Roller Electrode Patents (Class 219/81)
  • Patent number: 11253943
    Abstract: Provided is a seam welding device capable of seam welding various shapes of objects to be welded. A seam welding device which performs seam welding by causing electricity to be conducted between a first electrode wheel and a second electrode wheel comprises a first motor which drives the first electrode wheel, a second motor which drives the second electrode wheel, and a first belt provided between the first electrode wheel and the first motor. If a direction joining the axes of the first electrode wheel and the second electrode wheel is defined as a vertical direction, the direction from the first electrode wheel toward the second electrode wheel is upward, and the direction from the second electrode wheel toward the first electrode wheel is downward, then the first motor is disposed further upward than a point of contact of the first electrode wheel and the second electrode wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Yoshimichi, Hiroshi Miwa
  • Patent number: 11179776
    Abstract: A system may include a current source; a first metal or alloy component with a first major surface electrically coupled to the current source; a second metal or alloy component with a second major surface electrically coupled to the current source; a metal or alloy powder disposed in at least a portion of the joint region; and a controller. The first and second major surfaces may be positioned adjacent to each other to define a joint region. The controller may be configured to cause the current source to output an alternating current that passes from the first component, through at least a portion of the metal or alloy powder, into the second component. The frequency of the alternating current may be configured to cause standing electromagnetic waves within at least a portion of the particles of the metal or alloy powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Quinlan Yee Shuck
  • Patent number: 11167348
    Abstract: A system may include a current source; a first metal or alloy component with a first major surface electrically coupled to the current source; a second metal or alloy component with a second major surface electrically coupled in series to the first component and the current source via an external electrical conductor, where the first and second major surfaces are positioned adjacent to each other to define a joint region; a metal or alloy powder disposed in at least a portion of the joint region; and a controller. The controller may be configured to cause the current source to output an alternating current that conducts through the first component and the second component to induce magnetic eddy currents, magnetic hysteresis, or both within at least a portion of the metal or alloy powder disposed in at least the first portion of the joint region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Quinlan Yee Shuck
  • Patent number: 10967453
    Abstract: A method for the connection of components or component regions and a non-releasable connection produced in this manner. Two connection faces are partially welded to each other with an adhesive layer being incorporated between the two connection faces. The method including the following steps: arranging a welding base on a connection face, applying the adhesive layer to a connection face, moving the connection faces toward each other in such a manner that the welding base is applied against the other connection face, introducing welding current in the region of the applied welding base. A spacer is arranged between the connection faces before the connection faces are moved toward each other. The connection faces are spaced apart from each other in the region of the welding base by the extent that the welding base projects above the spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Oelscher
  • Patent number: 10543560
    Abstract: A seam welding system includes a pair of roller electrodes. The pair of roller electrodes hold a to-be-welded object between circumferential surfaces of the roller electrodes, rotate while holding the to-be-welded object between the circumferential surfaces, and perform seam welding on the to-be-welded object when a current flows between the roller electrodes while rotating and holding the to-be-welded object between the circumferential surfaces. To an electrode movement mechanism, the roller electrodes are mounted. The electrode movement mechanism moves the roller electrodes along a welding line of the to-be-welded object. Drive sources respectively rotate the roller electrodes and a joint of the electrode movement mechanism. A controller controls an amount by which the roller electrodes rotate based on a torque change in the drive sources so as to keep torques respectively acting on the roller electrodes within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masami Nakakura, Teppei Sonoda
  • Patent number: 9907118
    Abstract: A current applying apparatus includes a pair of electrodes configured to contact a workpiece to apply an electric current to the workpiece, and a bus bar arranged to extend along the workpiece. At least one of the electrodes includes a moving electrode configured to move relative to the bus bar and the workpiece such that an electric current flows between the bus bar and the workpiece through the moving electrode, the moving electrode being connected to the bus bar so as to be movable relative to the bus bar, and the moving electrode being configured to contact the workpiece so as to be movable relative to the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: NETUREN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori Ooyama, Kunihiro Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20150129561
    Abstract: With a roller head (10) of a resistance seam welding machine, which roller head has a stator (12) and a rotor (14), the bearing outer housing (18, 18?) is cooled by means of channels (2, 2?) provided in its interior. This increases the life of the roller head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: Soudronic AG
    Inventor: Daniel Dieterich
  • Publication number: 20150102014
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing wire wrapped screens utilizing a wire and support ribs is provided. The apparatus employs welding pressure control, utilizing a welding device mounted on a support assembly, wherein the support assembly is moveable in relation to a mounting structure and the wire and support rib weld pieces. Welding pressure is determined by a force measurement device, and a control and feedback system adjusts pressure. Mechanical actuator cylinders mounted on the support assembly and the mounting structure provide load balance. A method for making wire wrapped screens is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: DELTA SCREENS & FILTRATION, LLC
    Inventors: Steven Mark Everritt, Carl Cooper, Art Parmely, Richard Grifno
  • Patent number: 8987631
    Abstract: A method is provided for the projection electric resistance welding of a component to a laminated metal member. The laminated metal member is comprised of top and bottom metal sheets adhered together by a polymer layer provided between the top and bottom metal sheets. A plurality of projections is provided on the component and the projections extend toward the top metal sheet of the laminated metal. Force is applied to the component and the projections have a pointed shape so that the projections pierce through the top metal sheet and contact the bottom metal sheet. Weld current is then applied to flow through the projections so that the projections are electric resistance welded to both the top and bottom metal sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Pei-Chung Wang, Robert J. Gollehur, James F. Hengel, Narayanan P. Menon, Mark D. Gugel, Alexander Michael Turley
  • Patent number: 8987630
    Abstract: A method is provided for adhesively bonding together a pair of metal sheets to form a laminated sheet metal assembly. A coating of heat curable adhesive is placed on the bottom sheet. The top sheet is placed on top of the coating of adhesive. The stacked metal sheets are then placed between a pair of electrodes. One of the electrodes has a pointed projection that pierces through at least the adjacent sheet and into the adhesive. Electrical current is then conducted between the electrodes so that current flows through the projection to create electric resistance heating and thereby cure the adhesive. The electrodes can be rotating rollers and the metal sheets are fed between the rollers. The electrodes can provide heating and curing of the adhesive in a spot surrounding the pointed electrode and then the remaining uncured adhesive can be cured during later heating of the laminated assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: James F. Hengel, Pei-Chung Wang
  • Publication number: 20140353282
    Abstract: In a welding apparatus for the longitudinal seam welding of can bodies (31?) by way of electrode rollers (8, 17), three drive stages (4, 10, 20), by means of which the wire electrode (25) is driven in addition to the drive by the electrode rollers (8, 17), are provided in the wire course. Preferably, elastic stretching is brought about in this case by the three drive stages (4, 10, 20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventor: Peter Taiana
  • Patent number: 8847098
    Abstract: Devices and methods are contemplated in which a first electrode is circumferentially movable about a second electrode such that a tubular work piece can be resistance welded to a second work piece. Most preferably, the first electrode is a wheel-shaped electrode, while the second electrode is static and disk-shaped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Thermal Structures, Inc.
    Inventor: Vaughn V. Barnes
  • Patent number: 8278583
    Abstract: In order to evaluate the welding current for the resistance seam welding of an overlap seam of container bodies, a welding with changing welding current intensity is carried out for a container body of the production series, resulting in a changing welding of the seam, ranging from the welding with a too high temperature to the welding with a too low temperature. The electric energy for this welding is determined several times during this welding and/or the temperature of the weld seam is determined several times and the welding current intensity is determined at which the welding of the individual container body is too cold and the welding current intensity at which the welding is too hot. This determination is based on the determined electric energy values and/or on the determined temperature values and based on this determination a preferred range for the welding current intensity within these limits of too hot and too cold is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Soudronic AG
    Inventors: Willi Mueller, Daniel Dietrich
  • Publication number: 20110163074
    Abstract: A pair of upper and lower pressure rollers 3, 4 is disposed so that their axes 15, 16 are tilted in a horizontal plane in respective directions opposite to each other with respect to a straight line perpendicular to a welding line of a joint portion J. The pressure rollers 3, 4 are positively driven by corresponding electric motors 63, 64 to thereby roll the joint portion. Thus, steps defined at the joint portion can be smoothed and a step gradient can be reduced to ensure a high degree of joint strength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI-HITACHI METALS MACHINERY, INC.
    Inventors: Shinichi Kaga, Noriaki Tominaga, Takehiko Saito, Mitsuru Onose, Yasutsugu Yoshimura, Hirotoshi Tagata, Yujiro Watanabe, Satoru Zenitani, Ikuo Wakamoto
  • Publication number: 20110000892
    Abstract: In order to evaluate the welding current for the resistance seam welding of an overlap seam of container bodies, a welding with changing welding current intensity is carried out for a container body of the production series, resulting in a changing welding of the seam, ranging from the welding with a too high temperature to the welding with a too low temperature. The electric energy for this welding is determined several times during this welding and/or the temperature of the weld seam is determined several times and the welding current intensity is determined at which the welding of the individual container body is too cold and the welding current intensity at which the welding is too hot. This determination is based on the determined electric energy values and/or on the determined temperature values and based on this determination a preferred range for the welding current intensity within these limits of too hot and too cold is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: Soudronic AG
    Inventors: Willi Mueller, Daniel Dietrich
  • Patent number: 7718917
    Abstract: An improved fusion welding system having a heating unit and welding device is adapted for increasing the efficiency of welding a plurality of workpieces. The system preferably presents a single-sided process, and includes first and second electrode wheels operable to heat a portion of the workpieces to a minimum temperature, and a translatable laser cooperatively configured to form a continuous weld within the heated portion. The preferred system provides the advantages of laser welding, such as precision, while enabling weld production at lower laser power outputs or faster welding speeds than conventional laser welding systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc., Jilin University
    Inventors: Pei-Chung Wang, Xihua Zhao, He Zhao
  • Publication number: 20100116828
    Abstract: This manufacturing method of a fuel tank is for manufacturing a metallic fuel tank having a concavo-convex portion in a course of seam welding using a seam welder, wherein the seam welding is performed using the seam welder provided with a non-interfering space where interference with the fuel tank is avoided, while changing the position of the fuel tank relative to the seam welder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Inventors: Yasuo Takahashi, Toshinori Mizuguchi, Hirohumi Kondo, Shinji Shiokawa, Yukikazu Takahashi, Nobuhide Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7281319
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a wire wound filter screen from wrapping wrap wire over a set of rib wires has a frame, a spindle for supporting the rib wires in a longitudinal orientation, a wire guide for delivering wrap wire around the rib wires as the spindle rotates the rib wires, an electrode for welding the wrap wires to the rib wires at each intersection thereof, and a translating mechanism positioned on the frame for moving rib wires and the welded wrap wire longitudinal along the frame. A laser measures a gap between adjacent surfaces of wrap wire. A processor is used to adjust the translating of the rib wires relative to the gap. An air cushion urges the electrode against the wrap wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Inventor: Daniel Allford
  • Patent number: 7173209
    Abstract: Where can bodies of sheet metal are welded between the welding rollers of a welding machine, the welding current is not applied to the welding rollers until the body is between the welding electrode rollers. In this way, the quality of the weld at the initial weld point is improved, and where intermediate wire electrodes are used, wire breaks are reliably prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Eugen Müller, Jean-Paul Ruscher
  • Patent number: 6931729
    Abstract: In response to the recent various requests, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing filler neck to facilitate jointing a mouthpiece and a feeding pipe which were manufactured separately into an integrated filler neck having an excellent hermeticity. The method for manufacturing a filler neck 1 comprises the following steps: jointing an inner face of the circumferential wall portion 16 of a feeding pipe and an outer face of the circumferential wall portion 12 of the mouthpiece, and integrating with the mouthpiece 2 and the feeding pipe 3, wherein the outer of the mouthpiece and the inner face of the feeding pipe are in relation to be fitted in a press-fitted condition, a seam welding is executed to the welding area W provided in a range of the overlapped area S defined by the width of the circumferential wall portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Asteer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuaki Hiramatsu, Takayuki Ohmori
  • Patent number: 6851988
    Abstract: In a battery post burning apparatus, the majority of the heat is supplied to the lead via the mold in which the finished post is being formed. The mold material in contact with the lead has a low thermal mass and high electrical and thermal resistance. The mold material may be Meehanite cast iron. Another material, such as titanium, may be used. If so, it is preferable to coat it with silver solder and provide a copper insert, where the electrical and thermal connection is being made. In another embodiment, a magnetic field is provided to break up any oxide coatings on the mold surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Tiegel Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Ralph G. Tiegel, Paul Wegner
  • Patent number: 6812427
    Abstract: A rolling head for a resistance seam welding machine comprises a stator; an annular electrode constituting the rotor rotatably mounted on the stator; a device for conducting electricity through a sliding contact, positioned between the stator and the rotor and pressed in axial direction against at least one of them by an elastic force; and conduits through which a coolant flows in the stator, in the rotor and in the sliding contact conductive device. The electrical conductive device comprises elastically yielding elements, forming a radial effect sector shaped and/or made in various different ways, positioned between the stator and the rotor and designed to remain permanently in contact with the stator and the rotor so as to conduct electrical current from one to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Pelliconi International Machinery S.p.A.
    Inventor: Vittorio Sgrignuoli
  • Patent number: 6747235
    Abstract: Where can bodies of sheet metal are welded between the welding rollers of a welding machine, the welding current is not applied to the welding rollers until the body is between the welding electrode rollers. In this way, the quality of the weld at the initial weld point is improved, and where intermediate wire electrodes are used, wire breaks are reliably prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Eugen Müller, Jean-Paul Ruscher
  • Publication number: 20030218049
    Abstract: A welding device has two mutually engaging welding wheels, together with a separating device having a blade with a cutting edge. Two film webs can be welded together in conventional manner using the welding device. The blade is able to separate a projecting length from the welded film, the blade being heated. Heating takes place by a heat bridge, which connects the blade to a heater of the welding device. This economizes a separate heater for the blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2003
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Inventors: Dominique Storck, Jens Kallfass
  • Patent number: 6642471
    Abstract: This invention provides an improved method of projection welding which enables the sound welding of high-carbon, and high-tension low-alloy steels. A spacer is disposed between two parts to be joined by projection welding. At least one of the parts is made of a high-carbon, or high-tension low-alloy steel. The spacer is a thin sheet, or coating formed on at least one of those parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha Limited
    Inventors: Kaneyuki Imai, Ryuichi Kusanagi
  • Publication number: 20020195430
    Abstract: A rolling head for a resistance seam welding machine comprises a stator; an annular electrode constituting the rotor rotatably mounted on the stator; a device for conducting electricity through a sliding contact, positioned between the stator and the rotor and pressed in axial direction against at least one of them by an elastic force; and conduits through which a coolant flows in the stator, in the rotor and in the sliding contact conductive device. The electrical conductive device comprises elastically yielding elements, forming a radial effect sector shaped and/or made in various different ways, positioned between the stator and the rotor and designed to remain permanently in contact with the stator and the rotor so as to conduct electrical current from one to the other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2002
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Applicant: PELLICONI INTERNATIONAL MACHINERY S.p.A.
    Inventor: Vittorio Sgrignuoli
  • Patent number: 6452128
    Abstract: In a rolled seam welding machine which can be fed from the front for producing a lap seam, the welding roller which is disposed in front of the Z rail can be swung away in order to facilitate automatic feeding of the welding stock into the Z rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventor: Eugen Müller
  • Patent number: 6396023
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for hermetically sealing a semiconductor laser element, by which the cleanness of a package can be maintained extremely satisfactorily in a stabilized state, in order to prevent organic substances from being adhered to the end faces of high output semiconductor laser elements due to photochemical actions. The method comprises the first step of introducing oxygen into a chamber of a hermetical-sealing apparatus and irradiating ultraviolet rays onto an unsealed package having a semiconductor laser element mounted, in the chamber, and the second step of purging the chamber with an inert gas and hermetically sealing an unsealed package in the inert gas atmosphere without being exposed to the outer atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Aikiyo
  • Patent number: 6323453
    Abstract: A seam welding apparatus having an improved bearing support arrangement for the transversely movable upper weld wheel. This upper weld wheel is nonrotatably secured adjacent one end of an elongate electrically conductive shaft, which shaft adjacent its other end is supported within a conventional electrically conductive bearing assembly which rotatably supports the shaft and transmits electrical energy thereto from an external source such as a transformer. The nonrotatable housing associated with the bearing assembly is pivotally supported relative to the machine frame by a pivot which extends adjacent the housing in perpendicular relation to the shaft axis, with this pivot axis being disposed remote from the weld wheel. A welding force generating assembly such as a pressure cylinder and ram are mounted on the machine frame, with the ram being movably supported and acting downwardly onto a spring unit which has an electrical insulator associated therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Newcor, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert G. VanOtteren
  • Patent number: 6288355
    Abstract: To weld a workpiece rounded from plane metal sheet on a seam welding machine, the workpiece is introduced into a preform (7) whose internal shape is approximately the same as the workpiece. Stops (11, 12, 14) are used to fix the workpiece in place in the preform, and the workpiece is then moved together with the preform (7) towards the welding rollers and welded. To this end the preform (7) is arranged on a platform (6) which in its turn is arranged on a movable carriage (3) in the welding machine (1). Welding with the preform makes it possible to weld together any desired sheet metal workpieces, including those which are not uniformly rounded because, for example, they are formed from blanks incorporating recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventor: Jochen Bonsen
  • Patent number: 6268581
    Abstract: A plurality of pistons are disposed in series in a circular electrode pressure cylinder and each of the pistons is separated. During low pressure output only one piston is used so that the friction force of the other pistons is not transmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Nakamura, Keiji Sodeno, Seiji Kodama
  • Patent number: 6005216
    Abstract: An automatic machine for rapidly fabricating a continuous length of metallic honeycomb core having a finite width and a precise height for use, substantially as fabricated, in bonding in a honeycomb core panel structure from a continuous strip of preformed metal foil having spaced crest and trough sections. The machine includes a fixed central foil guide that directs a continuous strip of metallic foil to a horizontally translatable guide that positions the foil strip between two banks of vertically biased banks of individual weld blocks having sets of vertically disposed weld pin electrodes. A spreader carriage that is horizontally translatable in synchronism with the translatable guide momentarily spreads individual opposed biased weld blocks to permit the foil strip to be laid against a previously received portion of such foil strip in horizontal and vertical registry of the crests and troughs of the preformed strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Rohr, Inc.
    Inventors: William F. Rethwish, Raymond R. Listak, Todd P. Wood
  • Patent number: 5883353
    Abstract: In a welding electrode protecting machine, welding electrodes are protected against a surface treating agent on strips to be welded by applying a proper amount of electrode protecting agent onto surfaces of welding electrodes prior to or during welding operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Yoshida, Akimichi Takeda, Junji Miyata
  • Patent number: 5841094
    Abstract: For welding sheet-metal blanks coated with electrically conductive material, the thickness of the coating is measured with a measurement device. The welding current source controls the welding current I as a function of the film thickness reading obtained, to keep the power input into the weld zone essentially constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventor: Michael Baumgartner
  • Patent number: 5811750
    Abstract: A robot for welding motor-vehicle bodies or subassemblies thereof is provided with a head for carrying out wire resistance seam weldings. The welding head includes a pair of counter-rotating welding rollers through which an electric current is passed. A copper wire is fed continuously around the welding rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Stola S.p.A.
    Inventor: Luigi Caprioglio
  • Patent number: 5789718
    Abstract: Mash seam welding process and apparatus, wherein two plate-like workpieces having different thickness values are fed and guided by a guiding device such that a length W.sub.H of contact of the thick plate-like workpiece with one of two roller electrodes is smaller than a length W.sub.M of contact of the thin plate-like workpiece with the other roller electrode. In this arrangement, the amount of mashing of the thick plate-like workpiece by the roller electrode is made larger than that of the thin plate-like workpiece by the other roller electrode, so that an interface of the two plate-like workpieces is positioned intermediate between the pair of roller electrodes, whereby a weld nugget formed intermediate between the roller electrodes extends across the interface, permitting the weld to have a sufficient strength owing to a nugget ratio, which is a ratio of a width dimension W.sub.N of the weld nugget in the direction of the interface to a width dimension W.sub.G of the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Fukushima, Masaki Tanzawa
  • Patent number: 5724712
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically welding and handling welded tailored blank composites. The method comprises the steps of transferring first and second sheet component parts from respective input stacks to an assembly table of a welding machine. The sheet components are disposed in a butt joint or an overlapping lap joint configuration and the blanks are welded together along a weld seam thus defining a welded blank. The welded blank is conveyed in a timed step manner from the welding machine to an output stacking machine via a magnetic stepping conveyor and the blank is transferred from the conveyor to an output stack of completed blanks with a stacking machine. An apparatus is provided to carry out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Inventor: Bob R. Bishop
  • Patent number: 5688412
    Abstract: A novel method and apparatus is disclosed for the production of single plane ladder-type rack strip material in which wire cross bar elements are Tee-welded to the inside surface portions of opposed, parallel side elements formed of similar wire material. The welding procedure involves contacting the cross bar element centrally with an electrode of a first polarity and contacting the wire side elements on opposite sides with electrodes of a second polarity. During the welding operation, current flows substantially equally from the first electrode in opposite directions through the opposite weld interfaces to the opposed second electrodes. By observing physical symmetry in the electrical supply at opposite sides, equalization of current flow is optimized so that the emerging rack strip product is flat and straight, suitable for commercial marketing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Assignee: Trion Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Thalenfeld, Thomas O. Nagel
  • Patent number: 5676862
    Abstract: An electric resistance welder welds, hot reduces, tempers and planishes overlapped metal workpieces. The welder incorporates two transformers (50, 60) which are connected to two sets of wheel electrodes (26, 28 and 36, 38). Electric current from a first transformer (50) flows through workpieces (16) and returns through a second transformer (60). The first set of wheel electrodes (26, 28) creates a weld joint and the second set (36, 38), depending on the shape, area, and pressure of the wheels, either reduces the weld thickness, tempers the weld joint, or both. A control circuit (72) includes a current sensor (70) and power factor adjuster (80). The current sensor senses current flow through the first transformer during the welding process. As the current changes, particularly when the sets of wheel electrodes engage and disengage the workpieces, the power factor adjuster (72) adjusts the power factor to maintain constant heat to the workpieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Taylor Winfield Corporation
    Inventor: Robert P. Matteson
  • Patent number: 5634255
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically welding and handling mash welded tailored blank composites. The method comprises the steps of transferring first and second sheet component parts from respective input stacks to an assembly table of a mash welding machine. The sheet components are disposed in an overlapping lap joint configuration and the lap joint is welded along a linear weld seam thus defining a welded blank. The welded blank is conveyed in a timed step manner from the welding machine to an output stacking machine via a magnetic stepping conveyor and the blank is transferred from the conveyor to an output stack of completed blanks with a stacking machine. An apparatus is provided to carry out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Inventor: Bob R. Bishop
  • Patent number: 5473133
    Abstract: Two pieces of steel strip are welded together by a method employing projection resistance welding. A portion of one strip is formed with a series of aligned projections and arranged in superimposed relation with a portion of the other strip. The superimposed portions are moved through a welding zone located between upper and lower electrodes, typically a pair of rotatable welding wheels, through which a continuous electrical current flows. As the projections move into and through the welding zone, they are heated, flattened, melted and welded to the other of the two superimposed portions. The projections may be in the form of a continuous, elongated ridge (when the steel strips are uncoated) or in the form of spaced apart dimples (when the steel strips are coated or uncoated).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1995
    Assignee: Inland Steel Company
    Inventor: Warren A. Peterson
  • Patent number: 5471026
    Abstract: A relatively simple and inexpensive apparatus and method for providing high quality and aesthetically pleasing continuous resistance welded hollow metal articles at constant speed comprises an article workpiece conveying guide means for guiding the article workpiece through a welding means under controlled, stable, vibration free conditions in a predetermined path. The path has linear and non-linear portions. A sensor interactively connected to a programmable controller which functions to move the workpiece quickly and accurately through the welding means under stable conditions at a high uniform rate of speed. A first guide provides a weld edge reference guide, and a simple pivotal tracking system provides a weld path guide during non-linear travel of the workpiece. The tracking system exerts its force on the workpiece generally through the center of percussion of the article workpiece whereby no vibration is imparted by the force to the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: Lakewood Engineering & Manufacturing Co.
    Inventor: Andrei N. Ilies
  • Patent number: 5391853
    Abstract: A roller seam welding machine is provided with a contour-controlled table for the tank to be welded. The table is driven by a pinion (4) and a pantograph (16), in a known manner. To enable flanges (6) with a three-dimensional profile to be welded, the welding rollers (10,11) are mounted on a vertically traversable head (14) of the machine. This allows the welding rollers to be traversed to suit rises or falls in the welding flange (6). Because the tank itself is manipulated only in a horizontal plane in the conventional manner, with vertical manipulation of the welding rollers as an additional feature, the possibility is afforded in a simple manner of welding tank flanges with three-dimensional profiles with high precision irrespective of the weight and size of the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Walter Grau, Tomislav Matievic, Manfred Schlemmer
  • Patent number: 5347099
    Abstract: Methods and device for the electric welding of at least two sheets of multilayer structure (2,5), termed sandwich sheets, each including at least two metal sheets interconnected by a film of polymer. The method includes putting the inner faces (3a, 7a) of the sandwich sheets (2,5) into contact in a partial overlapping region, applying on the opposite faces (4a, 6a) of the sandwich sheets at least two rollers each having two parts and placed in confronting relation to each other in alignment with the overlapping region, supplying electric power to at least the second part of each roller (9,10), exerting a clamping force on the overlapping region of the sandwich sheets (2,5) using the rollers so as to bring the second part of each of the rollers into contact with the inner face of the confronting sandwich sheet and shifting the rollers (9,10) along the overlapping region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1994
    Assignee: Sollac
    Inventors: Frank Gissinger, Thierry Gheysens
  • Patent number: 5313041
    Abstract: The measurement of the voltage over the welding point in order to supervise the welding quality takes place by means of voltage taps on the wire electrodes. As a result, the additional parasitic resistances during measurement by means of conventional voltage taps on the roller head or the roller head mounting are completely eliminated, which improves the measuring accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1994
    Assignee: Elpatronc AG
    Inventors: Gideon Levy, Peter Baessler, Theodor Lachmuth
  • Patent number: 5290990
    Abstract: The seam welding machine with welding arrangement 10 has a lower part (1) and an upper (2). Load-bearing components are upper and lower longitudinal girders (20, 21) with a rigid connection (3, 4) between them. For clamping sheet blanks (7, 8) for welding, two clamping blocks are provided, each with upper and lower pressure beams (24, 25); at least the upper pressure beams (24) can be raised and lowered by means of jacks. For longitudinal transport of workpieces (7, 8) along the weld axis (Z), each beam has a feed unit (40, 41). Each feed unit comprises a longitudinal guide extending in the direction of the axis (Z), a slide, with clamping devices, guided on this longitudinal guide, and a reversible linear drive connected to the slide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1994
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Walter Bischofberger, Karl Wueger
  • Patent number: 5249725
    Abstract: The invention is related to an apparatus for re-using a copper wire having been used once for mash seam welding in a mash seam welder for mash seam welding a lap formed by overlapped opposite side edges of a metal sheet or like blank between upper and lower roller electrodes via copper wires. The apparatus is provided in a portion of or in relation to the mash seam welder for taking up the copper wire having been used once for welding and squeezed to have a substantially flat sectional profile as taken-up wire and feeding again the taken-up wire as rewound wire to the mash seam welder to be used again for welding between said upper and lower roller electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: N.P.W. Technical Laboratory Co.
    Inventor: Minoru Nakatsu
  • Patent number: 5159168
    Abstract: A roller head (10) for a resistance seam welding machine has an internally located sliding contact current transmission device (24) between stator 12) and rotor (14) and is composed of a pair of circular ring-shaped discs (26, 26') which extend radially between rotor and stator, are fastened to the rotor on their outer circumferences, carry axial sliding contact rings (32,32') on their inner circumferences, and are flexible designed in their intermediate parts (28,28') between inner and outer circumferences. These sliding contact discs (26,26') are composed of a copper mesh, to which the axial sliding contact rings (32,32') are fastened. Thin-walled metallic diaphragms can also be used instead of the copper mesh. The roller head (10) can transmit high welding currents. As a result of the flexible design of the sliding contact discs (26,26') the contact presssure, which is created by a stack of plate springs (40), remains constant even with external mechanical influences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Niklaus Portmann, Alfonso D'Aniello, Peter Taiana, Werner Urech
  • Patent number: 5155405
    Abstract: A pendulum roller head for a resistance seam-welding machine is described, having a sliding contact current transmission device between a stator and a rotor, which device is composed of an annular disc which extends radially between rotor and stator, is fastened by its outer circumference to the stator, carries an axial sliding contact ring on its inner circumference, and is flexibly designed in its bridging part between the inner and outer circumferences. The sliding contact disc is composed of a copper braid to which the axial sliding contact ring is fastened. The sliding contact current transmission device in the form of the disc with a flexible bridging part replaces the current transmission device in the form of fluid metal which has formerly been in use in pendulum roller heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1992
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Alfonso D'Aniello, Niklaus Portmann, Peter Taiana, Werner Urech
  • Patent number: RE36612
    Abstract: Mash seam welding process and apparatus, wherein two plate-like workpieces having different thickness values are fed and guided by a guiding device such that a length W.sub.H of contact of the thick plate-like workpiece with one of two roller electrodes is smaller than a length W.sub.M of contact of the thin plate-like workpiece with the other roller electrode. In this arrangement, the amount of mashing of the thick plate-like workpiece by the roller electrode is made larger than that of the thin plate-like workpiece by the other roller electrode, so that an interface of the two plate-like workpieces is positioned intermediate between the pair of roller electrodes, whereby a weld nugget formed intermediate between the roller electrodes extends across the interface, permitting the weld to have a sufficient strength owing to a nugget ratio, which is a ratio of a width dimension W.sub.N of the weld nugget in the direction of the interface to a width dimension W.sub.G of the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Fukushima, Masaki Tanzawa