Method of making a cold welded connection

Claim 1

The method of connecting two light metal members which comprises: forcing one portion of one member into a groove in the other member, in which the one portion is of greater transverse dimension between opposite engaging surfaces than the corresponding dimension of said groove, the opposite engaging surfaces on one member converging in the direction of movement of said one portion into said groove, and at least one engaging surface of said portion and groove has a plurality of ribs extending in the direction of movement of said portion into said groove, said ribs being adapted to engage a complementary surface on the other member, the height of said ribs being substantially greater than the amount of convergence of said converging surfaces, said ribs removing any light metal oxidation coating on the corresponding engaging surface and being deformed under pressure as said portion is forced into said groove to cold weld said members together.

Claim 2

The method of connecting two light metal members which comprises: forcing one portion of one member into a groove in the other member, in which the one portion is of greater transverse dimension between opposite engaging surfaces than the corresponding dimension of said groove, the opposite engaging surfaces on one member converging in the direction of movement of said one portion into said groove, and at least one engaging surface of said portion and groove has a plurality of ribs extending in the direction of movement of said portion into said groove, said ribs being adapted to engage a complementary surface on the other member, the height of said ribs being substantially greater than the amount of convergence of said converging surfaces, said ribs removing any light metal oxidation coating on the corresponding engaging surface and being deformed under pressure as said portion is forced into said groove to cold weld said members together.

Claim 5

The method of connecting two metal members by cold welding, comprising forming a first member with a groove having opposite sides, a second member with a portion complementary to said groove having opposite sides engageable with the opposite sides of groove, the opposite sides of one of said members being parallel and the opposite sides of the other member converging in the direction of movement of said portion into said groove, a plurality of ribs being formed on at least one of said parallel sides, said ribs extending in the direction of movement of said portion into said groove, each of said ribs tapering to an edge from its base, the sides of said portion being spaced a distance at least as great as the distance between the sides of said groove at its open end, the amount of convergence of said converging sides being less than the height of said ribs, and said method also comprising forcing said portion into said groove with said sides in contact initially to deform said ribs and expose the underlying nascent metal to mutual contacting surfaces under the pressure on said surfaces.

Claim 6

The method of connecting two metal members by cold welding, comprising forming a first member with a groove having opposite sides, a second member with a portion complementary to said groove having opposite sides engageable with the opposite sides of groove, the opposite sides of one of said members being parallel and the opposite sides of the other member converging in the direction of movement of said portion into said groove, a plurality of ribs being formed on at least one of said parallel sides, said ribs extending in the direction of movement of said portion into said groove, each of said ribs tapering to an edge from its base, the sides of said portion being spaced a distance at least as great as the distance between the sides of said groove at its open end, the amount of convergence of said converging sides being less than the height of said ribs, and said method also comprising forcing said portion into said groove with said sides in contact initially to deform said ribs and expose the underlying nascent metal to mutual contacting surfaces under the pressure on said surfaces.

Claim 8

The method of connecting two metal members by cold welding, comprising forming a first member with a first pair of opposite walls facing toward each other, forming a second member wth a second pair of walls complementary to said first walls and engageable with said first walls when forced therebetween, the walls of one pair being parallel and the walls of the other pair converging in the direction of movement of said second pair of walls when moved between said first pair of walls, at least one of said parallel walls having ribs extending parallel to the direction of movement of said second pair of walls between said first pair of walls, each of said ribs tapering to an edge from its base on the wall, the amount of convergence of said converging walls being less than the height of said ribs, said method comprising the step of initially contacting both of said second walls with said first walls and then forcing the second walls between said first walls to deform said ribs and expose the underlying nascent metal to mutual contact so that the two members are cold welded together along the contacting surfaces under the pressure on said surfaces.

Claim 9

The method of connecting two metal members by cold welding, comprising forming a first member with a first pair of opposite walls facing toward each other, forming a second member wth a second pair of walls complementary to said first walls and engageable with said first walls when forced therebetween, the walls of one pair being parallel and the walls of the other pair converging in the direction of movement of said second pair of walls when moved between said first pair of walls, at least one of said parallel walls having ribs extending parallel to the direction of movement of said second pair of walls between said first pair of walls, each of said ribs tapering to an edge from its base on the wall, the amount of convergence of said converging walls being less than the height of said ribs, said method comprising the step of initially contacting both of said second walls with said first walls and then forcing the second walls between said first walls to deform said ribs and expose the underlying nascent metal to mutual contact so that the two members are cold welded together along the contacting surfaces under the pressure on said surfaces.

Claim 11

The method of connecting two metal members by cold welding, comprising forming a first member with a groove having two opposite sides converging inwardly from the open end, forming a second member with a projecting portion complementary to said groove having two parallel opposite sides engageable with said converging sides of said groove and ribs on at least one of said parallel sides extending in the direction of movement of said portion into said groove, each of said ribs tapering to an edge from its base, the distance between said parallel sides including the height of said ribs being at least as great as the greatest distance between said converging sides of said groove, the amount of convergence of said converging sides not exceeding the height of said ribs, said method comprising forcing said portion into said groove to deform said ribs and expose the underlying nascent metal on both members to make mutual contact, so that the two members are welded together along the contacting surfaces under the pressure on said surfaces.

Claim 12

The method of connecting two metal members by cold welding, comprising forming a first member with a groove having two opposite sides converging inwardly from the open end, forming a second member with a projecting portion complementary to said groove having two parallel opposite sides engageable with said converging sides of said groove and ribs on at least one of said parallel sides extending in the direction of movement of said portion into said groove, each of said ribs tapering to an edge from its base, the distance between said parallel sides including the height of said ribs being at least as great as the greatest distance between said converging sides of said groove, the amount of convergence of said converging sides not exceeding the height of said ribs, said method comprising forcing said portion into said groove to deform said ribs and expose the underlying nascent metal on both members to make mutual contact, so that the two members are welded together along the contacting surfaces under the pressure on said surfaces.

Claim 13

The method of connecting two metal members by cold welding, comprising forming a first member with a groove having opposite sides, a second member with a portion complementary to said groove having opposite parallel sides engageable with the opposite sides of said groove, the opposite sides of the groove converging in the direction of movement of said portion into said groove, a plurality of ribs with parallel edges formed on at least one of said sides, said groove being wider than said portion by less than the height of said ribs, and the amount of convergence of said converging sides being less than the height of said ribs, said method further comprising forcing said portion into said recess with said sides and ribs in contact initially to deform said ribs and expose the underlying nascent metal to mutual contact to weld the two members together along the contacting surfaces under the pressure on said surfaces.

Claim 14

The method of connecting two metal members by cold welding, comprising forming a first member with a groove having opposite sides, a second member with a portion complementary to said groove having opposite parallel sides engageable with the opposite sides of said groove, the opposite sides of the groove converging in the direction of movement of said portion into said groove, a plurality of ribs with parallel edges formed on at least one of said sides, said groove being wider than said portion by less than the height of said ribs, and the amount of convergence of said converging sides being less than the height of said ribs, said method further comprising forcing said portion into said recess with said sides and ribs in contact initially to deform said ribs and expose the underlying nascent metal to mutual contact to weld the two members together along the contacting surfaces under the pressure on said surfaces.