GB1532226A - Friction welding machines - Google Patents

Abstract

1532226 Welding by pressure CLARKE CHAPMAN Ltd 8 Oct 1976 [10 Oct 1975 5 May 1976] 41536/75 and 18310/76 Addition to 1303968 [Heading B3R] In an improvement in the invention claimed in parent Specification, the reaction load between the workpiece supports 28, 40 during compression is borne by tie bars 10, which in use are in tension and prevent any bending load on the body structure of the friction welding machine adversely affecting the alignment of the workpieces by bending of sliding surface 64 along which the movable workpiece support (e.g. 40) runs. In an embodiment, the machine comprises two beam elements (e.g. levers 14, 16) which at their lower ends are pivotally connected to the body structure 12, have the tie bars 10 pivotally connected at 30, 32 intermediate their ends, and at their upper ends have an hydraulic ram 22 for moving along the surface 64, a sliding head 42 carrying one of the workpiece supports (e.g. a chuck 40) and a stationary workpiece support 28 pivotally connected at 20, 26. In operation workpieces are held in the chuck 40 and a clamp 44 and supported by respective backstops (250, not shown), and 28. The chuck 40 is rotated by a motor 50 and advanced by the hydraulic ram 22. When the workpieces are forced together the reaction on the ram 22 tends to pivot the lever 14 anticlockwise, so putting the tie bars in tension which in turn pivots the lever 16 anti clockwise. This forces the backstop 28 against the workpiece associated therewith. The tension in the tie bars 10 prevents distortion of the sliding surfaces 64. The position of the backstop 28 relative to the clamp may be adjusted by virtue of keyways 74. The pivoted connectors 24, 30, 32 and 26 are part spherical. In further embodiments both the levers may be housed in the body structure 12 (Fig. 8, not shown), one of the levers 16 may be replaced by twin yokes (Figs. 9, 10, not shown), the motor driven clutch may be part of the stationary support, there may be two motor driven chucks on sliding head with a stationary clamp for a third workpiece disposed between.