Electrode Structure Patents (Class 219/84)
  • Patent number: 11498159
    Abstract: A welding mechanism for welding different blank sections includes a welding device and a carrier. The carrier has a base, two opposite positioning members, an operating set disposed between the positioning members and driven by a power source, and a holding member and a pushing member which are respectively disposed relative to the positioning members. The blank sections, including a front section and a rear section, are separately placed on the operating set. The front section is restricted by the holding member. The pushing member pushes the rear section, so the two sections meet at a joint. When the two sections rotate synchronously along with the rotation of the operating set, the welding device welds the two sections at the joint circumferentially to produce a bi-compositional screw, thereby preventing the generation of air and pores inside the joint after welding, increasing processing quality, and reducing processing costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Shan Yin International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kou-Tsair Su, Chen-Long Su
  • Patent number: 11207745
    Abstract: A weld wheel cleaning system is provided to clean or remove a layer of embedded material and other debris produced from welding from the working surface of a weld wheel. Such a weld wheel cleaning system includes a cleaner with an abrasive material positioned on an outer surface of the cleaner. The cleaner is positionable adjacent to the weld wheel such that the abrasive material is aligned with the working surface of the weld wheel. An actuator can be used to selectively actuate the cleaner with a force sufficient to remove the layer of embedded material from the working surface of the weld wheel with the abrasive material. The debris from the cleaner can be removed by a vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Properties Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Cadotte, David E. Brandau
  • Patent number: 11123815
    Abstract: Seam welding is performed by clamping a coupling portion of an upper sash with a first roller electrode and a second roller electrode, and applying electricity while rotating first roller electrode and the second roller electrode. The first roller electrode includes a plurality of first projecting portions and second projecting portions that are at intervals in a circumferential direction around a first rotational center. The second roller electrode may include a plurality of first opposing projecting portions and second opposing projecting portions that are at intervals in a circumferential direction around a second rotational center, by clamping a coupling portion of an upper sash and applying electricity while rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: SHIROKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jiro Yoshihara, Koji Yoshida, Toshifumi Yanai
  • Patent number: 9969027
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Soundronic AG
    Inventor: Daniel Dieterich
  • Patent number: 9566670
    Abstract: An exemplary method of making a piston assembly may include providing a piston crown defining at least in part an upper combustion bowl surface. The piston crown includes at least one crown mating surface. The method further comprising moving the crown mating surface in proximity to a skirt mating surface defined by a piston skirt, wherein the crown and skirt cooperate to define a cooling gallery extending about a periphery of the crown. The method may further include bonding the crown and skirt together by initiating an electric current along a conductive path between the crown and skirt mating surfaces, the conductive path comprising at least one conductive material extending from the crown mating surface to the skirt mating surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Gabriel, Wolfgang Rein
  • Patent number: 9162315
    Abstract: An electrical conduction mechanism is provided to prevent dust or from adhering to the inside of an electrical-conduction portion main body, so that electrical conduction efficiency cannot be reduced. The electrical conduction mechanism comprises an electrical-conduction portion main body in the center of which a first through-hole to be inserted through by a shaft is formed and in which a second through-hole communicating with the first through-hole is formed in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first through-hole is formed. The electrical-conduction element is disposed in the second through-hole. The electrical-conduction element is configured to include an electrical-conduction chip abutting on the shaft, and a coil spring biasing the electrical-conduction chip toward the shaft, so that current is supplied to the shaft through the electrical-conduction chip to conduct electricity to the bit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Star Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kosei Ishihara
  • 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
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20120273469
    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: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: 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
  • Patent number: 8274010
    Abstract: A method for welding a plurality of aluminum to aluminum welds and a plurality of steel to steel welds using the same welder includes providing a resistance spot welder with a pair of weld electrodes having an electrode face radius of curvature in the range between 20 mm and 40 mm. The series of aluminum to aluminum welds is first made, and then, after completing the aluminum to aluminum welds, the series of steel to steel welds are made. After completing the steel to steel welds the weld electrodes are cleaned by an abrasive to remove any buildup or contamination of aluminum on the electrodes. In the event the electrodes have mushroomed, then dressing of the electrodes is provided and then the abrasive cleaning is performed to restore the surface texture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: David R Sigler, Michael J Karagoulis
  • Patent number: 8242411
    Abstract: A method for holding together an electrically non-conductive stack of objects, such as a stack of magazines or foil strips includes forming the stack of objects; and applying to one side of the stack a static polarity with a planar, semi-conductive electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Johan Hendrik Vreeman, Gerrit Hendrik Ten Tije
  • Patent number: 8097825
    Abstract: A laser-clad processing apparatus of the present invention is one which is for carrying out laser-clad processing onto a valve-seat portion of a cylinder head, and is characterized in that it comprises cylinder-head holding means (1) for holding a cylinder head (H) in an inclining manner so that the central axial line of a valve seat becomes the vertical direction, a laser-processing head (2) for irradiating a laser beam onto a process part of the valve seat and at the same time discharging a powdery material to this process part, rotary means (3) which rotates around the central axial line of the valve seat in such a state that the laser-processing head is inclined with respect to the vertical direction, and powdery-material supply means (4) for supplying the powdery material to the laser-processing head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Sato, Yoshinori Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 7795563
    Abstract: A technique for the design of 3-D RF welding electrodes by first modeling the surface of the welded part perimeter as a spline in a 3-D CAD program, and then dividing the spline up into multiple, small straight segments. The straight segments are offset simultaneously in opposite directions from the spline, to form two sets of straight segments, each set being equidistant from the spline, with the gap between the two sets equal to the target thickness of the welded package. New die faces are constructed from each of the sets using smoothing techniques, and 3-D models of the die faces are manufactured to check accuracy of the design, making sure that all the corresponding points of the pair of electrodes are equidistant, thereby creating a strong weld with good cosmetic results all along the parts being joined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Dielectrics Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam S. Epstein, Stephen J. Wiater, Richard S. Mongeau
  • Patent number: 7423233
    Abstract: A butt welding apparatus and a butt welding method where end faces of at least one plate member to be welded are butted to each other to form a butt portion, and butt welding can be performed on respective plate members which have various thickness sizes on both side portions of the butt portion with electric resistance heat by a pair of electrode members which are common to the respective plate members. At least one electrode member (1) is provided on an outer face thereof with a convex portion (1A) which gradually retreats from one plate member (31) of two plate members (31, 32) as it extends from an intermediate portion, in a thickness direction, of the one electrode member (1) along the one plate member (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignees: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd., Kikuchi Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Miyamoto, Takao Minagawa, Shinichi Inagaki, Kiyoyuki Fukui
  • Patent number: 7307235
    Abstract: A butt welding apparatus, a butt welding method, and a product manufactured by the butt welding method involves two electrode rollers disposed on both the front and back sides of a thick sheet member and a thin sheet member whose end surfaces are butted. The electrode rollers bridge across the sheet members and are composed of small diameter portions on the side of the thick sheet member and large diameter portions on the side of the thin sheet member. The small diameter portions come into contact with and press the thick sheet member before the large diameter portions come into contact with the thin sheet member. Thus, the end surface of the thick sheet member swells and deforms toward the thin sheet member and reliably comes into contact with the end surface of the thin sheet member, and power is applied between the end surfaces, even if not polished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Kikuchi Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Miyamoto, Takao Minagawa, Shinichi Inagaki, Kazu Uchida, Kiyoyuki Fukui
  • Patent number: 7012213
    Abstract: A reel wire type of welding device for spot welding includes a first guiding portion rotatably mounted in a front end of the welding device such that the wire is supported and guided in a working area in which the wire contacts a target object. At least one second guiding portion is mounted in a rear of the roller such that the wire is supportedly guided in a zigzag manner as the wire is pressed in both upward and downward directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Seon Gyu Jeon
  • 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: 6710278
    Abstract: Apparatus for welding a wire mesh of crossing longitudinal and transverse wires, with a rotatable upper and lower electrode configured as a disk-like polygon, at least the upper electrode (2) being movable upwardly and downwardly and the upper and lower electrodes (2; 6) being rotatable to their working position in which a polygon surface extends parallel to the longitudinal wires, whereby the upper electrode and the lower electrode are provided at each polygon surface (8) with an internal distribution channel (13; 15) for cleaning air, preferably pressurized air, each distribution channel having at least one blow-out opening (14, 14′; 16, 16′) terminating in the center on the polygonal surface (8) and a distributor (3, 3′) for the cleaning air being associated with each of the upper electrode and the lower electrode, the distributors being each provided with a connector (11) for feeding cleaning air and with internally disposed air channels (12) connected to the connector and to the distrib
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: EVG Entwicklungs- & Verwertungs-Gesellschaft m.b.H.
    Inventor: Klaus Ritter
  • Patent number: 6448532
    Abstract: The invention relates to a resistance welding process for welding metal parts together. To improve the quality of the weld, at least one welding electrode (4) is embodied as a circular cylinder, which is seated so that it rotates around its cylinder axis. In accordance with the invention, the welding electrode (4) in the shape of a circular cylinder is caused to rotate at least during the welding of the metal parts (1, 2), so that by means of creating a sliding friction between the surface area of the welding electrode (4) and the surface of the metal part (2) resting against it the surface of the latter is freed of possible impurities. The process is particularly well suited for welding sand-blasted molybdenum foils and tungsten wires together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft für elektrische Glühlampen mbG
    Inventors: Bodo Mittler, Joachim Mack
  • 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: 5676858
    Abstract: The lower welding wheel (2) of a resistance seam welding machine is vertically adjusted by providing retaining pieces (10) for the stator (8) of the electrode roller head, which are able to position the electrode wheel head in different vertical settings on the welding arm (1) of the machine. This makes it possible to eliminate the vertical adjustment for the guide piece (4), allowing welding to be carried out more accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventor: Rainer Gantenbein
  • Patent number: 5420389
    Abstract: The disclosed bearing mount includes a bearing with inner and outer raceways and rollers operating between the raceways, the raceways being fixedly held fast relative to separated structures and the rollers rotatably supporting them and the structures relative to one another. The rollers of the bearing are formed of electrically and magnetically nonconductive material, specifically comprised of silicon nitride material. This bearing mount is effective for operation within a pulsed high energy electrical circuit or within the magnetic fields generated thereby, as in an inner roller electrode or an hour glass roll used in an electric-resistance can welder, inasmush as it isolates the structures electrically from one another via the bearing mount independently of other insulator devices, while operating without magnetic roller polarization and increased roller collisions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1995
    Inventor: Joseph R. Davies
  • 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: 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: 5122629
    Abstract: A compact resistance seam welding machine wherein the upper electrode roller (14) is provided on a pivotally mounted arm (12) instead of on a pendulum roller head. The lower electrode roller (16), which is disposed below the upper electrode roller (14), is provided on a rigid lower arm (8) as usual. The pivotal mounting (10) of the arm (12) includes a stack of copper foils (102) on the side adjacent to the lower arm (8) and of a steel strip (101) on the side remote from the lower arm (8). The steel strip (101) and the copper foils (102) are each clamped, on the one side to the machine frame (4) and on the other side to the opposite end of the arm (12). The arm (12) is therefore pivotally mounted on the principle of a parallelogram linkage, while the pivotal mounting (10) serves for the transmission of welding current to the upper electrode roller (14) at the same time. The pivotal mounting ( 10) only permits the upper electrode roller (14) a vertical movement up and down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1992
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventor: Othmar Stieger
  • Patent number: 5089682
    Abstract: A roller electrode combination for use in electric-resistance welders, the electrode having relatively rotatable components separated by very small gaps, and an electrically and thermally conductive liquid is contained by the components across the gaps; the conductive liquid being a gallium dominant composite eutectic mixture where its phase change from liquid to solid begins at possibly 5-8 degrees C. Special controls are provided for the coolant for the roller electrodes, including a sensor to determining its temperature and a heater to preclude its flow through the roller electrode at temperatures below where such phase change might take place. The roller electrodes may be formed of alloys of copper (Cu) and/or a sintered mixture of copper (Cu) and tungsten (W). A protective coating between 0.0025 and 0.025 millimeters thick may be plated on surfaces of the composite copper (Cu) and tungsten (W) roller electrode that come in contact with the conductive liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Inventor: Joseph R. Davies
  • Patent number: 5021627
    Abstract: The invention concerns an electrode for the resistance welding of sheets of surface-treated steel. A thin disk of high melting-point metal is permanently attached to the electrode's shaft or cap at the contact surface. The grain of the high melting-point metal is oriented at an angle to the axis of the electrode and the rolled-out material has a flattened grain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1991
    Assignee: Hoesch Stahl AG
    Inventors: Bernhard Bersch, Axel Fuchs, Ralf Eck
  • Patent number: 4940873
    Abstract: An improved roller electrode combination for use in electric-resistance welders, the electrode having relatively rotatable components separated by very small gaps, and a liquid contained by the components across the gaps; where said liquid is nontoxic, and is highly conductive, both electrically and thermally. The conductive liquid is of a composite eutectic mixture of galliun (Ga), indium (In), tin (Sn) and zinc (Zn), by weight, being approximately 61% Ga, 25% In, 13% Sn, and 1% Zn. A protective coating of the order between 0.0025 and 0.025 millimeters thick is plated on said surfaces of at least one of the components, being of material from gold and/or the platinum family, such as rhodium (Rh). Coolant is circulated through one of the components, and special controls regulate the coolant flow and/or warn of unsafe coolant temperatures; and the conductive liquid thermally cools the other component. The rotor component may be formed of a sintered mixture of copper (Cu) and tungsten (W).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Inventor: Joseph R. Davies
  • Patent number: 4916271
    Abstract: A welding head 10 for coupling a welding electrode 12 to a source of electrical current. The welding head includes a housing 30 and an electrically conductive shaft 18 rotatably mounted with the housing. The shaft has a substantially circular cylindrical shape having a first end surface for mounting a welding electrode thereto and a second, substantially flat, opposing end surface 20. The welding head further includes an electrical coupler in contact with the second substantially flat end surface of the shaft for coupling electrical current into the shaft. The electrical coupler includes an electrical conductor having a first end coupled to a source of welding power and an electrically conductive contact plate 22 having a substantially flat surface in contact with the second substantially flat end surface of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1990
    Assignee: Avco Corporation
    Inventors: Jack W. Lee, Roman T. Kowalski, John L. Fritz
  • Patent number: 4861961
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1989
    Inventor: John H. Huys
  • Patent number: 4795875
    Abstract: The contact wire (30) for a roller seam welding machine is provided on its front face with grooves (32) which are formed in the longitudinal direction of the wire and which are bounded by sharp longitudinal edges (34). The contact wire (30) is particularly well suited for welding metal sheets, the surfaces of which are heavily soiled or provided with coatings which are poor electrical conductors or electrically non-conducting. During the welding operation, the longitudinal edges (34) cut open the sheets to be welded or their oxide layer or coating which is a poor electrical conductor or non-conducting, and render possible a direct passage of the welding current to the actual metal sheet. Dirt as well as semi-plastic and vaporized coating material are reliably carried away to the front and rear in the longitudinal grooves so that the contact wire (30) cannot "float" during the welding operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1989
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventor: Werner Urech
  • Patent number: 4782207
    Abstract: An electrode roll for an electric resistance seam welding machine comprises a stator substantially made of copper or a copper alloy, a rotor mounted on the periphery of the stator, and substantially or in part made of copper or a copper alloy and rotatably a gap portion formed by the stator and the rotor. A conductive liquid metal, which is a fusible alloy composed mainly of gallium, is inserted in the gap portion through a filling hole and is sealed in the gap portion. At least the portion of the filling hole that may come in contact with the conductive liquid metal is fabricated of a metal or metal alloy which is hard to be corroded by the fusible alloy. The remaining surfaces of both rotor and stator facing the gap portion are covered with a layer or layers of a metal or metal alloy that is hard to be corroded by the fusible alloy. In at least one embodiment, such layer or layers are further covered with another thin layer of metal which has an excellent wettability by the fusible alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: Daiwa Can Company, Limited
    Inventors: Shunsuke Masuda, Masatoshi Yamamoto, Katsuyoshi Shudo, Hiroyuki Kato, Yasushi Kawai
  • Patent number: 4780589
    Abstract: A roller electrode combination for use in electric-resistance welder, the electrode having relatively rotatable components separated by very small gaps, and a liquid contained by the components across the gaps; where said liquid is nontoxic, and is highly conductive, both electrically and thermally. The conductive liquid is of a composite eutectic mixture of gallium (Ga), indium (In), tin (Sn) and zinc (Zn), by weight, being approximately 61% Ga, 25% In, 13% Sn, and 1% Zn. A protective coating of the order between 0.0025 and 0.025 millimeters thick is plated on said surfaces of at least one of the components, being of material from the platinum family, such as rhodium (Rh). Coolant is circulated through one of the components; and part of the component is formed of a composite mixture of copper (Cu) and tungsten (W).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1988
    Inventor: Joseph R. Davies
  • Patent number: 4732026
    Abstract: A method of lap welding an eventual can blank of a metal sheet or the like by passing a lap joint between the upper and lower roller electrodes via upper and lower wire electrodes to be heated and simultaneously applied pressure, thereby forming continuous thermal press bond sections, wherein the width of the contact surface of the upper and lower wire electrodes is set to three times the width of the lap joint, and the thermal press bond sections are formed by thermal press bonding without fusion, the center-to-center distance between adjacent thermal press bond sections being set to be in a range of 0.8.+-.0.2 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1988
    Assignee: N.P.W. Technical Laboratory, Co.
    Inventor: Kunikatsu Ban
  • Patent number: 4652715
    Abstract: A method of making a welded can body wherein the opposite marginal edge portions of a metallic blank are overlapped to form a can body preform with an overlapped portion, and then the overlapped portion is electric-resistance mash-seam welded by using a pair of wire electrodes abutting on both the surfaces of the overlapped portion. At least one of the pair of the wire electrodes is formed with a flat main portion and a marginal projection including a slope contiguous to the flat main portion on the surface thereof, which surface is adapted to abut on the surface of the overlapped portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Limited
    Inventors: Yoichi Kitamura, Yoshiro Togo, Yoshiteru Akae
  • Patent number: 4642437
    Abstract: An electrode roll for electric resistance welding which contains a stator member at least partly made of Cu or Cu alloy, a rotor member at least partly made of Cu or Cu alloy and rotatably mounted on the stator member, and a fusible alloy mainly composed of gallium and filling as a conductive medium an annular gap between the stator and rotor members, and portions of those two members facing the gap and being made of Cu or Cu alloy are covered by an alloy layer containing Co and W in weight proportions of 90:10 to 30:70.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1987
    Assignee: Daiwa Can Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masatoshi Yamamoto, Yasushi Kawai, Katsuyoshi Shudo, Hiroyuki Kato, Shunsuke Masuda
  • Patent number: 4641008
    Abstract: The apparatus described is so constructed that narrow can bodies having an internal diameter of 52 mm for example can be produced from rounded blanks by welding the edges of the blanks. The supply of welding current to the electrode roller is effected through copper caps, a clamping member, contact members disposed at each side thereof, contact jaws silver contact segments and peripheral surfaces of wide hubs which are provided on the electrode roller. The contact jaws engage the hubs of the electrode roller at both sides of the roller from above and below, as a result of which there is a large area for the transmission of current and a low specific contact pressure. The hub surfaces, which form the actual contact surfaces of the electrode roller, are continuously lubricated through felt lubricating segments. The contact pressure of the contact jaws can be adjusted in a simple manner by means of a screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1987
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Niklaus Portmann, Alfonso D'Aniello
  • Patent number: 4591686
    Abstract: A device for feeding electric power to a roll-like revolving electrode in an electrical resistance welding machine includes a feeder rotor provided in a shaft formed integrally with a revolving electrode and a feeder plate extending in the moving direction of the revolving electrode and disposed in contact with the periphery of the feeder rotor. The periphery of the feeder rotor is electrically coupled to the electrode surface of the revolving electrode, and the feeder plate is connected to a power supply. Consequently, the electrode surface of the revolving electrode is electrically coupled to the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1986
    Assignee: Toyo Seikan Kaisha Limited
    Inventors: Kenji Matsuno, Kazuma Kuse
  • Patent number: 4559431
    Abstract: An improved apparatus for producing welded metallic can bodies is provided. The apparatus has two roll-like revolving electrodes and an elongate electrode, and the lap portions of two can bodies are disposed respectively between the two revolving electrodes and the elongate electrode. An alternating current flowing through these lap portions is supplied by coupling the two revolving electrodes to an ac power supply, or by dividing the elongate electrode into two electrically insulated portions and coupling these portions to the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1985
    Assignee: Toyo Seikan Kaisha Limited
    Inventors: Kenji Matsuno, Kazuma Kuse
  • Patent number: 4493962
    Abstract: In an apparatus and a method of at least partially suppressing oxidation of can components or the like during resistance roller welding with the aid of an inert gas, the steps include welding the can components to one another, so as to obtain a hot welding seam, supplying the inert gas to the hot welding seam so as to envelop it at least partially, and to create a region of the inert gas in contact with the surrounding atmosphere, so that oxidation of the hot welding seam is at least partially suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1985
    Inventors: Wolfgang Weil, Andres Lanz, Max Vogt, Paul Meier, Martin Kaul, Hanspeter Fankhauser
  • Patent number: 4480167
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1984
    Inventors: John H. Huys, David Venne
  • Patent number: 4433229
    Abstract: An electrode roll for resistance welding comprising a fixed portion which has a disc portion at the longitudinal center part of a shaft where the disc portion and the shaft are at right angles to each other; a rotary portion which surrounds the fixed portion and has inner surfaces forming two side gaps facing the two side surfaces of the disc portion and a peripheral gap facing the peripheral surface of the disc portion, respectively; and a conductive liquid metal received in each of the gaps, where the peripheral gap is so narrow that the above conductive liquid metal may be pulled up along the gap to fill the same when the above rotary portion rotates, and the side gaps are substantially wider than the peripheral gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1984
    Assignee: Daiwa Can Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yonekichi Morikawa, Toshio Shimizu, Eiichi Yoshida, Tsuyoshi Konagaya, Keizo Hirayama
  • Patent number: 4410781
    Abstract: A continuous lap-seaming electrical resistance welding machine for can bodies is disclosed. Two electrode units together define a welding passage, through which laps of sheet metal are passed for welding. Each of the electrode units comprises a band electrode running over an electrode roller having a stationary axis. A band guide roller spaced from the electrode roller(s) in continuation of the welding passage forms a straight-line section between the electrode roller(s) and the associated guide roller. Preferably the guide roller is disposed downstream of electrode roller relative to the direction of displacement of the laps through the welding passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1983
    Assignee: Carnaud Emballage
    Inventor: Maurice Riviere
  • Patent number: 4401874
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the preparation of welded cans, which comprises forming a blank into a cylinder and passing a lap portion of the formed cylinder between a pair of electrode rollers through an electrode wire to effect electric resistance welding, wherein said blank is a tin-free steel blank comprising a steel plate substrate, a layer of metallic chromium formed on the surface of the steel plate substrate and a layer of chromium oxide formed on the metallic chromium layer, and electric resistance welding is carried out in an inert atmosphere in the state where an electrode wire having a plated layer of a soft metal selected from the group consisting of tin and alloys thereof, the thickness of said plated layer being 0.1 to 20 .mu.m, is kept in close contact with the chromium oxide layer of the tin-free steel blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1983
    Assignee: Toyo Seikan Kaisha Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Kitamura, Makoto Ito, Chikara Yurita
  • Patent number: 4368372
    Abstract: In an electrode for electrical resistance seam welding apparatus, which electrode is arranged to roll against a workpiece to be welded and is composed of a pressure member maintained out of contact with the workpiece, connected to a welding current supply, and made of a material which is a good electrical and thermal conductor, and a contact member in the form of an endless element mounted to roll against the workpiece and to be pressed against the workpiece by the pressure member, the contact member is composed of a rigid ring of a heat-resistant material selected to not form an alloy with the workpiece material, and the ring is mounted to surround the pressure member and to permit relative movement between the ring and the pressure member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1983
    Assignee: Fried. Krupp Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Gerd Habenicht, Fritz Fischer
  • Patent number: 4258245
    Abstract: A resistance welding machine in which a wire electrode is urged into contact with a workpiece by first and second electrode wheels, the wire having first and second surfaces extending parallel to the axis of the wire and a twisting mechanism located in the path of the wire after the first electrode and before the second electrode for twisting the wire during linear motion of the wire so that the surface of the wire presented to the workpiece at the first electrode wheel is also presented to the workpiece at the second electrode wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1981
    Assignee: Metal Box Limited
    Inventor: John Flaherty
  • Patent number: 4188523
    Abstract: The roll electrode comprises a stator member and a rotor member surrounding the stator member with an annular gap therebetween and a liquid metal is filled in the gap. The liquid metal has a composition consisting of 69.5.+-.5.0 atomic % of Ga, 15.2.+-.1.0 atomic % of In, 6.1.+-.1.0 atomic % Sn, 4.5.+-.0.8 atomic % of Zn, 3.2.+-.0.5 atomic % of Ag and 1.5.+-.0.5 atomic % of Al.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1980
    Assignees: Nippon Electric Co., Ltd., Fuji Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Kawai, Jun-ichi Homma, Saburo Watanabe, Masahiro Watanabe