Patent ID: 6562203
Filing Date: 2003-05-13
Classification: B23H

Abstract:
An electrochemical machining apparatus for providing a contoured cavity in a workpiece defined by a tapered sidewall and essentially straight complementary sidewall, comprising:a housing for supporting a workpiece having a cavity therein to be contoured by electrochemical machining; elongated tool means longitudinally displaceable within said housing and adapted to be received in the cavity of said workpiece, said tool means having a relatively straight sidewall and a tapered sidewall conforming to the contour desired of said cavity; plate means of electrically insulating material disposed in said housing at a location contiguous to the end of the workpiece and in a plane orthogonal to the direction of displacement of said tool means with said plate means being formed of a movable section and a stationary section, said plate means having an opening therethrough in registry with said cavity with a portion of the movable section of said plate means projecting over a portion of said cavity to provide an electrolyte flow gap between the tapered sidewall of the tool means and the edge of the movable section of the plate means corresponding in size to the electrolyte flow gap between the relatively straight sidewall of the tool means and the edge of the stationary section of the plate means overlying the end of the workpiece when said tool means are displaced at a location adjacent to said plate means; and cam means operatively associated with said tool means and said movable section of the plate means for displacing the latter in the direction orthogonal to the displacement of said tool means to provide and maintain the gap between the plate means and the tool means at an essentially constant and uniform size as the tool means are displaced into said cavity.