Abstract: A flash-butt resistance welding process including a flashing of parts being welded and their upsetting. The direction of speed of motion of the parts during flashing is changed by converging and diverging them. The parts being welded are converged up to the moment when the total resistance of elementary contacts arising between the flashed surfaces of the parts becomes equal to 0.4-0.5 of the short-circuit impedance of the welding machine. Then the parts are diverged up to the moment when the summary resistance of elementary contacts reaches 1.4-1.6 of the short-circuit impedance of the welding machine.

Abstract: A welding fixture by which two elongate members are manipulated in a manner to become butt welded together. Two gripping members in the form of groups of spaced slip assemblies are enclosed in mounted relationship within a housing. The slips of each group circumferentially extend about a longitudinal axis of the housing, with the slips of each group being radially spaced from the longitudinal axis of the members to be joined. A first group of slips are mounted for movement within a plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the members to be joined. The other group of slips are likewise arranged within a plane spaced from and parallel to the first plane. All of the slips are moved with great force towards the longitudinal axis of the members to be joined. The fixture includes means by which the members are moved toward one another with great force. Each group of slips further include an electrical contact which provides a source of current to each of the members to be joined.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for joining two elongated members, such as rails, together by holding the rail ends in fixed relationship respective to one another while ramming powder metal between the confronting ends of the rails. Current flow occurs across the confronting faces of the rail and across the compacted powder, thereby elevating the temperature of the marginal rail ends and the compacted metal powder. The rams forge the hot metal powder and hot rail ends into a continuous mass. The method and apparatus can be used for building railroads, repairing defective rail lengths, and welding other elongated members together.

Abstract: A rail alignment device and a shear head are suspended from a trolley running over a rail welding machine. The alignment device comprises structure forming a downwardly-opening bight and carrying locating stops, clamping cylinders and transducers with sensing plungers all of which project into the bight. The rail ends to be butt-welded are received within the bight for alignment. One of the rails is clamped against the stops by the cylinders. The location of the other rail relative to the structure is sensed by the transducers and the machine clamps are adjusted until those transducers indicate alignment of the rails. The device is then removed and stored remote from the gap, with the shear head, during welding. The shear head comprises a horseshoe-shaped back plate which carries three cutting tools. An arm, which is pivotally mounted on one of the ends of the back plate and adapted to be latched to the other end to close the bight of the back plate, carries a fourth cutting tool.

Abstract: To attach a nut to a plate-shaped workpiece, especially to a metal sheet, in such a way that it has self-locking properties without additional aids or parts, the force fastening the nut and acting on a free thrust surface of the nut is divided into at least two effective components generating a shearing stress in the nut material, transverse deformation of a part of the nut facing away from the workpiece being produced, and the thread diameter in the thread region deformed for self-locking purposes being reduced, while at the same time the thread pitches are inclined towards the center axis. A nut which can be used either as a locking nut or as a non-locking nut is characterized by a force-deflecting design of the thrust surface.

Abstract: The average winding diameter of a finite roller band length wound on a supply coil is increased by having the roller band rewound from the supply coil to a storage coil of a larger than the winding diameter, which encloses the supply coil concentrically. During the uncoiling of the band stored on the storage coil for purposes of a continuous manufacturing operation, a welding device is arranged in the annular area between the external diameter of the supply coil and the internal diameter of the storage coil and welds the band trailing end of the storage coil together with the band and leading end of the supply coil. The contents of the supply coil are then taken over by the storage coil, and while this material is uncoiled, a further supply coil is inserted and its leading edge welded to the end of the storage coil.

Abstract: A joint is made between two pieces of steel which have been preheated to a temperature To (.degree.C.) near their abutting surfaces by subjecting first to flashing and then to upsetting. When the ultimate flashing rate is V (mm/sec.), a current whose density I (A/mm.sup.2) is not lower than ##EQU1## is passed during the upsetting process to melt the abutting surfaces. With a mean upsetting rate of not lower than 50 mm/sec., only the molten metal is rapidly squeezed out from the abutting surfaces. Then, the upset current is cut off while applying a final upsetting force that is as low as under 5 kg/mm.sup.2.

Abstract: The parts to be welded together are caused to continuously approach each other and their ends are fused by an alternating current, and concurrently an oscillatory motion along the direction of approach is imparted to one of the parts, whereby additional relative movements of the parts towards and away from each other are accomplished. During the stage of a relative movement of the parts being welded together away from each other, the welding voltage is reduced to within the range of 0.7 to 0 of its working value, and during the stage of a relative movement of the parts towards each other, the voltage is restored to its initial value. Reducing the voltage is carried out in a time interval of not less than 1/8 of the period of the oscillatory motion from the beginning of the relative movement of the parts away from each other, and restoring it, in a time interval of not more than 1/8 of the period of the oscillatory motion from the beginning of the relative movement of the parts towards each other.

Abstract: A method for attaching a bicycle fork fitting to a fork leg is disclosed, using a particular fork fitting means. A steel pipe is formed with a fork leg including its one closed distal end with a joint. The fitting means is provided with projections at the portions near to both ends of the side thereof to be welded. Electric currents are passed through the closed portion of the fork leg and the projections of the fitting which are brought in contact with each other under pressure. Upon reaching a temperature suitable for welding, the thus integrated arrangement is upset under greater pressure, so that the fitting is welded to the fork leg.

Abstract: An electrical control circuit which provides means of initiating the start of upset of a flash welding machine at an operator selectable value of flashing electrical energy. The energy signal for this circuit is taken from an energy monitor, such as the output of the circuit shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,075. The control circuit, by means of a single adjustment of electrical switch means, may include a few additional electrical components to enable initiation of the start of upset, or termination of upset, as a function of platen position rather than as a function of flashing energy. Further, by simple adjustment of additional electrical switch means, further electrical components may be included to control the distance the movable platen moves during the upset portion of the welding cycle. Also, a meter may be included in the circuit to display either upset distance or upset initiation.

Abstract: A method consists in that the workpieces to be welded together are at first continuously moved towards each other with the welding current on and the ends of the workpieces are fused, the thermal state of the ends being monitored in terms of current, or of power, or of fusion time, or of length of the fused portion. After any of said variables has reached a preselected value which corresponds to the predetermined heating of the contact region, oscillatory movements are superimposed on the movement of one of the workpieces being welded towards the other and the fusion process is carried out till upsetting.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for detecting whether or not the gap in adjoining ends of a ring-like workpiece to be flash welded is of normal size, or is so much larger as to produce an unsatisfactory weld. The invention provides means whereby the amount the movable platen of a flash welder moves in a direction toward the stationary platen is compared with its position when the ends abut and flashing begins. If the ends are not materially beyond a predetermined normal gap, the welding action proceeds; however, if the ends are spaced beyond such normal gap, further action of the flash welding process is aborted, or a signal is activated; or both abortion and signal are provided. The invention is especially adapted for use in welding rings which are formed and welded in high production, such as rings that are further processed to make rims for tires of a vehicle.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a gas turbine combustion chamber that preserves cooling fluid holes therein. Passages are formed in one surface of each of two metal sheets. A plurality of cooling fluid holes are drilled through the passages to the other surface of each sheet. The two metal sheets are abutted face-to-face so that their respective passages form channels and the sheets are thereafter brazed together. The brazed sheets are bent to form an annular shaped chamber having a butt joint running along the length of the chamber. The butt joint is electric-arc welded along each side of the same, there being only partial penetration by each weld thereby avoiding the filling in of any of the cooling fluid holes, in the line of the weld, with melted material.

Abstract: An electric resistance heating element of the hairpin type is provided by a molybdenum disilicide resistance wire loop transversely connected to molybdenum disilicide terminals. The resistance wire is sandwiched between the ends of two pieces of terminal wire and the ends of these pieces are butt welded together on the resistance wire, to form each terminal.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for welding a metal part, e.g. a tube or strip, to a thin, flexible metal strip using high frequency electric currents in which the part and strip are continuously advanced to a weld point where they are pressed together. In advance of the weld point, high frequency current is supplied to the part and the strip through contacts engaging them so that portions thereof are heated to welding temperature by the time they reach the weld point. From the point of engagement of the contact with the strip or strips to the weld point the strip material is maintained in a fixed path by a rigid member against which the strip is pressed by tensioning the strip with a pad frictionally engaging the strip. If desired, the current may be fed to the contact engaging the part through a proximity conductor to increase the heating of the part relative to the strip.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an electrical connector is disclosed in which the connector itself comprises an aluminum barrel member having a first and a second end, with the barrel member having a recess in its first end adapted to receive an electrical cable and a copper lead member extending axially out of its second end. The method comprises the steps of first forming a second recess in the second end of the barrel member, and forming one end of the copper lead member such that it includes a portion having a reduced cross-sectional area relative to the rest of the copper lead member. This end of the copper lead member is then inserted into the second recess in the barrel member, and electrical current is provided through the copper lead member and the barrel member while simultaneously applying force to bring the end of the copper lead member into engagement with the bottom of the second recess in the barrel member.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and a device for butt-welding rotational cylindrical metallic rods without filler metal and without forming a rim or deformation in the welded area. The method consists of bringing the two ends coaxially to be welded into contact proximity without compression and applying welding power while simultaneously rotating the two rods in relation to the welding heat source around their common rotational axis to an extent of more than one complete revolution.

Abstract: A toroidal ring made from a spiral spring with contiguous turns, such as those used for constituting the inner core of a metal sealing ring. The ring has a weld without filling metal connecting together the two end turns of the spring, this weld being such that continuity of the wire of the spring is provided without altering the contiguous configuration of the turns and the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of the spring are substantially unchanged at this weld. The weld can advantageously be effected by a resistance weld performed with a pulse of electric current.

Abstract: Disclosure is made of a butt welding process, whereby butt ends of articles to be welded together are placed one opposite the other in a chamber containing a shielding medium. The butt ends are then heated until a layer of molten metal is formed on their surfaces, and upset in order to effect their plastic deformation and produce a weld joint. According to the invention, the heating and flashing-off of the butt ends are effected by a low-pressure arc uniformly distributed over the entire butt end surfaces of the articles being welded.

Abstract: Contact beads of noble metal are welded to a substrate of less corrosion-resistant metal in an apparatus in which one electrode formed with a receptacle is moved cyclically between a welding position adjacent another, stationary electrode and a remote feeding position. A gap between the electrodes receives the substrate, and blanks of contact bead material are fed into the laterally open receptacle through a stationary guide aligned with the receptacle in the feeding position of the movable electrode in a direction transverse to the direction of electrode movement.

Abstract: A method for controlling flashing speed during resistance butt welding comprises measuring values of current density for at least two joints between parts being welded, converting them into d-c. voltages, detecting a maximum voltage value, comparing it to a preset d-c. voltage, the resultant difference value being used as flashing speed control parameter. An apparatus for carrying out the method comprises electric circuits whose number is equal to the number of joints being welded. Each circuit comprises a welding transformer and a circuit for conversion of flashing current density into d-c. voltage. A maximum signal detector comprises circuits for conversion of current density into d-c. voltages, whose number is equal to the number of joints being welded. The detector output is connected to the circuit for comparing a current voltage value to the preset one.

Abstract: A welding method and means is disclosed utilizing a conductive foil disposed between or adjacent members to be welded together with the foil serving as one electrode and one or both of the members serving as another electrode of the welding circuit and with the members being forced together or with the foil being forced against the members by a separate electrode.

Abstract: Ductile junction of metal-sheathed composite wire, such as flux-cored welding wire for use in automatic arc welding machines, is provided by process comprising resistance upset welding.

Abstract: A shaped, sacrificial anode for water tanks and a method of constructing the same from extruded sections is disclosed, particularly an anode having a greater mass adjacent to regions of the tank where improved corrosion protection is needed.

Abstract: An end plug is formed by heat-sealing or welding a V-shaped section cut from the wall of a first pipe to a complementary shaped butt end of a second pipe.

Abstract: An improved method for forming sheet metal around straight tubes and an apparatus for performing same is provided. A sheet is clamped along two parallel spaced apart locations by clamps by placing the straight part of the tube between said parallel locations, parallel with the clamps, and adjacent thereto. The clamps are then moved toward each other to thereby bend the sheet around the tube.

Abstract: Apparatus for welding parts, such as pipes, end to end by means of an electric arc which is caused to rotate along the adjacent edges of the pipes. Two separate magnetic fields are used to cause the arc to follow a spiral path along the edges so that pipes having a wall thickness greater than one quarter of an inch may be welded.