INDUCTION PRE-HEATING AND BUTT WELDING DEVICE FOR ADJACENT EDGES OF AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT TO BE WELDED

• US 20160073452A1
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Fanetti, Marco
• Granted Patent: US 10,462,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 13/02 Seam welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/06 Tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/18 Sheet panels
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/02 Iron or ferrous alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/60 Preliminary treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 28/02 Combined welding or cutting procedures or apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/235 Preliminary treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/101 for local heating of metal pieces

Abstract

Device (1) including a head (5) for induction pre-heating the adjacent edges of at least one item requiring welding which have to be joined, in which a sliding-block-shaped supporting structure (8) capable of moving above the edges to be welded (2, 3) and parallel thereto carries a first U-shaped inductor (9) in a first plane parallel to a plane containing the edges which have to be welded and carries a second inductor (14) which is U-shaped in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane in such a way that a first and second branch (16, 17) respectively of a tube (15) of the second inductor (14) are placed between the edges which have to be welded, at a predetermined distance (K) from the first inductor (9), when in use.

Claims

1. An induction pre-heating and butt welding device (1) for adjacent edges (2, 3) to be joined of at least one element (4) to be welded, of the type comprising an induction pre-heating head (5) of the adjacent edges and a welding head (6) arranged in tandem with respect to the pre-heating head, immediately downstream of the pre-heating head, with respect to a welding direction (D) along which, in use, the pre-heating and welding heads are moved according to a welding trajectory;

characterized in that the pre-heating head (5) comprises, in combination;

support structure (8) shaped as a sliding block and adapted to move over the edges (2, 3) to be welded, parallel thereto;

a first inductor (9) lying in a first plane, which is parallel to a plane containing, or passing through, the edges (2, 3) to be welded, which is integrally supported by the support structure (8) at a predetermined distance from the edges to be welded; and

a second inductor (14) lying in a second plane, perpendicular to the first plane and integrally supported by the support structure (8) so as to be in use interposed between the edges (2, 3) to be welded and arranged at a predetermined distance (K) from the first inductor (9).

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second inductors (9, 14) are supported by the sliding-block-shaped support structure (8) on the side of a same first face (13) thereof facing in use the edges to be welded;

the first inductor (9) being accommodated within the thickness of the support structure (8), which defines a box-like body open at least at the first face (13); and

the second inductor (14) being supported so as to protrude from the support structure (8), on the side of the first face (13), and through the support structure;

the second inductor (14) being supported by a first bracket (18) carried by a second face (19) of the support structure (8) opposite to the first face.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first inductor (9) is at least partly defined by a first pipe (10), is U-shaped in said first plane and is carried by the support structure (8) so that respective first and second branches (11, 12) of the first pipe are each arranged in use over one of the edges (2, 3) to be welded;

and the second inductor (14) is at least partly defined by a second pipe (15), is U-shaped in said second plane and is carried by the support structure (8) so that respective first and second branches (16, 17) of the second pipe are in use interposed between the edges (2, 3) to be welded.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the second inductor (14) has:

a first end (20) defined by L-folded terminal ends of the second pipe (15) connected to the first and second branches (16, 17) of the second inductor and passing through the sliding-block-shaped support structure (8); and

a second end (21), opposite to the first one, which is supported by a second bracket (22) integrally carried by and protruding from the support structure (8) on the opposite side with respect to the first end (20) of the second inductor.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the support structure (8) is provided with a centering means (36) with respect to the edges (2, 3) to be welded, adapted to keep the second inductor (14), in use, constantly equally spaced apart from both edges to be welded and the first inductor (9) constantly centered over the edges to be welded (2,3).

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the centering means (36) comprise a first and a second bush (37, 38), both carried so as to protrude from the support structure (8) on the side of the first face (13) and upstream and downstream of the second inductor (14), respectively, in the welding direction (D);

the bushes (37, 38) being rotating on respective axes (A, B) perpendicular to the first plane and each being provided on the side opposite to the support structure with a pair of idling rollers (39) adapted to cooperate on opposite sides with the edges (2, 3) to be welded.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein at least the first and second branches (11, 12;

16, 17) of each inductor (9;

14) are provided with flux concentrators (40), respectively defined by saddle-shaped ferrite element mounted straddling the first (10) pipe and by flat ferrite elements mounted inserted between the branches (16,17) of the second (15) pipe.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the second inductor (14) has a length extension in the welding direction (D) longer than that of the first inductor (9).

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the second inductor (14) is carried by the support structure (8) movable in a direction perpendicular to the first plane;

the device further comprising an adjusting means (23) of the predetermined distance (K) from the first inductor.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the sliding-block-shaped support structure (8) directly carries a respective independent converter (29, 30) for each inductor (9, 14) on the side of a face (19) thereof opposite to the inductors (9, 14) and to the edges (2, 3) to be welded, the inductors (9, 14) being carried so as to protrude from respective cylindrical bodies (31, 32) of the converters, which bodies (31, 32) are integrally carried by the support structure (8).

11. An induction pre-heating head (5) for a butt welding device of adjacent edges (2, 3) to be joined of at least one element to be welded, comprising, in combination:

a support structure (8) shaped as a sliding block and adapted to move over the edges to be welded, parallel thereto;

a first inductor (9) at least partly defined by a first pipe (10), the first inductor being U-shaped in a first plane, which is parallel to a plane containing the edges to be welded, and being integrally carried by the support structure (8) so that respective first and second branches (11, 12) of the first pipe are each arranged in use over one of the edges (2, 3) to be welded, at a predetermined distance from the edges to be welded; and

a second inductor (14) at least partly defined by a second pipe (15), which second inductor is U-shaped in a second plane, perpendicular to the first plane, and is integrally carried by the support structure (8) so that respective first and second branches (16, 17) of the second pipe (15) are interposed in use between the edges (2, 3) to be welded, arranged at a predetermined distance (K) from the first inductor (9).