ARC WELDING POWER SUPPLY ASSEMBLY

• US 3,567,902 A
• Filed: 04/25/1969
• Issued: 03/02/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alloy Rods Global, Inc. (Enovis Corp.)
• Original Assignee: James B. Stearns, Robert W. Wendelburg
• Inventors: Stearns, James B., Wendelburg, Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US04/819,333
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• US Class Current: 219/130.33
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1006 Power supply
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/32 Accessories earthing connections H01R

Abstract

The physical housing of an arc welding transformer-rectifier unit having a feedback control system for controlling the slope, the output inductance and the output voltage. The control system includes separate printed circuit cards for each control function interconnected into a master printed circuit board. The control system is mounted within a housing immediately behind a removable control box having individual control elements for each card. The box is releasably connected to the cards through a cable connected to the master board.

Claims

1. An arc welding power supply having, in combination, a transformer-rectifier assembly employing triggered control rectifier means and a control circuit for sensing the voltage and current characteristics of the arc and controlling the firing of the control rectifier means in accordance therewith, an outer housing, means supporting said transformer-rectifier assembly within said housing, a separate control assembly mounted within said housing and including said control circuit, a separate control housing releasably secured to an outer panel of the outer housing and having control elements mounted within said separate control housing, and circuit connecting means the control elements in the control housing to the control circuit of the control assembly to permit adjustment of the current and voltages supplied to the arc.

2. The arc welding power supply of claim 1 wherein said outer housing includes a removable front panel, said transformer-rectifier assembly is mounted with said outer housing immediately adjacent said removable front panel, and said separate control housing is releasably secured to said front panel.

3. The arc welding power supply of claim 1 wherein said control hosing includes a front panel member releasably attached to the outer housing across an opening in the outer panel of said outer housing and having a boxlike enclosure projecting into said outer housing, and said circuit connecting means including a cable releasably connected to the boxlike enclosure and connected to the control circuit.

4. The arc welding power supply of claim 1 wherein said control housing includes a pair of duplicate control input means.

5. The arc welding power supply of claim 1 wherein the rectifier means includes a plurality of controlled rectifiers, and said control assembly including individual firing circuit boards for each phase for the firing of the related rectifiers and a plurality of individual control circuit boards for controlling different characteristics of the output, a master circuit board mounted within said outer housing and having a plurality of plug-in receptacles to support the individual circuit boards and to connect them into said control circuit.

6. The arc welding power supply of claim 1 wherein said control housing is mounted across an opening in the outer panel of said outer housing and said control assembly includes a master printed circuit board mounted within the outer housing behind said control housing and having a plurality of plug-in receptacles opening toward said control housing, separate control cards for controlling a plurality of arc characteristics, separated firing control cards for said rectifier means, said control cards being releasably inserted in selected receptacles of said circuit board to establish connection into said control circuit and projecting forwardly toward said control housing, and said circuit connecting means including cable means releasably interconnecting said master circuit board and the control elements in the control housing to permit local and remote adjustment of the control circuit.

7. The arc welding power supply of claim 1 including a saturable reactor inductance control in the output of the rectifier means, and said control housing includes a pair of duplicate control input means each having individual voltage, slope, and inductance control means, and said circuit connecting means including a cable means connecting said control input means to said control assembly.

8. The arc welding power supply of claim 1 wherein the output circuit of the rectifier means includes a saturable reactor inductance control means, said transformer-rectifier assembly includes a three-phase transformer and a plurality of phase related triggered control rectifiers, said control assembly including individual firing circuit boards for each phase for the firing of the related rectifiers and individual circuit boards for controlling the voltage, the slope, and the inductance control means.

9. The arc welding power supply of claim 1 wherein said power supply includes a saturable reactor inductance control means in the output circuit of the transformer-rectifier assembly, said control assembly including a direct current saturation control element for said inductance control means, said control assembly including a master printed circuit board mounted within the outer housing behind said control housing and having a plurality of plug-in receptacles opening toward said control housing separate control cards for controlling the slope, the voltAge, and the inductance of the output, separate firing control cards for said rectifier means, said control cards being releasably inserted in selected receptacles of said master circuit board to establish connection into the control circuit and projecting forwardly toward said control housing, and said circuit connecting means including cable means releasably interconnecting said master circuit board and the control elements in the control housing to permit local and remote adjustment of the control circuit.

10. The arc welding power supply of claim 9 wherein said outer housing includes a front panel having said opening in the upper portion slightly larger than said control housing, said control housing including a front mounting wall overlapping the front panel at said opening and projecting inwardly therefrom, means releasably connecting the mounting wall to the overlapping front panel, and a releasable connector means for said able means mounted to the inner portion of the control housing.