The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 04, 2000
Filed:
Oct. 16, 1998
Franciscus Cornelis Van Beers, Trabuco Canyon, CA (US);
Terry Lee Adams, Huntington Beach, CA (US);
ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc., Wilmington, DE (US);
Abstract
A welding fixture (30) can hold a part (12) that is to be welded by a weld head (22) that has a flat head surface (32) that must press against a flat part surface (56), where the fixture automatically tilts to assure that the surfaces lie coplanar so the fixture can be fixed in that position. The fixture has upper and lower assemblies (60, 62) that respectively include upper and lower washers (84, 92) with mating spherical surfaces (96, 98) that allow the upper assembly to pivot about horizontal axes with respect to the lower assembly. The washers have central holes (102, 104), and a bolt (112) extending through the central holes can be tightened to clamp the upper and lower assemblies together after the upper assembly has been tilted to the desired orientation. The spherical surfaces are preferably centered on a sphere center (100) that lies above the fixture, with the spherical surfaces subtending an angle (C) of no more than about 60.degree. with respect to the sphere center.