APPLIED TO SAID BASE, SAID COATING HAVING A THICKNESS BETWEEN 0.001 AND 0.01 INCH AND BONDED TO SAID BASE WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL ALLOYING AT THE INTERFACE THEREOF, SAID COATING HAVING A POROSITY LESS THAN 3 PERCENT, A DENSITY SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE BULK DENSITY OF SOLID CASTHARD MATERIAL OF THE SAME COMPOSITION AND COMPRISING A LAMELLAR STRUCTURE OF INTERLOCKING AND OVERLAPPING MICROSCOPIC LEAVES MECHANICALLY BONDED TO EACH OTHER AND TO SAID BASE, SAID COATING BEING FORMED BY INTRODUCING A POWDERED COMPOSITION CONTAINING AT LEAST 92 PERCENT OF A MATERIAL CHOSEN FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TUNGSTEN CARBIDE ALLOYS, CHROMIUM CARBIDE ALLOYS, TITANIUM CARBIDE ALLOYS AND BORON CARBIDE ALLOYS, THE REMAINING MATERIAL BEING COBALT, INTO A HIGH VELOCITY, HIGH TEMPERATURE GAS STREAM AND DIRECTING SAID POWDER-LADEN GAS STREAM AGAINST SAID BASE, METAL.