Method and apparatus for welding a roofing membrane

• US 10,589,473 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2018
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Miller Weldmaster Corporation
• Original Assignee: Miller Weldmaster Corporation
• Inventors: Ralston, Zachary J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gross, Carson
• Application Number:
  US16/189,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20190077090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/103 direct heating both surfaces to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/435 Making large sheets by joining smaller ones or strips together
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8181 characterised by the cooling constructional aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8248 Pressure application by weights by the own weight of the joining tool B29C66/8282
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8282 using the own weight of the joining tool
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/83421 band or belt types B29C66/83431 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8362 Rollers, cylinders or drums moving relative to and tangentially to the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8652 being pushed by hand or being self-propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/86521 being self-propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/876 Maintenance or cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/919 characterised by specific temperature, heat or thermal flux values or ranges specific electrical resistance values B29C66/81262
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/929 characterized by specific pressure, force, mechanical power or displacement values or ranges
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9672 involving special data inputs, e.g. involving barcodes, RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/108 Roofs
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 15/04 for roof coverings comprising slabs, sheets or flexible material
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 5/149 fastening by welding

Abstract

A machine for welding an overlapped region of two adjacent strips of material and a method of using the same. The machine includes a housing with front and rear ends, a wheel train engaged with the housing for moving the housing across the material; a nozzle on the housing having a welding head at a free end; the nozzle being positionable at least partially beneath the housing'"'"'s bottom wall for welding the overlapped region; front and rear pressure rollers engaged with the housing, where the front roller is positioned forwardly of the welding head and the rear roller is positioned rearwardly of the welding head; wherein the rear pressure roller applies pressure to the overlapped region when the wheel train moves the housing in a forward direction; and the front pressure roller applies pressure to the overlapped region when the wheel train moves the housing in a reverse direction.

Claims

1. A nozzle for a welding machine used to heat weld materials together;

said nozzle comprising;

a tubular member having a first end and a second end;

a connector assembly engaged with the first end and being adapted to be engaged with a hose extending outwardly from a housing of the welding machine;

a welding head provided at the second end of the tubular member, wherein the welding head is substantially L-shaped when viewed from a first direction and the welding head comprises a first leg that is engaged with the second end of the tubular member and a second leg that extends outwardly from the first leg, wherein when the nozzle is in a non-welding position, the welding head is located a distance outwardly beyond a second side of the housing, and when the nozzle is in the welding position, the welding head is located inwardly of the second side of the housing; and

wherein the nozzle travels through a vertical plane when moving between the non-welding position and the welding position; and

wherein the nozzle is adjustably engaged with a mounting bracket by a spring-loaded mechanism; and

the spring-loaded mechanism permits the nozzle to float up and down relative to the mounting bracket during operation of the welding machine;

a pair of flanges;

wherein the pair of flanges are spaced apart from each other and are spaced so as to be positioned adjacent first and second mounting plates, wherein each of the flanges is defined a slot through which a respective fastener is selectively engaged; and

wherein the nozzle is operative to pivot between a first and second position by engaging a pivot rod from locking engagement with the nozzle mounting bracket;

wherein the pivot rod is operative to rotate about an axis extending along its length whereby the nozzle is now free to be pivoted between the first and the second position wherein the welding head lies outside the housing in the second position.

2. The nozzle as defined in claim 1, wherein the welding head is substantially T-shaped when viewed from a second direction that is oriented at 90°

to the first direction.

3. The nozzle as defined in claim 2, wherein the second leg comprises a planar member that is oriented generally at right angles to the first leg of the welding head.

4. The nozzle as defined in claim 3, wherein the planar member includes an upper surface and an opposed lower surface;

wherein the lower surface is adapted to be oriented generally parallel to a material surface upon which the welding machine is positioned during a welding operation.

5. The nozzle as defined in claim 4, wherein one or both of the upper and lower surfaces of the planar member defines a plurality of apertures therein that are in communication with a bore of the nozzle and are adapted to allow heated air to flow outwardly from the bore of the nozzle and into air surrounding an exterior of the planar member.

6. The nozzle as defined in claim 5, wherein the planar member has a first side edge and a second side edge and an end that extends between the first and second side edges;

and wherein one or more of the first and second side edges and the end defines an aperture therein; and

wherein the aperture is in communication with a bore of the nozzle and is adapted to allow heated air to flow from the bore and into air surrounding an exterior of the planar member.

7. The nozzle as defined in claim 2, wherein the nozzle is provided with a handle perpendicular to the nozzle;

and wherein the nozzle handle is provided in a first color and is indicative of the nozzle handle being sufficiently cool enough to touch when the nozzle is operational.

8. The nozzle as defined in claim 2, wherein the respective fastener is aligned through the slot in adjacent mounting plates, thereby securing the nozzle to the nozzle mounting bracket.

9. The nozzle as defined in claim 2, wherein the fastener is operative to freely move within the slot via a spring loaded mechanism.