| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090260299 | Tungsten rhenium compounds and composites and methods for forming the same - The present invention relates to tungsten rhenium compounds and composites and to methods of forming the same. Tungsten and rhenium powders are mixed together and sintered at high temperature and high pressure to form a unique compound. An ultra hard material may also be added. The tungsten, rhenium, and ultra hard material are mixed together and then sintered at high temperature and high pressure. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20090294514 | FRICTION STIR WELDING IMPROVEMENTS FOR METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES, FERROUS ALLOYS, NON-FERROUS ALLOYS, AND SUPERALLOYS USING A SUPERABRASIVE TOOL - A friction stir welding system that enables clamping of a pipe to enable friction stir welding around the pipe OD, a movable mandrel that provides a counter-force to the pressure exerted on the outside of a pipe by a tool, and a system for providing friction stir welding and repair inside a nuclear vessel in an underwater environment. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20100038407 | METHODS OF HARDBANDING JOINTS OF PIPE USING FRICTION STIR WELDING - A method for applying a wear reducing material to a tool used in a wellbore operation that includes welding a hardfacing alloy to a surface of the tool, wherein the welding comprises friction stirring the alloy into the tool's surface is disclosed. Methods of welding a preformed sleeve or width of wear reducing material using friction stirring are also disclosed. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100038408 | METHODS OF TREATING HARDBANDED JOINTS OF PIPE USING FRICTION STIR PROCESSING - A method for treating a wear reducing material welded to a surface of a tool used in a wellbore operation that includes friction stirring the wear reducing material into the surface of the tool is disclosed. Method for improving the properties of a wear reducing material on a tool are also disclosed. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100038832 | Rotary holding device for gripping tool material at elevated temperatures through multiple collar assembly - A tool is provided that is capable of friction stir processing, friction stir mixing, and friction stir welding of high melting temperature and low melting temperature materials, wherein the collar is now divided into at least an inner and an outer collar coupled to the shank and the FSW tip, wherein new thermal barriers enable expansion of the inner collar to be directed inward to thereby create compression on the FSW tip instead of allowing the FSW tip to become loose in the tool at elevated temperatures. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100071961 | BIT LEG OUTER SURFACE PROCESSING USING FRICTION STIR WELDING (FSW) - A roller cone drill bit includes a bit body and at least one leg extending downward from the bit body. Each leg includes an outer surface, a ball hole plug located in the outer surface, a shoulder, a shirttail, and a roller cone rotatably mounted to the leg. The outer surface of each leg is surface processed by friction stirring. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100078224 | BALL HOLE WELDING USING THE FRICTION STIR WELDING (FSW) PROCESS - A roller cone drill bit includes a bit body, at least one leg extending downward from the bit body, a journal on each leg, and a roller cone mounted on each journal. A ball race is configured between each journal and roller cone, and a plurality of retention balls is disposed within each ball race. A ball hole extends from the back face of each leg to the ball race, and a ball hole plug fits within the ball hole. The ball hole plug is secured to the leg by a friction stir weld. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100122852 | ULTRA-HARD CONSTRUCTIONS WITH ENHANCED SECOND PHASE - Ultra-hard constructions include an ultra-hard body having a first region including a polycrystalline matrix first phase and a second phase material interposed therein. The first region is substantially free of a catalyst material used to form the first phase. The body is formed by removing the catalyst material and then replacing it with the second phase material. A second region is disposed within the body and includes the polycrystalline matrix first phase and a catalyst material used to form the first phase. The second phase material has a thermal characteristic that is more closely matched to the matrix first phase than the catalyst material. The body may be joined to a substrate, and the ultra-hard body may consist entirely of the first region. The second phase material can include non-refractory metals, ceramics, silicon, silicon-containing compounds, diamond, cubic boron nitride, polycrystalline diamond, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, and mixtures thereof. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20100219230 | EXPANDABLE MANDREL FOR USE IN FRICTION STIR WELDING - A mandrel that provides a counter-force to the pressure exerted on the outside of a pipe or other arcuate surface by a friction stir welding tool, wherein the mandrel is expandable through the use of a wedge, and wherein the mandrel enables multiple friction stir welding heads to simultaneously perform welding on the arcuate surface. | 09-02-2010 |
| 20110073634 | THREE-BODY JOINING USING FRICTION STIR PROCESSING TECHNIQUES - A friction stir tool is provided to perform friction stir riveting using a partially consumable pin, wherein the pin includes a cutting edge on a bottom surface thereof, wherein the tool is rotated at a first speed to enable cutting by the pin into a first material that is overlapping a second material, wherein after the pin has cut to a sufficient depth, the rotational speed of the tool is increased to thereby enable plasticization of the consumable pin, the first material, and the second material, wherein the tool is then rapidly decelerated until stopped, enabling diffusion bonding between the pin, the first material and the second material. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110127311 | OUT OF POSITION FRICTION STIR WELDING OF CASING AND SMALL DIAMETER TUBING OR PIPE - A system and method for friction stir welding of small diameter tubing, wherein the small diameter tubing is held in a correct position with a grasp sufficient to perform FSW when the tubing is comprised of high melting temperature materials, wherein the small diameter tubing can be rotated by the positioning and holding system while a FSW tool is held stationary, or vice versa, wherein internal mandrels are also described which can fit inside the smaller dimensions of the small diameter tubing and expand to provide a counter force to prevent deformation of the tubing when forces are applied by the FSW tool, wherein new FSW tool geometries are also described which enable the FSW tool to direct more heat on a tool/workpiece interface to counteract a lack of contact between the FSW shoulder and the workpiece because of tube curvature, and wherein the FSW tool is positioned on a small diameter tube by trailing the joint to provide desirable heating at the joint/workpiece interface and surface finishing. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110296765 | ULTRA-HARD CONSTRUCTIONS WITH ENHANCED SECOND PHASE - An ultra-hard construction is disclosed that is prepared by a method comprising the steps of treating a material microstructure having a polycrystalline matrix first phase material and a second phase material from at least a partial region of the material microstructure, wherein the second phase material is disposed within interstitial regions of the material microstructure, and wherein removal of the second phase material creates a porous material microstructure characterized by a plurality of empty voids and replacing the removed second phase material with a replacement material having a thermal characteristic that more closely matched polycrystalline matrix first phase that the second phase material. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20120055977 | SYSTEM FOR USING HIGH ROTARY SPEED FOR MINIMIZING THE LOAD DURING FRICTION STIR WELDING - A system and method for using Friction Stir Spot Joining (FSSJ) to join workpieces made of Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS), wherein a first embodiment is a FSSJ tool that has no surface features, and wherein the rate of rotation of the FSSJ tool is much higher than is used in other FSW techniques to thereby reduce torque by causing plasticization of the AHSS on a small scale, and in a second embodiment, conventional FSSJ tools can be used at conventional FSSJ speeds if the FSSJ tool is manufactured from conductive tool materials having a high hardness, and heating of the FSSJ tool and/or the workpieces enhances the ability of the FSSJ tool to functionally weld the AHSS. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120058359 | METHODS TO FABRICATE FULLY ENCLOSED HOLLOW STRUCTURES USING FRICTION STIR WELDING - A method is taught for creating a hollow sphere that is created by joining two cylinders together that have a semispherical hollow formed in the ends being joined together, wherein a metallic reinforcing disk is inserted at an interface between the two ends of the cylinders, wherein the two cylinders and reinforcing disk are joined using friction stir welding to create an inner sphere from the two hemispherical hollows that is bisected by the metallic reinforcing disk, and wherein the joined cylinders and reinforcing disk are machined to thereby create an outer spherical surface that is centered around the inner sphere. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120125973 | EXPANDABLE MANDREL FOR USE IN FRICTION STIR WELDING - A mandrel that provides a counter-force to the pressure exerted on the outside of a pipe or other arcuate surface by a friction stir welding tool, wherein the mandrel is expandable through the use of a wedge, and wherein the mandrel enables multiple friction stir welding heads to simultaneously perform welding on the arcuate surface. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120185075 | METHOD FOR USING A NON-LINEAR CONTROL PARAMETER RAMP PROFILE TO APPROACH A TEMPERATURE SET POINT OF A TOOL OR WELD THAT PREVENTS TEMPERATURE OVERSHOOT DURING FRICTION STIR WELDING - A control parameter ramp profile that enables control parameters to be modified in a non-linear manner, such that as a temperature set point of a tool or a weld is approached, the control parameter ramp profile enables the temperature set point to be approached in a manner that prevents temperature overshoot and therefore creating a better weld along the length thereof, wherein the control parameter ramp profile includes but is not limited to proportional, exponential or an S-curve waveform. | 07-19-2012 |
| 20120227546 | SOLID STATE PROCESSING OF HAND-HELD KNIFE BLADES TO IMPROVE BLADE PERFORMANCE - A system and method for friction stir processing of a hand-held cutting edge, wherein friction stir processing techniques are used to modify the properties of the hand-held cutting edge to obtain superior edge retention and superior resistance to chipping of the hand-held cutting edge. | 09-13-2012 |
| 20120273555 | FRICTION STIRRING AND ITS APPLICATION TO DRILL BITS, OIL FIELD AND MINING TOOLS, AND COMPONENTS IN OTHER INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS - Solid state processing is performed on a workpiece that operates alone or is a component of equipment used in various demanding, harsh and wearing environments in which failure of a product could compromise safety or the environment or otherwise result in significant cost for repair or replacement, wherein the solid state processing performed by using a tool capable of friction stir processing, friction stir mixing, or friction stir welding results in a workpiece that offers a longer life-cycle and/or improved performance and/or improved reliability as a result of the solid state processing. | 11-01-2012 |
| 20130068825 | MATERIAL SURFACE MODIFICATION USING FRICTION STIR WELDING HYBRID PROCESS - A system and method for modifying a work piece surface of high melting temperature materials such as Advanced High Strength Steels, wherein a friction stir welding tool may include cutting elements located on the outside diameter of a collar assembly, wherein the collar assembly may be retrofitted for existing friction stir welding tools, or may be designed as a custom attachment for a new hybrid friction stir welding tool, wherein the surface of the work piece may be modified by removing detrimental flash and burr created during operation of the friction stir welding tool. | 03-21-2013 |
| 20130098973 | METHODS TO FABRICATE FULLY ENCLOSED HOLLOW STRUCTURES USING FRICTION STIR WELDING - A method is taught for creating a hollow sphere that is created by joining two cylinders together that have a semispherical hollow formed in the ends being joined together, wherein a metallic reinforcing disk is inserted at an interface between the two ends of the cylinders, wherein the two cylinders and reinforcing disk are joined using friction stir welding to create an inner sphere from the two hemispherical hollows that is bisected by the metallic reinforcing disk, and wherein the joined cylinders and reinforcing disk are machined to thereby create an outer spherical surface that is centered around the inner sphere. | 04-25-2013 |
| 20130206818 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HOLDING MATERIALS HAVING ARCUATE SURFACES IN PLACE FOR FRICTION STIR WELDING OR PROCESSING - A system and method for holding a friction stir processing material in place on a substrate having a curved surface for the purpose of mixing the friction stir processing material into the curved substrate using a solid-state process, wherein the system includes selecting one of a variety of mechanical means of attaching the friction stir processing material to the substrate that will enable friction stir processing to be performed that is economical, efficient and safe. | 08-15-2013 |
| 20130228612 | FRICTION BIT JOINING OF MATERIALS - A system and method of using a friction stir tool having a bit that is at least partially consumable may be improved by providing enhanced cutting geometries on the bit, modifying stop times to improve bit joining, including automated tracking in an automatic friction bit joining method, providing automated feeding and automated friction bit joining, making the friction bit joining system portable, enabling the friction stir tool to be usable by a robotic device or as a handheld device, friction bit joining a plurality of different layers even if only a base material is solid-state joinable with the consumable bit, performing metal stitching on traditionally unweldable materials, performing solid-state plug welding, and operating the friction bit tool at variable RPMs in order to improve bit joining characteristics. | 09-05-2013 |
| 20130299560 | DISPOSABLE MANDREL FOR FRICTION STIR JOINING - A system and method for providing a mandrel that can be used to react the loads that are created by a friction stir joining tool as it performs friction stir joining of tubulars, the mandrel selected from a disposable mandrel, a partially disposable mandrel, a reusable mandrel, and a mandrel that is partially disposable and partially reusable. | 11-14-2013 |
| 20130299561 | FRICTION STIR JOINING OF CURVED SURFACES - A system and method for joining curved surfaces such as pipes by obtaining pipes having additional rough stock material on the pipe ends, the rough stock material being precision machine processed to prepare complementary face profiles on each of the curved surfaces and then performing friction stir joining of the pipes to obtain a joint that has fewer defects than joints created from conventional welding. | 11-14-2013 |
| 20140034394 | BALL HOLE WELDING USING THE FRICTION STIR WELDING (FSW) PROCESS - A roller cone drill bit includes a bit body, at least one leg extending downward from the bit body, a journal on each leg, and a roller cone mounted on each journal. A ball race is configured between each journal and roller cone, and a plurality of retention balls is disposed within each ball race. A ball hole extends from the back face of each leg to the ball race, and a ball hole plug fits within the ball hole. The ball hole plug is secured to the leg by a friction stir weld. | 02-06-2014 |
| 20140151438 | APPARATUS TO JOIN TUBULARS USING FRICTION STIR JOINING - A system and method for repairing and/or joining together multiple lengths of tubulars using friction stir joining, and a system for manipulating the tubular so that friction stir joining may be performed while the tubular is on a reel and/or at a field site. | 06-05-2014 |
| 20140263574 | OUT OF POSITION FRICTION STIR WELDING OF CASING AND SMALL DIAMETER TUBING OR PIPE - A system and method for friction stir welding of small diameter tubing, wherein the small diameter tubing is held in a correct position with a grasp sufficient to perform FSW when the tubing is comprised of high melting temperature materials, wherein the small diameter tubing can be rotated by the positioning and holding system while a FSW tool is held stationary, or vice versa, wherein internal mandrels are also described which can fit inside the smaller dimensions of the small diameter tubing and expand to provide a counter force to prevent deformation of the tubing when forces are applied by the FSW tool, wherein new FSW tool geometries are also described which enable the FSW tool to direct more heat on a tool/workpiece interface to counteract a lack of contact between the FSW shoulder and the workpiece because of tube curvature, and wherein the FSW tool is positioned on a small diameter tube by trailing the joint to provide desirable heating at the joint/workpiece interface and surface finishing. | 09-18-2014 |
