US 12,275,096 B2
Buoyancy provisions for facilitating underwater friction welding
Harvey Lau, Houston, TX (US); John M. Griffin, Houston, TX (US); Thomas Foley, Houston, TX (US); Mark Andrew Smith, Houston, TX (US); and Richard Jackson, Houston, TX (US)
Assigned to Fusematic Corporation, Pasadena, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/290,606
Filed by FUSEMATIC CORPORATION, Ormond Beach, FL (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 31, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/059155
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 30, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/131229, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 25, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/754,295, filed on Nov. 1, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/881,340, filed on Jul. 31, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/881,366, filed on Aug. 1, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0354252 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. B23K 37/02 (2006.01); B23K 20/12 (2006.01); B23K 20/26 (2006.01); B63B 22/00 (2006.01)
CPC B23K 37/02 (2013.01) [B23K 20/1245 (2013.01); B23K 20/1285 (2013.01); B23K 20/26 (2013.01); B63B 22/00 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A buoyancy system for facilitating diver directed underwater joining operations to connect a fixture to a substrate, said buoyancy system comprising: a portable friction welding tool assembly having a center of gravity and a longitudinal axis said portable friction welding tool assembly comprising:
a friction welding tool; and
a clamp system engageable to the substrate; an engagement system removably securable to the portable friction welding tool assembly with a center of center of gravity; and
a buoyancy module supportively connectable to the engagement system and having a center of buoyancy.