US 4,058,883 A · Fabrication of panel structures having thin skin plate in vehicles, water craft, buildings, and the like

Abstract

A panel structure is fabricated by stretching a skin plate with a tensile stress below the elastic limit stress thereof, securing this plate onto a framework with the plate under a constraining tensile stress and with portions thereof to which the constraining stress is not being fully applied being heated thereby to cause thermal expansion thereof, removing the constraining stress, and permitting the plate to cool and thereby to undergo thermal contraction and deformation, thereby producing tensile residual stress within the plate, whereby occurrence of welding deformations in the plate on the finished panel is prevented. Depending on the necessity, the skin plate may be prestretched with a stress exceeding the yield point thereof before the above described panel fabrication.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A method of fabricating a panel structure of the type having a skeletal framework and a skin plate secured to the framework comprising the steps of:

subjecting the skin plate to tensile stretching within the geometric surface thereof to produce a constraining tensile stress in the skin plate not exceeding the tensile elastic limit of the skin plate, the tensile stress being adequately applicable to at least a portion thereof;
concurrently heating the skin plate locally at portions thereof to which the constraining tension cannot be adequately applied to a temperature above room temperature to induce thermal expansion of the skin plate within its geometric surface;
welding the stressed and locally heated skin plate to the framework;
simultaneously maintaining the stressed and heated condition of the skin plate;
and
thereafter releasing the skin plate from the tensile stretching and from the heating so as to leave a tensile residual stress in the skin plate to prevent undesirable deformation thereof in the fabricated panel structure.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fabrication of panel structures having thin skin plate in vehicles, water craft, buildings, and the like

Life of this patent

Fabrication of panel structures having thin skin plate in vehicles, water craft, buildings, and the like

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8