Patent ID: 8354625

Claim:
An apparatus for forge and diffusion welding a first elongate article to a second elongate article, said apparatus including: a first contact assembly including a first pair of electrodes, a second contact assembly including a second pair of electrodes, said contact assemblies including first and second contact positioning devices adapted to position and hold said electrodes onto said articles in a first position for resistive heating, a power supply adapted to supply electric current to the contact assemblies, an induction coil surrounding the elongate articles including: a first coil segment mounted on a first coil positioning device, said first coil positioning device being adapted to position the first coil segment in a radial direction in relation to said articles, a second coil segment mounted on a second coil positioning device, said second coil positioning device being adapted to position the second coil segment in a radial direction in relation to said articles, wherein the first coil segment includes first and second contact pads, the second coil segment includes third and fourth contact pads, said first and second contact positioning devices being adapted to establish electrical contact between said contact pads and said first and second pairs of electrodes in a second position.