Continuous, automatic mesh welding structure and method

• US 4,328,409 A
• Filed: 11/08/1979
• Issued: 05/04/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles Senn
• Original Assignee: Charles Senn
• Inventors: Senn, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Truhe, J. V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): George, Keith E.
• Application Number:
  US06/092,560
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 219/56, 219/58, 219/79, 219/80, 140/112
• US Class Current: 219/56
• CPC Class Codes: B21F 27/10 with soldered or welded crossings resistance spot welding machines for manufacturing of metallic grids or mats B23K11/008
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/0086 Grids or mats used in concrete structures B23K11/11 takes precedence

Abstract

Structure for and the method of supporting an initial plurality of longitudinally extending large diameter reinforcing rods in transversely aligned spaced apart relation, separately feeding individual, transversely extending reinforcing rods onto the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods at a welding position, simultaneously welding the transversely extending reinforcing rod to each of the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods at the welding position, subsequently indexing the welded transversely extending reinforcing rod and longitudinally extending reinforcing rods a predetermined distance longitudinally of the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods, repeating the feeding, welding and indexing until transversely extending reinforcing rods are welded in predetermined parallel spaced apart relation over the length of the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods, and during the repetitive feeding, welding and indexing placing additional longitudinally spaced apart large diameter reinforcing rods on the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods axially displaced from the welding position, and moving the additional reinforcing rods into welding position after all required transverse reinforcing rods are welded to the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods, and repeating the method to continuously and automatically weld airport concrete mesh sections.

Claims

1. Structure for continuously, automatically welding heavy steel mesh comprising means for supporting initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods in transversely spaced apart parallel positions, means operably associated with the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods for automatically feeding transversely extending reinforcing rods onto the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods one at a time at a predetermined welding position comprising a mesh engaging member having a guiding surface extending parallel to the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods and positioned above the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods approximately the diameter of the transversely extending reinforcing rods and terminating in an abutment surface adjacent the welding position, a positioning member extending above the guiding surface on the mesh engaging member, piston and cylinder structure mounting said positioning member for reciprocal movement toward and away from the welding position whereby a transversely extending reinforcing rod positioned on the guiding surface of the mesh engaging member may be moved into the welding position adjacent the abutment surface of the mesh engaging member on movement of the positioning member toward the welding position, and a second transversely extending reinforcing rod is allowed to move onto the guiding surface of the mesh engaging member on movement of the positioning member away from the welding position, and means for positioning tranversely extending reinforcing rods onto the guiding surface of the mesh engaging member one at a time, means at the welding position operably associated with the supporting and feeding means for simultaneously welding a transversely extending reinforcing rod to the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods at the intersections of the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods and the transversely extending reinforcing rod, means operably associated with the welded transversely extending and longitudinally extending reinforcing rods for automatically indexing the welded reinforcing rods to position the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods for receipt of a subsequent transversely extending reinforcing rod at the welding position in parallel spaced apart relation to the welded transversely extending reinforcing rod, including the mesh engaging member and piston and cylinder means secured thereto for moving the mesh engaging member reciprocally in the direction of extent of the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods a distance equal to the desired spacing between the transversely extending reinforcing rods, means for supporting additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods on the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods over a substantial portion of the length thereof, and means for moving the additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods into the welding position after the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods have been indexed out of the welding position.

2. Structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for supporting additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods on the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods comprises guide means positioned beneath and spaced apart longitudinally of the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods having notches therein for receiving the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods and the additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods positioned on top of the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods, and further guide means positioned adjacent the welding position having an oval opening therethrough for allowing passage of the lower initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods axially therethrough and which will initially prevent the upper additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods from axial movement into the welding position.

3. Structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for moving the additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods into the welding position after the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods have been indexed out of the welding position comprises a plurality of additional piston and cylinder structures positioned adjacent the one end of the additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods opposite the welding position and means secured to the additional piston and cylinder structures engageable with the one ends of the additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods for selectively axially moving the additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods into the welding position on actuation of the additional piston and cylinder structures.

4. The method of continuously automatically welding heavy steel mesh comprising supporting initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods in transversely spaced apart parallel positions, automatically feeding transversely extending reinforcing rods onto the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods one at a time at a predetermined welding position, welding a transversely extending reinforcing rod to the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods at the intersections of the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods and the transversely extending reinforcing rod simultaneously, indexing the welded reinforcing rods to position the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods for receipt of a subsequent transversely extending reinforcing rod at the welding position in parallel spaced apart relation to the welded transversely extending reinforcing rod a distance equal to the desired spacing of transversely extending reinforcing rods on the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods, repeating the feeding, welding and indexing steps until a complete mesh section is produced, supporting additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods on the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods over a substantial portion of the length thereof during repetitive welding and indexing steps, and moving the additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods axially into the welding position after the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods have been indexed out of the welding position.

5. Structure for continuously and automatically welding steel mesh comprising means for positioning an initial plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending and transversely spaced apart reinforcing rods with one end at a welding position, means for feeding a transversely extending reinforcing rod onto the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods at the welding position, means for simultaneously welding the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods and the transversely extending reinforcing rod to each other at the intersections thereof at the welding position, means for indexing the welded longitudinally extending and transversely extending reinforcing rods away from the welding position a distance substantially equal to desired spacing of transversely extending reinforcing rods on the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods whereby transversely extending reinforcing rods may be repeatedly automatically welded to the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods to provide a complete reinforcing mesh section, structure for supporting additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods on the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods over a substantial portion of the length thereof, and means for moving the additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods into the welding position after the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods have been indexed out of the welding position.

6. Structure as set forth in claim 5 wherein the means for supporting additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods on the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods comprises guide means positioned beneath and spaced apart longitudinally of the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods having notches therein for receiving the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods and the additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods positioned on top of the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods, and further including guide means positioned adjacent the welding position having an oval opening therethrough for allowing passage of the lower initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods axially therethrough and which will initially prevent the upper additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods from axial movement into the welding position.

7. Structure as set forth in claim 5 wherein the means for moving the additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods into the welding position after the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods have been indexed out of the welding position comprises a plurality of additional piston and cylinder structures positioned adjacent the one end of the additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods opposite the welding position and means secured to the additional piston and cylinder structures engageable with the one ends of the additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods for selectively axially moving the additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods into the welding position on actuation of the additional piston and cylinder structures.

8. The method of continuously and automatically welding steel mesh comprising positioning an initial plurality of longitudinally extending and transversely spaced apart reinforcing rods with one end at a welding position, feeding a transversely extending reinforcing rod onto the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods at the welding position, simultaneously welding the longitudinally extending reinforcing rod to each other at the intersections thereof at the welding position, indexing the welded longitudinally extending and transversely extending reinforcing rods away from the welding position a distance substantially equal to a desired spacing of transversely extending reinforcing rods on the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods and repeatedly automatically welding transversely extending reinforcing rods to the indexed longitudinally extending reinforcing rods to provide a complete reinforcing mesh section, supporting additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods on the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods over a substantial portion of the length thereof, and moving the additional longitudinally extending reinforcing rods into the welding position after the initial longitudinally extending reinforcing rods have been indexed out of the welding position.