Electrode alignment inspector and method
First Claim
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1. An inspection fixture for detecting unacceptable misalignment of opposing welding electrodes, said fixture comprising:
- a housing;
a plate mounted in said housing and adapted for movement when engaged by misaligned said electrodes, said plate having a target at its center for registering said electrodes at the beginning of a welding sequence, and a peripheral portion outboard said target and adapted for displacement when misaligned said electrodes forcibly engage said plate;
at least one displacement-detector carried by said housing adjacent said peripheral portion for detecting displacement of said peripheral portion that is indicative of unacceptable electrode misalignment; and
an alarm responsive to said displacement-detector for signaling the need for realignment of said electrodes when said unacceptable displacement is detected.
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for detecting unacceptable misalignment of welding electrodes. An electrode-alignment station is positioned adjacent a welding station. A robot controls the movement of the electrodes, and occasionally moves the electrodes out of the welding station and into an electrode-alignment station. At the electrode-alignment station, the electrodes are closed on a fixture that transfers electrode-misalignment into movement of a plate that triggers an alarm if the misalignment is greater than a prescribed amount.
5 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An inspection fixture for detecting unacceptable misalignment of opposing welding electrodes, said fixture comprising:
- a housing;
a plate mounted in said housing and adapted for movement when engaged by misaligned said electrodes, said plate having a target at its center for registering said electrodes at the beginning of a welding sequence, and a peripheral portion outboard said target and adapted for displacement when misaligned said electrodes forcibly engage said plate;
at least one displacement-detector carried by said housing adjacent said peripheral portion for detecting displacement of said peripheral portion that is indicative of unacceptable electrode misalignment; and
an alarm responsive to said displacement-detector for signaling the need for realignment of said electrodes when said unacceptable displacement is detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- a housing;
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14. Welding method comprising the steps of:
- providing a welding station having pair of aligned electrical resistance welding electrodes defining an inter-electrode gap;
passing a series of work-pieces to be welded through said gap;
pinching each of said work-pieces between said electrodes in said gap while passing electrical current through said electrodes and said work-pieces to produce a plurality of welds at said welding station;
occasionally moving said electrodes out of said welding station and into an electrode-alignment station adjacent said welding station to check alignment of said electrodes, said electrode-alignment station having an inspection fixture including a reference target against which alignment or misalignment is determined and an electrode misalignment detector;
positioning said electrodes in said alignment station so as to locate said electrodes opposite said target;
closing said electrodes so as to forcefully engage said electrode misalignment detector, and trigger an alarm if said electrode misalignment detector indicates that said electrodes are misaligned by a prescribed amount or more. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
- providing a welding station having pair of aligned electrical resistance welding electrodes defining an inter-electrode gap;
Specification