Support for workpiece to be subjected to vibratory energy

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR NON-FUSION WELDING CONTACTING METAL MEMBERS TOGETHER COMPRISING A VIBRATION-APPLYING MEMBER, MEANS FOR IMPELLING AN END PORTION OF SAID VIBRATION-APPLYING MEMBER AGAINST AN OUTER FACE OF ONE OF SAID CONTACTING METAL MEMBERS WITH A FORCE IN A DIRECTION AND OF A MAGNITUDE TO HOLD THE TO-BE-WELDED FACES OF THE METAL MEMBERS IN INTIMATE CONTACT AT THE INTENDED WELD ZONE AGAINST AN ESSENTIALLY NON-COMPLIANT SUPPORT, MEANS CONNECTING SAID SUPPORT TO A FRAME SO AS TO BE VIBRATORILY ISOLATED FROM SAID FRAME, AND MEANS FOR VIBRATING SAID END PORTION OF SAID MEMBER AT A FREQUENCY OF BETWEEN ABOUT 59 AND 300,000 CYCLES PER SECOND IN A PATH SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF THE APPLIED FORCE WHILE SUCH TO-BE-WELDED FACES OF THE METAL MEMBERS ARE BEING HELD IN INTIMATE CONTACT BY ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID END PORTION OF SAID MEMBER, WITH SAID VIBRATING MEANS FURNISHING SUFFICIENT POWER SO THAT THE MECHANICAL VIBRATION DELIVERED BY SAID END PORTION IN SAID PATH IS AT SUFFICIENT ENERGY LEVEL TO WELD THE METAL MEMERS TOGETHER.