Friction welding apparatus
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorJohn G Searle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Variable amplitude, linear reciprocation of an output ram is produced by converting rotary motion into linear motion using a swash plate connected by a bending element to drive a crank. The rotary prime mover and swash plate are mounted on a pivotable frame so as the axial throw of the swash plate is determined by the angular offset of the rotational axes of the swash plate and crank. When the axes are coincident the throw, and therefore the ram stroke, is zero but progressive angular displacement produces a progressively increased stroke. Thus, the frequency of reciprocation is determined by the angular speed of the prime mover, and the stroke is controllably variable between maximum and zero.
Claims19
A method of operating a linear friction welding machine comprising rotating an input shaft about a first axis, mounting an output shaft for rotation about a second axis and for reciprocation in the direction of the second axis, drivingly connecting the output shaft to a welding ram constrained for linear reciprocal movement in the direction of the second axis, coupling the input shaft to the output shaft so that rotation of the input shaft rotates the output shaft, and arranging that the first and second axes are relatively angularly movable out of co-axial alignment so that when mis-aligned the input shaft has reciprocal linear component of movement in the direction of the second axis which drives the output shaft and welding ram reciprocally in the direction of the second axis.
A linear friction welding oscillator comprising an input shaft rotatable about a first axis, an output shaft rotatable about a second axis, axis movement means adapted to move the angle of the input shaft relative to the axis of the output shaft, coupling means having an input component rotatable with the input shaft and spaced radially from the first axis, and an output component rotatable with the output shaft adapted to couple the input shaft with the output shaft for rotational movement thereby to drive the output shaft, the arrangement being such that when the first and second axes are aligned the input component rotates so as to have no axial movement in the direction of the second axis, but when the first axis is inclined with respect to the second axis the input component rotates so that as it rotates about the first axis it also reciprocates with respect to the second axis thereby causing the output shaft to reciprocate in the direction of the second axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.