Welding machine for manufacture of wire mesh

Claim 2

A welding machine for the manufacture of wire mesh, said machine comprising means for advancing a planar array of longitudinal wires, said array defining a product plane of the machine, transformer means disposed above said product plane, bushbar means disposed above said product plane, a plurality of upper electrodes disposed above said product plane in a row extending transversely of said longitudinal wires, an equal plurality of lower electrodes disposed in a transverse row below said product plane, each of said lower electrodes being below a different one of said upper electrodes whereby said electrodes form a plurality of electrode pairs, connecting means for each of said electrode pairs, said connecting means being rigid with its upper electrode and including means movably mounting its lower electrode, and each said connecting means extending across said product plane, electrical conductor means connecting each electrode pair to said busbar means, thrust beam means disposed beneath said product plane, and drive means for reciprocating said thrust beam means in a generally vertical direction to engage and raise said lower electrodes, said drive means being disposed below said product plane.

Claim 3

A machIne according to claim 1, wherein said electrical conductor means connecting said busbars to said electrode pairs comprise clamping pieces which are electrically insulated from each other and by which said electrode pairs are suspended directly from said busbars.

Claim 4

A machine according to claim 2, wherein each clamping piece includes a clamping lever.

Claim 5

A machine according to claim 3, wherein each electrode pair includes a handgrip attached thereto at a location below said clamping lever.

Claim 6

A machine according to claim 1, wherein each electrode pair includes a flexible conductor for feeding welding current to said lower electrode, and said lower electrode is supported resiliently by thrust means adapted to be raised by said thrust beam means.

Claim 7

A welding machine for the manufacture of wire mesh, said machine comprising means for advancing a planar array of longitudinal wires, said array defining a product plane of the machine, transformer means disposed above said product plane, busbars means disposed above said product plane, a plurality of upper electrodes disposed above said product plane in a row extending transversely of said longitudinal wires, a plurality of lower electrodes disposed in a transverse row below said product plane, each of said lower electrodes being below a different one of said upper electrodes whereby said electrodes form a plurality of electrode pairs, connecting means for each of said electrode pairs, said connecting means being rigid with its upper electrode and including means movably mounting its lower electrode, and each said connecting means extending across said product plane, electrical conductor means connecting each electrode pair to said busbar means, thrust beam means disposed beneath said product plane, and drive means for reciprocating said thrust beam means in a generally vertical direction to engage and raise said lower electrodes, said drive means being disposed below said product plane, wherein each electrode pair includes a flexible conductor for feeding welding current to said lower electrode, and said lower electrode is supported resiliently by thrust means adapted to be raised by said thrust beam means, wherein each electrode pair is equipped with a thrust pin and means movably mounting said thrust pin to said electrode pair and permitting movement of said thrust pin from an engaged position in the path of movement of said thrust beam means to a disengaged position clear of said path of said movement of said thrust beam means.

Claim 8

A welding machine for the manufacture of wire mesh, said machine comprising means for advancing a planar array of longitudinal wires, said array defining a product plane of the machine, transformer means disposed above said product plane, busbars means disposed above said product plane, a plurality of upper electrodes disposed above said product plane in a row extending transversely of said longitudinal wires, a plurality of lower electrodes disposed in a transverse row below said product plane, each of said lower electrodes being below a different one of said upper electrodes whereby said electrodes form a plurality of electrode pairs, connecting means for each of said electrode pairs, said connecting means being rigid with its upper electrode and including means movably mounting its lower electrode, and each said connecting means extending across said product plane, electrical conductor means connecting each electrode pair to said busbar means, thrust beam means disposed beneath said product plane, and drive means for reciprocating said thrust beam means in a generally vertical direction to engage and raise said lower electrodes, said drive means being disposed below said product plane, wherein each electrode pair includes a flexible conductor for feeding welding current to said lower electrode, and said lower electrode is supported resiliently by thrust means adapted to be raised by said thrust beam means, wherein each electrode pair is equipped with a thrust pin and means movably mounting said thrust pin to said electrode pair and permitting movement of said thrust pin from an engaged position in the path of movement of said thrust beam means to a disengaged position clear of said path of said movement of said thrust beam means.

Claim 9

A welding machine for the manufacture of wire mesh, said machine comprising means for advancing a planar array of longitudinal wires, said array defining a product plane of the machine, transformer means disposed above said product plane, busbars means disposed above said product plane, a plurality of upper electrodes disposed above said product plane in a row extending transversely of said longitudinal wires, a plurality of lower electrodes disposed in a transverse row below said product plane, each of said lower electrodes being below a different one of said upper electrodes whereby said electrodes form a plurality of electrode pairs, connecting means for each of said electrode pairs, said connecting means being rigid with its upper electrode and including means movably mounting its lower electrode, and each said connecting means extending across said product plane, electrical conductor means connecting each electrode pair to said busbar means, thrust beam means disposed beneath said product plane, and drive means for reciprocating said thrust beam means in a generally vertical direction to engage and raise said lower electrodes, said drive means being disposed below said product plane, wherein each electrode pair includes a flexible conductor for feeding welding current to said lower electrode, and said lower electrode is supported resiliently by thrust means adapted to be raised by said thrust beam means, further comprising for each electrode pair a first hydraulic piston, a return spring for saId first hydraulic piston, a second piston, a piston rod for said second piston, a bore in said connecting means sealingly containing both said first and said second piston, and connecting means for said first and second pistons adapted to limit the distance therebetween.

Claim 10

A welding machine for the manufacture of wire mesh, said machine comprising means for advancing a planar array of longitudinal wires, said array defining a product plane of the machine, transformer means disposed above said product plane, busbars means disposed above said product plane, a plurality of upper electrodes disposed above said product plane in a row extending transversely of said longitudinal wires, a plurality of lower electrodes disposed in a transverse row below said product plane, each of said lower electrodes being below a different one of said upper electrodes whereby said electrodes form a plurality of electrode pairs, connecting means for each of said electrode pairs, said connecting means being rigid with its upper electrode and including means movably mounting its lower electrode, and each said connecting means extending across said product plane, electrical conductor means connecting each electrode pair to said busbar means, thrust beam means disposed beneath said product plane, and drive means for reciprocating said thrust beam means in a generally vertical direction to engage and raise said lower electrodes, said drive means being disposed below said product plane, wherein each electrode pair includes a flexible conductor for feeding welding current to said lower electrode, and said lower electrode is supported resiliently by thrust means adapted to be raised by said thrust beam means, further comprising for each electrode pair a first hydraulic piston, a return spring for saId first hydraulic piston, a second piston, a piston rod for said second piston, a bore in said connecting means sealingly containing both said first and said second piston, and connecting means for said first and second pistons adapted to limit the distance therebetween.

Claim 11

A machine according to claim 7, further comprising a hydraulic supply system communicating to at least some of said bores in said connecting pieces.

Claim 12

A machine according to claim 7, further comprising a plurality of hydraulic supply systems containing hydraulic fluid at different pressures, and means for selectively connecting said bores in said connecting pieces to said hydraulic supply systems.

Claim 13

A machine according to claim 1 further comprising a driving wheel, a crank pin of said driving wheel, and, working on said crank pin, both a first connecting rod forming part of said means for advancing said planar array of longitudinal wires and a second connecting rod forming part of said driving means for reciprocating said thrust beam means.

Claim 14

A machine according to claim 1, including a plurality of feed means for said transverse wires mounted to at least some of said electrode pairs, and common drive means for all said transverse wire feed means.

Claim 15

A machine according to claim 1, wherein each of said electrode pairs is provided with at least one vertically movable guide means for said longitudinal wire.

Claim 16

A machine according to claim 12, wherein each electrode pair is provided with a plurality of guides for longitudinal wires, said guide means being spaced apart from each other by a distance less than the width of each of said electrodes, said electrode pairs being disposable in a closed up position with all of said guides for said longitudinal wires being uniformly spaced apart.