Stud welding system

Claim 2

An automatic, portable-gun system for repetitively welding relatively small components to panel surfaces, comprising, in combination: storage means for containing a supply of components to be welded; pneumatic feeding means for receiving components from the storage means and propelling one component at a time to the gun; a portable welding gun operable remote from and manipulatable to various welding positions independently of said storage means and said feeding meAns and having collet means for positioning and holding a component in welding position; a flexible elongate pneumatic delivery conduit connected at its opposite ends to said feeding means and said welding gun for delivering components therebetween; means on the gun communicating with said delivery conduit for receiving and transferring each component delivered to the gun into said welding position in the collet; a source of welding current connected to the gun; and control means connected to said feeding means and to said source of welding current and including a part on the gun operable to initiate automatic cycling operation of the system to cause welding of a component in the collet to a panel surface and delivery of the next component to the collet preparatory to the next welding cycle.

Claim 3

The invention as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said storage means includes a hopper for containing randomly oriented headed button components and also includes means for receiving said components and arranging them in predetermined uniform orientation and delivering them to said feeding means.

Claim 4

The invention as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said system is adapted to end-weld buttons having a shank and a head whose overall axial dimension and profile are such that they tend to tumble if fed axially through a feed tube, and said elongate conduit comprises a flexible plastic tube, having a smooth bore shaped in cross section to conform to the profile of the buttons and sized to embracingly support the shank and head of each button for transfer of the button through the tube in a direction substantially perpendicular to the shank of the button.

Claim 5

The invention as defined in claim 3 characterized in that the bore of the tube is H-shaped in cross section.

Claim 6

The invention as defined in claim 3 characterized in that the bore of the tube is T-shaped in cross section.

Claim 7

An automatic electric welding gun system for end welding buttons to a panel in rapid succession comprising, in combination: a portable, hand manipulatable gun, said gun including an electrode assembly for holding successive buttons in a welding position at the forward end of the gun: means on the gun defining a button receiving inlet disposed rearwardly of said welding position for receiving successive buttons delivered to the gun; said electrode assembly having a part shiftable relative to said inlet for transferring each button received at the inlet forwardly to and holding it at said welding position; fluid pressure operated motive means on the gun connected to said electrode part for shifting the same as aforesaid; first flexible fluid passage means for supplying fluid to said motive means; first valve means for controlling the flow of fluid through said first fluid passage means to the motive means; flexible button feed passage means for feeding buttons to said inlet; fluid operated means connected to said button feed passage means for feeding buttons one at a time to said passage and blowing them through the passage to said inlet; additional passage means for supplying fluid to said fluid operated means; a stationary hopper remote from said welding gun; means for directing buttons sequentially to said fluid operated means from said hopper; second valve means for controlling flow of fluid through said additional passage means; and control means electrically associated with a welding circuit for the welding gun, said control means connected to both of said valve means to actuate them in timed sequence for first causing said fluid operated means to blow a single button through the passage means to said inlet and also causing said electrode part to shift to allow entry of a button through the inlet, and thereafter causing said fluid operated means to be inoperative while causing said electrode part to shift positioning the button in the aforesaid welding position.

Claim 8

An automatic electric welding gun system for end welding buttons to a panel in rapid succession comprising, in combination: a portable, hand manipulatable gun, said gun including an electrode assembly for holding successive buttons in a welding position at the forward end of the gun: means on the gun defining a button receiving inlet disposed rearwardly of said welding position for receiving successive buttons delivered to the gun; said electrode assembly having a part shiftable relative to said inlet for transferring each button received at the inlet forwardly to and holding it at said welding position; fluid pressure operated motive means on the gun connected to said electrode part for shifting the same as aforesaid; first flexible fluid passage means for supplying fluid to said motive means; first valve means for controlling the flow of fluid through said first fluid passage means to the motive means; flexible button feed passage means for feeding buttons to said inlet; fluid operated means connected to said button feed passage means for feeding buttons one at a time to said passage and blowing them through the passage to said inlet; additional passage means for supplying fluid to said fluid operated means; a stationary hopper remote from said welding gun; means for directing buttons sequentially to said fluid operated means from said hopper; second valve means for controlling flow of fluid through said additional passage means; and control means electrically associated with a welding circuit for the welding gun, said control means connected to both of said valve means to actuate them in timed sequence for first causing said fluid operated means to blow a single button through the passage means to said inlet and also causing said electrode part to shift to allow entry of a button through the inlet, and thereafter causing said fluid operated means to be inoperative while causing said electrode part to shift positioning the button in the aforesaid welding position.