EP0107102A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and methods for supplying gas under pressure to weldable shock absorber casings having an opening pierced therein, and like products, and weld-sealing the opening
Assignee: RWC Inc
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Filing: 1983-09-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-09-29
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for supplying gas under pressure to a weldable shock absorber chamber having a specially configured opening pierced in the external casing wall thereof and like products, and weld-sealing the opening wherein an opening is pierced in the casing wall which causes the marginal wall surrounding the opening to form a weld ball supporting seat, a welding head and weld ball supplying assembly having a lower end with a seal surrounding a ball dispensing opening engages the marginal wall of the product, gas under pressure is fed to the pierced opening in the casing, operating elements separate individual balls from a supply thereof and furnish only one at a time to a ball receiving chamber in said assembly, a raisable and lowerable welding electrode moves axially in the ball receiving chamber and ball dispensing opening to engage a ball dispensed from said ball receiving chamber through said dispensing opening to the seat, a welding current supply is applied to the electrode to melt-collapse the ball to seal the pierced opening after the fluid has been charged thereto, and mechanism keeps the electrode in current conducting contact with the collapsing ball while welding current is being applied.
Inventors
- 👤 George S. Wilson
- 👤 Ronald W. Richardson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 13:00
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23K; B23K11/00; B23K11/002; B23K11/004; F; F16; F16F; F16F9/00; F16F9/32; F16F9/43
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
291 words
Apparatus for supplying fluid under pressure to a weldable shock absorber chamber having a specially configured opening pierced in the external casing wall thereof and like products, and weld-sealing the opening, comprising: (a) support framing; (b) mechanism supported thereon for piercing an opening in the casing wall which causes the marginal wall surrounding the opening to assume a convergent tubular generally frustoconical configuration forming a weld ball supporting seat; (c) a welding head and weld ball supplying assembly on said framing having a lower end with a seal surrounding a ball dispensing opening therein which communicates with a ball receiving chamber in said assembly, and a product holder in axial alignment therewith; (d) means for relatively axially moving said assembly and holder to dispose the seal in abutting sealing relation with the product; (e) supply mechanism for supplying fluid under pressure to said assembly to communicate with the ball dispensing opening and the pierced opening in the casing sealed by the seal to provide fluid thereto; (f) operating elements carried by said assembly and communicating with said ball receiving chamber to separate individual balls from a supply thereof and furnish only one at a time to said ball receiving chamber; (g) a raisable and lowerable welding electrode carried by said assembly to move axially in said ball receiving chamber and ball dispensing opening to engage a ball dispensed from said ball receiving chamber through said dispensing opening to the seat; (h) a welding current supply circuit connected to said electrode to supply a welding current to the lower end thereof and melt-collapse the ball to seal the pierced opening after the fluid has been charged thereto; and (i) means for keeping said electrode in current conducting contact with the collapsing ball.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
291 words
Apparatus for supplying fluid under pressure to a weldable shock absorber chamber having a specially configured opening pierced in the external casing wall thereof and like products, and weld-sealing the opening, comprising: (a) support framing; (b) mechanism supported thereon for piercing an opening in the casing wall which causes the marginal wall surrounding the opening to assume a convergent tubular generally frustoconical configuration forming a weld ball supporting seat; (c) a welding head and weld ball supplying assembly on said framing having a lower end with a seal surrounding a ball dispensing opening therein which communicates with a ball receiving chamber in said assembly, and a product holder in axial alignment therewith; (d) means for relatively axially moving said assembly and holder to dispose the seal in abutting sealing relation with the product; (e) supply mechanism for supplying fluid under pressure to said assembly to communicate with the ball dispensing opening and the pierced opening in the casing sealed by the seal to provide fluid thereto; (f) operating elements carried by said assembly and communicating with said ball receiving chamber to separate individual balls from a supply thereof and furnish only one at a time to said ball receiving chamber; (g) a raisable and lowerable welding electrode carried by said assembly to move axially in said ball receiving chamber and ball dispensing opening to engage a ball dispensed from said ball receiving chamber through said dispensing opening to the seat; (h) a welding current supply circuit connected to said electrode to supply a welding current to the lower end thereof and melt-collapse the ball to seal the pierced opening after the fluid has been charged thereto; and (i) means for keeping said electrode in current conducting contact with the collapsing ball.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
145 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said operating elements for furnishing a ball comprise a vertically disposed, open bottom tube with balls therein, a pair of vertically spaced lateral passages with the lower one communicating with said ball receiving chamber, there being a vertical passage communicating with the lateral passages; an upper and lower plunger valve for said passages, each having a ball accommodating through port therein inter- jacent its end sized to receive only a single ball; and lost motion drive means is provided for first operating the lower plunger valve to move a ball in its port to the ball receiving chamber, and only after a time delay, when the port in said lower plunger valve has moved beyond said vertical passage, operating the upper plunger valve to move a ball received in its port from said tube over to said vertical passage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 2 in which said lost motion drive means comprises striker means in alignment with each of said plunger valves.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus of claim 3 in which spring means is provided in association with said plunger valves to return the lower plunger to a position in which its port is vertically aligned with said vertical passage and the upper plunger valve to a position in which its port is vertically aligned with said vertical tube.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 4 in which the lower plunger valve extends in the return direction further than the upper plunger valve and said striker means comprises a striker frame operated by a fluid pressure powered ram cylinder.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
74 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said means for keeping said electrode in current conducting contact include a vertically extendible and retractable fluid pressure operated ram cylinder with an extensible portion; a coupling between said extensible portion and electrode permitting relative movement between the coupling and electrode; and means constantly urging said electrode downwardly to permit it to follow the collapsing ball during the welding operation, and maintain current conducting contact with it.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 6 in which said coupling carries an electrically insulated plunger with a current receiver thereon engaging said electrode; and said constant urging means comprises a spring urging said coupling plunger and electrode continuously downwardly.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 7 in which said coupling carries a lifter bar and said electrode has a part at its upper end extending to overlie said lifter bar so that said electrode will be retracted by the lifter bar upon retraction of the extensible portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
70 words
The apparatus of claim 8 in which said operating elements for furnishing a ball includes a vertically disposed tube with balls in vertical single file therein, which is open at its lower end; and a stripper element system for removing only the lowermost ball with each actuation and isolating the lower end of the vertical tube at the same time, prior to pushing a ball into the ball receiving chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which means slidably accommodating said electrode closes off the upper end of said ball receiving chamber; and said fluid supply mechanism comprises a non-flammable gas supply leading into the ball receiving chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said circuit is a DC series circuit.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
244 words
A method for supplying fluid under pressure to a weldable shock absorber chamber having a specially configured opening pierced in the external casing wall thereof and.like products, and weld-sealing the opening, comprising the steps of: (a) piercing an opening in the casing wall which causes the marginal wall surrounding the opening to assume a convergent tubular generally frustoconical configuration forming a weld ball supporting seat; (b) relatively axially moving a product holder and a welding head and weld ball supplying assembly having a lower end with a seal surrounding a ball dispensing opening therein which communicates with a ball receiving chamber in said assembly to dispose the seal in abutting sealing relation with the product; (c) supplying fluid under pressure to said assembly to communicate with the ball dispensing opening and the pierced opening in the casing sealed by the seal to provide fluid thereto; (d) separating individual balls from a supply thereof and furnishing only one at a time to said ball receiving chamber; (e) moving a raisable and lowerable welding electrode carried by said assembly axially in said ball receiving chamber and ball dispensing opening to engage a ball dispensed from said ball receiving chamber through said dispensing opening to the seat; (f) applying a welding current to said electrode to melt-collapse the ball to seal the pierced opening after the fluid has been charged thereto; and (g) moving said electrode to keep it in current conducting contact with the collapsing ball.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
244 words
A method for supplying fluid under pressure to a weldable shock absorber chamber having a specially configured opening pierced in the external casing wall thereof and.like products, and weld-sealing the opening, comprising the steps of: (a) piercing an opening in the casing wall which causes the marginal wall surrounding the opening to assume a convergent tubular generally frustoconical configuration forming a weld ball supporting seat; (b) relatively axially moving a product holder and a welding head and weld ball supplying assembly having a lower end with a seal surrounding a ball dispensing opening therein which communicates with a ball receiving chamber in said assembly to dispose the seal in abutting sealing relation with the product; (c) supplying fluid under pressure to said assembly to communicate with the ball dispensing opening and the pierced opening in the casing sealed by the seal to provide fluid thereto; (d) separating individual balls from a supply thereof and furnishing only one at a time to said ball receiving chamber; (e) moving a raisable and lowerable welding electrode carried by said assembly axially in said ball receiving chamber and ball dispensing opening to engage a ball dispensed from said ball receiving chamber through said dispensing opening to the seat; (f) applying a welding current to said electrode to melt-collapse the ball to seal the pierced opening after the fluid has been charged thereto; and (g) moving said electrode to keep it in current conducting contact with the collapsing ball.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 12 wherein said fluid is a non-flammable gas such as nitrogen.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the welding current is a direct current.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 12 wherein said balls are separated from a vertical single file supply by first accommodating the lowermost ball in an underlying stripper element port sized to accommodate only one ball, and moving the stripper element from the vicinity of the supply to a discharge position while isolating the lower end of the supply.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 15 wherein the stripper element delivers the ball to a vertical passage, and on to an underlying port sized to accommodate only one ball in a second stripper element, and moving the second element to discharge the ball to the ball receiving chamber and seat.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the stripper elements are actuated in sequence with the second stripper element moving to discharge a ball first of all and the first stripper element then being operated to deliver a second ball to the vertical passage to await the return of the port in the second stripper element.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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