US3777103A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pipe welding apparatus
Assignee: Lincoln Electric Co
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Filing: 1972-09-19
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Granted: 1973-12-04
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Expires: 1992-09-19
Abstract
Abstract Welding apparatus for automatically welding in the groove formed by the adjacent ends of large diameter pipes comprised of welding heads mounted on a carriage having three coplanar guide wheels such that the end guide wheels are spaced at least greater than 180* from each other, which wheels forcibly engage the weld groove surfaces and guide the welding heads around the pipe in perfect alignment with the weld groove. Usually two welding heads are provided so that the welding is substantially continuous from start to finish.
Inventors
- 👤 D White
- 👤 W Morrison
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 03:37
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23K; B23K37/00; B23K37/02; B23K37/0276; B23K9/00; B23K9/02; B23K9/028; B23K9/0282; B23K9/0286
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
378 words
Apparatus for electric arc welding the adjacent ends of axially aligned metal pipes which are beveled to form an outwardly diverging weld groove comprising: a circumferentially extending carriage having an arcuate length in excess of 180* and adapted to be suspended from a point generally midway of the ends to be lowered vertically onto said pipes, said carriage including a pair of rigid arms movable relative to said point and adapted to be disposed on opposite sides of said pipes, three coplanar guide wheels mounted on said carriage for rotation about axes parallel to the axis of the pipes and to maintain said carriage radially spaced from said pipes, said axes being fixed relative to their supporting portion of the carriage, said guide wheels having a peripheral shape and width such as to engage the bevels forming the weld groove, one of said guide wheels being mounted on said carriage substantially at said point whereby said one guide wheel will initially engage the weld groove when said carriage is lowered onto said pipes, the other two of said guide wheels each being mounted on one of said rigid arms, the axes of said other two guide wheels being arcuately spaced from said one of said guide wheels in excess of 90* on an angle measured through said carriage, means driving at least one of said guide wheels to move said carriage circumferentially, a welding head mounted on at least one of said arms, said welding head having an electrode nozzle having an electrode passage, the axis of which passage is on the median plane of and close to one of said guide wheels, said arms being movable away from said pipes in a plane parallel to the plane of said wheels whereby said carriage may be lowered over said pipes, said arms also being movable toward said pipes to move said other two guide wheels into engagement with said weld groove, means for biasing said arms toward said pipes to force said three wheels into tight pressure relationship with said weld groove to automatically align the carriage axially relative to the plane of the weld groove and radially relative to the base of the weld groove and maintain such alignment as said carriage moves circumferentially around said pipes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
378 words
Apparatus for electric arc welding the adjacent ends of axially aligned metal pipes which are beveled to form an outwardly diverging weld groove comprising: a circumferentially extending carriage having an arcuate length in excess of 180* and adapted to be suspended from a point generally midway of the ends to be lowered vertically onto said pipes, said carriage including a pair of rigid arms movable relative to said point and adapted to be disposed on opposite sides of said pipes, three coplanar guide wheels mounted on said carriage for rotation about axes parallel to the axis of the pipes and to maintain said carriage radially spaced from said pipes, said axes being fixed relative to their supporting portion of the carriage, said guide wheels having a peripheral shape and width such as to engage the bevels forming the weld groove, one of said guide wheels being mounted on said carriage substantially at said point whereby said one guide wheel will initially engage the weld groove when said carriage is lowered onto said pipes, the other two of said guide wheels each being mounted on one of said rigid arms, the axes of said other two guide wheels being arcuately spaced from said one of said guide wheels in excess of 90* on an angle measured through said carriage, means driving at least one of said guide wheels to move said carriage circumferentially, a welding head mounted on at least one of said arms, said welding head having an electrode nozzle having an electrode passage, the axis of which passage is on the median plane of and close to one of said guide wheels, said arms being movable away from said pipes in a plane parallel to the plane of said wheels whereby said carriage may be lowered over said pipes, said arms also being movable toward said pipes to move said other two guide wheels into engagement with said weld groove, means for biasing said arms toward said pipes to force said three wheels into tight pressure relationship with said weld groove to automatically align the carriage axially relative to the plane of the weld groove and radially relative to the base of the weld groove and maintain such alignment as said carriage moves circumferentially around said pipes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
246 words
Apparatus for electric arc welding the adjacent ends of axially aligned metal pipes which are beveled to form an outwardly diverging weld groove comprising: a circumferentially extending carriage adapted to surround in excess of 180* of the pipes, said carriage including a pair of rigid arms having pivot ends and opposite ends, said pivot ends being interconnected for pivotal movement about a common axis, three coplanar guide wheels for said carriage mounted thereon for rotation about axes generally parallel to said pivot axis, the axis of one of said guide wheels generally coinciding with said pivot axis, the other two of said three guide wheels each mounted on one of said arms for the axes thereof to be arcuately spaced apart in excess of 180* on an angle measured through said carriage, means adapted to bias said guide wheels toward said pipes and to hold said carriage in gripping relationship around said pipes when said carriage is mounted thereon, said guide wheels having a peripheral shape and width such as to engage the surfaces or outer edges of the bevels forming the weld groove to guide said carriage as it moves circumferentially around the pipes, a welding head mounted on one of said arms intermediate said pivot axis and the corresponding one of the other two guide wheels mounted thereon, said welding head having an electrode nozzle having an electrode passage, and the axis of said passage being on the median plane of said guide wheels.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
246 words
Apparatus for electric arc welding the adjacent ends of axially aligned metal pipes which are beveled to form an outwardly diverging weld groove comprising: a circumferentially extending carriage adapted to surround in excess of 180* of the pipes, said carriage including a pair of rigid arms having pivot ends and opposite ends, said pivot ends being interconnected for pivotal movement about a common axis, three coplanar guide wheels for said carriage mounted thereon for rotation about axes generally parallel to said pivot axis, the axis of one of said guide wheels generally coinciding with said pivot axis, the other two of said three guide wheels each mounted on one of said arms for the axes thereof to be arcuately spaced apart in excess of 180* on an angle measured through said carriage, means adapted to bias said guide wheels toward said pipes and to hold said carriage in gripping relationship around said pipes when said carriage is mounted thereon, said guide wheels having a peripheral shape and width such as to engage the surfaces or outer edges of the bevels forming the weld groove to guide said carriage as it moves circumferentially around the pipes, a welding head mounted on one of said arms intermediate said pivot axis and the corresponding one of the other two guide wheels mounted thereon, said welding head having an electrode nozzle having an electrode passage, and the axis of said passage being on the median plane of said guide wheels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the axis of each of said other two of said three guide wheels is spaced at least 100* from said pivot axis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, and a drive motor mounted on one of said arms for driving the corresponding one of said other two guide wheels to move said carriage around the pipes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, and a second welding head mounted on the other of said arms in generally diametrically opposed relationship with respect to said welding head on said one arm, said second welding head having an electrode nozzle having an electrode passage the axis of which is on the median plane of said guide wheels.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the axis of each of said other two of said three guide wheels is spaced at least 100* from said pivot axis.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus according to claim 6, and a drive motor mounted on one of said arms for driving the corresponding one of other two guide wheels to move said carriage around the pipes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
247 words
A carriage for supporting at least one arc welding head while welding the seam between two axially aligned pipes comprising a pair of elongated arcuate arms relatively pivoted at a point intermediate the length thereof such that each arm is divided into a relatively long welding branch and a relatively short lifting branch, the lifting branch of each arm extending from the pivot point in opposite directions and on the side of the welding branches adapted to be nearest to the pipes to be welded; each of said lifting branches having rollers associated therewith having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the pipe axis and generally tangent to the pipe surface, each of said welding branches having a guide wheel associated therewith spaced an angle measured through the pivot point of from 200* to 300* and at least a third guide wheel associated with at least one of said arms intermediate said first mentioned guide wheels, all of said guide wheels being coplanar and having parallel axes of rotation, and means for relatively pivoting said arms in one direction whereby said end guide wheels are moved out of engagement with said pipe and said rollers are brought into engagement with the surface of a pipe to raise the intermediate guide wheel from the surface of the pipe or in another direction whereby said rollers are raised from the surface of said pipe and said guide wheels are brought into clamping engagement with the surface of a pipe.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
247 words
A carriage for supporting at least one arc welding head while welding the seam between two axially aligned pipes comprising a pair of elongated arcuate arms relatively pivoted at a point intermediate the length thereof such that each arm is divided into a relatively long welding branch and a relatively short lifting branch, the lifting branch of each arm extending from the pivot point in opposite directions and on the side of the welding branches adapted to be nearest to the pipes to be welded; each of said lifting branches having rollers associated therewith having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the pipe axis and generally tangent to the pipe surface, each of said welding branches having a guide wheel associated therewith spaced an angle measured through the pivot point of from 200* to 300* and at least a third guide wheel associated with at least one of said arms intermediate said first mentioned guide wheels, all of said guide wheels being coplanar and having parallel axes of rotation, and means for relatively pivoting said arms in one direction whereby said end guide wheels are moved out of engagement with said pipe and said rollers are brought into engagement with the surface of a pipe to raise the intermediate guide wheel from the surface of the pipe or in another direction whereby said rollers are raised from the surface of said pipe and said guide wheels are brought into clamping engagement with the surface of a pipe.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
269 words
Apparatus for electric arc welding in the groove between the adjacent ends of axially aligned metal pipes comprised of an elongated circumferentially extending carriage adapted to surround in excess of 180* of the pipe, a pair of guide wheels one generally at each end of said carriage and at least one intermediate guide wheel generally equidistant from each of the end guide wheels, the axes of said end guide wheels being spaced in excess of 180* on an angle measured through said carriage, all of said guide wheels being coplanar and mounted on said carriage for rotation on parallel axes, means for moving at least one of said end guide wheels toward and away from said pipes whereby said carriage may be installed on said pipes from the sides thereof and whereby when installed said carriage may rotate about the axis of said pipes, said carriage being comprised of a pair of arms pivoted intermediate the ends thereof dividing each of said arms into a welding branch and a lifting branch, said lifting branches being shorter than said welding branches and being disposed on the radially inner side of said welding branches, supporting rollers on each of said lifting branches having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of said pipes and generally tangent to the pipe surface and means for relatively pivoting said arms to either force said guide wheels into pressure engagement with said pipes or to move said end guide wheels away from said pipes and said rollers into engagement with said pipes whereby to raise said intermediate guide wheel from engagement with said pipes.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
269 words
Apparatus for electric arc welding in the groove between the adjacent ends of axially aligned metal pipes comprised of an elongated circumferentially extending carriage adapted to surround in excess of 180* of the pipe, a pair of guide wheels one generally at each end of said carriage and at least one intermediate guide wheel generally equidistant from each of the end guide wheels, the axes of said end guide wheels being spaced in excess of 180* on an angle measured through said carriage, all of said guide wheels being coplanar and mounted on said carriage for rotation on parallel axes, means for moving at least one of said end guide wheels toward and away from said pipes whereby said carriage may be installed on said pipes from the sides thereof and whereby when installed said carriage may rotate about the axis of said pipes, said carriage being comprised of a pair of arms pivoted intermediate the ends thereof dividing each of said arms into a welding branch and a lifting branch, said lifting branches being shorter than said welding branches and being disposed on the radially inner side of said welding branches, supporting rollers on each of said lifting branches having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of said pipes and generally tangent to the pipe surface and means for relatively pivoting said arms to either force said guide wheels into pressure engagement with said pipes or to move said end guide wheels away from said pipes and said rollers into engagement with said pipes whereby to raise said intermediate guide wheel from engagement with said pipes.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-12-03 | 1977-06-04 | 1977-12-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-12-03 | 1981-06-04 | 1981-12-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-12-03 | 1985-06-04 | 1985-12-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |