Abstract: A gas metal arc welding gun includes a power cable in which the power conductors are asymmetrically distributed in a crescent between a gas conduit and a sheath in order to improve flexibility of the power cable. The welding gun includes a head assembly which includes a head that defines an internal annular ridge between a contact tip and a free end of an electrode liner. This annular ridge serves as a stop for the contact tip, as a centering guide for the electrode liner, and as a shield to protect the electrode from welding spatter. The welding gun includes a two-piece handle which includes a tongue and aperture guide at one end, and an interlocking flange guide at the other end. The two guides restrict movement between the two housing parts to axial movement, and a snap ring locks the two housing parts in a desired assembled position.

Abstract: A welding gun apparatus to supply welding wire, electrical power, and shielding gas to a working area includes a connector plug with a conduit stop therein. The conduit stop is fittedly received within a bore in the connector plug and is of unitary one-piece construction so as to provide a fluid-tight fit therewith.

Abstract: A gas seal for a MIG gun system for preventing the leakage of shielding gas out the rear end thereof which includes a connector assembly, which seal is embodied in an elongated tubular member which has an outside diameter sized to be positioned extending into a bore extending through the connector assembly of the MIG gun welding system. The tubular member has flange means on one end including an outwardly extending annular flange which has a surface adapted when installed to be in surface-to-surface contact with the connector assembly adjacent the bore therethrough to form a seal therebetween, and an inwardly extending flange defining an opening of a size to permit welding wire to move therethrough. The inwardly extending flange and the adjacent portion of the tubular member form a cavity on the upstream side of the inwardly extending flange. A resilient member is positioned in the cavity upstream of the opening defined by the inwardly extending flange.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for controlling beamed energy radiation, e.g. of electron beams, onto a workpiece making use of a beam gun for producing a series of successive, time-spaced groups of pulsed energy beams. A power supply for the beam gun is constructed to produce a series of successive, time-spaced groups of discrete, time-spaced electrical pulses to produce the series of the successive, time-spaced groups of the pulsed energy beams. A highly precise, subtle control of the energy flow of the beamed radiation onto the workpiece is achieved in this manner by controlling the time duration .tau.on and the time interval .tau.off of the electrical pulses, the time duration Ton and the time interval Toff of the groups and the number n of the electrical pulses in each of the groups.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a gun arm for a resistance welding gun. The gun arm comprises a main body, an electrode holder mounted on the front portion of the main body and a support member fixed to the rear portion of the main body. The main body comprises a conductor member having a water passage on at least one side thereof and a plate member fixed to at least one side of the conductor member and in contact with the water passage. In one embodiment of the present invention, the water passage comprises at least one groove formed in the conductor member with the groove being covered by the plate member. In an alternative embodiment, the water passage comprises at least one pipe which is positioned between the plate members which comprise the at least one plate member.

Abstract: A formulation for the flux in a cored-type electric arc welding electrode which produces high impact value welds while welding vertically up or overhead and at greater melt-off rates than heretofore. The major flux ingredients are lithium oxide, iron oxide, silicon dioxide, lithium carbonate, magnesium and aluminum metal powders, all in a carefully balanced formula to give excellent operator appeal and excellent slag removal.

Abstract: A submerged arc welding machine in which the edges of plates to be butt welded are supported on a channel fixed on a long rigid foundation beam. The plates are otherwise held on inverted caster wheel assemblies. A long rigid bridge spaced above the beam carries a track on which the arc welding apparatus carriage rides. The plate edge portions are held by vertically movable electromagnets, and the channel forms a magnetic shield so that the magnets do not affect the welding arc. Vertically movable rollers allow the plates to be positioned without interference from the channel. A copper backup bar in the channel has a groove that is filled with flux, and the bar is raised to hold the flux under the weld line. A shoe on the carriage lays flux in the groove when the carriage returns after a welding pass, and a vacuum pickup head cleans the groove for the shoe flux delivery. During the welding pass, the pickup head removes flux on opposite sides of the weld.

Abstract: A rotatable barrel mounting assembly comprising a main base barrel adapter structure of electrical conducting material that is detachably connectable with a connection block for cooling fluid, electrical, inert gas and welding wire sources of a MIG torch main housing that can be manually or robot manipulated. The barrel adapter structure is formed with a socket for rotatably receiving a curved barrel mounting end structure and establishing connections with the cooling fluid, inert gas and welding wire sources for use by a welding tip at the outer end of the barrel. Electrical connection with the barrel mounting end structure is accomplished by a collet nut of insulating material carried by the main base adapter structure, and which is rotatably operable to move flexible collet finger contacts on the main base adapter structure into engagement with a surface of the barrel mounting end structure and also hold the barrel in an adjusted rotated position.

Abstract: In a welding gun apparatus, an improved electrical power conductor assembly in which electrical conduit wire may be readily secured to a cable connector body while the structural integrity of the conduit wire is maintained. Conduit wire is fastened to the connector body by means of an axially movable connector sleeve which secures the wire against a tapered mandrel on the connector body. A pressure nut threadably adapted to the connector body controls the axial position of the connector sleeve.

Abstract: A welding apparatus includes an improved transformer having a U-shaped secondary winding movable therein and guided by means external to the transformer. One leg of the U-shaped winding is flexibly connected to a first welding electrode carried by the piston rod of a jack having a jack body and piston adapted for movement relative to one another. The other leg of the winding is rigidly connected to a second welding electrode which is also rigidly secured to the jack body. The jack is movably mounted on guide means external to the transformer. Thus, as the second electrode is moved during a welding operation, the secondary winding is guided within the transformer by the movement thereof.A method of welding includes moving the first electrode toward a workpiece so as to contact the same and thereafter moving the second electrode to clamp the workpiece for welding, the secondary winding being guided by the movement of the second electrode.

Abstract: A machine for electrical resistance welding of chain links has upsetting bars (10) which are engaged against the arcuate ends of a chain link (1). On either side of the welding zone the legs of a link are gripped by pairs of electrodes (12) attached to the ends of a two-armed clamp (14). The arms (13) of the clamp are mounted for pivoting in a plane at right angles to the chain link, and also about an axis in this plane extending at right angles to the upsetting direction and passing through journalling head (20) attached to the end of a piston rod (21) of a counteraction cylinder (20). The ends remote from the electrode jaws (12) of the clamp arms (13) are acted on by an operation cylinder (30) which, via a link system (16, 16), gives the clamp a gripping movement about the link leg. The cylinder (20) with cylinder (30) and the clamp (14) commonly form a welding head which is pivotable about an axis (z-- z) at right angles to the upsetting direction.

Abstract: A method of welding a pair of aluminum driveshaft components together is disclosed. A first driveshaft component is formed with a hollow cylindrical end portion having an inside diameter and a flat radially-extending end surface. A second driveshaft component is formed with a cylindrical end portion extending axially from a flat radially-extending shoulder. The end portion of the second driveshaft component has an outside diameter which is approximately equal to the inside diameter of the cylindrical end portion of the first component. The cylindrical end portion of the first component is telescopically positioned about a portion of the cylindrical end portion of the second component such that a predetermined distance defining a longitudinally-extending annular gap therebetween is maintained between the end surface of the first component and the shoulder of the second component. A welding compound is supplied within the gap to weld the first and second driveshaft components together.

Abstract: A large generally cylindrical workpiece is supported for rotation and driven by a set of axially spaced floor supported units each including a pair of parallel spaced cradle rolls. The cradle rolls of each unit are supported by a surrounding frame, and a pair of trunnions support each frame and cradle rolls for tilting movement on a transverse axis. Each unit also has a set of power operated screw jacks which precisely position the cradle rolls at a selected elevation, and the cradle rolls of one unit have resilient outer surfaces and are driven by an endless chain drive system. The cradle rolls of another unit are positioned within a cooling liquid to prevent overheating of the rolls by a heated workpiece, and each unit carries air inflatible flotation cells to facilitate moving the unit. A horizontal track extends parallel to the cradle rolls and supports a carriage having a portion projecting cantileveredly above the workpiece.

Abstract: An alignment tool is provided for use in a metal cylindrical can welding machine which is an integral unit constructed of discrete component parts comprising an insulating part and a guide part of high strength and hardness. The insulating part prevents electrical current from passing through the alignment tool thereby preventing spark erosion, increased wear and inefficiency. The high strength part provides the necessary characteristics required for guiding the edges of the can body blanks to the welding rollers and can be selectively replaced for repair or modification thereby reducing repair costs.

Abstract: A welding gun having a switch comprising two spaced apart coaxial conducting springs which act as switch contacts for completing a circuit to initiate a welding process. A coaxial flexible wall in the handle of the welding gun surrounds the two springs such that, when a welding machine operator depresses the flexible wall, the two springs make electrical contact to complete the circuit. When the flexible wall is released, the springs return to their original positions, thereby interrupting the electrical circuit.

Abstract: The parallel faces of thick-walled structures to be joined by arc welding are provided an electrically conductive metallic support along and up into the bottom of a gap between the parallel walls for the initial pass of the arc. The metallic support is subsequently gouged from the gap and the union of the parallel faces is completed by filling the gouged space with welding material.

Abstract: A method of hardfacing vertical walls comprises building up a layer of superimposed partly overlapping horizontally extending weld beads by depositing the beads in a submerged arc welding operation using relatively thin welding wires and welding powder which is fed over the weld wire. The welding powder is allowed to accumulate to provide a support for additional powder as welding progresses vertically.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for forming a reinforcing cage for a prestressed concrete pile, in which the cage includes a set of main steel bars arranged in a circular pattern and an auxiliary wire which is helically wound around and welded at its crossings with the steel bars, that prevents any crossings from being welded when the current for welding is either insufficient in magnitude or not present and that prevents any unwelded crossings from being subsequently tempered.

Abstract: A fluid circulating apparatus for cleaning welding electrode wheels with a spray of fluid. A high pressure pump draws the fluid from a tank and distributes it to a plurality of welding stations where nozzles spray the fluid on the electrodes. Flow of water through the system is balanced by providing a dumping outlet through which fluid is released from the system when the welding machine is not performing a welding operation. A diverting valve is used to shift the fluid flow from the nozzles to the dumping outlet. An integrated fluid control system is disclosed for controlling both the welding machine and cleaning apparatus.

Abstract: A welding apparatus includes a mechanical hand assembly suspended from a support assembly rotatably mounted on a movable base. The hand assembly includes a first pair of mechanical hands connected to a hydraulic cylinder and a second mechanical hand coaxially movable relative to the first mechanical hand. Each mechanical hand functions as an electrode during welding, and comprises a movable gripping member pivoted relative to a fixed gripping member by a hydraulic actuator. The support assembly comprises an elongated, counterbalanced beam which is length-adjustable relative to a rotatable support pedestal mounted on a movable base, and may include a pulley and cable supporting the hand assembly to provide adjustment in the vertical position of the handling assembly. The hydraulic system includes controls to effect grasping by the mechanical hands of the elements to be welded and coaxial longitudinal movement of the hands to bring together the elements for joining.