SELF-LEVELING WELDING TRACTOR

• US 20140091129A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Peters, Steven R., Enyedy, Edward A.
• Application Number:
  US13/629,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20140091129A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 228/102
• 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 37/0294 Transport carriages or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0284 with an electrode working inside the tube
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/16 making use of shielding gas selection of media B23K35/38

Abstract

A welding tractor is described as well as a process for using the tractor in which a predefined angle of inclination or declination is maintained during a circumferential welding process.

Claims

1. A welding tractor for circumferentially welding an object rotatable about its longitudinal axis, comprising:

a base;

a welding assembly in operative association with the base;

a source of welding wire for supplying welding wire to the welding assembly; and

a level sensor in operative association with the base for determining the angle of inclination or declination of the welding tractor.

2. The welding tractor of claim 1 further comprising:

at least two wheels rotatably connected to the base;

at least one of said wheels being a drive wheel; and

a means for controlling a speed of said at least one drive wheel responsive to a signal generated by said level sensor upon said angle of inclination or declination being greater than or less than essentially 0°

.

3. The welding tractor of claim 2 wherein

said means for controlling is a PID controller.

4. The welding tractor of claim 2 wherein

the means for controlling is in wireless communication with the level sensor and the motor.

5. A welding tractor for circumferentially welding an object rotatable about its longitudinal axis, comprising:

a base;

a welding assembly in operative association with the base;

a source of welding wire for supplying welding wire to the welding assembly; and

a sensor in operative association with the base for determining the angle of inclination or declination of the welding tractor.

6. The welding tractor of claim 5 further comprising:

at least two wheels rotatably connected to the base;

at least one of said wheels being a drive wheel; and

a means for controlling a speed of said at least one drive wheel responsive to a signal generated by said level sensor upon said angle of inclination or declination being greater than or less than a predefined angle of inclination or declination.

7. The welding tractor of claim 6 wherein

said means for controlling is a PID controller.

8. The welding tractor of claim 5 wherein

the means for controlling is in wireless communication with the level sensor and the motor.

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. A welding system for maintaining the angle of inclination or declination of a welding tractor in association with at least one cylindrical object rotating about its longitudinal axis, comprising:

a welding tractor comprising;

a base,

a welding assembly operatively associated with the base,

a source of welding wire for supplying welding wire to the welding assembly,

a level sensor operatively associated with the base for determining the position of the welding tractor relative to the bottom of the cylindrical object,

at least two wheels connected to the base for supporting the welding tractor above the surface of the cylindrical object, and

a motor operatively associated with the base for rotatably driving at least one wheel;

a controller associated with the welding tractor in communication with the level sensor and the motor, wherein the controller operates the motor to maintain a predefined angle of inclination or declination of the welding tractor in response to the level sensor communicating said angle to a comparator;

means for rotating the at least one cylindrical object about its longitudinal axis.

14. The welding system of claim 13 wherein

the predefined angle of inclination or declination is between +30°

and −

30°

with respect to a horizontal plane.

15. The welding system of claim 14 wherein

the predefined angle if inclination or declination is approximately 0°

.

16. The welding system of claim 13 wherein

the controller is remotely located from the welding tractor for operating the motor.

17. The welding system of claim 16 wherein

the controller communicates wirelessly with the level sensor and the motor.

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)