Apparatus for underwater arc welding

Claim 2

Apparatus for use under a body of water for arc welding comprising: a housing defining a chamber and having a welding opening and a welding gun opening, means for movably introducing at least a portion of a welding gun through said welding gun opening into the chamber in a position to carry out a welding operation on a workpiece located outside of said chamber contiguous said welding opening, means for introducing a gas under pressure into said chamber thereby to purge the chamber of water, and outlet means in said housing to facilitate purging said chamber of water, said outlet means being rotatable to said housing, said outlet means being so configured and oriented relative to said housing that the adjustment of said outlet means by rotation affords a control of the amount gas discharged through it and thereby the gas pressure in said chamber.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said welding gun introducing means is a flexible sealing means on the housing for making sealing engagement with said welding gun when said portion of said gun is located within the chamber in a position to carry out a welding operation on a workpiece located contiguous said welding opening.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 1 which also includes contact means secured to said welding opening to provide an interface between said chamber and said workpiece.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said housing is capable of being handheld.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 1 which housing also includes means for viewing the workpiece through said chamber and said welding opening.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said outlet means defines an exhaust port communicating with the interior of said chamber at a point contiguous said viewing means thereby to aid in clearing said viewing means of water droplets and debris.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said viewing means is a viewing plate aparallel to the plane of said welding opening.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said means for purging said chamber includes: means defining an additional opening in said chamber to receive additional elements, and means for diffusing said gas through said additional opening into said chamber.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said additional elements positioned in said additional opening comprise a seal, a transparent member and light means for illuminating the interior of said chamber and said workpiece through said additional opening and said transparent member.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said diffusing means includes means for passing said gas over a radially positioned element affording a uniform smooth flow of gas through said additional opening into said chamber.

Claim 12

Apparatus for use under a body of water for arc welding, comprising: a housing defining a chamber and having a welding opening, means for movably introducing at least a portion of a welding gun into the chamber in a position to carry out a welding operation on a workpiece located outside of said chamber contiguous said welding opening, a gas inlet for connection to a source of gas under pressure to permit a stream of gas to be introduced into the chamber to purge the chamber of water, said housing being portable and capable of being handheld to facilitate unrestricted movement of the housing chamber over the workpiece during welding, and outlet means for said water being purged and which means is rotatable relative to said housing, said outlet means being so configured and arranged relative to the housing that the adjustment of said outlet means by rotation affords a control of the amount gas discharged through it and thereby the gas pressure in said chamber.

Claim 13

Apparatus for use under a body of water for arc welding, comprising: a housing defining a chamber and having a welding opening, means for movably introducing at least a portion of a welding gun into the chamber in a position to carry out a welding operation on a workpiece located outside of said chamber contiguous said welding opening, a gas inlet for connection to a source of gas under pressure to permit a stream of gas to be introduced into the chamber to purge the chamber of water, said housing being portable and capable of being handheld to facilitate unrestricted movement of the housing chamber over the workpiece during welding, and outlet means for said water being purged and which means is rotatable relative to said housing, said outlet means being so configured and arranged relative to the housing that the adjustment of said outlet means by rotation affords a control of the amount gas discharged through it and thereby the gas pressure in said chamber.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said introducing means is a flexible seal means for making sealing engagement with a welding gun when the gun is located within the chamber in a position to carry out a welding operation on a workpiece located contiguous said welding opening.

Claim 15

Apparatus for use under a body of water for arc welding a workpiece comprising: a housing chamber having means defining viewing and welding openings, there being a consummable welding electrode extending into said housing chamber through a wall thereof and positioned in said welding opening to be substantially perpendicular to the plane of the area to be welded, whereby said viewing opening and said electrode are in visual alignment through said chamber, the line of said alignment being generally perpendicular to the plane of the area to be welded on said workpiece, thereby to provide an unimpeded view of the area of the workpiece to be welded, a transparent viewing member at said viewing opening, means for movably introducing said consumable electrode through said wall into the chamber so to be in a position to carry out a welding operation on said workpiece positioned outside said chamber contiguous said welding opening, means for purging said chamber of water using a gas under pressure, and contact means secured to said welding opening to provide an interface between said chamber and said workpiece, said contact means being a porous gasket thereby to permit the escape of said gas therethrough to facilitate relative movement between said chamber and said workpiece.

Claim 16

Apparatus for use under a body of water for arc welding a workpiece comprising: a housing chamber having means defining viewing and welding openings, there being a consummable welding electrode extending into said housing chamber through a wall thereof and positioned in said welding opening to be substantially perpendicular to the plane of the area to be welded, whereby said viewing opening and said electrode are in visual alignment through said chamber, the line of said alignment being generally perpendicular to the plane of the area to be welded on said workpiece, thereby to provide an unimpeded view of the area of the workpiece to be welded, a transparent viewing member at said viewing opening, means for movably introducing said consumable electrode through said wall into the chamber so to be in a position to carry out a welding operation on said workpiece positioned outside said chamber contiguous said welding opening, means for purging said chamber of water using a gas under pressure, and contact means secured to said welding opening to provide an interface between said chamber and said workpiece, said contact means being a porous gasket thereby to permit the escape of said gas therethrough to facilitate relative movement between said chamber and said workpiece.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said housing chamber is a hollow cylindrical tube open at both ends, one of said ends defining said welding opening, the second of said ends defining said viewing opening, said electrode extending into said chamber through an opening located laterally of the line of alignment between said welding and viewing openings.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 13, which also includes: a welding unit having said consumable electrode, and means for establishing an electric arc between said electrode and said workpiece.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said viewing member intersects said line of alignment at an angle lying between 0° and 90°.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said viewing member and the wall of said chamber acutely intersect and which also includes a vent tube communicating with the interior of said chamber at a point contiguous the acute intersection of said viewing member and said chamber wall, thereby to facilitate removing water and extraneous matter from said chamber and maintaining a substantially unimpeded view through said viewing member.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said vent tube is adjustably mounted to facilitate its adjustment to different positions relative to said chamber, thereby to control the gas pressure in said chamber at a value exceeding that of the surrounding water.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said means for purging said chamber includes: means defining an additional opening in said chamber, and means for diffusing said gas through said additional opening into said chamber, thereby to prevent turbulence in said chamber.

Claim 23

Apparatus according to claim 19 which also includes light means for illuminating said workpiece through said additional opening.

Claim 24

An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said purging means includes means for introducing a gas into said chamber at a pressure exceeding that of the surrounding water.

Claim 25

An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said contact means is removably secured to said welding opening.

Claim 26

An apparatus according to claim 13 which also includes a vent tube adjustably mounted to facilitate its adjustment to different positions relative to said chamber, thereby to control the gas pressure in said chamber at a value exceeding that of the surrounding water.

Claim 27

An apparatus according to claim 13 which also includes means defining an exhaust port communicating with the interior of said chamber at a point contiguous said viewing member, thereby to remove foreign matter from said viewing plate.

Claim 28

Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said contact means is shaped to generally conform to the configuration of the portion of said workpiece in contact with said chamber.

Claim 29

An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said contact means is flexible thereby to facilitate relative movement between said chamber and said workpiece.

Claim 30

In an underwater welding device, an elongated viewing tube, a nozzle at one end of said viewing tube, said nozzle having an open base end, a viewing window at the second end of said viewing tube, welding equipment positioned within said nozzle with an electrode exposed through the open base end and arranged generally perpendicular to the plane of said open base end, and means comprising a gas under pressure for purging the interior of the viewing tube and nozzle of water, said viewing tube and nozzle defining a straight viewing passage from the viewing window to the electrode accommodating base end also in an alignment generally perpendicular to the plane of said open base end of said nozzle, an angularly directed branch passage forming portion on said nozzle, said branch passage forming portion accommodating and enabling a mounting of said welding equipment laterally of the defined straight view passage, the means for purging the interior of the viewing tube and nozzle of water comprising a gas tube communicated with the viewing tube adjacent the second end thereof, said gas tube extending therefrom to a gas supply.

Claim 31

In an underwater welding device, an elongated viewing tube, a nozzle at one end of said viewing tube, said nozzle having an open base end, a viewing window at the second end of said viewing tube, welding equipment positioned within said nozzle with an electrode exposed through the open base end and arranged generally perpendicular to the plane of said open base end, and means comprising a gas under pressure for purging the interior of the viewing tube and nozzle of water, said viewing tube and nozzle defining a straight viewing passage from the viewing window to the electrode accommodating base end also in an alignment generally perpendicular to the plane of said open base end of said nozzle, an angularly directed branch passage forming portion on said nozzle, said branch passage forming portion accommodating and enabling a mounting of said welding equipment laterally of the defined straight view passage, the means for purging the interior of the viewing tube and nozzle of water comprising a gas tube communicated with the viewing tube adjacent the second end thereof, said gas tube extending therefrom to a gas supply.

Claim 32

The device of claim 27 wherein the water is purged utilizing an inert gas introduced both through the gas tube and the equipment accommodating branch passage forming portion.

Claim 33

The device of claim 28 including a light mounted within the device for illuminating the weld site at the base end of the nozzle.

Claim 34

The device of claim 28 including conductor wires for said light, said conductor wire extending through said gas tube for a communicating with the light interiorly within said device.

Claim 35

The device of claim 27 including a light mounted within said device for illuminating the weld site at the base end of the nozzle, and conductor wires connected to said light for the supplying of power thereto, said conductor wires extending through said gas tube.

Claim 36

In an underwater welding device, an elongated viewing tube, a nozzle at one end of said viewing tube, said nozzle having an open base end, a viewing window at the second end of said viewing tube, welding equipment positioned within said nozzle with an electrode exposed through the open base end and arranged generally perpendicular to the plane of said open base end, and means comprising a gas under pressure for purging the interior of the viewing tube and nozzle of water, said viewing tube and nozzle defining a straight viewing passage from the viewing window to the electrode accommodating base end also in an alignment generally perpendicular to the plane of said open base end of said nozzle, the means for purging the interior of the viewing tube and nozzle of water comprising a gas tube communicated with the viewing tube adjacent the second end thereof, said gas tube extending therefrom to a gas supply.

Claim 37

In an underwater welding device, an elongated viewing tube, a nozzle at one end of said viewing tube, said nozzle having an open base end, a viewing window at the second end of said viewing tube, welding equipment positioned within said nozzle with an electrode exposed through the open base end and arranged generally perpendicular to the plane of said open base end, and means comprising a gas under pressure for purging the interior of the viewing tube and nozzle of water, said viewing tube and nozzle defining a straight viewing passage from the viewing window to the electrode accommodating base end also in an alignment generally perpendicular to the plane of said open base end of said nozzle, the means for purging the interior of the viewing tube and nozzle of water comprising a gas tube communicated with the viewing tube adjacent the second end thereof, said gas tube extending therefrom to a gas supply.

Claim 38

The device of claim 32 including a light mounted within said device for illuminating the weld site at the base end of the nozzle, and conductor wires connected to said light for the supplying of power thereto, said conductor wires extending through said gas tube.