Apparatus for controlling the welding pattern between weldment components

Claim 1

An arrangement for selectively actuating longitudinally spaced rows of welding guns to weld weldment components in a predetermined welding pattern, the weldment components being movable relative to the rows of welding guns comprising: a. disc means supported on a shaft and rotatable from an initial predetermined position in synchronism at a predetermined reduced speed in relation to the speed of the movable weldment components; b. circumferential surface indicating means on said disc means corresponding with the weld pattern to be formed on the weldment components; c. optical scanner means electrically connected to each row of the welding guns and responsive to said surface indicating means to sequentially activate and deactivate the rows of welding guns to form the weld pattern on the weldment components; d. said scanner means being longitudinally spaced from each other by the following formula: ##EQU2## e. air clutch means operable when activated to engage said disc means for rotation in synchronism relative to the movement of the weldment components and operable when deactivated to disengage said disc means from rotation in synchronism relative to the movement of the weldment components; f. solenoid actuated control valve means actuatable for controlling the flow of air to said air clutch means to activate and deactive it, said control valve means being closed to deactivate said clutch means; g. means electrically connected to said control valve means to actuate it when movement of said weldment components relative to the rows of welding guns is initiated to activate said clutch means and initiate synchronous rotation of said disc means; h. switch means electrically connected with said solenoid actuated control valve means; i. means on said rotatable disc means engagable with said switch means upon rotation of said disc means as the weldment components complete their movement relative to the rows of welding guns to actuate said control valve means and thereby deactivate said clutch means; and j. means to rotatably return said disc means to its initial predetermined position.