System for welding pipelines

Claim 1

A SYSTEM FOR BUILDING PIPELINES WHICH COMPRISES SUPPORTINGS A FIRST PIPE SECTION AT AN END WHERE A FURTHER SECTION IS TO BE ADDED BY FORMING A JOINT, BRINGING THE FURTHER SECTION INTO CLOSE END-TO-END PROXIMITY AND IN GENERAL AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE FIRST SECTION, ESTABLISHING INITIALLY A NARROW GAP OF HIGHLY UNIFORM WIDTH BETWEEN THE ADJACENT PIPE ENDS THROUGHOUT THEIR FULL PERIPHERY, MAINTAINING THE UNIFORM GAP BY MEANS OF FEELERS INSERTED IN SAID GAP AND AN AUTOMATIC CORRECTIVE MECHANISM RESPONSIVE TO SAID FEELERS INSERTED IN SAID GAP, SUPPORTING THE PIPES BY APPLYING EXTERNAL SUPPORT FORCES, AND AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING SAID FORCES TO KEEP THE GAP DIMENSIONS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THROUGHOUT THE JOINT PERIPHERY DURING WELDING, REMOVING SAID FEELERS FROM SAID GAP, AND THEREAFTER FORMING A GIRTH WELD AROUND THE GAP IN A SINGLE PASS.

Claim 2

A SYSTEM FOR BUILDING PIPELINES WHICH COMPRISES SUPPORTINGS A FIRST PIPE SECTION AT AN END WHERE A FURTHER SECTION IS TO BE ADDED BY FORMING A JOINT, BRINGING THE FURTHER SECTION INTO CLOSE END-TO-END PROXIMITY AND IN GENERAL AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE FIRST SECTION, ESTABLISHING INITIALLY A NARROW GAP OF HIGHLY UNIFORM WIDTH BETWEEN THE ADJACENT PIPE ENDS THROUGHOUT THEIR FULL PERIPHERY, MAINTAINING THE UNIFORM GAP BY MEANS OF FEELERS INSERTED IN SAID GAP AND AN AUTOMATIC CORRECTIVE MECHANISM RESPONSIVE TO SAID FEELERS INSERTED IN SAID GAP, SUPPORTING THE PIPES BY APPLYING EXTERNAL SUPPORT FORCES, AND AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING SAID FORCES TO KEEP THE GAP DIMENSIONS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THROUGHOUT THE JOINT PERIPHERY DURING WELDING, REMOVING SAID FEELERS FROM SAID GAP, AND THEREAFTER FORMING A GIRTH WELD AROUND THE GAP IN A SINGLE PASS.