Abstract: Method and apparatus for longitudinally seam welding overlapped edges of metal sheets with continuously renewable flat wire electrodes in which the edges are overlapped a distance of from three to no more than six times the thickness of the edges and the flat wire electrodes have a width from about two to three times the width of the overlap.

Abstract: An electrode roll-welding arrangement for a resistance roll-welding machine comprising a welding arm adapted to be supported at a machine frame and an electrode roll mounted at an end of the welding arm, the electrode roll being supplied with the welding current by means of the welding arm acting as an electrical conductor and a shaft of the electrode roll mounted in such welding arm. The end of the welding arm receiving the electrode roll is bifurcated or fork-shaped and embodies two fork-like or bifurcated leg members situated essentially in parallelism and opposite one another, each bifurcated leg member having a slot which opens towards the front side or face of the end of the welding arm. Each such slot has at its inward or proximal slot end a bearing cradle for the reception of the shaft of the electrode roll.

Abstract: An electrical resistance-roll seam welding machine having a pair of welding rolls or rollers and at least one electrode wire which is guided from a supply station for the infeed of fresh welding wire by means of at least one of the welding rolls to a collecting station or location for used or consumed wire. The electrode wire can be brought into contact by means of the welding rolls with the workpiece which is to be welded. A brake device is arranged between the supply station and the welding rolls and a tension device for the electrode wire is disposed between the welding rolls and the collecting station or location. The sum of the tension force exerted by the tension device upon the wire and the brake force exerted by the brake device upon the wire is great enough in order to continuously maintain in tensioned state the electrode wire through its path of travel between the brake device and the tension device.

Abstract: A portable seam welder comprising a pair of arms pivoted to one another about a pivot axis and a spindle assembly mounted on each arm. Each spindle assembly includes a shaft rotatably mounted about an axis extending generally parallel to the pivot axis and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the arm. A welding wheel is mounted on each shaft. At least one of the wheels is driven to rotate it. Handles are mounted on one of the arms for manipulating the welder, and an actuator means extending between the arms for pivoting the arms relative to one another for moving said wheels toward and away from one another.

Abstract: Resistance welding apparatus for simultaneously welding spaced generally parallel seams in sheet metal workpieces, as for example joining a pair of side panels to the back panel of a refrigerator cabinet. The panels are clamped upon a support table with their edges to be welded disposed in overlapping relationship. Support members of high electrical conductivity engage the underside of the clamped panels along and adjacent to the overlapped edge portions of the panels. A movable overhead carriage supports a pair of rotatable disc electrodes which are positioned to roll along the overlapped edge portions of the panels in opposed relationship to the underlying support members. Also mounted on the carriage are a pair of highly conductive shoes which roll along the central panel closely adjacent the respective electrodes.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the invention the packing-wire cutting device includes an electrical electrode assembly comprising a pair of arms pivotally mounted on a bearing shaft, the ends of the arms remote from the bearing shaft carrying each one a rotatable disc together forming an electrode roller supplied with electric power from a supply circuit normally open at the electrode roller which has a gap between its rotatable discs. Further the packing-wire cutting device comprises a conveyor path for the goods to be treated by said device, said goods being provided with a packing of wires crossing the sides of the goods. When the goods passes the packing-wire cutting device the electrode roller is caused to pivot towards the goods side so as to engage against this side to be rotated when the goods is advancing so that when any of the wires is passing the electrode roller it closes the supply circuit whereby the section of the wire located between the rotatable discs will melt off.

Abstract: In electrodes for seam welding machines and the like, electric current paths from a transformer to an electrode shaft are established not as through an electrode frame, cover plate and others, but directly through contact means which is connected at one end thereof to the transformer and abuts at another end upon a free end of the electrode shaft coaxially thereof.

Abstract: An electrode system for spot welding difficult-to-weld materials, such as aluminum, wherein a pair of spaced apart electrodes, one of which is a roller, clamp the overlapped strips of material to be spot welded. Mechanism moves the roller electrode toward and away from the other electrode, and other means is operated responsively to this movement for indexing the roller electrode incrementally circumferentially to successively present a new surface to the work held between the electrodes. A control circuit applies DC power to the electrodes such that the roller mentioned has the positive polarity and the other electrode the negative polarity.

Abstract: A resistance-welding head having a vertical-axis rotor with a roller electrode attached to the lower end thereof. Current is supplied to the roller electrode by means of a mercury-filled interstice formed between the walls of a chamber within the rotor and a current-transmission rod disposed within the chamber. The rod may be provided with a bore for receiving the mercury and having a stopper which also serves as a mercury-level indicator.

Abstract: Apparatus for making butt-welded tube from a strip includes a pair of grooved weld rolls for aligning the longitudinal edges of the strip bent into a tubular shape. To insure that the inside seam of the tube is flush regardless of variations in thickness between strip edges, each roll is made in two sections. In a horizontal mill the seam is on top and each bottom roll section is fixed in horizontal position while the top roll section has limited axial movement. Resilient means bias the roll sections apart and against a top stop so that the top of one edge of the strip is higher than the other when the edges are of different thicknesses. If desired, the rolls may also be adjusted to insure that the outside seam of the tube is flush.

Abstract: A welding apparatus for welding together arcuate components, for example a platform and web of a brake shoe comprises a pair of opposed clamping members which are relatively movable to engage the web, one on each side thereof, over a substantial portion of the web surface area. The clamping members are continuously rotated by suitable drive arrangement. Preferably, two such pairs of clamping members are provided for clamping respective webs.

Abstract: A rotatable shaft has a roller electrode mounted on it for rotation therewith. A transformer and a rectifier are structurally integrated to form a unit which is also mounted on the shaft for rotation with it, and serve to convert high-voltage low-amperage net current into low-voltage high-amperage DC current. Slip rings are mounted on the shaft to transmit electrical current to the unit for supply to the roller electrode.

Abstract: The seam welding head has an outer annular electrode connected to the hub by means of a resilient annulus bridged by multiple laminated conductors. The electrode is water cooled. The resilient annulus is stressed as the electrode is moved into contact with the work and provides the follow-up force during the forging phase of the welding cycle. The relatively small weight of the electrode permits fast follow-up without excessive force and permits much faster welding.