Vibratory welding method and apparatus

Claim 2

APPARATUS FOR NON-FUSION WELDING CONTACTING MEMBERS TOGETHER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF FORCE-APPLYING MEMBERS, AN ELONGATED TIP EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS SAID MEMBERS AND RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID MEMBER AT AN ANTINODE ON EACH MEMBER, MEANS COUPLED TO SAID FORCEAPPLYING MEMBERS FOR IMPELLING SAID TIP AGAINST AN OUTER FACE OF ONE OF SAID CONTACTING MEMBERS WITH A FORCE IN A DIRECRION OF A MAGNITUDE TO HOLE THE TO-BE-WELDED FACES OF THE MEMBERS IN INTIMATE CONTACT AT THE INTENDED WELD ZONE AND TO COUPLE MECHANICAL VIBRATORY ENERGY INTO THE INTENDED WELD ZONE, AND MEANS FOR VIBRATING SAID TIP 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 MEMBERS ARE BEING HELD IN INTIMATE CONTACT BY ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TIP, WITH SAID VIBRATING MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO EACH FORCE APPLYING MEMBER TO VIBRATE THE SAME IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME FREQUENCY WHILE FURNISHING SUFFICIENT POWER SO THAT THE MECHANICAL VIBRATION DELIVERED BY SAID TIP IN SAID PATH IS AT A SUFFICIENT ENERGY LEVEL TO WELD THE MEMBERS TOGETHER WITH AN ELONGATED SEAM-TYPE WELD WITH A SINGLE POWER IMPULSE,

Claim 3

A NON-FUSION METHOF FOR WELDING MEMBERS TOGETHER WHICH METHOD COMPRISED PLACING TO-BE-WELDED FACES OF THE MEMBERS TOGETHER, APPLYING A FORCE TO THE MEMBERS IN A DIRECTION AND OF A MAGNITUDE TO HOLD THE CONTACTING TO-BE-WELDED FACES OF THE MEMBERS IN IMTIMATE CONTACT AT THE INTENDED WELD ZONE AND TO COUPLE MECHANICAL VIBRATORY ENERGY INTO SAID ZONE, AND INTRODUCING THROUGH AN ELONGATED VIBRATING ELEMENT CONTACTING ONE OF THE TO-BE-WELDED MEMBERS WITH AN ELONGATED SURFACE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE INTENDED WELD ZONE AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF APPLIED FORCE, MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS HAVING FREQUENCY OF BETWEEN ABOUT 59 AND 300,000 CYCLES PER SECOND, WITH THE INTENDED WELD ZONE CORRESPONDING TO THE LENGTH OF SAID VIBRATING ELEMENT SURFACE IN CONTACT WITH SAID ONE MEMBER, AND SAID MECHANICAL VIBRATION COMPRISING A VIBRATION COMPONENT IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF APPLIED FORCE AND TO THE LENGTH OF THE VIBRATING ELEMENT, AND WITH SUCH COMPONENT BEING OF AN ENERGY LEVEL SUFFICIENT TO WELD THE MEMBERS TO EACH OTHER WITH A SEAM-TYPE WELD BY A SINGLE VIBRATORY ENERGY IMPULSE, SAID HOLDING FORCE BEING APPLIED TO THE MEMBERS BY BEING COUPLED TO THE VIBRATING ELEMENT.

Claim 4

A NON-FUSION METHOF FOR WELDING MEMBERS TOGETHER WHICH METHOD COMPRISED PLACING TO-BE-WELDED FACES OF THE MEMBERS TOGETHER, APPLYING A FORCE TO THE MEMBERS IN A DIRECTION AND OF A MAGNITUDE TO HOLD THE CONTACTING TO-BE-WELDED FACES OF THE MEMBERS IN IMTIMATE CONTACT AT THE INTENDED WELD ZONE AND TO COUPLE MECHANICAL VIBRATORY ENERGY INTO SAID ZONE, AND INTRODUCING THROUGH AN ELONGATED VIBRATING ELEMENT CONTACTING ONE OF THE TO-BE-WELDED MEMBERS WITH AN ELONGATED SURFACE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE INTENDED WELD ZONE AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF APPLIED FORCE, MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS HAVING FREQUENCY OF BETWEEN ABOUT 59 AND 300,000 CYCLES PER SECOND, WITH THE INTENDED WELD ZONE CORRESPONDING TO THE LENGTH OF SAID VIBRATING ELEMENT SURFACE IN CONTACT WITH SAID ONE MEMBER, AND SAID MECHANICAL VIBRATION COMPRISING A VIBRATION COMPONENT IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF APPLIED FORCE AND TO THE LENGTH OF THE VIBRATING ELEMENT, AND WITH SUCH COMPONENT BEING OF AN ENERGY LEVEL SUFFICIENT TO WELD THE MEMBERS TO EACH OTHER WITH A SEAM-TYPE WELD BY A SINGLE VIBRATORY ENERGY IMPULSE, SAID HOLDING FORCE BEING APPLIED TO THE MEMBERS BY BEING COUPLED TO THE VIBRATING ELEMENT.