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:
Oct. 08, 2002
Filed:
Apr. 04, 2000
Douglas J. Waldron, Fountain Valley, CA (US);
Robert Scott Forrest, Santa Ana, CA (US);
The Boeing Company, Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
A backing member for a friction stir butt welding apparatus includes a groove in the working surface of the backing member which supports the workpieces being butt welded. The backing member is positioned with the groove aligned directly beneath the butt joint between the workpieces. A rotating friction stir welding pin is introduced at the joint so as to plasticize the material of the workpieces on either side of the joint, and pressure is applied between the stir pin and the workpieces to create a forging pressure which forces plasticized material downward through the root zone of the weld and into the groove in the backing member. A visible bead is thus produced on the lower surfaces of the workpieces indicating total penetration of the weld. Lack of a bead indicates probable failure of the weld to totally penetrate through the root zone.