Friction pull plug welding: top hat plug design
AssigneeLockhead Martin Corporation
InventorsEdmond R. Coletta, Mark A. Cantrell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Friction Pull Plug Welding is a solid state repair process for defects up to one inch in length, only requiring single sided tooling, or outside skin line (OSL), for preferred usage on flight hardware. The most prevalent defect associated with Friction Pull Plug Welding (FPPW) was a top side or inside skin line (ISL) lack of bonding. Bonding was not achieved at this location due to the reduction in both frictional heat and welding pressure between the plug and plate at the end of the weld. Thus, in order to eliminate the weld defects and increase the plug strength at the plug ‘top’ a small ‘hat’ section is added to the pull plug for added frictional heating and pressure.
Claims32
A friction pull plug welding apparatus for repairing a defect in a weld that has been removed, leaving a defect opening in the weld that is open ended, having first and second end portions, comprising;
- a) pull plug body that fits the defect opening, wherein the pull plug body includes first and second sections, the first section being sized and shaped to fit through the defect opening, the second section having a part that is sized and shaped to not fit through the opening
- b) a rotary tool having a chuck that is connected during use to the first section of the pull plug body at the first end portion of the opening;
- and
- c) the rotary tool and chuck enabling simultaneous tension and rotation to be imparted to the plug body.
A friction pull plug welding apparatus for repairing a defect in a weld that has been removed, leaving a defect opening in the weld that is open ended, the defect opening having first and second end portions, comprising;
- a) a pull plug body that fits the defect opening, wherein the pull plug body includes first and second sections, the first section being sized and shaped to fit through the defect opening, the second section having a part that is sized and shaped to not fit through the opening, said second section including a maximum diameter portion with an annular surface that rapidly increases in diameter when measured longitudinally and when compared to the overall length of the pull plug body;
- b) a rotary tool having a chuck that is connected during use to the first section of the pull plug body at the first end portion of the opening;
- and
- c) the rotary tool and chuck enabling simultaneous tension and rotation to be imparted to the plug body.
A friction pull plug welding apparatus for repairing a defect in a weld that has been removed, leaving a defect opening in the weld that is open ended, the defect opening having first and second end portions, comprising;
- a) a pull plug body that fits the defect opening, wherein the pull plug includes first and second sections, the first section being sized to fit through the opening, the second section being too large to fit through the opening;
- b) a rotary tool having a chuck that is connected during use to the first section of the pull plug body at the first end portion of the opening;
- c) the rotary tool and chuck enabling simultaneous tension and rotation to be imparted to the plug body.
A friction pull plug welding apparatus for repairing a defect in a weld that has been removed from a welded panel that has inner and outer surfaces, leaving a defect opening in the weld that is open ended and having inner and outer end portions, comprising;
- a) a pull plug body that fits the defect opening, wherein the pull plug body includes first and second sections, the first section being sized and shaped to fit through the defect opening, the second section having a part that is sized and shaped to not fit through the opening, at least a portion of the second section being tapered;
- b) a rotary tool that is connected during use to the first section of the pull plug body at the outer end portion of the opening;
- and
- c) the rotary tool enabling simultaneous tension and rotation to be imparted to the plug body sufficient to cause at least part of the second section of the pull plug body to flow.
A friction pull plug welding apparatus for repairing a defect in a weld that has been removed, leaving a defect opening in the weld that is open ended, the defect opening having first and second end portions, comprising;
- a) a pull plug body that fits the defect opening, wherein the pull plug includes first and second sections, the first section being sized to fit through the opening, the second section being too large to fit through the opening;
- b) a rotary tool that is connectable during use to the first section of the pull plug body at the first end portion of the opening;
- c) the rotary tool enabling simultaneous tension and rotation to be imparted to the plug body with sufficient tension and rotation to cause it least a portion of the second section of the pull plug body to flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.