High frequency arc welding method and apparatus

Claim 2

A high-frequency arc welding method comprising the steps of applying a voltage from a D.C. electrical source E1 of an arc welding machine across an electrode of the machine and a workpiece to establish an arc welding current between the electrode and workpiece; intermittently disconnecting the electrical source E1 thereby effecting temporary storage of magnetic energy in the inevitable inductance L1 inherent in the arc welding machine and its torch cable; transferring the temporarily stored magnetic energy from the inevitable inductance L1 to a second D.C. electrical source E2 in the form of electrical energy to effect temporary storage of the transferred energy in the second source E2; discharging the electrical energy temporarily stored in the second source E2 into an inductance L2 to effect temporary storage of the discharged electrical energy in inductance L2 in the form of magnetic energy; and effecting conversion of the magnetic energy temporarily stored in inductance L2 into electrical energy and regenerative transfer of the thusly converted energy back into the first D.C. electrical source E1.

Claim 3

A method as defined in claim 1, using for the first and second D.C. electrical sources E1 and E2 two voltage sources connected together in series with such a polarity that the voltages across them add.

Claim 4

In a high-frequency arc welding machine, an operating circuit which comprises, in combination, a first circuit comprising a first D.C. electrical source E1, first controllable impedance means SW1, an inductance L1 representing the inevitable inductance inherent to an arc welding machine and its torch cable and a resistance R1 representing the arc-current load of the welding machine; a second circuit comprising a second D.C. electrical source E2, said resistance R1, said inductance L1, and a first rectifier D1 of polarity opposite to that of said second source E2; a third circuit comprising said second source E2, second controllable impedance means SW2, and a second inductance L2; a fourth circuit comprising said first source E1, said second inductance L2 and a second rectifier D2 having a polarity the same as first source E1, said first controllable impedance means SW1 alternating at high frequency between a low and a high impedance value, said first impedance means SW1 when at low impedance value causing the first source E1 to establish a flow of arc welding current through said inevitable inductance L1 and said arc-current load resistance R1 and simultaneously causing a build-up of stored magnetic energy in inductance L1, said first impedance means SW1 when at the high impedance value effectively disconnecting the first source E1 and causing the magnetic energy stored in inductance L1 to be dissipated as a current flowing through the second circuit in the direction permitted by said first rectifier D1 and thereby effecting a transfer of the stored magnetic energy in the form of electrical energy into said second source E2, said second controllable impedance means SW2 alternating between a low and a high impedance value, said second impedance means SW2 when at low impedance value effecting a discharge of the electrical energy stored in said second source E2 through said second inductance L2 and thereby a build-up of stored magnetic energy in said second inductance L2, said second impedance means SW2 when at high impedance value effectively opening said third circuit and thereby causing the magnetic energy stored in said second inductance L2 to be dissipated as a current flowing through said fourth circuit in the direction permitted by said second rectifier D2 and thereby effecting a regenerative transfer of the magnetic energy stored in said second inductance L2 in the form of electrical energy into said first source E1.

Claim 5

In a high-frequency arc welding machine, an operating circuit which comprises, in combination, a first circuit comprising a first D.C. electrical source E1, first controllable impedance means SW1, an inductance L1 representing the inevitable inductance inherent to an arc welding machine and its torch cable and a resistance R1 representing the arc-current load of the welding machine; a second circuit comprising a second D.C. electrical source E2, said resistance R1, said inductance L1, and a first rectifier D1 of polarity opposite to that of said second source E2; a third circuit comprising said second source E2, second controllable impedance means SW2, and a second inductance L2; a fourth circuit comprising said first source E1, said second inductance L2 and a second rectifier D2 having a polarity the same as first source E1, said first controllable impedance means SW1 alternating at high frequency between a low and a high impedance value, said first impedance means SW1 when at low impedance value causing the first source E1 to establish a flow of arc welding current through said inevitable inductance L1 and said arc-current load resistance R1 and simultaneously causing a build-up of stored magnetic energy in inductance L1, said first impedance means SW1 when at the high impedance value effectively disconnecting the first source E1 and causing the magnetic energy stored in inductance L1 to be dissipated as a current flowing through the second circuit in the direction permitted by said first rectifier D1 and thereby effecting a transfer of the stored magnetic energy in the form of electrical energy into said second source E2, said second controllable impedance means SW2 alternating between a low and a high impedance value, said second impedance means SW2 when at low impedance value effecting a discharge of the electrical energy stored in said second source E2 through said second inductance L2 and thereby a build-up of stored magnetic energy in said second inductance L2, said second impedance means SW2 when at high impedance value effectively opening said third circuit and thereby causing the magnetic energy stored in said second inductance L2 to be dissipated as a current flowing through said fourth circuit in the direction permitted by said second rectifier D2 and thereby effecting a regenerative transfer of the magnetic energy stored in said second inductance L2 in the form of electrical energy into said first source E1.

Claim 6

A high frequency arc welding machine specified in claim 3, wherein said variable impedance elements SW1 and SW2 are switching elements and said rectifiers D1 and D2 are diodes.

Claim 7

A high-frequency arc welding machine as defined in claim 3, the more negative terminal of the first source E1 being connected to the more positive terminal of the second source E2.

Claim 8

A high-frequency arc welding machine as defined in claim 3, the frequencies at which said first and second controllable impedance means SW1 and SW2 alternate between high and low impedance values being adjustable.

Claim 9

A high-frequency arc welding machine as defined in claim 3, the first controllable impedance means SW1 alternating between high and low impedance values with a frequency between about 10 KHz and about 100 KHz, the second controllable impedance means SW2 alternating between high and low impedance values with a frequency on the order of 400 Hz.