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:
Sep. 04, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 16, 2009
Israel Stol, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
John W. Cobes, Lower Burrell, PA (US);
Trent A. Chontas, Braddock Hills, PA (US);
Joseph M. Fridy, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Israel Stol, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
John W. Cobes, Lower Burrell, PA (US);
Trent A. Chontas, Braddock Hills, PA (US);
Joseph M. Fridy, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Alcoa Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A multi-shouldered friction stir welding tool () comprises an integral shank-pin unit () having a plurality of pin portions on the shank-pin unit, where the plurality of pin portions for driving into a plurality of joints to perform a friction stir welding operation on the corresponding plurality of joints and, where a shank portion of the shank-pin unit is for attachment to an optional axial tension rod (), each of the friction stir welding modules comprises a pair of shoulders () that is connected to the shank-pin unit where each shoulder has a distal end and a proximal end, where the proximal end of each shoulder faces the pin portion of the shank-pin unit, whereby the shoulder and pin(s) rotate in unison, and a pair of split collars or a pair of nuts that is connected to the shank-pin unit and faces the distal end of each shoulder, where the plurality of friction stir welding modules are connected to each other whereby the modules rotate in unison to simultaneously make a plurality of parallel welds. In addition, a method of friction stir welding a plurality of joints simultaneously comprising using at least one multi-shouldered friction stir welding tool is provided.