ORBITAL CARRIER COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO COMPONENTS IN THE FORM OF SEGMENTS OF A CIRCLE ABLE TO BE CONNECTED TOGETHER; DEVICE FOR BUTT-WELDING PIPES TO FORM A PIPELINE COMPRISING SUCH AN ORBITAL CARRIER

• US 20110049105A1
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Serimax
• Original Assignee: Serimax
• Inventors: Destouches, Denis, Tigien, Cyril, Dupont, Thierry
• Granted Patent: US 8,642,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/59.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/10 Pipe-lines
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0229 the guide member being situated alongside the workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0276 for working on or in tubes B23K37/0211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0533 external pipe alignment clamps
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0286 with an electrode moving around the fixed tube during the welding operation

Abstract

The invention relates to an orbital carrier (2) for a device for butt-welding pipes (C, C) to form a pipeline, said device comprising at least one welding carriage (1) supporting at least one welding head (6) which has at least one welding torch, said orbital carrier (2) surrounding the pipes (C, C) to be welded and being designed to enable positioning and movement in the plane of the joint between the pipes (C, C) of said welding carriage or carriages (1), and said orbital carrier (2) also being movable translationally along the pipeline as it grows. The invention consists in the fact that said orbital carrier (2) consists of at least two components (20) in the form of segments of a circle able to be connected together to form the orbital carrier (2) around the pipes (C, C) during a welding phase and also to allow said orbital carrier (2) to be opened, at least at the top, to allow it to pass an obstruction on the outside of the pipe (C, C). Application: the welding of pipes (C, C).

Claims

1. An orbital carrier of a butt-welding device for pipes in order to form a pipeline, said device containing at least one welding carriage supporting at least one welding head having at least one welding torch, said orbital carrier surrounding the pipes to be welded and being designed to enable positioning and movement along the plane of the joint between the pipes to be welded by said welding device, and said orbital carrier being further translatable along the pipeline being formed, characterized in that said orbital carrier consists of at least two components in the form of circular segments designed to be connectable to one another in order to form the orbital carrier around the pipes to be welded during a welding phase and also to make possible the opening of said orbital carrier at least at the top in order to pass an obstruction situated on the periphery of a pipe.

2. Orbital carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that said orbital carrier consists of at least two semicircular components connectable to one another in order to form the orbital carrier around the pipes to be welded during a welding phase and separable from each other in order to make possible the opening of the orbital carrier, the two semicircular parts then being translatable along the pipeline being formed, separated from the latter, notably in order to pass an obstruction on the periphery of the pipe.

3. Orbital carrier according to claim 2, characterized in that it is borne by the bearing means translatable along the pipeline being formed.

4. Orbital carrier according to claim 2, characterized in that each semicircular component is separable in a plane perpendicular to the plane in which the pipes to be welded extend.

5. Orbital carrier according to claim 2, characterized in that the semicircular components are also rotatable.

6. Orbital carrier according to claim 2, characterized in that each component is borne by a bracket consisting of an upright and a crosspiece to the end of which the upper part and the lower part of the semicircular component are fastened.

7. Orbital carrier according to claim 6, characterized in that the upright of the bracket is pivot-mounted on a base borne by the bearing means such as a pedestal.

8. Orbital carrier according to claim 7, characterized in that the pedestal has a guide rail designed to extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipes, each base bearing a bracket being movable along said rail on both sides of the pipes.

9. Orbital carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises of at least two parts in the form of circular segments, one of the so-called fixed circular segments receiving, pivot mounted at least at one of its ends, one end of another so-called movable circular segment, the opposite end of the so-called movable segment being at least connectable to the free end of the so-called fixed circular segment in order to form the orbital carrier and separable from said free end of the fixed circular segment in order to open said carrier at least at the upper part of said carrier on pivot drive of the said movable segment toward the outside of the orbital carrier.

10. Orbital carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains at least three circular segments, a so-called fixed circular segment being positioned so as to constitute the lower part of the orbital carrier lodged under the pipeline being formed and the end of a so-called movable circular segment being pivot mounted on each of the ends of the said fixed circular segment, their opposite ends being connectable to each other, preferably in the upper part of the orbital carrier, above the pipeline being formed, in order to form and close the orbital carrier and separable from each other in order to open said carrier by pivot drive of the two movable circular segments in relation to the two circular segments toward the outside of the orbital carrier.

11. Orbital carrier according to claim 10, characterized in that the fixed circular segment is borne by bearing means translatable along the pipeline being formed and consists of two circular segments respectively separable from each other on translation on both sides of the pipeline.

12. Orbital carrier according to claim 9, characterized in that means ensuring pivoting of the movable circular segments are provided to position and align the circular segments perfectly in relation to one another.

13. Orbital carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that each end of the circular segment components is equipped with appropriate connecting and locking means in order to close the carrier.

14. Orbital carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that supplementary guide means are provided at the ends of the components, enabling an aligned positioning of the components, once they are connected together.

15. Device for butt-welding of pipes forming a pipeline, said device containing at least one welding carriage supporting at least one welding head having at least one welding torch, said welding device being positioned and moved along the plane of the joint between the pipes to be welded by means of an orbital carrier, translatable along the pipeline being formed.