Self-powered welding systems and methods

• US 10,695,876 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2015
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crc-Evans Automatic Welding Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Crc-Evans Automatic Welding Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rajagopalan, Shankar T., Mallick, Siddharth, Kirk, Brian L., Bouche, Jose C., Curbo, Jason W., Kettelkamp, Jonathan B., Sniderman, Lawrence, Radhakrishnan, Shailesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Laflame, Jr., Michael A
• Application Number:
  US15/560,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20180117718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/06 Tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/10 Pipe-lines
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/04 Steel or steel alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0276 for working on or in tubes B23K37/0211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0282 Carriages forming part of a welding unit
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0531 internal pipe alignment clamps
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0284 with an electrode working inside the tube
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0953 using computing means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0956 using sensing means, e.g. optical
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1274 Using non-contact, optical means, e.g. laser means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/173 and of a consumable electrode
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/23 taking account of the properties of the materials to be welded

Abstract

A weld system for welding two pipes includes a frame, a plurality of rollers, a drive motor, a brake system, an inspection detector, a weld torch, one or more battery cells and one or more processors. The frame is configured to be placed within the pipes. The plurality of rollers is configured to rotatably support the frame. The drive motor drives the rollers to move the frame within the pipes. The brake system secures the frame from movement at a desired location within the pipes. The weld torch, the inspection detector and the one or more battery cells are carried by the frame. The inspection detector is configured to detect a characteristic of an interface region between the pipes. The one or more battery cells are configured to power the drive motor, the inspection detector and the weld torch.

Claims

1. A weld system for welding two pipes, comprising:

a frame configured to be placed within the pipes;

a plurality of rollers configured to rotatably support the frame;

a drive motor that drives the plurality of rollers to move the frame within the pipes;

a brake system that secures the frame from movement at a desired location within the pipes;

an inspection detector carried by the frame, the inspection detector being configured to detect a characteristic of an interface region between the pipes;

a weld torch carried by the frame;

one or more battery cells carried by the frame, the one or more battery cells being configured to power the drive motor, the inspection detector and the weld torch; and

one or more processors operatively connected with the drive motor, the inspection detector and the weld torch.

2. The weld system according to claim 1, further comprising a motor power source carried by the frame, wherein the motor power source is configured to power the drive motor.

3. The weld system according to claim 1, further comprising a torch power source carried by the frame, wherein the torch power source is configured to power the torch.

4. The weld system according to claim 2, wherein the motor power source comprises a battery.

5. The weld system according to claim 3, wherein the torch power source comprises a battery.

6. The weld system according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor that senses an end of the pipe.

7. The weld system according to claim 1, wherein the brake system comprises a first pipe clamp configured to clamp a first of the two pipes, and a second pipe clamp configured to clamp a second of the two pipes.

8. The weld system according to claim 1, wherein the inspection detector is configured to emit an inspection beam of radiation.

9. The weld system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more battery cells comprise a plurality of independent battery cells, and wherein the battery cells for powering the weld torch being independent of the battery cells for powering the drive motor and the inspection detector.

10. The weld system according to claim 9, wherein the battery cells for powering the drive motor are independent of the battery cells for powering the inspection detector.

11. The weld system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to operate the brake system to secure the frame from movement at a location within the pipes that positions the inspection detector in relation to the interface region to enable the inspection detector to detect the characteristic of the interface region between the pipes.

12. The weld system according to claim 1, wherein the brake system comprises a plurality of radially extending clamps that engage the interior surfaces of the pipes to secure the frame from movement.

13. The weld system according to claim 1, wherein the brake system comprises a wheel lock that prevents rotation of one or more of the rollers to secure the frame from movement.

14. The weld system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are communicatively connected to the brake system, the drive motor, the inspection detector and the weld torch via one or more wired or wireless connections.

15. The weld system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are communicatively connected to the brake system, the drive motor, the inspection detector and the weld torch via one or more wireless connections, and wherein the one or more wireless connections comprises a Wi-Fi connection, a Bluetooth connection, a near-field communication (NFC) connection, or a cellular connection.

16. The weld system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors operatively connected to the one or more processors and being configured to monitor battery life or charge level information of the one or more battery cells, and wherein the one or more sensors and the one or more processors are configured to transmit the monitored battery life or charge level information entirely wirelessly to a remote processing system for further processing.

17. The weld system according to claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive an estimated remaining operating time of the weld system, from the remote processing system, based on the wirelessly transmitted battery life or charge level information.

18. The weld system according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor movable with the frame that detects the interface region between the pipes;

and a motor that rotationally moves the inspection detector along the interface region,

wherein the inspection detector is further configured to generate signals based upon a profile of the interface region between the pipes,

wherein the one or more processors is operatively associated with the sensor and the motor,

wherein the one or more processors operating the drive motor to move the frame through at least one of the pipes until the sensor detects the interface region,

wherein the one or more processors operating the brake system to secure the frame from movement at a location within the pipes that positions the inspection detector in relation to the interface region to enable the inspection detector to detect the profile of the interface region between the pipes, and

wherein the one or more processors operating the inspection detector and the motor to scan the interface region between the pipes, and in response to detecting one or more undesirable characteristics of the interface region, the one or more processors sending instructions based thereon.

19. The weld system according to claim 18, wherein the sensor comprises a linear encoder that is configured to be operatively associated with the rollers.

20. The weld system according to claim 18, wherein the inspection detector transmits radiation towards the interface region, the inspection detector comprising a receiver for receiving radiation reflected from the surfaces of the interface region and generating electronic signals based thereon, the one or more processors receiving the signals to determine whether the undesirable characteristic should be corrected.

21. The weld system according to claim 20, wherein the inspection detector comprises a plurality of inspection detectors that transmit radiation towards the interface region, the inspection detectors comprising a receiver for receiving radiation reflected from the surfaces of the interface region and generating signals based thereon.

22. The weld system according to claim 18, wherein the inspection detector scans the full 360 degrees of the interface region between the pipes.

23. The weld system according to claim 18, wherein the one or more processors sends the instructions to a motor controlling an axially rotational position of one of the pipes to cause the motor to rotate said one of the pipes relative to the other of the pipes to correct the undesirable characteristic.

24. The weld system according to claim 23, wherein the motor is configured for moving a radially extending clamp.