Claims
- 1. A material working machine having a tool holder, a tool adapted to move freely relative to the tool holder along a work path, a resonant member supported by the tool holder, the resonant member having an output coupled to the tool and an input, means attached to the tool holder for applying an oscillatory, resonance causing force to the input of the resonant member for a given period of time, and means for applying a unidirectional force to the tool holder for the given period of time to advance the tool intermittently along the work path as the resonant member resonates, the oscillatory force being sufficiently larger than the maximum value of the unidirectional force to overcome the unidirectional force and to drive the resonant member back, thereby preventing cessation of resonance, when the tool is unable to advance responsive to the unidirectional force and the oscillatory force.
- 2. The machine of claim 1, in which the tool is movably attached to the tool holder and unattached to the resonant member and the resonant member has a neutral position about which it oscillates, whereby a gap is established between the neutral position of the output and the tool when the tool is unable to advance responsive the unidirectional force and the oscillatory force.
- 3. The machine of claim 2, additionally comprising means for movably attaching the tool to the tool holder so the output of the resonant member only applies the oscillatory force to the tool while the resonant member is oscillating on one side of its neutral position.
- 4. The machine of claim 1, in which the resonant member has one or more nodes where the resonant member is attached to the tool holder.
- 5. The machine of claim 1, in which the resonant member has first and second nodes between the input and the output where the resonant member is attached to the tool holder.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the means for applying a unidirectional force comprises a wheeled, nonslipping motorized vehicle and the oscillatory force is larger than the weight of the vehicle and its load.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 873,249, filed Jan. 30, 1978 and now abandoned, the disclosure which is incorporated fully herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
873249 |
Jan 1978 |
|