Self-leveling welding ring with projecting ears

Claim 2

A PROCESS OF BUTT WELDING TUBULAR MEMBERS END TO END COMPRISING THE STEP OF TAPERING THE ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS TO BE JOINED, DISPOSING A BACKING RING HAVING A PLURALITY OF EARS INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID RING BETWEEN THE ENDS TO BE JOINED SO THAT THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID RING IS SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE INTERNAL WALLS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS, TWISTING SAID EARS SO THAT IN WELDING POSITION SAID EARS ARE DISPOSED PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS AND TANGENT TO THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID MEMBERS FOR INSURING ACCURATE ALIGNMENT OF SAID MEMBERS, TACK WELDING SAID RING TO SAID ALIGNED TUBULAR MEMBERS, REMOVING SAID EARS, AND FUSION WELDING THE RING AND ADJACENT TUBULAR ENDS TOGETHER.

Claim 3

A WELDING FILLER RING FOR USE IN POSITIONING AND BUTT WELDING TUBULAR ELEMENTS IN END-TO-END RELATIONSHIP COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT RELATIVELY THIN METAL MEMBER DEFINING A RING, SAID RING HAVING A PLURALITY OF EARS INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID RING AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD THEREFROM, SAID EARS BEING NORMALLY DISPOSED IN CO-PLANAR RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID RING WHEREBY SAID EARS ARE TANGENTIAL TO A CIRCLE HAVING A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE OUTER DIAMETER OF SAID TUBULAR ELEMENTS, AND SAID CONNECTION BETWEEN EACH EAR AND SAID RING HAVING A RELATIVELY SMALL TRANSVERSE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA TO PERMIT SAID EAR TO BE READILY DEFORMABLE TO A POSITION NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF SAID RING AND TANGENTIAL TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID TUBULAR ELEMENTS PRIOR TO WELDING.

Claim 4

A WELDING FILLER RING FOR USE IN POSITIONING AND BUTT WELDING TUBULAR ELEMENTS IN END-TO-END RELATIONSHIP COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT RELATIVELY THIN METAL MEMBER DEFINING A RING, SAID RING HAVING A PLURALITY OF EARS INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID RING AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD THEREFROM, SAID EARS BEING NORMALLY DISPOSED IN CO-PLANAR RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID RING WHEREBY SAID EARS ARE TANGENTIAL TO A CIRCLE HAVING A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE OUTER DIAMETER OF SAID TUBULAR ELEMENTS, AND SAID CONNECTION BETWEEN EACH EAR AND SAID RING HAVING A RELATIVELY SMALL TRANSVERSE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA TO PERMIT SAID EAR TO BE READILY DEFORMABLE TO A POSITION NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF SAID RING AND TANGENTIAL TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID TUBULAR ELEMENTS PRIOR TO WELDING.