Welding machine and method

Claim 1

EQUIPMENT FOR GAS-TIGHT WELDING OF SMALL ASSEMBLIES COMPRISING A FIXED ANVIL OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF WELDING CURRENT, A SOURCE OF ABNORMAL ATMOSPHERE, A HORIZONTAL CONTACT SURFACE ON THE ANVIL HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, A GAS PASSAGEWAY THROUGH SAID ANVIL LEADING FROM SAID SOURCE OF ABNORMAL ATMOSPHERE TO SAID OPENING IN THE CONTACT SURFACE, A COMPRESSIBLE SEALING RING ON THE SURFACE SURROUNDING SAID OPENING, A SERIES OF ASSEMBLY-CARRYING ELECTRODES EACH WITH A BOTTOM WALL ADAPTED TO REST REMOVABLY ON SAID ANVIL OVER ITS OPENING AND HAVING AN APERTURE IN ITS BOTTOM WALL ALIGNED WITH THE ANVIL OPENING WITHIN THE SEALING RING WHEN EACH SAID ELECTRODE RESTS ON SAID ANVIL, A HORIZONTALLY ROTATABLE TABLE CARRYING AND INDEXING EACH OF SAID SERIES OF ASSEMBLY-CARRYING ELECTRODES IN TURN OVER SAID ANVIL, EACH AFORESAID ELECTRODE BEING ADAPTED TO CARRY AN ASSEMBLY TO THE WELDED, A GAS PASSAGEWAY THROUGH EACH SAID ELECTRODE EXTENDING FROM SAID APERTURE TO A POINT ADJACENT AN ASSEMBLY CARRIED THEREON, A VERTICALLY MOVABLE ELECTRODE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF WELDING CURRENT AND ADAPTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN AT LEAST TWO POSITIONS IN ONE OF WHICH IT IS VERTICALLY ABOVE AND SEPARATED FROM SAID ANVIL A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO CLEAR A HORIZONTALLY MOVING ELECTRODE AND IN THE OTHER OF WHICH IT COOPERATES WITH AN ELECTRODE RESTING ON SAID ANVIL TO ESTABLISH AN AREA OF WELDING CONTACT WITH AN ASSEMBLY CARRIED THEREON, AND A RESILIENT HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL GASKET SEALED AROUND SAID SECOND ELECTRODE AND EXTENDING REMOVABLY INTO SEALING RELATIONSHIP AROUND AN ASSEMBLY-CARRYING ELECTRODE WHEN ONE IS ON THE ANVIL AND WELDING CONTACT IS ESTABLISHED.