Abstract: In a flash butt welder for joining strip ends, the improvement for improving the quality of flash butt welds made in specialty grade steels, such as high strength low alloy, as well as for considerably reducing the upset current requirement, by applying a protective atmosphere of combustible gas, such as propane, natural gas, or hydrogen during the flash butt welding process. Welds free from any detectable defects can be made with lower upset current densities thus extending the equipment welding capacity.

Abstract: A method of welding electrical contacts onto conductive bodies including engaging a surface of the contact with the conductive body and passing a welding current through a pair of spaced surface areas of the contact to provide weld action and wherein a rib portion between the pair of spaced areas retains unoxidized metal thereon to improve electrical contact properties of any article made and utilizing the contact and particularly the ribbed area thereof for make and break engagement with other members of an electric circuit.A new control article is also provided wherein a contact therein has a raised center rib thereon for contacting an associated means for make and break circuit action, which contact is made from silver or silver alloy and has uncontaminated silver on the surface of the rib or center area of the contact.

Abstract: A welder comprises a tubular support, a collar in the tubular support and a copper-coated carbon rod in the collar which extends coaxially therein. The collar is connected through a slot in the wall of the support to an exterior operating member, said operating member being operable so as to move the rod axially of the tubular support to a position adjacent a workpiece to enable an electric arc to be formed between the rod and the workpiece. A plurality of prongs is provided at one end of said tubular support, said prongs having free ends arranged to engage the workpiece at spaced apart positions adjacent the area where the arc is to be struck. Resilient means is provided to produce a bias which acts against the movement of the rod towards the workpiece.

Abstract: A gas-tungsten arc welding method for joining together structures formed of aluminum alloy with these structures disposed contiguously to a heat-damagable substrate of a metal dissimilar to the aluminum alloy. The method of the present invention is practiced by diamond machining the fay surfaces of the aluminum alloy structures to provide a mirror finish thereon having a surface roughness in the order of about one microinch. The fay surfaces are aligned and heated sufficiently by the tungsten electrode to fuse the aluminum alloy contiguous to the fay surfaces to effect the weld joint. The heat input used to provide an oxide-free weld is significantly less than that required if the fay surfaces were prepared by using conventional chemical and mechanical practices.

Abstract: A method of electroslag welding of light metals wherein parts to be welded, a forming device, and an electrode are successively mounted with the provision of a required gap between said parts, following which the gap is filled with a flux, and then a slag pool is set up with following melting of the electrode and the edges with the formation of a metal pool, which is accumulated, maintained in the liquid state and utilized for filling the welding gap with the liquid metal with subsequent solidification of the liquid metal. According to the invention, the metal pool is accumulated outside the gap above the parts being welding, and filling the gap with the liquid metal is carried out after the termination of fusion of the electrode and the parts being welded and accumulation of the metal pool in a volume required for filling the gap considering weld reinforcement.

Abstract: A holding fixture for use in the brazing of heat exchangers applying multiple holding pressures, two of which are in senses opposed to one another. Cage members mount a heat exchanger between them and are biased in a separating sense. At the same time they incorporate apparatus to apply a clamping pressure essentially within respective cage members. Fixture mechanism includes a detachable part useful as a reactant member in application of the clamping pressure and as a dynamic retainer in applying a pressure in conjunction with a separating motion of the cage members. The invention has method aspects related to brazing in the presence of multiple applied pressures.

Abstract: Electrodes for use in electric resistance welding and a method of making such electrodes are disclosed. The electrodes are each shaped to define a tip surface for contact with a workpiece during welding. In one embodiment, each electrode comprises an electrode body of copper and a layer of titanium carbide on the body defining said tip surface. The titanium carbide layer is fused to the electrode body by a spark-fusion technique and forms a unitary electrode with the body. This form of electrode has been found advantageous in terms of minimizing "pick-up" of workpiece material during welding, and distortion of the electrode.

Abstract: An electric resistance seam welding method and apparatus includes a continuous wire electrode which is passed successively over a first electrode reel and thereafter over a second electrode reel via a plurality of guide and deflection rollers, the outer surfaces of the wire confronting each other when passing over the reels and being pressed together by the reels by a predetermined welding force against interposed workpieces to be seam welded together. An electric current is applied so as to pass from the second electrode reel to the first reel through the wire electrode and the interposed workpieces, and the wire electrode is motor driven for feeding the workpieces through the reels. A copper wire is utilized as the wire electrode and has a tensile strength at the elastic limit of between 11 and 13 kg-f/mm.sup.2 and has a percentage elongation at break of 26 to 17%. The reels are pressed together by a force of 60 to 70 kg, and the copper wire is subject to a tensile stress of less than 10 kg-f/mm.sup.

Abstract: A tube welding apparatus for the front face of a tube sheet. The welding apparatus includes a welding head housing from which protrudes a securing mandrel assembly. The mandrel assembly is to be positioned within the tube that is to be welded. The securing mandrel assembly includes a ball assembly which is to be movable to an extended position in tight contact with the interior wall of the tube. The welding electrode is to be selectively mountable in any one of various positions within a welding electrode mounting housing which is located within the welding head housing. The different positions of mounting the electrode physically orient the electrode at slightly different angles with respect to the weld area. Inert gas is to be supplied to the weld area through a gas discharge passage assembly. Included within the welding head housing is a gas diffuser to facilitate even dispursement of the gas about the tip of the welding electrode.

Abstract: A modular welding apparatus comprises a welding head assembly having a welding head with an integral actuating assembly. A foot treadle initiates motion of the welding head. A conductive base member is spaced from the welding head. A welding power supply has one lead connected to the welding head and a second lead connected to the base member. An interchangeable welding module is disposed on the base member in electrical contact therewith. The welding module includes a conductive support plate and a locking cam for detachably attaching the support plate to the base member. A welding mandrel comprising one welding electrode is in contact with the support plate. An insulating member is attached to the support plate and an articulated welding electrode assembly is attached to the insulating member.

Abstract: An apparatus and method capable of applying weld material to metal parts on a generally automatic basis. The apparatus and method are uniquely adapted to apply weld material to the journals and crankpins and crank arms of an automotive type crankshaft on a generally automatic basis. The apparatus comprises a frame and a head stock and tail stock for rotatably supporting a crankshaft relative to the frame. A carriage is shiftable relative to the crankshaft and in a direction generally parallel to the central axis of the crankshaft. A welding torch is carried by the carriage and shiftable longitudinally and generally parallel to the central axis of said crankshaft. A torch positioning mechanism in said carriage includes a member simultaneously moveable in two mutually perpendicular directions by a drive mechanism which also causes rotation of the crankshaft.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for brazing a commutator to a pair of armature wires which are arranged one above the other employ a dual brazing alloy wire feeder which feeds one brazing alloy wire between a commutator and the lowermost armature wire, while simultaneously feeding the other brazing alloy wire between the lowermost armature wire and the uppermost armature wire. At the conclusion of the brazing operation, the partially consumed brazing alloy wires are automatically advanced to a predetermined length in preparation for a subsequent brazing operation by which the commutator is mechanically and electrically connected to another pair of armature wires.

Abstract: This multispotwelding machine serving for the production of grids or gratings has a welding electrode system (50, 51, 52) suitable for double spotwelding in the direction of the longitudinal members (L) and having two lines of weld (S1, S2), two crosswire feed lines (E1, E2) arranged in a fixed position at a distance apart (A), two crosswire transfer tools (4, 5) which are arranged on a common bearer (1), which can be shifted in the direction of the grid feed by a length of stroke (H) corresponding with the distance of the plane of symmetry (ME) of the feed lines from the plane of symmetry (MS) of the lines of weld (S1, S2) of the welding electrode system, as well as a grid feed mechanism (67).

Abstract: Adjustment assembly for the rotary torch head of an electrical welding gun having a torchholder (4) supporting the welding electrode (3) and a filling wire nozzle (8) at the end of a wire feed tube (9) held in a swivel holder (11) arranged on torchholder (4) so as to be swivellably adjustable about swivel spindle (10) of filler wire nozzle (8). Torchholder (4) is swivellably adjustably held on longitudinal slide (5) about its swivel spindle (7), slide (5) being adjustably guided on a cross-slide (6) parallel to the rotation axis of the torch head. For fixing the clearance of the adjusting devices, a spring can be secured between the back of the torchholder (4) and drive shaft (15) of the torch head. The spring can be formed by the wire feed tube (9), which is secured so as to be resiliently bent out between filler wire nozzle (8) and torch head drive shaft (15).

Abstract: A welder having two generally parallel, closely spaced electrodes for manual or automatic welding of wire having displaceable insulation, for use particularly in the wiring of electronic circuit boards. The two electrodes have independent suspensions electrically isolated from one another, and have an aperture formed therebetween sufficiently large to allow a wire to pass therethrough. During the welding process, the wire is captured between the tip of one of the two electrodes and a conductive surface to which the wire is to be welded. As downward force is applied to the welder, the tip of the one electrode displaces the insulation on the wire adjacent thereto and adjacent the surface, while the other electrode tip is driven directly into electrical contact with the surface. Once sufficient force has been applied to the electrode to displace the insulation on the wire, a switch is actuated, supplying a current to the electrodes to weld the wire to the surface.

Abstract: A plier (35, 36) of which the jaws are provided with claws (38, 39) of electrically good conductor metal, threaded in a complementary way to that of the threaded portion (10) of the cap (4) of the device (1), grips the device (1) by that threaded portion (10) of the cap (4) while strongly pressing the capsule (17) on the threaded end (10) of the cap (4) and heating those parts by Joule effect. The plier rests on a portion (26) which rests itself on the frame (25) of the machine. Hence, the insulating portion of ceramic material (2) of the device is not subjected to any stress due to the pressure exerted during such welding operation.

Abstract: The present apparatus for trimming the edges and for cutting holes into three-dimensional hollow work pieces comprises few components and may be easily modified or retooled for use on molded work pieces of different shapes and sizes. For this purpose, the apparatus comprises a support mold 1 having a shape complementary to the shape of the work piece. The support mold is exchangeable and receives or holds the work piece in a form locking manner. The support mold comprises slots 4 or apertures 6 located where the trimming or cutting is to take place in the work piece. A laser cutting device 20 is arranged for cooperation with the support mold 1 in such a way that a relative motion may be performed between the laser cutting device and the support mold. Thus, the cutting laser beam is effective along the slots and along the edges of an aperture.

Abstract: A torch, useful in air-carbon arc processes has a holder (9, 11) for an electrode (E) and gas control means comprising a venturi air injector (4), arranged to pass both compressed air (F) and induced air (Fi) along the electrode to the tip (Et) to cool the electrode, increase the rate of removal of metal and reduce consumption of electrode and compressed air.

Abstract: An electric arc welding gas system utilizing a welding gas comprising a mixture of argon, helium, carbon dioxide and oxygen; electrode currents in the range of 100 to 1100 amperes so as to form electrode metal globules of at least the size of the electrode diameter at the rate of 400 to 1200 globules per second.

Abstract: An electric power supply in pulse form is applied between a welding electrode and workpieces. The temperature of a molten pool is measured by a radiation-type thermometer when no power supply pulse is applied, and the welding condition is controlled in response to an output signal of the radiation-type thermometer.