Apparatus for welding together substantially vertically extending pipe sections

Claim 2

Apparatus for welding together in end-to-end relationship substantially vertically extending upper and lower pipe sections comprising: a support ring encircling said lower pipe section and attachable thereto, annular track means carried by said support ring, a wheeled carriage movable on said track means around said pipe sections, carriage drive means mounted on said carriage for moving said carriage around said track means, welding electrode radial positioning means mounted on said carriage for positioning said welding electrode generally radially with respect to said pipe sections, said radial positioning means comprising a radial slide movable generally radially of said pipe sections in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis of said pipe sections and means for moving said radial slide. welding electrode vertical positioning means for positioning said welding electrode vertically with respect to said pipe sections, said welding electrode vertical positioning means being mounted on said radial slide and comprising a vertical slide movable generally parallel to the axis of said pipe sections and means for moving said vertical slide, welding electrode vertical attitude positioning means for establishing the angular position of said welding electrode with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of said pipe sections, said welding electrode vertical attitude positioning means beinG mounted on said vertical slide and comprising a wire feed motor having a drive shaft, wire feed motor bracket means rotatably holding said wire feed motor to permit rotative movement of said wire feed motor with respect to said wire feed motor bracket means about the axis of said drive shaft, and means for rotatively positioning said wire feed motor with respect to said wire feed motor bracket means, wire feed means attached to said wire feed motor and driven by said wire feed drive shaft, and welding electrode means attached to said wire feed motor and extending toward said pipe sections.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a wire feed drive roller driven by said drive shaft and having an axis generally perpendicular to the axis of said drive shaft and horizontal welding electrode attitude positioning means for establishing the angular position of said welding electrode with respect to the radii of said pipe sections, said horizontal attitude positioning means comprising electrode bracket means holding said welding electrode means and rotatably mounted on said wire feed means and to permit rotative positioning of said welding electrode about the axis of said wire feed roller.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means interlocking said carriage and said support ring so that said carriage maintains a constant relationship with said support ring regardless of the angle of said pipe sections to the vertical.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said interlocking means comprises annular track means including first and second oppositely facing track elements and first and second main wheel elements mounted on said carriage and engaging said first and second track elements.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising an annular channel track having an open side mounted on said support ring and auxiliary wheel means mounted on said carriage and engaging the interior of said channel track through said open side.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for rotatively positioning said wire feed motor comprises first arm means attached to said wire feed motor, second arm means pivotally connected to said vertical slide at a first pivotal connection spaced laterally from said drive shaft, sleeve means movable on said second arm means, said sleeve means being pivotally connected to said first arm means, and means for adjustably positioning said sleeve means on said second arm means thereby to cause rotative movement of said wire feed motor.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an annular electrical power bus bar attached to said support ring and connected to a source of electrical power, and contactor means mounted on said carriage and slidingly contacting said bus bar to receive electrical power therefrom to operate equipment mounted on said carriage.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support ring means comprises an annular top plate, an annular inner side plate attached to the inner portion of said top plate, an annular outer side plate attached to the outer portion of said top plate, an annular sidewardly facing U-shaped channel track on said top plate, an annular main track attached to said outer side plate and having a pair of oppositely oriented upper and lower tracks, an annular gear rack, and at least one annular electrical power bus bar, and wherein said carriage means comprises a carriage plate, first wheel means attached to said carriage plate and engageable with the inside of said channel track through said open side, second and third wheel means attached to said carriage plate and engageable respectively with said upper and lower tracks, carriage drive means carried by said carriage plate and including a drive gear engageable with said gear rack, and an electrical contactor attached to said carriage plate and engageable with said electrical bus bar.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said tracks and said wheel means interlock with one another to preclude lateral movement therebetWeen.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an annular flux through encircling said lower pipe section adjacent to the point of welding, said flux trough comprising a bottom portion, an upstanding side portion attached to said bottom portion, and an upstanding side portion extension of deformable material attached to and extending upwardly from said side portion, whereby said side portion extension can be deformed by said electrode as said carriage moves around said pipe sections.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a flux trough encircling said lower pipe section adjacent to the point of welding and attached to said lower pipe section, and a plurality of legs attached to said flux trough and extending downwardly therefrom, each of said legs terminating in an outwardly extending support ring alignment flange upon which said support ring can be placed, the length of said legs being such that said support ring when installed on said flanges is spaced the desired distance from the point of welding.

Claim 13

In a welding apparatus for welding together in end-to-end relationship substantially vertical pipe sections comprising in combination a means for depositing weld metal, a support ring encircling said pipe sections upon which said means for depositing weld metal moves around said pipe sections, and a flux trough disposed around said pipe sections and attached thereto, the improvement comprising: a plurality of downwardly extending rods attached to said flux trough, each of said rods carrying an outwardly extending support ring alignment pad spaced a predetermined distance from said flux trough, whereby after said flux trough is attached to said pipe sections alignment of said support ring the proper distance from the ends of said pipes is facilitated by placing said support ring on said pads.

Claim 14

In a welding apparatus for welding together in end-to-end relationship substantially vertical pipe sections comprising in combination a means for depositing weld metal, a support ring encircling said pipe sections upon which said means for depositing weld metal moves around said pipe sections, and a flux trough disposed around said pipe sections and attached thereto, the improvement comprising: a plurality of downwardly extending rods attached to said flux trough, each of said rods carrying an outwardly extending support ring alignment pad spaced a predetermined distance from said flux trough, whereby after said flux trough is attached to said pipe sections alignment of said support ring the proper distance from the ends of said pipes is facilitated by placing said support ring on said pads.

Claim 15

Apparatus for welding together in end-to-end relationship substantially vertically extending upper and lower pipe sections comprising: a support ring for encircling said lower pipe section, annular carriage track means carried by said support ring, a carriage movable on said track means around said pipe sections, weld metal depositing means mounted on said carriage and including welding electrode means, a wire feed motor having a drive shaft driving wire feed means attached to said wire feed motor, said welding electrode means being carried by said wire feed means, welding electrode vertical attitude positioning means for establishing the angular relationship of said welding electrode means with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of said pipe sections, said vertical attitude positioning means comprising wire feed motor bracket means rotatably holding said wire feed motor to permit rotative positioning of said wire feed motor with respect to said wire feed motor bracket means about the axis of said drive shaft, and welding electrode horizontal attitude positioning means on said carriage and acting on said welding electrode means for establishing the angular relationship of said welding electrode means with respect to the radii of said pipe sections.

Claim 16

Apparatus for welding together in end-to-end relationship substantially vertically extending upper and lower pipe sections comprising: a support ring for encircling said lower pipe section, annular carriage track means carried by said support ring, a carriage movable on said track means around said pipe sections, weld metal depositing means mounted on said carriage and including welding electrode means, a wire feed motor having a drive shaft driving wire feed means attached to said wire feed motor, said welding electrode means being carried by said wire feed means, welding electrode vertical attitude positioning means for establishing the angular relationship of said welding electrode means with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of said pipe sections, said vertical attitude positioning means comprising wire feed motor bracket means rotatably holding said wire feed motor to permit rotative positioning of said wire feed motor with respect to said wire feed motor bracket means about the axis of said drive shaft, and welding electrode horizontal attitude positioning means on said carriage and acting on said welding electrode means for establishing the angular relationship of said welding electrode means with respect to the radii of said pipe sections.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said wire feed means comprises a wire feed roll driven by said drive shaft and having an axis perpendicular to the axis of said drive shaft, and wherein said horizontal attitude positioning means comprises an electrode bracket holding said welding electrode means and rotatably mounted on said wire feed means to permit rotative positioning of said welding electrode means about the axis of said wire feed roller.

Claim 18

Apparatus for welding together in end-to-end relationship substantially vertically extending upper and lower pipe sections, comprising: a support ring for encircling said lower pipe section, means for attached said support ring to said lower pipe section in fixed relationship thereto, annular carriage track means carried by said support ring, a carriage movable on sAid track means around said pipe sections, weld metal depositing means mounted on said carriage and including welding electrode means, welding electrode radial positioning means on said carriage for moving said welding electrode means with respect to said carriage and said pipe sections to position said welding electrode means radially with respect to said pipe sections, welding electrode vertical positioning means on said carriage for moving said welding electrode means with respect to said carriage and said pipe sections to position said welding electrode means axially with respect to said pipe sections, welding electrode vertical attitude positioning means on said carriage for moving said welding electrode means with respect to said carriage and said pipe sections to establish the angular relationship of said welding electrode means with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of said pipe sections, welding electrode horizontal attitude positioning means on said carriage for moving said welding electrode means with respect to said carriage and said pipe sections to establish the angular relationship of said welding electrode means with respect to the radii of said pipe sections, said radial positioning means being mounted directly on said carriage, said vertical positioning means being carried by said radial positioning means, said vertical attitude positioning means being carried by said vertical positioning means, said horizontal attitude positioning means being carried by said vertical attitude positioning means, and said welding electrode means being carried by said horizontal attitude positioning means.

Claim 19

Apparatus for welding together in end-to-end relationship substantially vertically extending upper and lower pipe sections, comprising: a support ring for encircling said lower pipe section, means for attached said support ring to said lower pipe section in fixed relationship thereto, annular carriage track means carried by said support ring, a carriage movable on sAid track means around said pipe sections, weld metal depositing means mounted on said carriage and including welding electrode means, welding electrode radial positioning means on said carriage for moving said welding electrode means with respect to said carriage and said pipe sections to position said welding electrode means radially with respect to said pipe sections, welding electrode vertical positioning means on said carriage for moving said welding electrode means with respect to said carriage and said pipe sections to position said welding electrode means axially with respect to said pipe sections, welding electrode vertical attitude positioning means on said carriage for moving said welding electrode means with respect to said carriage and said pipe sections to establish the angular relationship of said welding electrode means with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of said pipe sections, welding electrode horizontal attitude positioning means on said carriage for moving said welding electrode means with respect to said carriage and said pipe sections to establish the angular relationship of said welding electrode means with respect to the radii of said pipe sections, said radial positioning means being mounted directly on said carriage, said vertical positioning means being carried by said radial positioning means, said vertical attitude positioning means being carried by said vertical positioning means, said horizontal attitude positioning means being carried by said vertical attitude positioning means, and said welding electrode means being carried by said horizontal attitude positioning means.