Method for joining metal pieces at spaced intervals

Claim 1

IN THE ART OF DIFFUSION WELDING A PLURALITY OF WEBS OF METAL TOGETHER ONLY AT PRESELECTED WELD AREAS THE STEPS COMPRISING; STACKING A PLURALITY OF SAID WEBS ONE UPON THE OTHER WITH PRESELECTED SURFACE AREAS OF ADJACENT SHEETS THAT ARE NOT TO BE WELDED SEPARATED BY A LAYER OF FINITE THICKNESS OF A WELD STOP-OFF MATERIAL AND WITH THE PRESELECTED SURFACE AREAS OF ADJACENT SHEETS TO BE WELDED SEPARATED BY A VOID SPACE DEFINED BY THE THICKNESS OF A SPACING BETWEN THE STOP-OFF-MATERIAL; HEATING SAID STACK TO DIFFUSION WELDING TEMPERATURES AND TO CAUSE SAID WEBS TO THERMALLY EXPAND, FORCEFULLY RESTRICTING THE THERMAL EXPANSION OF THE SAID WEBS IN THEIR NORMAL PLANES OF EXPANSION TO CAUSE SAID WEBS TO BENDABLY DISTORT AND EXPAND INTO SAID VOID SPACES WHEREBY THE PRESELECTED WELD AREAS OF ADJACENT WEBS COME INTO CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER, WHILE MAINTAINING STATIC PRESSURE ON SAID STACK TO INSURE WELDING BETWEEN THE CONTACTING DISTORTED SURFACE AREAS OF ADJACENT WEBS IN SAID STACK.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF FORMING A PLURALITY OF THIN FLAT METAL SHEETS INTO A HONEYCOMB STRUCTURE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF APPLYING TO THE TOP FACE OF EACH SHEET A PLURALITY OF AREAS OF WELD STOP-OFF MATERIAL WITH UNCOVERED NODE AREAS FORMED THEREBETWEEN; STACKING THE SHEETS WITH THE NODE AREAS IN STAGGERED RELATIONS; COMPRESSING THE STACK UNDER SUFFICIENT PRESSURE TO CREATE FRICTIONAL RESTRICTION TO THERMAL EXPANSION ALONG THE PLANAR DIRECTION OF THE SHEETS BUT UNDER INSUFFICIENT PRESSURE TO CAUSE ANY APPRECIABLE REDUCTION IN THICKNESS OF THE SHEETS IN THE STACK; HEATING THE SHEETS IN THE STACK TO CREATE FORCES OF EXPANSION ALONG SAID PLANAR DIRECTION, WHEREBY THE SHEETS WILL EXPAND INTO THE NODE AREAS AND CONTACT ONE ANOTHER UNDER FORCE; HOLDING THE STACK UNDER PRESSURE AND HEAT UNTIL DIFFUSION WELDING OF ADJACENT SHEETS HAD TAKEN PLAC EIN THE NODE AREAS; AND FINALLY EXPANDING THE STACK INTO A MULTIPLICITY OF INTERCONNECTED CELLS.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF FORMING A PLURALITY OF THIN FLAT METAL SHEETS INTO A HONEYCOMB STRUCTURE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF APPLYING TO THE TOP FACE OF EACH SHEET A PLURALITY OF AREAS OF WELD STOP-OFF MATERIAL WITH UNCOVERED NODE AREAS FORMED THEREBETWEEN; STACKING THE SHEETS WITH THE NODE AREAS IN STAGGERED RELATIONS; COMPRESSING THE STACK UNDER SUFFICIENT PRESSURE TO CREATE FRICTIONAL RESTRICTION TO THERMAL EXPANSION ALONG THE PLANAR DIRECTION OF THE SHEETS BUT UNDER INSUFFICIENT PRESSURE TO CAUSE ANY APPRECIABLE REDUCTION IN THICKNESS OF THE SHEETS IN THE STACK; HEATING THE SHEETS IN THE STACK TO CREATE FORCES OF EXPANSION ALONG SAID PLANAR DIRECTION, WHEREBY THE SHEETS WILL EXPAND INTO THE NODE AREAS AND CONTACT ONE ANOTHER UNDER FORCE; HOLDING THE STACK UNDER PRESSURE AND HEAT UNTIL DIFFUSION WELDING OF ADJACENT SHEETS HAD TAKEN PLAC EIN THE NODE AREAS; AND FINALLY EXPANDING THE STACK INTO A MULTIPLICITY OF INTERCONNECTED CELLS.