Automatic pipe welding apparatus
First Claim
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1. An automatic pipe welding apparatus, comprising:
- an annular base member adapted to be disposed in concentric relation to a pipe, and including a semicircular first section, a quadrant circular second section and a quadrant circular third section, said second and third sections having one respective circumferential end pivotably connected to a respective circumferential end of said first section, and their other circumferential end separably and lockably connected to one another;
at least three circumferentially spaced clamping means disposed on the inner periphery of said annular base member and operable to clamp the pipe for fixing said annular base member with respect to the pipe;
said annular base member having openings therein corresponding in number to the number of said clamping means and disposed at positions corresponding to those where said clamping means are located, a respective clamping means being moveable through a respective opening, said annular base member further having on the outer periphery thereof an annular concentric groove;
interlocking means for interlocking said at least three clamping means for joint movement to secure them to the pipe;
said interlocking means including a ring gear slidably received in said annular groove, said ring gear being divided into three sections at the locations corresponding to those where said first, second and third sections of said annular base member are connected to each other, said three sections of said ring gear being connected to each other so that said ring gear is openable as said annular base member is opened;
pinions corresponding in number to the number of said clamping means with one pinion associated with each of said clamping means, said pinions being in mesh with said ring gear; and
eccentric cam connected to each of said pinions, each of said cams being actuated through the connected pinion by said ring gear to urge the associated one of said clamping means against the pipe; and
a carriage having a welding unit mounted thereon and being supported for circumferential movement on the outer periphery of said annular base member.
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Abstract
A compact automatic pipe welding apparatus having a base member separable into three sections and having a welding unit, detecting unit and a driving unit which are distributed on the circumference of the base member at an equal distance from one another is suitable for use in welding work in limited space, as is the case of installation or repair of pipings in nuclear or chemical plant. For enhancing the welding precision, ring gears are provided for interlocking a plurality of clamping means for securing the base member to the pipe stably.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An automatic pipe welding apparatus, comprising:
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an annular base member adapted to be disposed in concentric relation to a pipe, and including a semicircular first section, a quadrant circular second section and a quadrant circular third section, said second and third sections having one respective circumferential end pivotably connected to a respective circumferential end of said first section, and their other circumferential end separably and lockably connected to one another; at least three circumferentially spaced clamping means disposed on the inner periphery of said annular base member and operable to clamp the pipe for fixing said annular base member with respect to the pipe; said annular base member having openings therein corresponding in number to the number of said clamping means and disposed at positions corresponding to those where said clamping means are located, a respective clamping means being moveable through a respective opening, said annular base member further having on the outer periphery thereof an annular concentric groove; interlocking means for interlocking said at least three clamping means for joint movement to secure them to the pipe; said interlocking means including a ring gear slidably received in said annular groove, said ring gear being divided into three sections at the locations corresponding to those where said first, second and third sections of said annular base member are connected to each other, said three sections of said ring gear being connected to each other so that said ring gear is openable as said annular base member is opened;
pinions corresponding in number to the number of said clamping means with one pinion associated with each of said clamping means, said pinions being in mesh with said ring gear; and
eccentric cam connected to each of said pinions, each of said cams being actuated through the connected pinion by said ring gear to urge the associated one of said clamping means against the pipe; anda carriage having a welding unit mounted thereon and being supported for circumferential movement on the outer periphery of said annular base member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An automatic pipe welding apparatus, comprising:
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an annular base member adapted to be disposed in concentric relation to a pipe; at least three circumferentially spaced clamping means disposed on the innery periphery of said annular base member and operable to clamp the pipe for fixing said annular base member with respect to the pipe; interlocking means for interlocking said at least three clamping means to secure the same to the pipe; and first, second and third carriages mechanically connected to each other in substantially equidistantly spaced relation around the outer periphery of said annular base member, said three carriages being moveable circumferentially on the outer periphery of said annular base member, said first carriage having a detecting unit mounted thereon for detecting positions to be welded on the pipe and producing signals representative thereof, said second carriage having a welding unit mounted thereon, said welding unit being actuated in response to the signals from said detecting unit, said third carriage having a drive unit mounted thereon for driving said third carriage to move said first, second and third carriages circumferentially on the outer periphery of said annular base member. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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9. An automatic pipe welding apparatus, comprising:
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an annular base member adapted to be disposed in concentric relation to a pipe and including side walls extending radially outwardly from the outer periphery of said annular base member at axial edges thereof to define an annular recess between said side walls, each of said side walls having therein an annular cavity facing toward said annular recess; an annular concentric gear disposed on the bottom of said annular recess; at least three circumferentially spaced clamping means disposed on the inner periphery of said annular base member and operable to clamp the pipe for fixing said annular base member with respect to the pipe; interlocking means for interlocking said at least three clamping means for joint movement to secure them to the pipe; first, second and third carriages mechanically connected to each other in substantially equidistantly spaced relation around the outer periphery of said annular base member, said carriages being moveable circumferentially on the outer periphery of said annular base member, said first carriage having mounted thereon a detecting unit for detecting positions to be welded on the pipe to produce signals representative thereof, said second carriage having a welding unit mounted thereon, said welding unit being actuated in response to the signals from said detecting unit, said third carriage having mounted thereon a drive unit for driving said third carriage to move said first, second and third carriages circumferentially on the outer periphery of said annular base member, said third carriage further having a gear in mesh with said annular gear; each of said carriages including; a first base plate; a first two sets of wheels rotatably mounted on said first base plate with one set disposed at each of two positions spaced in the direction of the movement of said carriages at the bottom of said first base plate, each of said first two sets of wheels including two wheels with one disposed at each side of said first base plate; a second two base plates having their one end pivotably connected to said first base plate at the locations where said first two sets of wheels are mounted on said first base plate and the other ends mechanically connected to said first base plate so as to be adjustable in relative positions between said first base plate and said second base plates; a second two sets of wheels with one set rotatably mounted on each of said second base plates, each of said second sets of wheels including two wheels with one disposed at each side of the other ed of the associated second base plate; and the wheels of said first and second sets of wheels being moveable in said annular cavities in said side walls while the wheels of said first sets of wheels are urged against the radially inner side walls of said cavities and the wheels of said second sets of wheels are urged against the radially outer side walls of said cavities. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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10. An automatic pipe welding apparatus, comprising:
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an annular base member adapted to be disposed in concentric relation to a pipe, and including a semicircular first section, a quadrant circular second section and a quadrant circular third section, said second and third sections having one respective circumferential end pivotably connected to a respective circumferential end of said first section, and their other respective circumferential ends separably and lockably connected to another; three clamping means with one associated with each of said first, second and third sections of said annular base member and disposed on the inner surface of the associated section, said clamping means being operable to clamp the pipe for fixing said annular base member with respect to the pipe; interlocking means for interlocking said clamping means for joint movement to secure the same to the pipe; and first, second and third carriages being mechanically connected to each other in substantially equi-distantly spaced relation around the outer periphery of said annular base member, said carriages being moveable circumferentially on the outer periphery of said annular base member, said first carriage having mounted thereon a detecting unit for detecting positions to be welded on the pipe and for producing signals representative thereof, said second carriage having a welding unit mounted thereon, said welding unit being actuated in response to the signals from said detecting unit, and said third carriage having mounted thereon a drive unit for driving said third carriage to move said first, second and third carriages circumferentially on the outer periphery of said annular base member. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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11. An automatic pipe welding apparatus, comprising:
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an annular base member adapted to be disposed in concentric relation to a pipe; at least three circumferentially spaced clamping means disposed on the inner periphery of said annular base member and operable to clamp the pipe for fixing said annular base member with respect to the pipe; said annular base member having openings therein corresponding in number to the number of said clamping means and disposed at positions corresponding to those where said clamping means are located, each clamping means being extendable through a corresponding opening, and said annular base member further having on the outer periphery thereof an annular concentric groove; a ring gear slidably received in said annular groove; pinions corresponding in number to the number of said clamping means with one pinion associated with each of said clamping means, said pinions being in mesh with said ring gear; eccentric cams with one being connected to each of said pinions, each of said cams being actuated through the associated pinion by said ring gear to urge the associated one of said clamping means against the pipe; and first, second and third carriages mechanically connected to each other in substantially equidistantly spaced relation around the outer periphery of said annular base member, said carriages being movable circumferentially on the outer periphery of said annular base member, said first carriage having a detecting unit mounted thereon for detecting positions to be welded on the pipe and for producing signals representative thereof, said second carriage having a welding unit mounted thereon, said welding unit being actuated in response to the signals from said detecting unit, and said third carriage having a drive unit mounted thereon for driving said third carriage to move said first, second and third carriages circumferentially on the outer periphery of said annular base member. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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12. An automatic pipe welding apparatus, comprising:
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an annular base member adapted to be disposed in concentric relation to a pipe, and including a semicircular first section, quadrant circular second section and quadrant circular third section, said second and third sections having one respective circumferential end pivotably connected to a respective circumferential end of said first section, and their other respective circumferential ends separably and lockably connected to one another; three clamping means with one associated with each of said first, second and third sections of said annular base member and disposed on the inner surface of the associated section, said clamping means being operable to clamp the pipe for fixing said annular base member with respect to the pipe; said annular base member having openings therein corresponding in number to the number of said clamping means and disposed at positions corresponding to those where said clamping means are located, each clamping means being extendable through a corresponding opening, said annular base member further having on the outer periphery thereof an annular concentric groove; a ring gear slidably received in said annular groove and divided into three sections at the locations corresponding to those where said first, second and third sections of said annular base member are connected to each other, said three sections of said ring gear being connected to each other so that said ring gear is openable as said annular base member is opened; pinions in mesh with said ring gear with one pinion associated with each of said clamping means; eccentric cams with one connected to each of said pinions, each of said cams being actuated through the associated pinion by said ring gear to urge the associated one of said clamping means against the pipe; and first, second and third carriages mechanically connected to each other in substantially equidistantly spaced relation around the outer periphery of said annular base member, said carriages being moveable circumferentially on the outer periphery of said annular base member, said first carriage having a detecting unit mounted thereon for detecting positions to be welded on the pipe and for producing signals representative thereof, said second carriage having a welding unit mounted thereon, said welding unit being actuated in response to the signals from said detecting unit, and said third carriage having a driving unit mounted thereon for driving said third carriage to move said first, second and third carriages circumferentially on the outer periphery of said annular base member. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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13. An automatic pipe welding apparatus, comprising:
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an annular base member adapted to be disposed in concentric relation to a pipe, and including a semicircular first section, a quadrant second section and a quadrant third section, said second and third sections having one respective circumferential end pivotably connected to a respective circumferential end of said first section, and their other respective circumferential ends separably and lockably connected to one another; three clamping means with one associated with each of said first, second and third sections of said annular base member and disposed on the inner surface of the associated section, said clamping means being operable to clamp the pipe for fixing said annular base member with respect to the pipe; said annular base member having side walls extending radially outwardly from the outer periphery of said annular base member at the axial edges thereof to define an annular recess between said side walls, each of said side walls having therein an annular cavity facing to said annular recess, said annular base member further having therein openings with one associated with each of said clamping means and located at each of positions corresponding to those where said clamping means are located, and an annular concentric groove on the outer periphery of said annular base member; each of said clamping means including a rod having one end thereof pivotably connected to said annular base member and a plate connected to the other end of said rod, said plate being moveable through the associated one of said openings in said annular base member toward and away from the pipe; a ring gear slidably received in said annular concentric groove and divided into three sections at the locations corresponding to those where said first, second and third sections of said annular base member are connected to each other, said three sections of said ring gear being connected to each other so that said ring gear is openable as said annular base member is opened; a gear assembly mounted on said annular base member for driving said ring gear, and including a manually rotatable worm, a worm gear in mesh with said worm and a first pinion connected to said worm gear and in mesh with said ring gear; means mounted on said annular base member for actuating said clamping means, and including second pinions with one associated with each of said clamping means, and second pinions being in mesh with said ring gear, and eccentric cams, one cam being connected to each of said second pinions and engaged with the associated one of said plates of said clamping means, in which, upon rotation of said worm, the rotation of said ring gear rotates said second pinions to cause the respective cams to urge the respective plates of said clamping means against the pipe; an annular concentric gear on the bottom of said annular recess defined between said side walls of said annular base member; first, second and third carriages mechanically connected to each other in substantially equi-distantly spaced relation around the outer periphery of said annular base member, said carriages being moveable circumferentially on the outer periphery of said annular base member, said first carriage having a detecting unit mounted thereon for detecting positions to be welded on the pipe and for producing signals representative thereof, said second carriage having a welding unit mounted thereon, said welding unit being actuated in response to the signals from said detecting unit, said third carriage having a drive unit mounted thereon for driving said third carriage to move said first, second and third carriages circumferentially on the outer periphery of said annular base member, said drive unit having a gear in mesh with said annular concentric gear on the bottom of said annular recess of said annular base member; and each of said carriages including; a first base plate; first two sets of wheels rotatably mounted on said first base plate with one set disposed at each of two positions spaced in the direction of the movement of said carriages at the bottom of said first base plate, each of said first two sets of wheels including two wheels with one disposed on each side of said first base plate; second two base plates having their respective one ends pivotably connected to said first base plate at the positions where said first two sets of wheels are mounted on said first base plate and the respective other ends mechanically connected to said first base plate so as to be adjustable in relative positions between said first base plate and said second base plates; second two sets of wheels with one set rotatably mounted on each of said second base plates, each of said second two sets of wheels including two wheels with one disposed at each side of the other end of the associated second base plate; and the wheels of said first and second sets of wheels being moveable within said annular cavities while the wheels of said first sets of wheels are urged against the radially inner walls of said annular cavities and the wheels of said second sets of wheels are urged against the radially outer walls of said annular cavities. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification