Patents Examined by Clifford C. Shaw
  • Patent number: 7301117
    Abstract: A process and a device for controlling the pressing force of the electrodes [of an] electrode holder driven by means of an electric motor, especially of an industrial robot, during the welding operation characterized in that the motor position is controlled or that a means for controlling the position of the electric motor is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Günther Wiedemann, Franz Pecher
  • Patent number: 7301119
    Abstract: A process and a system are proposed for short-time arc-welding elements, such as for example metal studs, on to components, such as for example metal sheets, wherein an element in the context of a welding operation is initially raised in relation to the component, a welding arc is formed between the element and the component, and the element is lowered again, the lifting height of the element in relation to the component being detected at least within a time segment between raising and lowering of the element. The initiation of the lowering operation and/or the lowering operation itself is controlled as a factor of the detected lifting height such that a previously specified total welding time is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Newfrey LLC
    Inventors: Wolfgang Schmidt, Arne Friedrich, Klaus G Schmitt
  • Patent number: 7301122
    Abstract: A spark gap point and spark gap assembly for a welding-type device are disclosed for igniting and stabilizing a welding-type arc. A double-headed spark gap point having spark gap surfaces on two ends is incorporated into a spark gap assembly with a pair of single-headed spark gap points that each have only a single spark gap surface. All spark gap points are arranged coaxially on a base so that each spark gap surface faces another spark gap surface. A spark gap is created between each set of opposing spark gap surfaces. When a high voltage is applied across the spark gap points, sparks periodically arc across the spark gaps, creating a high frequency, high voltage signal usable to ignite or stabilize a welding-type arc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Justin L Paquette, Jeffery J Gadamus
  • Patent number: 7301123
    Abstract: A method of impulse treatment which modifies at least one specified property of a material or object (such as a welded joint), or produces a material or object with at least one specified physical, mechanical or structural property, by adaptively controlling an impulse action upon the material/object is described. An impulse action includes normalized impulses and pauses, i.e., a controlled and adaptive alternation of periods of material condition impulse activation with periods of relaxation therebetween, wherein the pauses allow the material to recover from the impulse before the next impulse is applied to the material. The energy of the impulse actions can originate from various sources, but the method of the invention is in particular advantageous when the energy of action is initiated and delivered by ultrasonic impact, wherein the energy is applied to any suitable material so that at least one property of the material is modified or produced in order to attain a desired technical effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: U.I.T., L.L.C.
    Inventor: Efim S. Statnikov
  • Patent number: 7297899
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a welding-type power source controller that includes a processor configured to control a welding-type power source to produce a variable maximum output that can exceed a rated maximum output based on actual operating conditions, as opposed to standardized maximum rated operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel C. Fosbinder
  • Patent number: 7297900
    Abstract: Methods of arc welding and an arc welding assembly comprise a power source configured to provide a welding current, and a single weld housing. The weld housing comprises a welding torch, which comprises a consumable electrode wire. The welding torch defining an elongated member configured to utilize the welding current to melt at least part of the consumable electrode wire and provide welding current to the work piece. The weld housing further comprises a bypass torch defining an elongated member configured to divert a portion of the welding current away from the work piece while allowing other portions of the current to flow to the work piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven M. Byerly
  • Patent number: 7294808
    Abstract: A wire feeder including a motor driving a set of feed rolls to force a welding wire from a spool through a welding torch to a welding operation. The wire feeder has an input lead to be connected to the output lead of one of a plurality of remotely located power sources, each having a signal receiver for receiving transmitted signal with a code unique to one of the power sources. The receiver having an output for controlling a parameter or condition of the one power source in accordance with a received signal with the unique code. A transmitter on each of said plurality of power sources for transmitting on its output lead a coded signal specific to the power source. A signal receiver on said wire feeder to receive a unique code from the specific power source actually connected to the wire feeder and a circuit on the wire feeder for transmitting command signals from the wire feeder, which command signals each have the unique code specific to the power source connected to said wire feeder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Lincoln Global, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward M. Furman, Keith L. Clark
  • Patent number: 7291803
    Abstract: Method and device for obtaining information to evaluate the quality of a resistance welding connection and/or to control or regulate a resistance welding method. Method and device include performing a resistance welding procedure on workpieces, performing a step including one of obtaining information to evaluate one of a quality of a resistance welding connection during the resistance welding procedure, controlling the resistance welding procedure, and regulating the resistance welding procedure, and measuring a first voltage between a first welding electrode and a first workpiece of the workpieces being welded during the resistance welding procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Inventor: Erdogan Karakas
  • Patent number: 7288741
    Abstract: An arc welder comprising: a rectifier circuit 2 which rectifies an alternating current 1 to a direct current; an inverter circuit 3; a transformer 4; a second rectifier circuit 5 which rectifies an output of the transformer 4 to a direct current; and a first reactor 6 which is connected to the second rectifier circuit 5. The arc welder further has a current circuit 10 which is connected in parallel to the second rectifier circuit 5 with a reactance that is larger than the reactance of the first reactor 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignees: Hitachi Via Mechanics, LT, Kabushiki Kaisha Yasakawa Denki
    Inventors: Seigo Nishikawa, Seiichiro Fukushima, Tsuneo Shinada, Kiyoshi Naito
  • Patent number: 7285747
    Abstract: A speedy method of welding in a tight space using a single pass is provided using a technique which involves the use of a particularly shaped, flux treated consumable insert to provide deep weld penetration by a GTAW machine which is compact and fits the narrow spaces found in applications such as feeder tube repair since it does not require an insert wire flux feed system and is thus capable of negotiating narrow spaces found in feeder tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Atreva NP Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald J. Payne, Stephen M. Lavesque
  • Patent number: 7282667
    Abstract: An electrode position detection system for a welder having a laser that is projected in a lateral plane to laterally cross a welding wire at a location below a contact tip of a welding gun and a receiver that receive the laser bean after crossing the welding wire, and a measuring device that determines one or more parameter of the welding wire based on the received laser beam. Arc voltage measurements can also be used to determine one or more parameter of the welding wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Lincoln Global, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Hsu, Elliott K. Stava, Jeffrey R. Klein, David J. Barton, George D. Blankenship
  • Patent number: 7282661
    Abstract: A welding apparatus is presented that includes a post-firing detection system and control connected to communicate with the post-firing detection system such that a stud welding gun is prevented from activation if a recently fired welding stud remains connected to the stud welding gun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Ulrich, Sean P. Moran, Warren Wran
  • Patent number: 7282668
    Abstract: An electric arc welding system and method for creating a first AC welding arc with a first current waveform between a first electrode and a workpiece by a first power supply and a second AC welding arc with a second current waveform between a second electrode and a workpiece by a second power supply as the first and second electrodes are moved in unison along a welding path where the first and second power supply each comprising an high speed switching inverter creating its waveform by a number of current pulses occurring at a frequency of at least 18 kHz with the magnitude of each current pulse controlled by a wave shaper and the polarity of the waveforms controlled by a signal. The first and second AC waveforms each have a positive portion and a negative portion and a cycle period of about 10-20 ms and timing circuits for determining the push and pull times between the arcs and a waveform adjusting circuit to limit the push and pull times to less than about 5.0 ms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Lincoln Global, Inc.
    Inventors: William S. Houston, Russell K. Myers
  • Patent number: 7282663
    Abstract: An automated method for forge welding tubulars including heating the tubular ends to be joined in a welding chamber while the heated tubular ends are maintained aligned and parallel relative to each other and at a small spacing, whereupon the heated tubular ends are pressed together while a reducing shield gas is injected into the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Robert Andrew Alford, Johannis Josephus Den Boer, Anthony Thomas Cole, Klisthenis Dimitriadis, Michalakis Efthymiou, Rama Krishna Siva Gunturi, Robert Nicholas Worrall, Djurre Hans Zijsling, Ali Joseph Cox
  • Patent number: 7279653
    Abstract: A process and a system are proposed for short-time arc-welding elements, such as for example metal studs, on to components, such as for example metal sheets, wherein an element in the context of a welding operation is initially raised in relation to the component, a welding arc is formed between the element and the component, and the element is lowered again, the lifting height of the element in relation to the component being detected at least within a time segment between raising and lowering of the element. The initiation of the lowering operation and/or the lowering operation itself is controlled as a factor of the detected lifting height such that a previously specified total welding time is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Newfrey LLC
    Inventors: Wolfgang Schmidt, Arne Friedrich, Klaus G Schmitt
  • Patent number: 7279658
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (10) for cleaning the gas nozzle (12) of a welding torch (14) and for spraying the gas nozzle (12) or a welding wire located in the gas nozzle (12). The inventive device comprises a clamping/holding device (16) for the gas nozzle (12), a cleaning device (18) for mechanically removing welding residues from the gas nozzle (12), wherein the cleaning device (18) can be moved in the direction of a first axis (20) towards the clamping/holding device (16) or away from the latter. The device also comprises a spraying device (22) for applying an anti-stick medium. The spraying device (22) can be moved in the direction of a second axis (24) that is arranged in a substantially transversal manner with respect to a first axis (20) and relative to the clamping/holding device (16). Preferably, the spraying device (22) is mechanically coupled to a cutting device (44) for the welding wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Alexander Binzel Schweisstechnik
    Inventor: Ralf Schaefer
  • Patent number: 7274000
    Abstract: An inverter based power source for electric arc welding where the power source includes a high switching speed inverter for driving the primary side of an output transformer that has a primary circuit with current greater than 250 amperes and a secondary circuit with a current having an operating range with a maximum current greater than 700 amperes and an output rectifier to rectify the secondary current into a DC current suitable for welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Lincoln Global, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Dodge, Todd E. Kooken
  • Patent number: 7271365
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for pulse welding, in which a welding signal is provided to an electrode in series of pulse welding cycles, where the amount of energy applied to the electrode in each cycle is determined and a pulse is provided to initiate a transfer condition of each cycle based at least partially on the energy applied in the cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Lincoln Global, Inc.
    Inventors: Elliott K. Stava, Russell K. Myers
  • Patent number: 7268318
    Abstract: A welding voltage judgment portion 16 of judging to see if a predetermined value of welding voltage inputted from an input device 11 falls within a predetermined certain range is provided, and when the aforementioned welding voltage judgment portion 16 judges that the predetermined value of welding voltage deviates from the certain range, a standard voltage corresponding to the aforementioned inputted predetermined value of welding current is selected from a unitary voltage table portion 19, making it possible to always keep the welding voltage stored in the welding device within a proper voltage range even when the worker inputs conditions deviating from the proper range during the operation of inputting welding conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ikeda, Yasuzo Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7265312
    Abstract: An improved battery pack is proposed. The battery pack includes a housing, and first and second cells disposed in the housing, the first cell having a radius and a periphery. In addition, the battery pack includes a metal strap connecting the first and second cells, the strap having an end disposed over the first cell and a portion of the periphery, and two contact protrusions contacting the first cell, wherein distance between the strap end and the overlaped periphery is greater than the radius of the first cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. White, Paul S. White, Adam M. Casalena