Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
A programmed welder comprising a welding electrode, means for moving the electrode relative to a workpiece for producing a weld bead, a programmer to control the speed of movement of the electrode relative to the workpiece and the level of welding current, said programmer including a cam having a profile representative of the current requirements of the weld throughout of the welding sequence including profiles which cause application of current at the weld start position and cessation of current at the weld stop position and further including at least one additional profile wherein current is applied at a level other than that at said two positions, a cam follower, means for producing relative movement between the cam and the cam follower in synchronism with the movement of the electrode relative to the workpiece, and automatic means responsive to the cam follower to automatically control the level of the welding current during the welding sequence at a variable level corresponding to the profile of the cam.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
165 words
A programmed welder comprising a welding electrode, means for moving the electrode relative to a workpiece for producing a weld bead, a programmer to control the speed of movement of the electrode relative to the workpiece and the level of welding current, said programmer including a cam having a profile representative of the current requirements of the weld throughout of the welding sequence including profiles which cause application of current at the weld start position and cessation of current at the weld stop position and further including at least one additional profile wherein current is applied at a level other than that at said two positions, a cam follower, means for producing relative movement between the cam and the cam follower in synchronism with the movement of the electrode relative to the workpiece, and automatic means responsive to the cam follower to automatically control the level of the welding current during the welding sequence at a variable level corresponding to the profile of the cam.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
165 words
A programmed welder comprising a welding electrode, means for moving the electrode relative to a workpiece for producing a weld bead, a programmer to control the speed of movement of the electrode relative to the workpiece and the level of welding current, said programmer including a cam having a profile representative of the current requirements of the weld throughout of the welding sequence including profiles which cause application of current at the weld start position and cessation of current at the weld stop position and further including at least one additional profile wherein current is applied at a level other than that at said two positions, a cam follower, means for producing relative movement between the cam and the cam follower in synchronism with the movement of the electrode relative to the workpiece, and automatic means responsive to the cam follower to automatically control the level of the welding current during the welding sequence at a variable level corresponding to the profile of the cam.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
165 words
A programmed welder comprising a welding electrode, means for moving the electrode relative to a workpiece for producing a weld bead, a programmer to control the speed of movement of the electrode relative to the workpiece and the level of welding current, said programmer including a cam having a profile representative of the current requirements of the weld throughout of the welding sequence including profiles which cause application of current at the weld start position and cessation of current at the weld stop position and further including at least one additional profile wherein current is applied at a level other than that at said two positions, a cam follower, means for producing relative movement between the cam and the cam follower in synchronism with the movement of the electrode relative to the workpiece, and automatic means responsive to the cam follower to automatically control the level of the welding current during the welding sequence at a variable level corresponding to the profile of the cam.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The welder of claim 1 wherein the electrode makes a plurality of passes across the workpiece during the welding sequence.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
The welder of claim 1 wherein the cam is mounted on a turntable and the cam follower comprises a control arm having a stylus biased against the cam profile to control the position of the control arm to regulate the welding current in respoNse to the rotation of the turntable.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The welder of claim 3 in which a potentiometer having a wiper fixed to the control arm provides the control signal for regulating the welding current.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The welder of claim 1 adapted for butt welding tubular workpieces wherein the electrode is mounted for orbital movement around the workpiece.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The welder of claim 5 wherein the electrode makes a plurality of orbits during the welding sequence.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
138 words
A programmer for controlling the level of welding current in duplicating welding beads in repetitive welding operations comprising a turntable, a cam mounted on the turntable to rotate therewith, said cam having a profile representative of the current requirements of the weld throughout the welding sequence including profiles which cause application of current at the weld start position and cessation of current at the weld stop position and further including at least one additional profile wherein current is applied at a level other than that at said two positions, a control arm having a cam follower engaging the profile of the cam, and automatic means responsive to the position of the control arm adapted to automatically control the level of the welding current during the welding sequence at a variable level corresponding to the profile of the cam.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
138 words
A programmer for controlling the level of welding current in duplicating welding beads in repetitive welding operations comprising a turntable, a cam mounted on the turntable to rotate therewith, said cam having a profile representative of the current requirements of the weld throughout the welding sequence including profiles which cause application of current at the weld start position and cessation of current at the weld stop position and further including at least one additional profile wherein current is applied at a level other than that at said two positions, a control arm having a cam follower engaging the profile of the cam, and automatic means responsive to the position of the control arm adapted to automatically control the level of the welding current during the welding sequence at a variable level corresponding to the profile of the cam.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The programmer of claim 7 wherein said position responsive means is a potentiometer having a wiper fixed to the control arm.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
The programmer of claim 7 wherein the cam is mounted on a removable support plate, said support plate being provided with a reference marker for synchronizing the position of the cam with the position of the welding electrode.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
72 words
The programmer of claim 9 wherein the turntable comprises a platen mounting a peripheral resilient member and said support plate is provided with a downwardly depending peripheral flange surrounding said resilient member, the inner wall of said flange having a downwardly diverging taper and being engageable with said resilient member to automatically center the support plate on said platen upon assembly and to fixedly secure the same thereon against relative angular movement.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The programmer of claim 10 wherein the taper angle of said inner wall is on the order of 4*.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
140 words
The method of making a weld bead comprising the steps of moving a welding electrode across a workpiece in at least at a single pass, providing a cam having a profile representative of the current requirements of the weld throughout the welding sequence including profiles which cause application of current at the weld start position and cessation of current at the weld stop position and further including at least one additional profile wherein current is applied at a level other than that at said two positions, and causing a cam follower to follow the contour of the cam profile in synchronism with the movement of the welding electrode to automatically control the level of the welding current in an automatic programmed movement of the electrode throughout the welding sequence at a variable level corresponding to the profile of the cam.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
140 words
The method of making a weld bead comprising the steps of moving a welding electrode across a workpiece in at least at a single pass, providing a cam having a profile representative of the current requirements of the weld throughout the welding sequence including profiles which cause application of current at the weld start position and cessation of current at the weld stop position and further including at least one additional profile wherein current is applied at a level other than that at said two positions, and causing a cam follower to follow the contour of the cam profile in synchronism with the movement of the welding electrode to automatically control the level of the welding current in an automatic programmed movement of the electrode throughout the welding sequence at a variable level corresponding to the profile of the cam.