Method of manufacturing cylindrical body, friction stir welding method, and friction stir welding device

A friction stir welding apparatus for bringing end faces of a plate material having fingers at corners thereof, into abutment against each other to form a hollow cylindrical body, and friction-stir-welding said end faces to each other, comprising:

• a base;
• first support means and second support means which are mounted on said base;
• a support member supported by said first support means and said second support means;
• pressing means supported by said support member and movable forward or backward by a displacing means, for pressing said hollow cylindrical body from the side of an inner circumferential wall surface thereof;
• a support core supported by said support member, for insertion into said hollow cylindrical body and for supporting said hollow cylindrical body;
• and
• a first gripping member and a second gripping member disposed on said support core, for gripping respective protrusions, which are formed when the fingers are held in abutment against opposite ends of abutting regions of said hollow cylindrical body, and which extend along a joining direction.

A friction stir welding apparatus for bringing end faces of a plate material, having fingers at corners thereof, into abutment against each other to form a hollow cylindrical body, and friction-stir-welding said end faces to each other, comprising:

• a base;
• first support means and second support means which are mounted on said base;
• a support core spaced from said base by said first support means and said second support means, for insertion into said hollow cylindrical body and for supporting said hollow cylindrical body;
• and
• a first gripping member and a second gripping member disposed on said support core for gripping respective protrusions, which are formed when the fingers are held in abutment against opposite ends of abutting regions of said hollow cylindrical body, and which extend along a joining direction;
• wherein either one of said first support means and said second support means is movable toward or away from said support core by a displacing means.

A friction stir welding apparatus for bringing end faces of a plate material, having fingers at corners thereof, into abutment against each other to form a hollow cylindrical body, and friction-stir-welding said end faces to each other, comprising:

• a base;
• first support means and second support means which are mounted on said base;
• a support core spaced from said base by said first support means and said second support means, for insertion into said hollow cylindrical body and for supporting said hollow cylindrical body;
• a first gripping member and a second gripping member disposed on said support core for gripping respective protrusions, which are formed when the fingers are held in abutment against opposite ends of abutting regions of said hollow cylindrical body, and which extend along a joining direction;
• two aligning boards held in abutment against an end face of said hollow cylindrical body and disposed one on each side of abutting regions of said hollow cylindrical body;
• and
• aligning means having a cylinder for pressing said hollow cylindrical body from the side of an opposite end face thereof, to displace the hollow cylindrical body until said one face of the hollow cylindrical body abuts against said aligning boards.

A friction stir welding apparatus for bringing end faces of a plate material, having fingers at corners thereof, into abutment against each other to form a hollow cylindrical body, and friction-stir-welding said end faces to each other, comprising:

• a base;
• first support means and second support means which are mounted on said base;
• a support member supported by said first support means and said second support means;
• a support core disposed on said support member, for insertion into said hollow cylindrical body and for supporting said hollow cylindrical body;
• a first gripping member and a second gripping member disposed on said support core, for gripping respective protrusions, which are formed when the fingers are held in abutment against opposite ends of abutting regions of said hollow cylindrical body, and which extend along a joining direction;
• first pressing means supported by said support member, for pressing an inner circumferential wall surface of said hollow cylindrical body vertically downwardly with a resilient biasing means;
• and
• second pressing means supported by said support member and displaceable by displacing means for pressing an inner circumferential wall surface of said hollow cylindrical body horizontally.