Sphere forming method and apparatus

US4400191A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• Charles Youngberg · Altadena, US
• Charles G. Miller · Branford, US
• James B. Stephens · La Cañada Flintridge, US
• Anthony A. Finnerty · Tustin, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 30, 1982
• Grant date: Aug 23, 1983
• Expiry date: Jul 30, 2002

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S376/916
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A system is provided for forming small accurately-spherical objects. Preformed largely-spherical objects (18) are supported at the opening of a conduit (16) on the update of hot gas emitted from the opening, so the object is in a molten state. The conduit is suddenly jerked away at a downward incline, to allow the molten object to drop in free fall, so that surface tension forms a precise sphere. The conduit portion that has the opening, lies in a moderate-vacuum chamber 40, and the falling sphere passes through the chamber and through a briefly-opened valve (30) into a tall drop tower (32) that contains a lower pressure, to allow the sphere to cool without deformation caused by falling through air.