Welding apparatus provided with a vibrating contact tip

Claim 1

A WELDING APPARATUS COMPRISING, AN ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCER, AN AMPLITUDE TRANSFORMER CONNECTED THERETO, SAID ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCER IMPARTING VIBRATORY MOVEMENT TO SAID AMPLITUDE TRANSFORMER, FIRST AND SECOND SPACED MEMBERS, A SUPPORT MEANS RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST MEMBER AT ONE END, THE OTHER END OF SAID SUPPORT MEANS FREELY ENGAGING SAID AMPLITUDE TRANSFORMER, A CONTACT TIP MOUNTED ON SAID AMPLITUDE TRANSFORMER REMOTE FROM SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND SPACED FROM SAID SECOND MEMBER TO PROVIDE A CLEARANCE FOR FIRST AND SECOND WORKPIECES TO BE JOINED, SAID SUPPORT MEANS HAVING A THICKNESS IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID AMPLITUDE TRANSFORMER, AT THE AREA OF FREE ENGAGMENT, SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE AMPLITUDE TRANSFORMER IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY ORTHOGONAL TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID AMPLITUDE TRANSFORMER AT SAID AREA OF FREE ENGAGEMENT, AND A LENGTH CORRESPONDING TO A NATURAL RESONANT FREQUENCY OF THE BENDING VIBRATION OF THE SUPPORT MEANS, SAID NATURAL RESONANT FREQUENCY BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE FREQUENCY OF THE MECHANICAL VIBRATION OF SAID ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCER AND, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SEPARATION BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS WHEREBY THE WORKPIECES MAY BE WELDED UNDER A PRESELECTED PRESSURE.