Abstract: An insulating system for walls of furnaces, kilns and the like including apparatus and methods for retaining the system in place. The system includes a crisscross pattern of insulation blankets positioned against the wall, a vapor barrier and high temperature modular insulation blocks positioned against the vapor barrier. The apparatus and methods for retaining the system in place utilize studs welded to the wall upon which the insulation blanket and vapor barrier are impaled and between which are positioned the modular blocks. A block retaining pin with a notched portion midway thereof cooperates with an aperture in the end of the stud permitting the pin to pass through the aperture of the stud piercing the wall of block to retain the block while the pin is rotated to provide an interlock of the notched portion of the pin with the aperture of the stud.

Abstract: An insulating system for walls of furnaces, kilns and the like including apparatus and methods for retaining the system in place. The system includes a crisscross pattern of insulation blankets positioned against the wall, a vapor barrier and high temperature modular insulation blocks positioned against the vapor barrier. The apparatus and methods for retaining the system in place utilize studs welded to the wall upon which the insulation blanket and vapor barrier are impaled and between which are positioned the modular blocks. A block retaining pin with a notched portion midway thereof cooperates with an aperture in the end of the stud permitting the pin to pass through the aperture of the stud piercing the wall of block to retain the block while the pin is rotated to provide an interlock of the notched portion of the pin with the aperture of the stud.

Abstract: Improvements to stud welding equipment having automatic stud feeding apparatus. The stud receiving chamber and receiving chamber entrance are positioned for top loading of the studs being fed through a stud loading tube. The stud loading tube and attached stud feed tube are detachably connected to the stud welding gun by a stud block and disconnect assembly which includes a transversely movable slider which provides the dual function of providing the detachable interlock with the stud welding gun and blockage of the stud loading tube when the assembly is detached.

Abstract: Stick and stud welding apparatus which utilizes a microprocessor and related RAMs, ROMs and peripheral interface devices to control the welding parameters. The ideal desired weld current and weld cycles in the case of stud welding can be selected depending upon the mode of operation and/or stud conditions. The program for the microprocessor instructs the microprocessor to periodically compare the actual welding current to the ideal current, compute the difference and alter the phase firing time of an SCR bridge to compensate or adjust the welding current to the ideal current. In the case of stud welding mode, the program further instructs the microprocessor to reference the selected number of cycles, compute the total energy delivered across the stud and workpiece gap from actual current, welding terminal voltage and time and enlarge the number of actual weld cycles to a given percentage of that initially selected to provide a total energy input to the stud as selected.

Abstract: Mobile apparatus for, on site, welding of rail retaining clip studs to existing railroad rail plates which includes a railway car assembly having wheel and axle assemblies and propulsion means to move the railway car assembly along the railway tracks. The railway car assembly further includes two carriage assemblies each of which carries two welding gun assemblies which project downwardly upon each side of the rail plate. The carriage assembly includes carriage actuator means for moving the carriage assembly both longitudinally and transversely of the rail plate to position the welding gun assemblies. A position and sensing control means is provided which includes a rail plate sensor which first senses the position of a rail plate to stop the railway car assembly and properly position the welding gun assembies with respect to the rail plate longitudinally thereof.