MICRO TORCH

• US 3,831,631 A
• Filed: 02/16/1973
• Issued: 08/27/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Walter E. Draxler
• Original Assignee: Walter E. Draxler
• Inventors: Draxler, Walter E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dority, Jr., Carroll B.
• Application Number:
  US05/333,308
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 239/413 137/606 251/340
• US Class Current: 137/606
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 5/22 Auxiliary equipment, e.g. backings, guides
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 14/40 for welding F23D14/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87684 Valve in each inlet

Abstract

A micro torch for oxygen-acetylene, and other gases, having a handle as small as approximately 3/4 inch in diameter and four inches in length, in which the gas mixture controls are knurled members having contiguous edges both movable in the same directions for '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'on'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' and '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'off'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' adjustably to control roller valves for gas flow proportioning preferably with a gearing drive interengagement between a valve gear and a ring gear segment for micro control of the flame.

Claims

1. In a micro torch for dispensing fuel and oxidizing fluids the combination of a handle and valve body, a flow control for each fluid including fluid flow control and proportioning valve members having rotary manually controlled elements disposed contiguous to each other and spaced a distance less than the breadth of a person'"'"''"'"'s finger for both separate and simultaneous adjustment by a single finger to open the valves in the same direction of rotation, said valve control elements being coaxially externally journalled on and around said body and include portions disposed to rotate in parallel planes.

2. The device in claim 1 in which said valve control elements are coaxially disposed with the valves opened and closed in the same directions of their movement.

3. The device in claim 1 including gears intermeshing between one valve member and one element located forwardly of the torch and gears intermeshing between the other valve member and the other element located rearwardly of the torch.

4. In a welding torch, a fluid flow control device for supplying variable proportions of separate fluids under pressure in small amounts for micro welding comprising, a body having a conduit for each fluid that is supplied under working pressures and defining an outlet portion and an inlet portion of predetermined flow areas, a valve chamber in said body for each conduit disposed between the inlet and outlet of each conduit defined in part by a wall portion defining a surface of revolution intersected by said inlet conduit and defining therewith a valve port, rotary valve means journalled in each valve chamber on concentric bearings and each having an eccentric portion disposed opposite said valve port of less radius than that of said wall portion, a roller valve member journalled on each eccentric portion to close said respective valve ports under pressure in one portion of individual relative movement, and means including coaxial rotatable handles for adjustably rotating said rotary valve members and eccentric portions for relative movement between said respective roller valve members and said wall and ports independently and simultaneously to micro adjust the opening of each port with a rolling action with proportional increments of movement.

5. The device defined in claim 4 in which each roller valve member comprises a ring of resilient material carried in a bearing ring mounting for rotation on its said eccentric portion in contact with its respective wall and port.

6. The device defined in claim 4 in which each rotatable handle includes circular manual members journalled around said body, and gearing means interengaging the respective rotary valve means and their manual members, said manual members rotating in the same directions for opening and closing said valve ports.

7. The device defined in claim 5 in which each valve port is elongated with respect to a geometric dimension of the cylindrical surface of the chamber wall.

8. The device defined in claim 5 in which said valve port is elongated upon the face of said wall in the direction of roller valve movement.

9. The device defined in claim 5 in which the valve chambers are separated by a common wall between them and said concentric bearings in each valve member includes a concentric journal on the inner transverse wall thereof and a concentric journal at the mouth of said valve chamber, said rotary valve means rotatively engaging said journals, concentric means sealing said journal at the mouth of each valve chamber, and said rotatable handle means holding said rotating valve means axially in place.

10. In a micro welding torch utilizing fuel and oxidizing fluids, the combination of a valve body having coaxial valve chambers with cylindrical portions and a common end wall between them, an inlet conduit for each chamber opening on the cylindrical wall thereof, a mixing chamber in the body spaced from said cylindrical chambers and including outlet conduits separately interconnecting the respective cylindrical chambers and the mixing chamber and a flash arrester means for thinning out the flow area of the oxydizing fluid, a valve shaft rotatably journalled concentrically in each valve chamber and having an eccentric crank portion thereon opposite said inlet openings, cylindrical valve means journalled on each crank portion including a cylindrical member journalled on said crank portion iNcluding a resilient wall surface to roll against the respective cylindrical wall portions over said port to close and progressively open it, and manual means to independently rotate said shafts separately to adjust the proportion of fluids flowing through the outlet conduits.

11. The micro torch defined in claim 10 in which said cylindrical valve means comprises a metal bearing sleeve journalled on said crank portion with a cylindrical elastomer tread member thereon defining said resilient wall surface.

12. In a micro welding torch comprising a body having coaxial valve chambers having wall portions defining gas inlet valve ports connectible to separate sources of gas under low pressure:

valve members, and means mounting said valve members eccentrically for sliding across said ports under pressure to vary the relative valve flow areas of said valve ports;

outlet means from said chambers converging in a mixing chamber in open communication with a single outlet adapted to receive a welding tip;

manual means rotated in the same direction for rotating said valve members in opposite directions to open them including coaxially disposed rotatable elements in close proximity with each other to be engaged simultaneously by the thumb of an operator'"'"''"'"'s hand that is manipulating the torch.

13. The combination called for in claim 12 in which said valve members include resilient elements engaging said ports.

14. The combination called for in claim 12 in which said manual means rotate in parallel planes spaced apart a distance less greater than the width of a person'"'"''"'"'s finger.