Patent GB-1391616-A (GB)
Title: Friction welding apparatus
Inventor: CLARKE D B
IPC: B29C65/06
Filed: 1972-06-13
Abstract: 1391616 Welding by pressure LUCAS ELECTRICAL CO Ltd 25 Sept 1972 [2 Oct 1971 13 June 1972] 45948/71 and 27535/72 Heading B3R [Also in Division B5] Friction welding apparatus comprises a support 11 for a workpiece 13, a carrier 14 for a component 15 to be welded to the workpiece the arrangement being such that the component and workpiece can be pressed together and the component can be moved with the carrier relative to the support, a drive member 17 for moving the carrier relatively to the support, a first cylindrical shaft 19 secured to the drive member with the shaft axis parallel to and spaced from the drive member axis, a second cylindrical shaft 22 within a bore of which the first shaft is mounted so that the first shaft axis is parallel to and spaced from the second shaft axis by a distance equal to the spacing between the axes of the first shaft and drive member, means 25 for rotating the second shaft and means 27, 28 for moving the first shaft angularly relatively to the second shaft between a position in which the drive member axis is spaced front the second shaft axis and rotation of the second shaft causes the drive member to move the carrier relatively to the support along a circular path centred on the second shaft axis and a position in which the axes of the second shaft and drive member are co-extensive and rotation of the second shaft rotates the drive member about-the axis thereof without movement of the carrier relatively to the support, a guide member 34 associated with the carrier 14, means 31 constraining the carrier to move linearly relative to the guide member in a first direction perpendicular to the axis of the second shaft and further means coupling the guide member to a fixed part of the apparatus so that the guide member is constrained to move relatively to the fixed part in a second direction perpendicular to the second shaft and to the first direction, the guide member, constraining means 31 and further means preventing rotational movement of the carrier about its axis. In an embodiment the support 1 is vertically movable and the carrier 14 is mounted on a base 12 by ball bearings 10, a pair of pins 31 projecting down from the carrier extending into opposite slots 33 in a disc 34 and a pair of pins extending upwardly from the base extending into the other slots in the disc to prevent rotation of the carrier but to allow movement in an orbital path. The drive member 17 is cylindrical and is received in bearings 18 in a boss in the carrier, the shaft 19 to which the drive member is secured is secured to a screw threaded shaft 21 and the shaft 22 in which the shaft 19 is mounted is mounted in ball bearings 24, 24 and carries a pulley 25. A screw threaded collar 27 about the shaft 21 is connected to the shaft 22 by sliding rods 26 and is arranged to be moved vertically by a piston 28 to adjust the rotational position of the shaft 19 within the shaft 22. In operation with the axes of shaft 22 and drive member 17 coincident the pulley 25 is rotated, the component 15 is engaged in the carrier 14, the workpiece 13 is arranged on the support 11 which is lowered to locate the workpiece in the support. The piston 28 is then operated to move the axis of the drive member away from the axis of shaft 22 to cause orbital movement of the carrier 14. After the contacting surfaces of workpiece and component melt the axis of the drive member is moved to coincide with that of the shaft 22 and the parts are held until the surfaces solidify. The product may be a reflector panel for a road vehicle. In a modification the carrier 14 is restrained by four horizontal pins sliding in bearings in two rods themselves slidable at right angles to the pins. The support 11 may be fixed and the carrier 14 vertically movable.