Oscillating welding electrode with dwell control

Claim 2

An automated welding machine mechanism comprising a welding gun support, first driving means coupled to said support and operative to impart thereto a feeding movement in a longitudinal direction, second driving means coupled to said support and operative to superimpose an oscillatory motion on said feeding movement in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction, and adjustable control means associated with said welding gun support and operable to control or eliminate the oscillatory motion thereof, said control means including means for providing lost motion between said second drive means and said support for altering the dwell time of the support at either or both extremity of its oscillatory motion.

Claim 3

An automated welding machine mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said welding gun support is pivotally mounted on an axis substantially parallel to said longitudinal direction, said second driving means being operative to oscillate the support about said axis.

Claim 4

An automated welding machine mechanism according to claim 2 comprising a yieldable torque-transmitting element connected between said support and said second drive means and operative to transmit said oscillatory motion from the second driving means to said support, said adjustable control means comprising adjustable abutment members mounted in said mechanism adjacent said support, and the spaces between said abutment members and said support being adjustable to control the range of the oscillatory movement of said support.

Claim 5

An automated welding machine mechanism according to claim 3 wherein said yieldable torque-transmitting element comprises a torsion spring normally operable to transmit said oscillatory motion from said second driving means to said support, said torsion spring being yieldable upon engagement of said support with said abutment means to provide a lost motion means between said second drive means and said support.

Claim 6

An automated welding machine mechanism according to claim 3 wherein said first and second driving means comprise variable speed driving motors.

Claim 7

An automated welding machine mechanism according to claim 3 wherein said first driving means is mounted upon a carriage guided for movement in said longitudinal direction upon a track, said carriage supporting a pillar extending at right angles to said track, said pillar supporting a bar extending at right angles to said pillar and to said track, said bar having a free end which forms said pivotal mounting for said welding gun support, said second drive means comprising a vAriable speed motor coupled to drive an eccentric roller and a driving arm pivoted on said pivotal axis and drivingly engaged by said eccentric roller for transmitting and oscillatory motion to said torque-transmitting element, said torque-transmitting element being connected between said driving arm and said welding gun support.

Claim 8

An automated welding machine mechanism according to claim 6 further comprising adjustment means between said pillar and said rod whereby the position of said welding gun support is adjustable in a plane at right angles to said track.

Claim 9

An automated welding machine mechanism according to claim 7 wherein said driving arm comprises a guideway extending longitudinally thereof, said eccentric roller being operatively engaged in said guideway to transmit an oscillatory motion to said driving arm, and being adjustable in position lengthwise of said guideway to vary the amplitude of said oscillatory motion.

Claim 10

An automated welding machine mechanism according to claim 6 wherein said welding gun support carries a projection, and said adjustable abutment members comprise two adjustment knobs mounted in screw-threaded engagement upon the free end of said rod, said adjustment knobs presenting adjustment surfaces an opposite sides of said projection and being rotatable to vary the spacing therebetween.

Claim 11

An automated welding machine mechanism according to claim 9 wherein the screw threads on said adjustment knobs are coaxial but are of opposite hands, said adjustment knobs being interconnected by a removable coupling member whereby they may be rotated in unison, said adjusting knobs being rotatable independently upon removal of said coupling member.

Claim 12

In an automated welding machine mechanism comprising a track, a carriage mounted on said track, first drive means on said carriage, a framework supported on said carriage and second drive means mounted on said framework, a welding gun support pivotally mounted on said framework on an axis substantially parallel to said track and operatively connected to said second drive means, said first drive means being operative to effect a longitudinal movement of said carriage and in turn said welding gun support with respect to said track, and said second drive means being operative to produce an oscillatory motion of said support about said axis in a direction transverse to said track, the improvement comprising adjustable control means mounted on said framework and operatively associated with said welding gun support, said control means being operative to control or eliminate the oscillatory motion of the welding gun support, said control means including means for providing lost motion between said second drive means and said support for altering the dwell time of the support at either or both extremity of its oscillatory motion.

Claim 13

In an automated welding machine mechanism comprising a track, a carriage mounted on said track, first drive means on said carriage, a framework supported on said carriage and second drive means mounted on said framework, a welding gun support pivotally mounted on said framework on an axis substantially parallel to said track and operatively connected to said second drive means, said first drive means being operative to effect a longitudinal movement of said carriage and in turn said welding gun support with respect to said track, and said second drive means being operative to produce an oscillatory motion of said support about said axis in a direction transverse to said track, the improvement comprising adjustable control means mounted on said framework and operatively associated with said welding gun support, said control means being operative to control or eliminate the oscillatory motion of the welding gun support, said control means including means for providing lost motion between said second drive means and said support for altering the dwell time of the support at either or both extremity of its oscillatory motion.

Claim 14

An automated welding machine mechanism according to claim 11 wherein said adjustable control means comprises a pair of coaxially arranged adjusting knobs mounted in threaded engagement upon said framework, each of said adjusting knobs having an abutment surface, said welding gun support having a portion which projects between said abutment surfaces, said adjusting knobs being rotatable to vary the spacing therebetween thereby to control the oscillatory motion of the welding gun support.

Claim 15

An automated welding machine mechanism according to claim 11 comprising adjustment means in said framework operative to adjust the position of said welding gun support in a plane at right angles to the direction of said track.

Claim 16

An automated welding gun support according to claim 11 wherein said second drive means comprises an oscillating drive means, a driving arm pivoted on said pivotal axis of the welding gun support said oscillating drive means being coupled to said arm to transmit an oscillatory motion thereto, a yieldable torque-transmitting element connected between said arm and said welding gun support and normally operable to transmit said oscillatory motion To the welding gun support, said adjustable control means comprising adjustable abutment means having cooperating abutment surfaces mounted on said support and said framework, the relative positions of said abutment surfaces being adjustable to control or eliminate the oscillatory movement of said support, said yieldable torque-transmitting element being effective, upon engagement of said cooperating abutment surfaces, to provide lost motion between said second drive means and said welding gun support whereby the latter moves through only such part of the oscillatory motion of said second drive means as is determined by the adjustment of said control means.

Claim 17

An automated welding gun support according to claim 14 wherein said second drive means comprises a variable speed motor coupled to drive an eccentric roller engaged in a guideway extending longitudinally of said driving arm, said eccentric roller being adjustable in position lengthwise of said guideway thereby to adjust the amplitude of said oscillatory motion transmitted to the welding gun support.

Claim 18

An automated welding gun support according to claim 14 wherein said framework comprises a pillar mounted on said carriage and extending at right angles to said track, a bracket releasably secured to said pillar and adjustable in position lengthwise thereof, a rack carried in said bracket extending at right angles to said pillar and to said track, means for adjusting said rack lengthwise thereof in said bracket, said rack having a free end which forms said pivotal mounting force for the welding gun support and for said driving arm, a bracket on the free end of said rack, said adjustable control means comprising adjusting knobs mounted in spaced coaxial relationship in screw-threaded engagement in said bracket, said adjusting knobs presenting opposed abutment surfaces, said support having a portion projecting between said abutment surfaces, said adjusting knobs being operative to limit the oscillatory motion of said welding gun support upon engagement of said portion of the support with one or other of said abutment surfaces.

Claim 19

An automated welding gun support according to claim 16 wherein the screw-threaded engagement of said adjusting knobs in said bracket on the free end of said rack are of opposite hands, a releasable coupling being provided between said adjusting knobs being operative to effect simultaneous movement of said abutment surfaces upon rotation of one or other of said adjustment knobs, said abutment surfaces being independently adjustable by rotation of the corresponding adjustment knob upon removal of said removable coupling.

Claim 20

In an automated welding mechanism comprising a track, a carriage mounted on said track, first driving means on said carriage, a pillar on said carriage extending generally at right angles to said track, bracket means on said pillar, a rack supported in said bracket and extending at right angles to said pillar and said track, means for adjusting the position of said rack longitudinally thereof in said bracket means, a pivotal mounting on said rack, a welding gun support and a driving arm being pivoted in said pivotal mounting on a common axis substantially parallel to said track, second driving means carried by said rack and coupled to said driving arm, said second driving means being operative to apply an oscillatory motion to said driving arm about said axis, torque-transmitting element connected between said driving arm and said welding gun support and normally operative to transmit said oscillatory motion to said welding gun support, adjustable abutment means cooperatively arranged on said rack and said welding gun support and operable to control or eliminate the oscillatory motion of said welding gun support, said torque-transmitting element being yieldable upon engagement of abutment means to permit movement of said driving arm without corresponding movement of said welding gun support.

Claim 21

In an automated welding mechanism comprising a track, a carriage mounted on said track, first driving means on said carriage, a pillar on said carriage extending generally at right angles to said track, bracket means on said pillar, a rack supported in said bracket and extending at right angles to said pillar and said track, means for adjusting the position of said rack longitudinally thereof in said bracket means, a pivotal mounting on said rack, a welding gun support and a driving arm being pivoted in said pivotal mounting on a common axis substantially parallel to said track, second driving means carried by said rack and coupled to said driving arm, said second driving means being operative to apply an oscillatory motion to said driving arm about said axis, torque-transmitting element connected between said driving arm and said welding gun support and normally operative to transmit said oscillatory motion to said welding gun support, adjustable abutment means cooperatively arranged on said rack and said welding gun support and operable to control or eliminate the oscillatory motion of said welding gun support, said torque-transmitting element being yieldable upon engagement of abutment means to permit movement of said driving arm without corresponding movement of said welding gun support.