Method and apparatus for the automatic welding of joints between end abutting stationary sections of pipe or the like

Claim 1

IN WELDING APPARATUS FOR INTERCONNECTING A PAIR OF PIPE SECTIONS DISPOSED IN END-TO-END RELATIONSHIP, A SUPPORT UNIT ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ADJACENT THE JOINT BETWEEN SAID PIPE SECTIONS; A WELDING HEAD ADAPTED TO BE OPERABLE COUPLED TO A SOURCE OF CURENT AND TO RECEIVE A WELDING ROD IN DISPOSITIONWITH ONE EXTREMITY THEREOF EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE HEAD; AND MECHANISM MOUNTING THE HEAD ON THE SUPPORT UNIT FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO AND WITH SAID EXTREMITY OF THE WELDING ROD OVERLYING THE JOINT BETWEEN SAID PIPE SECTIONS, SAID MECHANISM INCLUDING MEANS COUPLED TO THE HEAD FOR SWINGING THE LATTER IN A DIRECTION TO CAUSE SAID EXTREMITY OF THE WELDING ROD TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH ACROSS SAID JOINT AND FOR PIVOTING THE HEAD ABOUT AN AXIS TO VARY THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID EXTREMITY OF THE WELDING ROD WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXES OF SAID PIPE SECTIONS.