Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer is provided with a wedge bonding tool having an arcuate convex working face. The wedge bonding tool is engaged on top of a foil finger of a connector to be spot bonded to a terminal or pad on a device or substrate. As force and ultrasonic power are applied to the bonding wedge it is rocked or pivoted about a pivot point on the working face of the wedge bonding tool to produce a rolling spot bond between the foil finger and the terminal or pad.

Abstract: Printed circuit boards 10 having connector terminals 14 and 16 overlaying contact pads 17 and 18 are loaded into fixtures 22 which are conveyor 31 advanced through a pair of solder applying stations 33 and 34 whereat solder is laid and melted at the junctures of the terminals and contact pads. As a fixture approaches a solder applying station, the conveyor is slowed down and a programmed controller 170 is enabled for operation. If a circuit board is sensed by a photodetector 172, a second photodetector is rendered effective to sense elements 176 projecting from a side of the fixture. The sensed elements 176 effectuate the generation of count pulses and output signals to control the movements of solder applying devices 36 to soldering sites where solder feed devices 136 lay discontinuous stripes of solder at the junctures of the contact pads and terminals.

Abstract: A compound sonotrode for an ultrasonic welding tool includes a carrier block or adaptor mounted on an ultrasonic machine, and secondary sonotrodes or concentrators fixed to the carrier block by pins tuned to the resonance frequency of the assembly, so as not to disturb the vibratory mode of operation of the compound sonotrode.

Abstract: A wire bonding apparatus in which a supersonic oscillator is provided for applying a supersonic vibration to a capillary through the medium of a tool arm at the time of bonding, and the supersonic oscillator is controlled for the adjustment of the oscillation time and/or amplitude of supersonic oscillation to regularize the ball shape, while monitoring the deformation of a ball at the end of a wire by means of a gap sensor which detects the relative positions of the tool arm and a tool lifter arm.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for monitoring the bond condition of a fine aluminum wire being ultrasonically bonded to an electrode pad. The apparatus comprises a counter for generating a start and stop signal indicative of a predetermined plurality of cycles from the ultrasonic generator of the ultrasonic bonder. A stable source of pulses is applied to a second counter which is started and stopped by the start and stop signal. The count stored in the second counter is read out to a microprocessor and is indicative of the frequency of the ultrasonic generator during the bonding operation. A plurality of frequency readings are taken and measured during the formation of an ultrasonic wedge bond and this information is employed to calculate a bond quality rating which accurately predicts whether a good bond has been made or some condition exists indicating that a good bond has not been made.

Abstract: A method is provided for preventing tip sticking during the spot welding of workpieces including ultrasonic vibratory spot welding. The welding apparatus includes a welding tip and a complimentary anvil between which the workpieces to be welded may be inserted. The welding tip is adapted to introduce into and through the workpieces sufficient amounts of energy to effect a weld between the workpieces. Shim material is inserted between the welding tip and the workpieces and/or between the anvil and the workpieces, said shim material having a hardness greater than the hardness of the workpieces. After insertion of the shim material, welding energy is then introduced through the shim material and the workpieces and welds are effected therebetween. The shim material is then torn away and discarded. Apparatus for effecting this method is further provided.

Abstract: An ultrasonic working apparatus including a booster horn defined by a coaxially aligned rod member and plate member. The rod member has one end thereof coupled to the vibrator by a rod coupler, and an opposite end portion coupled to one end of the plate member. The opposite end portion of the plate member is provided with a plurality of workpiece engaging lugs. The upper end of the plate member is substantially congruent with the lower end of the rod member. The plate member has a thickness at the distal end portion less than the thickness at the end thereof coupled to the rod member and has a width at the distal end substantially greater than the width of the end coupled to the rod member. The booster horn has a total axial length substantially equal to one-half the vibratory resonant wavelength. A support collar is provided about the lower portion of the rod member to provide a second support for the apparatus and defines a nodal position of the amplitude of the vibratory force transmitted therethrough.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for bonding surfaces together. A laser beam is applied to the opening in a bonding tip. The bonding tip includes a central cavity forming a black body tapered from the opening to a second tip end. The heated tip end is applied to the fuseable surfaces in either a thermocompression or thermosonic bonding operation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for bonding together a plurality of juxtaposed webs which are subject to being ultrasonically bonded together to form a laminate as the webs are being driven forward at a relatively high velocity. The regions of the webs to be bonded are subjected to progressively increasing compressive forces while simultaneously being subjected to ultrasonic energy as they traverse an elongate portion of a predetermined path at a predetermined velocity. After the regions are ultrasonically bonded they may be subjected to another compression prior to the bonds becoming fully set upon cooling. The method may be practiced in an apparatus which includes an ultrasonic horn and an anvil which are configured and disposed to define a bonding passageway having an elongate convergent portion; and the apparatus may include a pressure roll biased towards the anvil adjacent the downstream end of the passageway.

Abstract: An ultrasonic welding apparatus for providing a closure on plastic film bags wherein the end of the film bags is gathered, twisted or not twisted, and then welded to provide a hermetic seal, includes an anvil having a recess into which the gathered plastic material is placed for welding. The side of the recess is lined with low friction material, such as nylon or Teflon, to accomodate a sliding fit between the resonator and the anvil recess. Absent a close fit between the anvil side surface and the resonator side surface, bag material will escape into such space, thereby preventing a hermetic seal. The low friction material prevents destruction of the opposing surfaces subjected to high intensity vibrational forces.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for use in an ultrasonic vibratory welder for pre-heating the workpieces prior to welding and, thereafter, for continuously monitoring the temperature of the anvil and of the welding tip during subsequent welding operations to insure their temperature remains within a pre-determined range during the entire welding cycle. It has been found that weld characteristics, particularly weld size, shape, configuration and strength are dependent upon the temperature of the anvil and welding tip. Thermostatically controlled resistance heating means are provided in the anvil and/or in the welding tip for pre-heating of the workpieces. Automatic control means, are also provided for alternately heating and cooling the anvil and welding tip during the welding cycle.

Abstract: Ultrasonic spot welding apparatus is provided including a welding tip and a complimentary anvil, both mounted on a stationary welding frame and between which workpieces may be inserted for welding. The welding tip includes a vibratory reed adapted to introduce into and through the workpieces high frequency vibratory energy in order to effect a weld between the workpieces. The apparatus includes a reed stabilizer for clamping about and stabilizing the vibratory reed at its nodal point and clamping means for clamping the workpieces. The clamping means are mounted on a clamping frame which is pivotably mounted to the stationary welding frame.

Abstract: Ultrasonic vibratory spot welding apparatus is provided, said apparatus being of the type including a welding tip adapted to introduce into and through at least two workpieces high frequency vibratory energy so as to effect a spot weld therebetween. A complimentary anvil is also provided and so positioned relative to said welding tip so as to define a throat therebetween between which the workpieces are adapted to be inserted for spot welding. Means are provided about either or both the welding tip and the anvil for preventing step shearing during the welding operation, said means comprising a shield positioned about the welding tip and/or the anvil. The shield preferably includes an inner and an outer layer, said inner layer being fabricated from either an organic material or a plurality of metallic materials. The outer layer, which is fixedly attached to either the welding tip and/or the anvil, is fabricated from a metallic material which has modulus lower than the modulus of steel.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for the bonding together of two similarly shaped articles made of dissimilar thermoplastic materials, utilizing oscillator motion between the two articles combined with an external heat source to generate sufficient heat to form a hermetic seal therebetween.

Abstract: A wire bonding capillary of a hard, normally electrically non-conductive material wherein surfaces of the capillary are coated with a thin electrically conductive material for protecting the capillary bonding face from spark erosion damage and reduction in carbon-like material build-up inside the inner taper of the capillary bore by conduction of current from an electronic flame-off (EFO) torch through a low resistance path to ground.

Abstract: A soldering device having a guide body for receiving and delivering a filler metal to form a weldment. The guide body has an end portion which is positioned in the path of the heat from the burner to preheat the filler metal therein. The temperature of the filler metal in the end portion is sensed by a thermocouple and delivered to a memory unit for comparison with a preset temperature for operating a device for feeding the filler metal to the end portion. A cooling area upstream from the end portion having collant circulating therethrough is also controlled from the memory unit. A screen movable between the burner and the end portion to control the flow of heat to the latter is also controlled by the memory unit. The temperature of the burner flame and of the workpiece can also be sensed to assure proper working conditions upon delivery of the filler metal. Additionally, the burner and the feed of a reducing gas can be automatically terminated while changing workpieces.

Abstract: A tracking type welding apparatus wherein a torch follows a probe along a weld seam and the probe senses lateral seam deviations and stores them in a pin cam and wherein the deviations are later used to move the torch in the same manner. The pin cam is remote from the torch and probe assembly and is electrically synchronized with it. Means are also disclosed to permit a single pin cam wheel to store horizontal and vertical deviation information and gap width information simultaneously.

Abstract: A TIG pipe welding method which employs two sets of machine guide surfaces on the pipe ends. First radially inner guide surfaces cooperate with a sensor coupled to the welding torch to continuously monitor the arc gap between the welding electrode and the weld puddle as the welding electrode moves around the circumference of the pipe. The second set of radially outer surfaces cooperate with a welding carriage to guide the carriage and welding modules around the pipe joint. The carriage is constructed to provide a sealed welding chamber surrounding the electrode. An additional flow of shielding gas is provided around the torch electrode of a TIG or hot wire TIG welding module to augment the normal gas shield.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a jet soldering apparatus for applying a jet of solder to a side seam of a can body formed in a bodymaker. The soldering apparatus includes a heated metal block having an elongated cavity which terminates in a discharge orifice. Solder wire is fed into the cavity and is heated therein by means of electrical heaters connected to the block. The cavity has an inlet in the form of a bore which substantially corresponds to the diameter of the solder wire so that the solder wire prevents any back flow of molten solder through the inlet. The cavity is also in the form of a bore generally conforming to the diameter of the solder wire and is of a length to make certain that the solder wire is fully melted before it reaches the discharge orifice. Feed means are provided to intermittently feed the solder wire in accordance with the presentation of a can body to the discharge orifice. The feed means include a reciprocating chuck and a staionary chuck which act in unison.