A method and apparatus for aligning two work pieces

Claim 3

A method according to Claim 1, wherein automatically-operable mechanical handling equipment is used to insert the alignment means (26) into the gap and to remove the alignment means (26) from the gap when alignment of the work pieces (16 and 17) has been established, but before the weld is formed, and to transfer the alignment means (26) to a respective location remote from the gap wherein the alignment means (26) are shielded from weld spatter during welding.

Claim 4

A method according to Claim 2, wherein the alignment means (26) are inserted into and removed from the gap by a lazy tong assembly (42) which is incorporated in the mechanical handling equipment, the lazy tong assembly (42) depending from a trolley which runs on a trackway above the butt-welding machine (10), the alignment means (26) being transferred to the respective storage location remote from the gap by translational movement of the trolley on its trackway away from the gap when the lazy tong assembly (42) is retracted.

Claim 6

A method according to Claim 4, wherein the alignment means (26) are clamped to the other work piece (17) by automatically-operating remotely controllable clamping means (71 and 74) carried by the alignment means (26) to clamp the work piece (17) against said locating stop means (68, and 69 or 70).

Claim 8

Apparatus for aligning two work pieces (16 and 17) in bar form and of constant cross-section which are mounted in a butt-welding machine (10) for welding together end to end by butt-welding by operation of the machine (10), the butt-welding machine (10) comprising a spaced pair of heads (12 and 13) each head (12, 13) being adapted to clamp a respective one of the pair of work pieces (16 and 1 7 ) whilst they are being welded together end to end, the apparatus comprising alignment means (26) including structure (62) which forms a bight (65) which receives the adjacent ends of the work pieces (16 and 17) when the alignment means (26) are inserted into the gap between the heads (12 and 13) of the machine (10) and are located alongside the adjacent ends of the work pieces (16 and 17) to align them, means carried by said structure (62) and projecting into the bight (65) at selected locations and forming precision locating stops (68, 69 and 70) for a work piece (17), automatically operable clamping means (71 and 74) carried by said structure (62) and adapted to clamp that work piece (17) against said precision locating stops (68, and 69 or 70) when operated whereby to precisely locate said structure (62) and that work piece (17) one relative to the other, and proximity sensing means carried by said structure (62) and adapted to coact with a predetermined respective surface portion of the other (16) of said work pieces (16 and 17) whereby to sense displacement of that surface portion from a predetermined location relative to said structure (62), said sensing means being associated with adjustment means incorporated in one (12) of said heads (12 and 13) whereby to effect automatic operation of said adjustment means in response to such displacement being sensed such that said adjustment means operate to adjust the mounting of the respective work piece (16) whereby to shift the predetermined respective surface portion of said other work piece (16) to said predetermined location at which it is aligned.with the work piece (17) clamped against said precision locating stops.

Claim 9

Apparatus for aligning two work pieces (16 and 17) in bar form and of constant cross-section which are mounted in a butt-welding machine (10) for welding together end to end by butt-welding by operation of the machine (10), the butt-welding machine (10) comprising a spaced pair of heads (12 and 13) each head (12, 13) being adapted to clamp a respective one of the pair of work pieces (16 and 1 7 ) whilst they are being welded together end to end, the apparatus comprising alignment means (26) including structure (62) which forms a bight (65) which receives the adjacent ends of the work pieces (16 and 17) when the alignment means (26) are inserted into the gap between the heads (12 and 13) of the machine (10) and are located alongside the adjacent ends of the work pieces (16 and 17) to align them, means carried by said structure (62) and projecting into the bight (65) at selected locations and forming precision locating stops (68, 69 and 70) for a work piece (17), automatically operable clamping means (71 and 74) carried by said structure (62) and adapted to clamp that work piece (17) against said precision locating stops (68, and 69 or 70) when operated whereby to precisely locate said structure (62) and that work piece (17) one relative to the other, and proximity sensing means carried by said structure (62) and adapted to coact with a predetermined respective surface portion of the other (16) of said work pieces (16 and 17) whereby to sense displacement of that surface portion from a predetermined location relative to said structure (62), said sensing means being associated with adjustment means incorporated in one (12) of said heads (12 and 13) whereby to effect automatic operation of said adjustment means in response to such displacement being sensed such that said adjustment means operate to adjust the mounting of the respective work piece (16) whereby to shift the predetermined respective surface portion of said other work piece (16) to said predetermined location at which it is aligned.with the work piece (17) clamped against said precision locating stops.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to Claim 7,.including mechanical handling equipment operable to insert the alignment means (26) into said gap in a direction transverse to the work pieces (16 and 17) until the work pieces (16 and 17) are received within the bight (65) and the precision locating stops (68, and 69 or 70) contact the respective surface portions of the appropriate work piece (17), and to remove said alignment means (26) from said gap when alignment of the worK-pieces (16 and 17) is established, and to transfer the alignment means (26) to a respective storage location remote from said gap wherein the alignment means (26) are shielded from weld spatter.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein the mechanical handling equipment comprises a trolley which runs on trackway supported above the butt-welding machine (10) and extending over the gap, and a lazy tong assembly (42) which depends from the trolley and supports the alignment means structure (62), the alignment means (26) being inserted into the gap and withdrawn from the gap by extension and contraction of the lazy tong assembly (42) when the trolley is positioned above the gap, and the alignment means (26) being transferred from the gap to a respective storage location remote from said gap by translational movement of the trolley on said trackway when the lazy tong assembly (42) is contracted.

Claim 12

Alignment means according to any one of Claims 7 to 9, wherein said sensing means carried by said structure comprise pneumatically-operable electromechanical transducers (77 and 78) including sensing plungers (84) adapted to engage corresponding surface portions of said other (16) of the work piece (16 and 17) that is clamped in one (12) of the heads (12 and 13), and electromechanical means (83) responsive to the relative location of each sensing plunger (84) to structure (81) of said transducer (77, 78) and to emit a related output signal operable to effect operation of said adjustment means whereby to shift the respective work piece (16) to a predetermined location relative to said structure (62) of the alignment means (26).