EP0098756B1 - Floating core vibration transmission piece - Google Patents

Description

In the French patent application filed on February 23, 1981 and published on August 27, 1982 under the number FR-A-2 500 336, request which gave rise to the European application published on October 27, 1982 under the number EP-A-0 063 501, a transmission member, or bearing, has been described. which, intended to intervene between a first member, said for convenience, driving member, and a second member, said for convenience, driven member, comprises, overall, a core mounted floating in any direction in a housing, said core comprising at least two arms, which form an angle between them, and which each open individually to the outside of said housing, one for the driving member, the other for the driven member, and said housing internally comprising a housing, the configuration of which is a replica of that of said nucleus.

In such a transmission member, the floating core in practice forms the actual transmission member, or transmitter, since it is to this that both the driving member and the driven member are subjected, while the housing in which is mounted floating this core ensures the attachment of the assembly to any support, the frame of a machine for example, and its correct positioning relative thereto.

In the French patent application mentioned above, it was more particularly envisaged the application of such a transmission member to a machine for machining by electro-erosion, the driving member then being constituted by a vibration generator mechanical, in practice a transducer, itself subjected to a pulse generator, in practice of ultrasonic frequency, while the driven member is constituted either by the machining electrode to be implemented, or by the part to be machine.

In any event, it is necessary to provide mechanical isolation of the floating core from the housing in which it is arranged, to avoid the transmission to the frame of the machine concerned of the mechanical vibrations to which this floating core is subjected, and thus spare this frame as well as the other components of such a machine.

In the case of an EDM machine, it is also necessary that the floating core is electrically isolated from the housing in which it is placed, for appropriate confinement of the voltage applied jointly between the machining electrode implementation and the workpiece.

In the French patent application FR-A-2 500 336 mentioned above, it has been more particularly proposed for this purpose to involve any lifting fluid between the floating core and the housing in which it is arranged.

In practice, this is compressed air injected for this purpose into the corresponding housing of said housing.

Such an arrangement, which allows prolonged work, is perfectly satisfactory, and is particularly suitable for the implementation of the transmission member concerned in a machine for machining by electro-erosion or electrochemistry.

However, because of the permanent compressed air leakage that it implies, it is inevitably consuming energy, in addition to the relatively low energy necessary for the excitation of the mechanical vibration generator used.

For certain applications at least, such energy consumption, which is acceptable in machines for machining by electro-erosion or electrochemistry, since it then constitutes only an almost negligible increase in energy compared to the overall energy. necessary and that it improves the yield, is prohibitive.

The present invention generally relates to a provision making it possible to eliminate this energy consumption and thus authorizing an extension to such applications of the field of implementation of the transmission member concerned.

More specifically, it firstly relates to a transmission member capable of intervening between a first member, said here for convenience driving member, and a second member, said here for convenience driven member, of the kind comprising a mounted core floating in all directions in a housing, said core comprising at least two arms, which form an angle between them, and which each open individually to the outside of said housing, one for the driving member, the other for the driven member, and said housing internally comprising a housing, the configuration of which is a replica of that of said core, this transmission member being generally characterized in that, between the floating core and the walls of the housing of the housing in which said floating core is arranged is interposed an insulating layer of elastic solid material.

This insulating layer, which ensures the holding of the floating core in the housing in which it is arranged, jointly ensures, without any energy consumption, both mechanical and electrical insulation of this floating core with respect to this housing.

Admittedly, by its very nature, it has a certain fragility, which does not allow its application to be envisaged in the case of a prolonged use of the transmission member concerned. as is the case, for example, in EDM or electrochemical machining machines.

On the contrary, it is perfectly suitable for other applications.

This is particularly the case for compaction and wire drawing.

To date, the compaction of any product, such as peat, for the constitution of clean pellets to replace cer metallurgical coke, of any other ore, metal shavings, or ceramic powder, for the manufacture of any articles, is usually done using a compacting device, in practice belonging to a press, and comprising, generally, for intervention on the interior volume of a container capable of containing the product to be compacted, a pressing element mounted movable with respect to a fixed support element, such a pressing being for example constituted by the plate or piston of such a press and such a support element by the work table or frame thereof.

Such compaction does not fail to raise difficulties.

First of all, the pressure that can be applied to the product to be compacted is limited, failing which this product presents, on laminating, defects in lamination which are harmful to its homogeneity, such lamination defects being due to the fact that, when 'A press works at high pressure, the displacement of its pressing element is inevitably discontinuous, in stages, and not continuously.

Due to the limitation thus to be observed for the compaction pressure applied to them, the products concerned do not always have all the density that would be desirable.

In addition, their extraction from the container in which they were compacted is sometimes difficult, due to the fact that, when the pressure of the press used is released, such a container does not fail to close on the product it encloses and it is not uncommon, therefore, to find ruptures of such a product when it is extracted from this container, especially in its corner areas with it, which leads in practice to rates significant waste.

The application of the transmission member according to the invention to such compaction assemblies, made possible by the fact that, in the usual way, the work of these is not permanent, but intermittent, between two releases of pressure, generally allows, without significant additional energy consumption, to facilitate the desired compaction and improve the results.

In this regard, the present invention also relates to a compacting device of the type comprising, for intervention on the internal volume of at least one container capable of containing the product to be compacted, a pressing element mounted movable vis-à-vis a fixed support element, this compacting device being characterized in that it further comprises at least one transmission member according to the invention, the housing of which is subject to any one of the pressing elements or of 'support, and whose floating core transversely carries by an arm at least one vibration generator, forming a driving member, while one of the other arms of said floating core, forming a driven member, is capable of intervening in the interior volume of the container concerned, so that can be applied simultaneously to the product present therein, on the one hand a compacting action, and on the other hand, parallel to it, mechanical vibrations, frequency, in practice, ultrasonic e.

Experience shows that it is possible, thanks to the superposition, according to the invention, of such mechanical vibrations to the compacting action, of substantially increasing, without risk of seeing any lamination, the pressure deployed during a such compacting action.

In practice, the conditions being equal moreover, this pressure can most often be multiplied by three compared to the pressure usually used.

In addition, the mechanical vibrations to which, after compacting, it is possible to subject, according to the invention, the compacted product, advantageously make it possible to facilitate demolding, or stripping of the latter, that is to say its extraction from the container that encloses it.

Such demoulding, or stripping, can indeed most often be done without risk of destruction or deterioration, and the scrap rate is advantageously reduced accordingly.

In other words, the transmission member according to the invention advantageously makes it possible to combine vibratory assistance with compacting, and in practice vibratory assistance of ultrasonic frequency.

The same is true for wire drawing.

In general, a wire drawing is practiced by implementing a device comprising a die through the opening of which must be engaged and pulled the product to be drawn.

The present invention also relates to such a drawing device characterized in that it further comprises a transmission member according to the invention, the floating core of said transmission member carrying transversely, by an arm, a vibration generator, forming leading member, and, by another arm, the die, forming driven member, and having in the extension of the opening thereof a bore specific to the passage of the product to be drawn, so that can be applied simultaneously to it ci, on the one hand a drawing action, and on the other hand, parallel to it, mechanical vibrations.

As before, it is in practice vibrations of ultrasonic frequency.

Admittedly, it is already known to provide, by applying vibrations to a die, ultrasonic assistance for drawing.

However, in a first embodiment of this type known to date, the corresponding vibration generators being arranged in radii around the die, this assistance is done radially, that is to say transversely with respect to the drawing direction.

Its effectiveness is reduced.

In another embodiment also known at to date, the vibration generator is located in the axis of the die, in the extension of the latter, so that the ultrasonic assistance provided is effectively parallel to the drawing direction.

^. However, the product to be drawn must thus also pass axially through the vibration generator, which inevitably leads to limits in the actually possible embodiments, due to the complexity that such a vibration generator then presents.

Thanks to the transmission member according to the invention, this difficulty is very simply overcome, the vibration generator being arranged transversely, away from the bore which the product to be drawn must pass through.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un organe de transmission suivant l'invention ;
• les figures 2, 3 en sont, en échelle supérieure, des vues en coupe transversale, suivant respectivement la ligne II-II et la ligne III-III de la figure 1 ;
• la figure4 est une vue en élévation-coupe illustrant l'application de cet organe de transmission à un compactage, suivant une première mise en oeuvre dudit organe de transmission ;
• les figures 5, 6 et 7 sont des vues globalement analogues à celle de la figure 4, et se rapportent chacune respectivement à des variantes de mise en oeuvre de cet organe de transmission ;
• la figure 8 est, à échelle supérieure, une vue analogue à celle de la figure 4, et illustre l'application de l'organe de transmission suivant l'invention à un tréfilage.;
• la figure 9 est une vue latérale partielle du dispositif représenté à la figure 8, suivant la ligne IX-IX de celle-ci.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, by way of example, with reference to the appended schematic drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a transmission member according to the invention;
• Figures 2, 3 are, on a larger scale, cross-sectional views, respectively along line II-II and line III-III of Figure 1;
• Figure 4 is an elevation-sectional view illustrating the application of this transmission member to compaction, according to a first implementation of said transmission member;
• Figures 5, 6 and 7 are views generally similar to that of Figure 4, and each relate respectively to alternative embodiments of this transmission member;
• Figure 8 is, on a larger scale, a view similar to that of Figure 4, and illustrates the application of the transmission member according to the invention to a wire drawing .;
• Figure 9 is a partial side view of the device shown in Figure 8, along line IX-IX thereof.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the transmission member 10 according to the invention generally comprises, in a manner known per se, a core 11 mounted floating in all directions in a housing 12.

The core 11 comprises at least two arms 13 forming an angle between them and each opening individually on the outside of the housing 12.

In the embodiment shown, the core 11 in practice comprises four arms 13 orthogonal two by two, so that it generally has a cruciform configuration.

These arms 13 are connected in pairs by wide rounded 15, and in the embodiment shown in solid lines in Figure 2, they are substantially all the same length; from their rounded 15, their lateral flanks are flat and orthogonal two by two.

At their outlet outside the housing 12, the arms 13 each have a quadrangular cross section, for example square, as shown, and, from such a section, at least some of them have axially a threaded bore 16, suitable for allowing any member to be subjected thereto, as will appear below.

Transversally, the core 11 thus formed has at all points the same thickness, so that such a core 11 can very simply be produced by appropriate cutting from a simple plate, and for example from a simple metal plate.

The housing 12, which, on the outside, has a generally parallelepipedal configuration, and for example cubic, as shown, comprises, internally, for the core 11, a housing 18 whose configuration is generally a replica of that of said core 11.

. In the embodiment shown, this housing 12 consists of two shells 19, which are generally facing one another along a joint plane P forming, for the core 11, a median plane passing through the axis of its arms 13, and which are suitably secured to each other, for example, as shown, by screws 20 arranged in their angles, perpendicular to said joint plane P.

Thus, in the embodiment shown, each of the shells 19 is generally made up, on the one hand of a sole 22, parallel to the joint plane P, and on the other hand of four bosses 23, which, projecting in the angles of said sole 22, in the direction of the other shell 19, each extend at mid-thickness of the core 11, between the arms 13 of the latter.

It is in favor of these brushings 23 that the screws 20 are installed in practice.

Like the core 11, the housing 12 thus formed can for example be made of metal.

According to the invention, between the core 11 and the walls of the housing 18 of the housing 12 in which said core 11 is disposed is interposed an insulating layer 25 made of elastic solid material.

This insulating layer 25 extends as well to the right of the walls of each of the bosses 23 of each of the shells 19 constituting the housing 12 as to the right of the part of the sole 22 of such a shell extending between said bosses 23 .

It therefore extends all around the core 11, with the exception of the end cross sections of the arms 13 thereof.

In other words, the core 11 is embedded in the insulating layer 25, with the exception of the end cross section of its arms 13, and it is through this insulating layer 25 that it is mounted floating in the housing 12, taking into account the elastic constitution thereof.

The insulating layer 25, which preferably, but not necessarily, adheres intimately as well to the core 11 as to the corresponding walls of the housing 18 of the housing 12, can be made of any elastomer.

It can be as well a synthetic elastomer, and for example a resin of the polyurethane type or a resin of the silicone type, as any natural rubber.

Preferably, and as shown, the insulating layer 25 is substantially of uniform thickness E all around the core 11, both in line with the bosses 23 of the shells 19 of the housing 12, 2, that in line with the soles 22 of these shells 19, FIG. 3.

Preferably also, this thickness is sufficient to ensure in good conditions a suitable filtration of the mechanical vibrations, without being too great, to avoid being the seat of a heating which is too accentuated in service due to these same mechanical vibrations.

_' For example, the thickness E of the insulating layer 25 is between 0.5 mm and 10 mm.

Anyway, if necessary, cooling means can be associated with the housing 12, and, for example, pipes can be internally established therein, for circulation of any cooling fluid, and / or spray bars can be provided externally (not shown in the figures).

As a variant, and / or jointly, the insulating layer 25 can comprise a mineral or other filler capable of ensuring better thermal diffusion and therefore capable of ensuring better cooling.

FIG. 4 illustrates the application of the transmission member 10 according to the invention to a compacting device, for ultrasonic assistance in the compacting of any material 30, and, for example, of any pulverulent material or in shavings.

Overall, and in a manner known per se, the compacting device used for this purpose comprises, for intervention on the interior volume of a container 31 suitable for containing the product 30 to be compacted, a pressing element 32 mounted movable vis- with respect to a fixed support element 33.

Since such a compacting device is well known per se, it will not be described in detail here.

It will suffice to specify that the pressing element 32 and the support element 33 belong for example to a hydraulic press, the pressing element 32 of which constitutes the piston or is carried by such a piston, and the element of which support 33 constitutes the work table or is carried by such a work table.

Likewise, the container 31 used will not be described in detail here.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, it is a tubular container, open at each of its ends, and this tubular container is integral with any support 35, a bracket for example, itself even carried by the fixed support element 33.

For intervention on the interior volume of such a container 31, the pressing element 32 has, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, a punch 36, which, of cross section complementary to that of said container 31, is engaged in this one at its free end.

According to the invention, the compacting device used also comprises at least one transmission member 10 of the type described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the housing 12 of this transmission member 10 is secured to the support element 33.

In practice, in this form of implementation, it simply rests on this support element 33.

For example, and as shown, it can be partially engaged, by one of its faces, in a recess 37 which has for this purpose a sole 38. linked pflr.des screws 39 to the support element 33, with its core 11 directed towards the container 31 by one of its arms 13.

Preferably, and as shown, the sole 38 comprises, in line with the arm 13. of the core 11 opposite to that of the arms 13 of this core 11 thus directed towards the container 31, a recess 41, to avoid any contact of this core 11 with the support element 33.

As a variant, and as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, to avoid contact with the sole 38, the arm 13 concerned of the core 11 is set back with respect to the corresponding outside opening of the housing 18 of the housing 12.

Anyway, the floating core 11 of the transmission member 10 used according to the invention carries, transversely, by at least one of its lateral arms 13 relative to the container 31, a generator of vibrations 40, forming the driving member.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, only such a vibration generator 40 has been provided, in solid line on one of the lateral arms 13 of the core 11, but, as illustrated in broken lines on this FIG. 4, a vibration generator 40 can also be provided on the other of said lateral arms 13 of the core 11.

Such a vibration generator 40 is also not part of the present invention, and will therefore not be described in detail here.

It will suffice to specify that it combines a pulse generator with a transducer and that it is capable of producing mechanical vibrations of frequencies in ultrasonic practice.

Such a vibration generator 40 can for example be of the type sold by the firm BRANSON and present, for example, a power of between 0.5 and 5 kW.

It is attached by any appropriate means to the arm 13 concerned of the floating core 11.

For example, and as shown, a threaded captive stud 42 is used for this purpose, which is screwed into the threaded bore 16 provided for this purpose on such an arm 13 of the floating core 11, and which is also engaged in screwing into a threaded bore 43 provided for this purpose at the free end of the vibration generator 40 used.

By that of its arms 13 which is directed towards the container 31, forming a driving member, the floating core 11 of the transmission member 10 implemented according to the invention is suitable for intervening, like the punch 36 of the element of pressing 32, in the interior volume of said container 31.

Such an arm 13 could thus intervene directly in this container 31, being sufficiently extended in one piece for this purpose.

However, preferably, for the universality of the transmission member 10, the arm 13 in question of the floating core 11 carries, for intervention in the interior volume of the container 31, an extension 45, the length of which is adjusted to the length of the vibrations emitted by the vibration generator 40, this length being for example equal to the half-wavelength or to a multiple thereof, and which, complementary, at least at its free end, of said container 31, is engaged in it.

In the embodiment shown, this extension 45 is attached to the arm 13 concerned of the floating core 11, by a screw 46, which passes through the assembly of said floating core 11, and whose head is supported on the bottom of a recess provided for this purpose on the end cross section of the opposite arm 13, so as not to protrude therefrom.

As a variant, it could be attached by a captive stud, in the manner of the mechanical vibration generator 40.

As will be noted, the container 31 is closed, at one end, by the punch 36 carried by the pressing element 32, and, at the other of its ends, by the extension 45 carried by the arm 13 corresponding to the floating core 11 of the transmission member 10 used according to the invention.

During the compaction, by the pressing element 32, of the product 30 confined in the container 31, it is applied simultaneously to the latter, on the one hand, the compacting action developed by the pressing element 32, and on the other hand, the mechanical vibrations produced by the vibration generator 40.

The amplitude of these mechanical vibrations is for example of the order of 10 microns or less.

Despite the bend made between the corresponding arms 13 of the floating core 11, in line with the container 31, the vibrations applied to the product 30 to be compacted contained therein develop parallel to the compacting action of which the object of this product is jointly.

Indeed, whatever the direction of emission of these vibrations, they propagate parallel to the axis of the arms which transmit them.

Due to the ultrasonic assistance thus associated with the compaction in progress, this compaction is accentuated, and the pressure capable of being implemented without the appearance of any lamination defects is advantageously increased, as mentioned above.

During compaction, the insulating layer 25 according to the invention mechanically isolates the core 11 of the transmission member 10 used from the housing 12 thereof, and therefore from the support element 33 of the compacting device corresponding, despite the local crushing of which it is the object due to the compacting action exerted.

In the case where, no recess or obviously 41 being provided in the sole 38, the end cross section of the arm '13 concerned with the core 11 is set back with respect to the corresponding outside opening of the housing 18 of the housing 12, said core 11 comes at worst to bear on this sole 38 only at the final stage of compaction, after local crushing of the insulating layer 25, which prevents excessively rapid wear of this core 11 and of the sole 38, or the support element 33 if the housing 12 bears directly on the latter.

However, preferably, the arrangements are such that the core 11 never comes into contact with the sole 38 or with the support element 33 if the housing 12 bears directly on it, the pressure exerted being in practice limited by the elastic resistance to compression of the insulating layer 25 before remanent deformation and / or creep.

In any event, the crushing of the insulating layer 25 is very low.

Incidentally, the insulating layer 25 according to the invention also advantageously protects against any contamination, the core 11, and it prevents the inadvertent insertion of any foreign body between it and the housing 12.

After compacting, the vibration generator 40 can advantageously be used again, to facilitate demolding, or stripping, of the compacted product, that is to say to facilitate its extraction from the container 31.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 5, the container 31 is attached to the support element 33, while the housing 12 of the transmission member 10 used is subject to the pressing element 32.

For example, and as shown, the container 31 can be secured to a sole 47 fixed by screws 48 to the support element 33, the arm 13 of the floating core 11 directed towards this container 31 still bearing, as previously , for intervention therein, an extension 45.

In this case, the container 31 is closed, at one of its ends, by the sole 47 which carries it, and, at the other of its ends, by the extension 45 of the corresponding arm 13 of the floating core 11.

At the same time, it is by any suitable means that the housing 12 of the transmission member 10 can be attached to the pressing element 32.

It can for example be attached to it via an adapter or coupling device 50 of the type described in American patent US-A-3,271,848, such as those sold under the trade designation "IMEA •.

Such an adapter or coupling device will not be described in detail here.

It will suffice to indicate that it is formed of two parts 51, 52, one male, the other female, capable of being secured to one another in a removable manner using a pin. to eccentric.

By an intermediate plate 54, which is fixed by screws 53 to the housing 12, the latter is attached to the male part 51 of the adapter or coupling member 50, this intermediate plate 54 being secured to said male part 51 by screws 53 arranged in recesses formed at this effect on its underside, however that, jointly, by screws not visible in the figures, the corresponding female part 52 is subject to the pressing element 32.

In the foregoing, only a transmission member 10 is used, so that the ultrasonic assistance practiced is single-acting.

As a variant; Figure 6, it can be double-acting, two transmission members 10 being implemented, one subject to the pressing element 32, according to arrangements for example of the type described with reference to Figure 5, l another subject to the support element 33, according to provisions for example of the type described with reference to FIG. 4.

In this case, the container 31, which is for example of the type described with reference to FIG. 4, is closed, at each of its ends, by extenders 45 each carried respectively by the arms 13 concerned of the floating cores 11 of the corresponding transmission components 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, two containers 31 can be implemented in parallel, for better productivity; the floating core 11 of the corresponding transmission member 10 then has, laterally, and transversely with respect to an arm 13 carrying a vibration generator 40 and forming a driving member, two parallel arms 13, which each carrying an extension 45, and forming each driven member, intervene, each individually, in said containers 31.

In the form of implementation illustrated in FIG. 7, the arrangements are generally of the type of those described with reference to FIG. 4, but it goes without saying that, for a double-effect intervention, they might as well be of the type of those described with reference to Figure 6.

When, as shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 5 and 6, two mechanical vibration generators 40 are used, one of them can be used as a sensor, to allow the resultant ultrasonic energy to be monitored, and, thus, the compacting efficiency, and to control the power brought into play by the pressing element 32.

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate the application of the transmission member according to the invention to the ultrasonic assistance of a wire drawing.

The drawing device implemented for this purpose comprises, overall, and in a manner known per se, a die 60 through the opening 61 from which can be engaged and pulled, as shown diagrammatically in broken lines in FIG. 8, the product 62 to be drawn.

According to the invention, this compacting device further comprises a transmission member 10 of the type described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

The housing 12 of this transmission member 10 is preferably, and as shown, subject to any support 64.

For example, and as shown, it is attached by screws 65 to a sole 66, and, the latter, by screws 67, is itself attached to the support 64.

As before, the sole 66 preferably has a recess 68, or a recess, in line with the corresponding arm 13 of the floating core 11, to avoid any transmission of mechanical vibrations to the support 64.

By that of its arms 13 which is opposite the support 64, the floating core 11 of the transmission member 10 implemented according to the invention carries, transversely, a generator of mechanical vibrations 40, forming a driving member.

By another of its arms 13, forming a driven member, it carries the die 60, the latter being for example attached by screw 70 to the end of the arm in question.

In addition, in the extension of the opening 61 of the die 60, the floating core 11 of the transmission member used according to the invention has, longitudinally, in the axis of its arm 13 carrying the die 60 and from the one opposite it, a bore 71 suitable for the passage of the product 62 to be drawn.

Thus, can be applied simultaneously to it, on the one hand a drawing action, and on the other hand mechanical vibrations, which, as is apparent from the above, advantageously develop parallel to said drawing action .

The latter is thereby facilitated.

For information, and without any limitation being possible, it will be noted that frequencies of 20 kHz and 40 kHz have been satisfactory, and that, preferably, the length of the side of the housing used is granted accordingly ; however, to take into account that the core does not have a simple geometric shape, this length is preferably less than half a wavelength; for example, for 20 kHz it is 120 mm, and 60 mm for 40 kHz, with arm sections for the core of 40 x 40 mm and 20 x 20 mm respectively.

In practice, the frequencies used are not necessarily ultrasonic, lower frequencies can also be satisfactory.

In addition, to facilitate the attachment of any member to any one of the arms of the floating core of the transmission member used, the end of this arm may if desired be projecting from the outlet at the 'corresponding outside of the housing housing, as shown schematically in broken lines in Figure 2 for one of the arms in question.

In addition, the field of application of the invention is not necessarily limited to compacting and drawing only, but may also extend, for example, to other mechanical treatments to be applied to any products.

Claims (9)

1. A transmission member for use between a first member, referred to herein for the sake of convenience as the driving member, and a second member, referred to herein for the sake of convenience as the driven member, of the type comprising a core (11) mounted floatingly in all directions in a casing (12), said core (11) comprising at least two arms (13) which are at an angle to each other and which each open individually to the outside of the casing (12), one for the driving member and the other for the driven member, and said casing (12) being provided in its interior with a housing (18), the configuration of which is a replica of that of the core (11), characterised in that an insulating layer (25) of solid elastic material is interposed between the. floating core (11) and the walls of the housing (18) in the casing (12) in which said floating core (11) is disposed.

2. A transmission member according to claim 1 characterised in that the insulating layer (12) is substantially uniform in thickness.

3. A transmission member according to claim 2 characterised in that the thickness (E) of the insulating layer (25) is for example between 0.5 mm and 10 mm.

4. A transmission member according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that the end of one at least of the arms (13) of the floating core (11) is in projecting relationship to the corresponding opening to the outside of the housing (18) of the casing (12).

5. A transmission member according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that the end of one at least of the arms (13) of the floating core (11) is in recessed relationship to the corresponding opening to the outside of the housing (18) of the casing (12).

6. A compacting apparatus of the kind comprising, for acting on the internal volume of at least one container (31) for containing the substance (30) to be compacted, a pressing element (32) which is mounted movably with respect to a fixed support element (33), characterised in that it further comprises at least one transmission member (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the casing (12) thereof is fixed to either one of the pressing element (32) or the support element (33) and the floating core (11.) carries transversely by means of an arm (13) at least one vibration generator (40) forming a driving member while one of the other arms (13) of said floating core (11), forming the driven member, is operable to act in the internal volume of the container (31) in question, such that on the one hand a compacting action and on the other hand, and in parallel relationship therewith, mechanical vibrations, can be applied simultaneously to the substance (30) in said container.

7. A compacting apparatus according to claim 6 characterised in that, for the purposes of acting in the internal volume of the container (31), the arm (13) of the floating core (11) carries a prolongation means (45) whose length is adjusted to the wavelength of the mechanical vibrations used, said length being for example substantially equal to half a wavelength or a multiple thereof.

8. Apparatus according to either one of claims 6 and 7 characterised in that, two vibration generators (40) being used, one thereof forms a pick-up and the power employed by the pressing element (32) is controlled by the pick-up.

9. A wire-drawing apparatus of the kind using a die (60), through the opening (61) of which the product (62) to be wire-drawn can be engaged and pulled, characterised in that it further comprises a transmission member (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the floating core (11) of said transmission member (10) carrying transversely by way of an arm (13) a vibration generator (40) forming a driving member and by way of another arm (13) the die (60) forming the driven member, and being provided in line with the opening (61) of the die with an opening (71) for the product (62) to be wire-drawn to pass therethrough, so that on the one hand a wire-drawing action and on the other hand and in parallel relationship therewith mechanical vibrations can be applied simultaneously to said product.

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