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US4562332A
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Surface crack healing with high-energy beam
Assignee: Boeing North American Inc
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Filing: 1984-03-26
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Granted: 1985-12-31
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Expires: 2004-03-26
Abstract
Abstract A method for healing surface cracks 10, especially in metals, by scanning a high-energy, diffused, pulsed electron-beam past a crack 10 in a slowly moving specimen object 12. The crack 10 moves laterally with respect to the beam so that the beam pattern 14 is a sawtooth pattern comprising a series of overlapping circles 22, each comprising one pulse of diffused energy.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert J. Walter
- 👤 Jack R. Lewis
- 👤 Charles M. Moss
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 22:49
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23K; B23K15/00; B23K15/0046; B23K15/0086; B23P; B23P6/00; B23P6/04; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49718; Y10T29/49748; Y10T29/4975
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
107 words
A method for healing surface cracks in a meltable material comprising the steps of: directing a diffused beam of high-energy at the edge of a surface crack in a meltable material, the energy of said beam being sufficient to melt the edges of the crack at its surface so that the edges will fuse together; oscillating said beam from one end of the crack to the other; and moving said material at a slow rate laterally with respect to the direction of oscillation of said beam, wherein the level of energy applied to said material is insufficient to produce enough thermal shock to increase the crack width.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
107 words
A method for healing surface cracks in a meltable material comprising the steps of: directing a diffused beam of high-energy at the edge of a surface crack in a meltable material, the energy of said beam being sufficient to melt the edges of the crack at its surface so that the edges will fuse together; oscillating said beam from one end of the crack to the other; and moving said material at a slow rate laterally with respect to the direction of oscillation of said beam, wherein the level of energy applied to said material is insufficient to produce enough thermal shock to increase the crack width.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method as in claim 1, wherein: said material is metal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as in claim 1, wherein: said beam is an electron beam.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as in claim 1, wherein: said beam is a pulsed beam.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as in claim 1, wherein: the time of oscillation of said beam is approximately 0.0015 seconds per sweep.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as in claim 1, wherein: the rate of lateral movement of said material is approximately 25 inches/minute.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as in claim 1, wherein: the time of oscillation of said beam is approximately 0.0015 seconds per sweep and the rate of lateral movement of said specimen is approximately 25 inches per minute.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as in claim 4, wherein: said beam is diffused so that the areas of adjacent pulses of energy overlap each other.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as in claim 1, wherein: a vacuum environment is used to surface-melt the material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as in claim 1, wherein: the surface-sealed crack is hot isostatic pressed to seal the crack interior.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-12-30 | 1989-07-01 | 1989-12-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-12-30 | 1993-07-01 | 1993-12-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-12-30 | 1997-07-01 | 1997-12-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |