Patent GB-1414454-A (GB)
Title: Friction welding apparatus
IPC: B29C65/06
Filed: 1971-10-27
Abstract: 1414454 Seaming ALLWOOD SEARLE & TIMNEY (HOLDINGS) Ltd 25 Oct 1972 [27 Oct 1971] 49832/71 Heading B5K [Also in Division B3] Friction welding apparatus comprises movable means arranged for irrotational movement, i.e. reciprocation or orbital movement without rotation, relatively to other parts of the apparatus, a first component support 6 for supporting a first component 7 to be welded and forming part of the movable means, a second component support 9 for supporting a second component 8 to be welded, and restrained against irrotational movement, drive means to cause the movable means to perform irrotational movement relatively to the said other parts and to the second component support, pressure means 30 to generate a force to urge the component supports together and means comprising a flexible element fixed to the movable means to transmit the reaction to the said force produced between the component supports or to counteract the inertial forces generated by the irrotational movement or to locate the movable means. In an embodiment a chuck 9 for holding component 8 is mounted on a slide 10 and a chuck 6 for holding component 7 is mounted on a plate 5, the plate 5 being carried by a main plate 12 provided with a buttress 13. For symmetry 9 bottom plate 14, a chuck 16 carrying a blank component 17 and a buttress 15 are provided on the plate 12, a pair of parallel flexible elements 4 extend between the ends of the plate 5 and two plates 3 extending from a box-like part 2 forming with the base 1 the frame of the apparatus. Flexible elements 18 similar to and parallel to the element 4 extend between the bottom plate 14 and plates 19 provided in the base. The flexible elements may be e.g. rods, wires or wire ropes. An hydraulic cylinder 30 for urging the component 8 against the component 7 is pivoted in a slide 33 axially slidable on the part 2 and the slide 33 is connected to the plate 5 by four elements 35 similar and parallel to the elements 4. Between the plates 19 is slidable a slide 36 which is connected to the plate 14 by element 37 similar to elements 35. The pistonrod 31 of the cylinder 30 is pivoted to a triangular plate assembly 39 which is in turn pivotally connected to an arm 41 extending from slide 36 and to a link 43 connected to the slide 10. Four counterweight 46 are provided, each connected by a part sperical bearing to a bar 47 which is coupled to the plate 12 by a similar bearing and each connected to the plate 12 by four flexible elements 49, the arrangement being such that when the component 7 and 8 are coaxial the common centre of gravity of the weights 46 is co-incident with the centre of gravity of the assembly of plate 12 and parts attached thereto and when the assembly is caused to move irrotationally the element 49 flex and exert a restoring force. The elements 4, 18 locate the plate 12 and parts secured to it relatively to the base 1 and the reaction to the force urging the components together is largely carried by the elements 35. Drive means for the plate 12 and parts carried thereby may be as described in Specifications 1,273,250 or 1,385,471 and the components to be welded may be of a metal or thermoplastics material or of different metals or thermoplastics materials. The flexible elements may be replaced by flexible rods milled as a unitary whole from a steel plate. The slides 33, 36 may be replaced by parts forming parts of the base 1, the plate assembly 39 being omitted and the rod 31 being linked directly to the slide 10, the reaction of the axial force generated by the cylinder 30 being transmitted by element 4, 18, 55 and 37 to the base. The lower element 18, 57 may then extend to right of plate 14.