Rotational apparatus for welding beam-mount structure to the side(s) of a column

• US 20100192346A1
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ConXtech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ConXtech, Inc.
• Inventors: Simmons, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,205,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/281.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/28 Beams
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 31/12 relating to investigating the properties, e.g. the weldability, of materials
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/26 the supporting parts consisting of wood
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/2415 Brackets, gussets, joining plates
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/2454 Connections between open and closed section profiles
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 5/10 with metal beams or girders, e.g. with steel lattice girders E04B5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49634 Beam or girder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53 Means to assemble or disassemble
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53539 including work conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53543 including transporting track
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53548 and work carrying vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53961 with work-holder for assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53996 by deforming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/341 Three or more radiating members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/348 Parallel rods

Abstract

Apparatus for precision deploy-attaching beam-mount structure to the outside of an elongate column at plural, defined attachment sites that are distributed and spaced along the length of the column. During use, a column support jig with plural openable/closeable yokes in the apparatus supports a column horizontally for selective rotation about its long axis. A carriage in the apparatus, which holds beam-mount structures to be attached to a supported column, is selectively moveable and position-lockable in defined locations distributed along the supported column between yokes in a pair of spaced yokes to enable precision weld-attaching of the mounts to sides of the column.

Claims

1. Apparatus for deploy-attaching beam-mount structure to the outside of an elongate column at plural, defined attachment sites that are distributed and spaced along the length of the column comprising

a frame,

column support structure mounted on said frame, designed to support, releasably, an elongate column with that column'"'"'s long axis disposed generally horizontally, said support structure taking the form of plural, spaced, distributed support yokes having openable/closeable swing arms which are closeable to circumsurround the long axis of an elongate column supported on the support structure, and

a carriage, including structure adapted to support/transport releasable beam-mount structure for deploy-attachment to such defined attachment sites on a column supported by said support structure, mountable for translation in contact on and along a column supported by said support structure, with the yokes in said support structure being designed to accommodate shifting of the carriage progressively along the length of a supported column.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes guide rings that are releasably attachable to the outside of a supported column each in a manner circumsurrounding the long axis of the column, and wherein said arms in said yokes carry idlers adapted, with closing of the arms around a column, to engage and capture said guide rings, and to permit selectable rotation of a guide-ring-supported column within the yokes and about the long axis of the supported column.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein passage, during shifting of the carriage along a supported column past a yoke in a support structure, is accommodated by opening of the swing arms in that yoke.