Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 in which said metal pieces are iron or steel and in which said metal layer is zinc or tin.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 1 in which said metal pieces are plates, and further including the steps of continuously advancing said plates first past a continuously operating milling cutter to remove said metal layer, then past a continuously operating welding unit, and then past a metal coating unit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 1 in which at least a portion of the metal plate underlying the area from which said layer is removed is also removed thereby to define a connecting web in said plate having a thickness less than that of said plate, said web being deformable into contact with the adjacent face of the other of said plates as an incident to welding.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 3 in which both outer surfaces of both metal plates are provided with continuous layers of metal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
90 words
The method of claim 1 further including the step of interposing a sheet of non-conductive thermoplastic material between said plates prior to said welding step, said welding being resistance welding and being effected by electrically connecting said plates and interposing same between a pair of energized electrodes capable of applying sufficient mechanical pressure to said connecting web to cause same to be forced through and displace said sheet of thermoplastic material as it melts whereby to establish welding contact between said web and the adjacent portion of said other plate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
103 words
The method of claim 1 further including the steP of interposing a sheet of non-conductive thermoplastic material between said plates prior to said welding step, said sheet of thermoplastic material being relieved in the area underlying said connecting web, said welding being resistance welding and being effected by interposing said plates between a non-energized support and an energized electrode, said energized electrode being electrically connected to the further of said plates, said electrode and said support together being capable of applying sufficient mechanical pressure to said connecting web to cause same to establish welding contact with the adjacent portion of said other plate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of claim 7 in which the removed portions of said coating and said metal plate are circular to define a cylindrical recess above said connecting web and in which the opposite face of said connecting web is profiled to define a sharp-edged annulus in axial alignment with said cylindrical recess whereby to effect an annular weld between said plates.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
102 words
In a method of welding together two superimposed pieces of aluminum having aluminum oxide layers thereon, comprising the steps of cleanly removing by milling out by means of a milling cutter at least one aluminum oxide layer from at least one of said pieces in a predetermined geometrically defined area encompassing the zone of welding to expose the underlying metal in such area without affecting parts of the layer adjacent the welding zone, and welding said superimposed aluminum pieces together in the zone underlying the area from which said layer had been removed by passing a welding current through said aluminum pieces.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 9 further including the step of removing all of the aluminum oxide layers before welding.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 9 in which, after removal of the aluminum oxide layer, the blank aluminum piece to be welded is reoxidized to form an aluminum oxide layer of sufficient thickness to effect optimum welding resistance.