WELDING MACHINE INCORPORATING VACUUM TRACK ASSEMBLY

• US 20110083784A1
• Filed: 10/12/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Miller Weldmaster Corporation
• Original Assignee: Miller Weldmaster Corporation
• Inventors: Henry, Brian D., Haley, Vincent L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,971,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/60
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/103 direct heating both surfaces to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7847 using vacuum to hold at least one of the parts to be joined vacuum work holders in general B25B11/005
• 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 66/43 Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles B29C66/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/435 Making large sheets by joining smaller ones or strips together
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/729 Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8362 Rollers, cylinders or drums moving relative to and tangentially to the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/17 Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means

Abstract

A welding machine having a frame that includes end supports spanned by a top beam with a truncated V-shaped cross-section. A vacuum track assembly disposed vertically beneath the top beam retains fabrics to be welded on a perforated surface using suction. A welding head travels along the top beam and applies heat and pressure to the surface to weld the fabrics together. The top beam and vacuum track assembly are extendable by including additional unit segments from which the beam and assembly are constructed.

Claims

1. A welding machine comprising:

a frame including;

a pair of end supports;

a top beam longitudinally spanning the end supports;

a vacuum track assembly disposed vertically beneath the top beam and being longitudinally aligned therewith;

wherein a portion of said vacuum track assembly is adapted to retain a fabric to be welded thereon; and

wherein the vacuum track assembly comprises;

a first vacuum tube having a top wall;

a first bore defined in the first vacuum tube;

a plurality of first holes of a first diameter being defined in the top wall, the first holes being in communication with the first bore; and

wherein the first vacuum tube is adapted to be connected to a vacuum source to evacuate air from the first bore;

a plurality of second holes of a second diameter being defined in the top wall of the first vacuum tube adjacent the plurality of first holes;

said second holes being in communication with the first bore; and

wherein the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter; and

a welding head mounted for reciprocal longitudinal travel along the top beam and disposed vertically above the portion of the vacuum track assembly, the welding head being adapted to apply heat and pressure to the portion of the vacuum track assembly to weld the fabric retained on the portion of the vacuum track assembly.

2. The welding machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the first holes are disposed in a first region of the top wall of the first vacuum tube adjacent a first longitudinal wall thereof;

and the second holes are disposed in a second region of the top wall of the first vacuum tube adjacent a second longitudinal side wall thereof.

3. The welding machine as defined in claim 2, wherein the welding head includes a pressure application mechanism and the pressure application mechanism is positioned so as to apply pressure to only the first region of the top wall of the first vacuum tube.

4. The welding machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising a gap defined between the first and second vacuum tubes such that the first and second vacuum tubes are spaced a distance laterally apart from each other.

5. The welding machine as defined in claim 4, wherein the welding head includes a heat application mechanism, and the heat application mechanism applies heat to substantially only a portion of the first vacuum tube adjacent the first holes, and wherein excess heat therefrom escapes through the gap between the first and second vacuum tubes.

6. The welding machine as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

a second bore defined in the second vacuum tube;

a plurality of third holes defined in a top wall of the second vacuum tube, wherein the third holes are in communication with the second bore; and

wherein the second vacuum tube is adapted to be connected to the vacuum source to evacuate air from the second bore.

7. The welding machine as defined in claim 2, wherein the first holes are substantially evenly distributed throughout the first region and the second holes are substantially evenly distributed throughout the second region.

8. The welding machine as defined in claim 3, wherein the pressure application mechanism comprises a roller that is mounted on the welding head and is rotatably movable along the first region of the first vacuum tube when the welding head moves longitudinally along the top beam.

9. The welding machine as defined in claim 4, wherein each of the first and second vacuum tubes comprises a plurality of individual vacuum track segments that are connected together in end-to-end relationship;

and the vacuum track assembly has a length and the length is selectively variable based on the number of individual vacuum track segments that are connected together.

10. The welding machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising a base assembly that longitudinally spans the end supports a spaced distance vertically beneath the top beam;

and wherein the vacuum track assembly is mounted on the base assembly and is disposed between the base assembly and the top beam.

11. The welding machine as defined in claim 10, wherein the base assembly comprises:

a plurality of base segments connected in end-to-end relationship, and the base assembly has a length and the length is selectively variable based on the number of individual base segments that are connected together.

12. The welding machine as defined in claim 11, wherein each of the base segments comprises:

a bottom beam having a top surface, a bottom surface and first and second ends;

one or more uprights extending vertically upwardly from the upper surface of the bottom beam and between the first and second ends thereof;

one or more mounting plates, each mounting plate being secured to an upper end of one of the uprights, the mounting plate being disposed substantially parallel to the bottom beam.

13. The welding machine as defined in claim 12, wherein the vacuum track assembly is mounted adjacent an upper surface of each of the one or more mounting brackets, and the vacuum track assembly is disposed substantially longitudinally aligned with the bottom beam.

14. The welding machine as defined in claim 13, further comprising a pair of connectors, wherein a first of the connectors is joined to a first end of the connected plurality of base segments and to one of the pair of end supports, and a second of the connectors is joined to a second end of the connected plurality of base segments and to the other of the pair of end supports.

15. A method of welding a first and a second fabric panel together comprising the steps of:

activating a vacuum source to evacuate air from a first vacuum tube of a welding machine;

positioning a first region of the first fabric panel adjacent a perforated wall of the first vacuum tube such that the first region is drawn into contact with the perforated wall by a vacuum within the first vacuum tube;

positioning a second region of the second fabric panel adjacent the first region of the first fabric panel such that the second region is drawn into abutting contact with the first region by the vacuum;

applying heat to the perforated wall of the first vacuum tube;

applying pressure to the perforated wall of the first vacuum tube.

16. The method of welding as defined in claim 15, wherein the step of positioning a first region of the first fabric panel adjacent a perforated wall of the first vacuum tube comprises:

positioning the first region of the first fabric panel over a first portion of the wall that includes a plurality of first smaller holes and over a second portion of the wall that includes a plurality of second larger holes.

17. The method of welding as defined in claim 16, wherein the steps of applying heat and applying pressure to the perforated wall of the first vacuum tube include applying heat and pressure to only that portion of the first vacuum tube that includes the plurality of first smaller holes.

18. The method of welding as defined in claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

activating the vacuum source to evacuate air from a second vacuum tube of the welding machine; and

positioning a third region of the second fabric panel adjacent a perforated wall of the second vacuum tube, such that the third region of the second fabric panel is drawn into contact with the perforated wall of the second vacuum tube.