# US 2014/0150955 A1 · Linear friction welding machine and associated method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0150955 A1 - Document ID: US20140150955A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/690,845 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Kevin Thomas Slattery - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150955A1 ## CPC - B29C 65/0618: {Linear} - B23K 20/1205: {using translation movement} - B23K 37/0426: {Fixtures for other work} - Y10T 156/17: Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A linear-friction-welding machine and a method of linear friction welding are provided which permit continuous clocking or angular positioning between a pair of workpieces without the complexity and cost associated with making either the weld head or the table of the friction-stir-welding machine rotatable. The linear-friction-welding machine may include a stationary or a movable table, a weld head, and a tapered cylindrical collet, adapted to engage a tapered cylindrical opening of a socket. The socket is either supported by the table or retained by the weld head, to permit controlled, continuous clocking of one of the workpieces, retained by the collet, relative to the other workpiece, which is either supported by the table or retained by the weld head such that the workpieces may be mutually biased and linearly oscillated relative each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A linear friction welding machine comprising: a table configured to support a first workpiece; a weld head configured to retain a second workpiece; a socket supported by the table or retained by the weld head and defining a tapered cylindrical opening; and a tapered cylindrical collet configured to retain one of the first or second workpieces, wherein the collet is adapted to engage the tapered cylindrical opening defined by the socket so as to permit controlled, continuous clocking of the one of the first or second workpieces retained by the collet relative to the other one of the first or second workpieces. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A linear friction welding machine according to claim 1 wherein the table comprises a stationary table, wherein the weld head is configured to be aligned with the stationary table along a direction orthogonal to the stationary table, wherein the weld head is configured to controllably position the second workpiece along an axis orthogonal to the stationary table, and wherein the weld head is configured to linearly oscillate the second workpiece in a direction along a plane defined by the stationary table. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A linear friction welding machine according to claim 2 wherein the socket and the collet have a symmetry axis located along the axis orthogonal to the stationary table such that the collet and the socket are configured to permit clocking of the collet to any angular position relative to the socket about the symmetry axis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A linear friction welding machine according to claim 2 wherein the linear friction welding machine is a two-axis linear friction welding machine. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A linear friction welding machine according to claim 1 wherein the table comprises a movable table configured to support and controllably position the first workpiece along a plane defined by first and second linear axes in order to align the first and second workpieces, wherein the weld head is adapted to controllably position the second workpiece along a third axis orthogonal to the first and second axes, and wherein at least one of the weld head and the movable table is configured to linearly oscillate in a direction along the plane. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A linear friction welding machine according to claim 5 wherein the socket and the collet have a symmetry axis located along the third axis such that the collet is configured to permit clocking of the collet to any angular position relative to the socket about the symmetry axis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) A linear friction welding machine according to claim 5 wherein the linear friction welding machine is a four-axis linear friction welding machine. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A linear friction welding machine according to claim 1 wherein the tapered cylindrical opening defined by the socket has a frustoconical shape, and wherein the tapered cylindrical collet has a frustoconical shape. ### Claim 9 A collet comprising: a body extending from a first end to an opposed second end and defining a tapered cylindrical shape; and a plurality of jaws, proximate the first end of the body, configured to be controllably positioned relative to one another so as to engage and securely hold a workpiece. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A collet according to claim 9 wherein the body defines a frustoconical shape that tapers down from the first end to the opposed second end. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A collet according to claim 9 further comprising a collar configured to be threadably positioned relative to the body in order to controllably position the plurality of jaws relative to one another. ### Claim 12 An assembly comprising: a socket defining a tapered cylindrical opening; and a tapered cylindrical collet configured to retain a workpiece, wherein the collet is adapted to engage the tapered cylindrical opening defined by the socket so as to permit controlled, continuous clocking of the workpiece retained by the collet relative to the socket. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) An assembly according to claim 12 wherein the tapered cylindrical opening defined by the socket has a frustoconical shape, and wherein the tapered cylindrical collet has a frustoconical shape. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) An assembly according to claim 12 wherein the socket and the collet define a symmetry axis such that the collet and socket are configured to permit clocking of the workpiece retained by the collet to any angular position relative to the socket about the symmetry axis. ### Claim 15 A method of joining two workpieces using linear friction welding, the method comprising: clamping one of the workpieces in a collet which has a tapered cylindrical shape; positioning the collet at least partially within a tapered cylindrical opening defined by a socket associated with either a weld head or a table; aligning the two workpieces; clocking the collet relative to the socket to achieve an angular orientation between the workpieces; controllably positioning the weld head and the workpiece retained thereby along an axis orthogonal to the table to bias the two workpieces against each other; and linearly oscillating at least one of the weld head and the table in a direction along a plane defined by the table to friction weld the two workpieces together. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method according to claim 15 wherein the table comprises a stationary table, and wherein linearly oscillating at least one of the weld head and the table comprises linearly oscillating the weld head relative to the table. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) A method according to claim 15 wherein the table comprises a movable table, and wherein aligning the two workpieces comprises translating the movable table along a plane defined by first and second orthogonal axes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A method according to claim 17 wherein controllably positioning the weld head and the workpiece retained thereby comprises controllably positioning the weld head and the workpiece retained thereby along a third axis orthogonal to the first and second axes. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) A method according to claim 15 further comprising separating the collet and the socket following friction welding of the two workpieces. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) A method according to claim 15 wherein the tapered cylindrical opening defined by the socket has a frustoconical shape, and wherein the tapered cylindrical shape of the collet is a frustoconical shape.