Welding method

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR JOINING SPACED METALLIC TUBULAR MEMBERS COMPRISING: PLACING THE TUBULAR MEMBERS IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP ON A SUPPORT; SUPPORTING ELONGATED METALLIC WEB MEMBERS INTERMEDIATE BUT SPACED FROM THE TUBULAR MEMBERS AT THE POINT OF MINIMUM SEPARATION THEREBETWEEN, THE GAPS THUS FORMED BETWEEN THE TUBULAR AND WEB MEMBERS DEFINING SEAMS TO BE WELDED; LOCATING THE FREE END OF AN EXPENDABLE WELDING ELECTRODE ADJACENT TO EACH SEAM TO BE WELDED AND ALIGNING THE ELECTRODES IN A PLANE PERENDICULAR TO THE AXES OF THE TUBULAR MEMBERS; DEPOSITING GRANULAR SUBMERGED ARC TYPE WELDING FLUX HAVING A FINENESS OF FROM 10 X 150 MESH TO 20 X 150 MESH ON THE WEB MEMBERS AND IN THE SEAMS BENEATH THE ELECTRODES; APPLYING ALTERNATING CURRENTS IN THE RANGE OF 500 TO 750 AMPERES TO THE ELECTRODES TO ESTABLISH INTERMITTENT ARCS BETWEEN EACH ELECTRODE AND THE ADJACENT TUBULAR AND WEB MEMBERS TO THEREBY CAUSE FUSION OF THE ELECTRODE MATERIAL, TUBULAR MEMBER AND WEB MEMBERS; FEEDING THE TUBULAR AND WEB MEMBERES PAST THE ELECTRODES SO THAT THE SEAMS TO BE WELDED WILL BE MOVED RELATIVE TO THE ELECTRODES AT A SPEED NOT IN EXCESS OF 30 INCHES PER MINUTE;