Tube joining means

Claim 2

In a combination tool for performing cutting and welding operations on one or more tubular workpiece components having a center longitudinal axis: a frame supportable on at least one of said components, said frame having a center vault therein, roller means on said frame for rotation of said frame relative to said component, said roller means including a plurality of elongate cylindrical rollers contacting said component and mounted for rotation about axes substantially parallel to and symmetrical about said center axis, resilient biasing means internally contained within said frame for biasing at least one of said rollers forcibly against said workpiece, support means on said frame for alternately receiving cutting means for cutting said workpiece or welding means for welding said workpiece, and to support either of said cutting and welding means in operative relationship with said workpiece component during said rotation of said frame, and drive means on said frame for rotating said one roller to cause said rotation of said frame about said workpiece component.

Claim 3

The structure set forth in claim 1 above, wherein: said drive means includes a motor operatively connected to said one roller, and said resilient biasing means includes means for moving said rollers apart from each other to admit said workpiece into or out of said vault.

Claim 4

The structure set forth in claim 2, above, wherein: said resilient biasing means includes a torque rod operatively related to said one roller, and manually operable means for adjustably varying said biasing means to apply a predetermined amount of said biasing force to said one roller.

Claim 5

The structure set forth in claim 1 above, wherein: said elongate rollers consist of a pair of idler rollers and a pair of drive rollers, and said drive means includes a separate motor for each of said drive rollers.

Claim 6

The structure set forth in claim 4 above, wherein: said frame includes means for moving said elongate rollers into or out of contact with said one workpiece component to accommodate various different sizes or workpieces within said vault.

Claim 7

The structures set forth in claim 5 above, wherein: said means for Moving said elongate rollers into or out of contact with said one workpiece component includes means for limiting said movement of said idler rollers to translational movement on a common linear path substantially normal to said rotation axes of said idler rollers.

Claim 8

The structure set forth in claim 6 above, wherein: said means for moving said elongate rollers into or out of contact with said one workpiece component includes at least two links each having one end pivotally secured on said frame and each supporting said drive roller for relative rotational movement of said roller at the other end of each said link.

Claim 9

A mobile tool comprising: a supporting frame mountable on a substantially cylindrical workpiece having a center longitudinal axis, a plurality of parallel elongate cylindrical rollers mounted on said frame and adapted to make rolling contact with said workpiece for supporting said frame rotationally on said workpiece and for limiting said frame rotational movement about an axis coinciding with said center longitudinal axis, moving means on said frame for moving said rollers into or out of forcible contracting relationship with said tubular workpiece, drive means on said frame for rotating at least one of said rollers to rotate said frame about said tubular workpiece while said rollers are in said contacting relationship, a tool subassembly releasably attached to said frame and adapted to perform an operation on said workpiece, said frame having support means for receiving and supporting said tool subassembly in operative relationship with said workpiece during said rotation of said frame.

Claim 10

A mobile tool comprising: a supporting frame mountable on a substantially cylindrical workpiece having a center longitudinal axis, a plurality of parallel elongate cylindrical rollers mounted on said frame and adapted to make rolling contact with said workpiece for supporting said frame rotationally on said workpiece and for limiting said frame rotational movement about an axis coinciding with said center longitudinal axis, moving means on said frame for moving said rollers into or out of forcible contracting relationship with said tubular workpiece, drive means on said frame for rotating at least one of said rollers to rotate said frame about said tubular workpiece while said rollers are in said contacting relationship, a tool subassembly releasably attached to said frame and adapted to perform an operation on said workpiece, said frame having support means for receiving and supporting said tool subassembly in operative relationship with said workpiece during said rotation of said frame.

Claim 11

The structure set forth in claim 8 above, wherein: said tool subassembly comprises cutting means for cutting through a portion of said workpiece.

Claim 12

The structure set forth in claim 8 above, wherein: said tool subassembly comprises welding means for welding a portion of said workpiece.

Claim 13

In fabrication apparatus for performing tooling operations on a substantially cylindrical workpiece, a chassis supportable on said tubular workpiece and rotationally movable relative thereto, a pair of cylindrical tubular parallel spaced-apart idler rollers mounted on said chassis and adapted to make rolling contact with said workpiece, a pair of cylindrical tubular parallel spaced-apart drive rollers adapted to make rolling contact with said tubular workpiece, a pair of movable links for supporting each of said drive rollers, each of said links being pivotally connected to said chassis, and selectively adjustable means for adjustably moving said links to position said drive rollers in said rolling contact relationship with said workpiece or to position said drive rollers apart from each other and out of said rolling contact relationship as required to remove said chassis from said workpiece.

Claim 14

In fabrication apparatus for performing tooling operations on a substantially cylindrical workpiece, a chassis supportable on said tubular workpiece and rotationally movable relative thereto, a pair of cylindrical tubular parallel spaced-apart idler rollers mounted on said chassis and adapted to make rolling contact with said workpiece, a pair of cylindrical tubular parallel spaced-apart drive rollers adapted to make rolling contact with said tubular workpiece, a pair of movable links for supporting each of said drive rollers, each of said links being pivotally connected to said chassis, and selectively adjustable means for adjustably moving said links to position said drive rollers in said rolling contact relationship with said workpiece or to position said drive rollers apart from each other and out of said rolling contact relationship as required to remove said chassis from said workpiece.

Claim 15

The structure set forth in claim 11 above, further including: irreversible gear means operatively connected to said selectively adjustable means for simultaneously adjustably moving said idler rollers into said rolling contact relationship when said drive rollers are moved into said contacting relationship.

Claim 16

A welding device comprising: a frame supportable on a substantially cylindrical workpiece and rotatable with respect thereto, a plurality of cylindrical rollers on said frame, said rollers contacting said workpiece, drive means for rotating said rollers to rotate said frame about said workpiece, a welding torch directed toward a surface portion of said workpiece, pivotal mounting means supporting said torch on said frame in pivotal relationship therewith about a pivot axis normal to the axis of rotation of said frame about said workpiece, and oscillating means supported on said frame and connected with said pivotal mounting means for reciprocally oscillating said torch in a direction normal to the direction of travel of said torch during rotation of said fraMe about said workpiece, and, power means connected to said welding torch for welding on said workpiece during said rotation and said oscillation.

Claim 17

A welding device comprising: a frame supportable on a substantially cylindrical workpiece and rotatable with respect thereto, a plurality of cylindrical rollers on said frame, said rollers contacting said workpiece, drive means for rotating said rollers to rotate said frame about said workpiece, a welding torch directed toward a surface portion of said workpiece, pivotal mounting means supporting said torch on said frame in pivotal relationship therewith about a pivot axis normal to the axis of rotation of said frame about said workpiece, and oscillating means supported on said frame and connected with said pivotal mounting means for reciprocally oscillating said torch in a direction normal to the direction of travel of said torch during rotation of said fraMe about said workpiece, and, power means connected to said welding torch for welding on said workpiece during said rotation and said oscillation.

Claim 18

The structure set forth in claim 13 above, further including: a cavity in said frame, a housing removably secured within said cavity, and said welding torch, said pivotal mounting means, and said oscillating means all being supported on said housing.

Claim 19

A machine tool for cutting a substantially cylindrical workpiece, comprising: a carriage, roller means on said carriage for supporting said carriage on said workpiece in rotation relationship therewith, drive means for causing said rotation of said carriage about said workpiece, and cutting means on said carriage for progressively cutting said workpiece including an inner housing for supporting a circular cutting blade rotatable about a center axis through said blade, said cutting means further including an outer housing for supporting said inner housing on said carriage in rotational relationship therewith, said inner housing being rotational relative to said outer housing and said carriage about a first axis of rotation, said first axis of rotation being parallel to and spaced apart from said cutting blade center axis, adjusting means operatively connected to said inner housing for adjustably rotating said inner housing about said first axis to move said blade toward or away from said workpiece, and holding means in said outer housing for securely holding said inner housing against further rotational movement during cutting operations after adjustment by said adjusting means.

Claim 20

A machine tool for cutting a substantially cylindrical workpiece, comprising: a carriage, roller means on said carriage for supporting said carriage on said workpiece in rotation relationship therewith, drive means for causing said rotation of said carriage about said workpiece, and cutting means on said carriage for progressively cutting said workpiece including an inner housing for supporting a circular cutting blade rotatable about a center axis through said blade, said cutting means further including an outer housing for supporting said inner housing on said carriage in rotational relationship therewith, said inner housing being rotational relative to said outer housing and said carriage about a first axis of rotation, said first axis of rotation being parallel to and spaced apart from said cutting blade center axis, adjusting means operatively connected to said inner housing for adjustably rotating said inner housing about said first axis to move said blade toward or away from said workpiece, and holding means in said outer housing for securely holding said inner housing against further rotational movement during cutting operations after adjustment by said adjusting means.

Claim 21

The structure set forth in claim 15, above wherein: said adjusting means comprises an arcuate rack secured to said inner housing and a pinion rotatably journalled in said outer housing for rotating said rack and said inner housing about said first axis.

Claim 22

Compact and lightweight self-centering mobile apparatus for performing fabrication operations in place on generally cylindrical workpiece, comprising: an elongate carriage having a hollow center axial vault, roller means on said carriage for supporting said carriage on a generally cylindrical workpiece rotational relative thereto, the axis of said rotation substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of said workpiece, drive means for causing said rotation relative to said workpiece, tool means removably supportable on said carriage for performing said operations on said workpiece, said roller means including a plurality of elongate tubular drive rollers movable away from each other to provide accessibility of said workpiece to said vault and toward each other to support said carriage on said workpiece with said substantial coincidence of said axes, each of said rollers contacting said workpiece surface on a line of contact extending a distance at least substantially equal to the diameter of said tubular workpiece, and power means connected to said tool means for said fabrication operation during rotation of said carriage about said workpiece.

Claim 23

Compact and lightweight self-centering mobile apparatus for performing fabrication operations in place on generally cylindrical workpiece, comprising: an elongate carriage having a hollow center axial vault, roller means on said carriage for supporting said carriage on a generally cylindrical workpiece rotational relative thereto, the axis of said rotation substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of said workpiece, drive means for causing said rotation relative to said workpiece, tool means removably supportable on said carriage for performing said operations on said workpiece, said roller means including a plurality of elongate tubular drive rollers movable away from each other to provide accessibility of said workpiece to said vault and toward each other to support said carriage on said workpiece with said substantial coincidence of said axes, each of said rollers contacting said workpiece surface on a line of contact extending a distance at least substantially equal to the diameter of said tubular workpiece, and power means connected to said tool means for said fabrication operation during rotation of said carriage about said workpiece.

Claim 24

The structure set forth in claim 17 above, wherein: said tool means comprises cutting means for cutting said workpiece.

Claim 25

The structure set forth in claim 17 above, wherein: said tool means comprises welding means for welding on said workpiece.

Claim 26

A welding device comprising: a frame supportable on a substantially cylindrical workpiece and rotatable with respect thereto, a plurality of cylindrical rollers on said frame, said rollers contacting said workpiece, drive means for rotating said rollers to rotate the said frame about said workpiece, a welding torch directed toward a surface portion of said workpiece, pivotal mounting means for supporting said torch on said frame in pivotal relationship therewith about a pivot axis normal to the axis of said rotation of said frame about said workpiece, power meAns connected to said welding torch for welding on said workpiece during said rotation of said frame thereabout, oscillating means supported on said frame for pivoting said torch reciprocally about said pivot axis, said oscillating means including drive means for rotating a shaft in a continuous direction of rotation, an elongate shaft connected to said drive means and rotatable about a longitudinal axis therethrough, cylindrical means having an outer cylindrical surface symmetrical about a geometric center axis, said cylindrical means being mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, control means for rotationally adjusting said cylindrical means relative to said shaft to vary the position of said geometric center axis relative to said rotation axis from a position of coincidence to a spaced apart distance therebetween, and yoke means pivotably movable about a pivot axis parallel to said rotation axis of said elongate shaft, said yoke means having two arms containing said cylindrical surface of said cylindrical means at diametrically opposite locations thereon whereby said cylindrical means applies periodic force to said yoke means alternately in two opposite directions when said geometric center axis is spaced apart from said rotation axis to cause said pivotal movement and no said periodic force is applied when said elongate shaft rotation axis coincides with said cylindrical surface geometric center axis, said yoke means being rigidly connected to said pivotal mounting means for said torch whereby pivotal movement of said yoke means causes pivoting of said torch.

Claim 27

A welding device comprising: a frame supportable on a substantially cylindrical workpiece and rotatable with respect thereto, a plurality of cylindrical rollers on said frame, said rollers contacting said workpiece, drive means for rotating said rollers to rotate the said frame about said workpiece, a welding torch directed toward a surface portion of said workpiece, pivotal mounting means for supporting said torch on said frame in pivotal relationship therewith about a pivot axis normal to the axis of said rotation of said frame about said workpiece, power meAns connected to said welding torch for welding on said workpiece during said rotation of said frame thereabout, oscillating means supported on said frame for pivoting said torch reciprocally about said pivot axis, said oscillating means including drive means for rotating a shaft in a continuous direction of rotation, an elongate shaft connected to said drive means and rotatable about a longitudinal axis therethrough, cylindrical means having an outer cylindrical surface symmetrical about a geometric center axis, said cylindrical means being mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, control means for rotationally adjusting said cylindrical means relative to said shaft to vary the position of said geometric center axis relative to said rotation axis from a position of coincidence to a spaced apart distance therebetween, and yoke means pivotably movable about a pivot axis parallel to said rotation axis of said elongate shaft, said yoke means having two arms containing said cylindrical surface of said cylindrical means at diametrically opposite locations thereon whereby said cylindrical means applies periodic force to said yoke means alternately in two opposite directions when said geometric center axis is spaced apart from said rotation axis to cause said pivotal movement and no said periodic force is applied when said elongate shaft rotation axis coincides with said cylindrical surface geometric center axis, said yoke means being rigidly connected to said pivotal mounting means for said torch whereby pivotal movement of said yoke means causes pivoting of said torch.