Multi-position clamp for friction welding operations

An indexable, multi-position clamp for positioning and holding a portable friction welding tool adjacent a substrate for friction welding a plurality of fixtures to the substrate in a pattern, said clamp comprising:

• a clamp base having a central hub and a plurality of windows providing access through the clamp base to the substrate, the clamp base being securable to the substrate for the installation of the plurality of fixtures through the windows;
• and
• a pivot and rotation hardware assembly connectable to the base clamp, comprising:
• a rotating lug;
• a connection rotatively securing the rotating lug to the clamp base at the hub;
• an elongated pivot plate having a proximal end and a distal end and pivotally connected at its proximal end to the rotating lug;
• a tool mount;
• an engagement system for receiving said portable friction welding tool in an attachment to the pivot plate at the tool mount;
• a positioning system for releasably securing the distal end of the pivot plate to the clamp base at a desired selection among the index points provided on the clamp base, the positioning system comprising:
• a plurality of tapped holes in the clamp base serving as index points;
• a bearing block assembly connected to the distal end of the pivot plate;
• a hold down bolt extending through the pivot plate and the bearing block assembly and engagable with a desired selection within the plurality of tapped holes;
• whereby the pivot plate can be rotated about the rotating lug in a plane parallel to the clamp base to bring the portable friction welding tool to the desired selection of index point in a circular movement and lock down to shoot a first installation of a fixture within the pattern of fixtures indexed in relation to the position of the base clamp to the substrate and whereby the pivot plate can be pivoted between a plurality of shots to raise and tilt the portable friction welding tool to provide access to load the fixtures without disconnecting the clamp base from the substrate or the portable friction welding tool from the clamp base.

A method for friction welding a plurality of fixtures to a substrate in a pattern referenced from a selected fixed position on the substrate, said method comprising:

• temporarily securing a clamp base at the selected fixed position on the substrate for the pattern of the fixtures;
• attaching said portable friction welding tool to a traveling mount providing a fixture loading system;
• attaching the traveling mount to the clamp base through a connection allowing relative movement of the portable friction welding tool over a plurality of indexed positions relative to the substrate;
• moving the portable friction welding tool to a first selection from among the indexed positions relative to the substrate and locking the travelling mount in position;
• installing one of the fixtures at a first indexed position within the pattern;
• articulating the portable friction welding tool using the fixture loading system to reorient the position of the portable friction welding tool allowing access for loading a next of the fixtures into a collet without disengaging and removing said portable friction welding tool from connection with the clamp base;
• installing the next fixture in the collet;
• moving the portable friction welding tool to a next selection from among the indexed positions relative to the substrate and locking the travelling mount in position;
• installing the next fixture to the substrate;
• and
• repeating steps to install subsequent fixtures at subsequent indexed positions until the precise pattern has been completed.