| US 7,575,145 B2 | ||
| Friction stir welding apparatus and robot employing the apparatus | ||
| Yasuhide Nagao, Kobe (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Kobe (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Mar. 19, 2008, as Appl. No. 12/51,702. | ||
| Application 12/051702 is a continuation of application No. 10/250637, granted, now 7,370,784, previously published as PCT/JP02/10770, filed on Oct. 17, 2002. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2001-319479 (JP), filed on Oct. 17, 2001. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0173695 A1, Jul. 24, 2008 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. B23K 20/12 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 228—2.1 [228/2.3] | 11 Claims |
| 1. A friction stir welding apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a rotational shaft extending along an axis of rotation and arranged to operatively support a rotating tool;
a rotational movement drive source operatively coupled to the rotational shaft;
a rotatable outer shaft surrounding the rotational shaft and fixed against axial movement;
a linear movement drive source operatively coupled to the outer shaft; and
a bracket having a header, the header arranged to operatively support the rotational shaft, the bracket guided for linear
translation along the axis of rotation, and operatively coupled to the outer shaft to permit linear movement of the bracket
in response to rotation of the outer shaft, to thereby permit linear movement of the rotational shaft.
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