Abstract: A method and apparatus for building a workpiece of a desired geometry by deposit welding with a reusable preform. The reusable preform forms, supports, and cools the deposited molten weld material puddle while the weld material is solidifying thereby eliminating the need for a conventional preform. The reusable preform may be mobile or stationary in any shape, e.g., a block, a cylinder, or a belt. It is manufactured from either a combination of or exclusively of, a ceramic material or a material with high thermal conductivity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for building an axially symmetrical workpiece of desired geometry by deposit welding which uses a translatable welding head for depositing molten weld material and a rotatable, reusable shoe which translates with the welding head. The rotatable, reusable shoe forms, supports and cools the deposited molten weld material puddle while the weld material is solidifying thereby eliminating the need for a conventional preform.

Abstract: An exterior surface portion of a metal tube (30) is bonded to a surface portion of a bore (11) in a metal tubesheet (10) by detonating an explosive bonding charge (31) inside the tube (30) adjacent a front face (13) of the tubesheet (10). The bonding charge (31) consists of nitroguanidine, and is contained within a polypropylene container comprising a cup structure (21) and a header structure (22). The cup structure (21) forms a receptacle for the bonding charge (31), and positions the bonding charge (31) at the proper depth within the tube (30) to achieve the desired bonding effect. The header structure (22) overlies and shapes the bonding charge (31), and contains a transfer charge (44) and a firing charge (45) for initiating detonation of the bonding charge (31). A firing assembly for initiating detonations of firing charges (45) in tubes (30) arranged in a plurality of linear arrays comprises a corresponding plurality of firing rails (24) and an initiation rail (27).

Abstract: A welding backup tape assembly includes a flexible, elongated, heat resistant ribbon, such as a metal foil strip, with a flexible, elongated, heat resistant, fibrous rope having a flexible reinforcing core, preferably metallic, attached to one major side of the ribbon, suggestedly by stitching with a glass fiber thread, to form a substantially unitary assembly. Pressure sensitive adhesive layers are applied to the ribbon on either side of the fibrous rope to allow that side of the assembly to be adhered to the weldable workpiece. In the preferred embodiment, the fibrous rope is formed by a knitted, multistrand stainless steel wire core supporting a sheath of knitted, texturized, untwisted fiberglass yarns. Untexturized, low or no twist, continuous, glass fiber thread is used to stitch the rope to the ribbon.

Abstract: A clamping ring, intended to enclose and exert a clamping force against a cylindric element and incorporating a slot and a clamping means enclosing the slot, is provided with stepladder-shaped surface elements on each side of the slot, for making possible a compact design and favorable force absorption in the clamping means, whereby the clamping means is composed by several separate sections, enclosing one step each.

Abstract: A welding apparatus for butt weld joint of steel plates such as steel strips is assembled together with a grinding device, which is combined in one system. The grinding device is so arranged that grinding wheels of this system can be moved along the welded joint following just after the welding torch. The clamping dies for clamping the welding portion of the steel plates are divided sectionally provided with mechanisms for shifting the respective divided clamping dies between a first clamping position during welding and a second clamping position during grinding. The upper unit of the grinding device can be moved along a rail assembly for guiding the welding torch. The lower unit of the grinding device can be moved along a rail assembly for guiding the shearing machine.

Abstract: Method for welding together two parts, wherein a concentrated beam of energy causing melting of the parts is directed into the gap extending continuously between two parts, and wherein before welding, at the side facing the side where the beam first strikes the parts, a protective member preventing further passage of the beam of energy is permanently fitted.

Abstract: A welding backup shoe apparatus that comprises a double-acting fluid cylinder having a piston rod extending from it. A first retainer shoe is attachable to the piston rod and a second retainer shoe is opposed to the first retainer shoe. A first backup shoe to be received by the first retainer shoe and at least two other backup shoes are received by the first retainer shoe and by the second retainer shoe. The backup shoe is arcuate externally to be a close fit within a pipe. A guide is attached to the first retainer shoe, slidably engaging the second retainer shoe to guide the movement of the retainer shoes relative to each other. A release device is attached to the cylinder to abut the first backup shoe; and cables attach the two other backup shoes to the cylinder.

Abstract: The welding ring described connects two housing parts of an electrical battery with electrode stacks arranged symmetrically relative to the welding seam. The ring is provided with spring tongues pointing radially inward and axially upward and downward which hold the electrode end plates on their end faces against an appropriately shaped bearing point so as to center them and retain them in their axial position. This arrangement makes it easier to weld the housing and prevents welding beads from penetrating into the container. Also, additional retention of the electrode stack is ensured.

Abstract: An internal chuck for use in the butt welding of tubes 16, 17 aligning the tubes and for bringing them into abutment comprises a central tube 6, a sleeve 7 slidable on the central tube and carrying centering means 12 and welding backup means 8, the centering means and the welding backup means being longitudinally spaced from one another, gripping means 2, and jaws 33 for clamping against the tubes. The jaws are displaceable longitudinally relative to the gripping means and central tube to draw the two tubes together and a jack 27 is provided for displacing the sleeve longitudinally relative to the central tube so that either the centering means or the welding backup means can be aligned with the ends of the tubes.

Abstract: A weld backup mechanism includes an arcuate backup ring segment spring mounted to a support plate for rotational displacement. A plurality of such mechanisms are fixed to clamping members of an internal line-up clamp for radial expansion and retraction therewith.

Abstract: A device for manufacturing containers for storing nuclear materials. The purpose of the device is to maintain angular sheet metals in the precise position required during the welding operation which is performed along the outer edges of their flange portions. The device includes a core, a thrust bearing and a counter-pressure bearing. The core is sub-divided into two separate core portions. Spring means tend to draw the core portions toward each other. Fluid operated cylinder-piston units tend to separate the core portions against the action of said spring means. Adjustment screw means provided with abutment means and screwed into one of said core portions project into the other of said core portions with the abutment means thereof. The second core portion has abutment means cooperating with the abutment means on said adjustment screw means.

Abstract: An elastomeric mandrel has a shallow groove around the outer diameter. A woven sleeve of ceramic fiber surrounds the mandrel; which in turn is covered with a woven sleeve of fiberglass. The mandrel with coverings is inserted into tubing to be joined by welding with the shallow groove positioned under the joint. The mandrel is diametrically expanded by means located outside of the tubing to press the coverings against the inside of the tubing during time of welding, and the height of the weld underbead is controlled by the groove in the mandrel acting as a mold.

Abstract: A device for the back support of the first run weld in the automatic butt-welding of two pipes held together by the two circumferential facing sets of radial pistons of an internal connection. The connector includes a set of independent copper pads of trapezoidal shape disposed in the form of a ring and fixed, with their bases alternately inverted, on a corresponding underlying set of pad support elements idly supported by respective horizontal pins rigid with support blocks which are resiliently supported by one of said circumferential sets of radial pistons of said internal connector by means of radial thrust springs. The pads are kept resiliently and constantly pressed against each other in the manner of a ring along their inclined sides by respective horizontal thrust springs supported by said horizontal pins and acting alternately on opposite faces of said pad support elements.

Abstract: A welding seam back-up structure for mounting on the backside of the adjacently positioned edge margins of work members or workpieces that are to be joined by a weld seam, in which an elongate back-up tape of fiberglass or other suitable material is retained in a position bridging the backside of the edges to be joined, by means of an extrusion back-up tape holding structure having high heat conductivity characteristics and in one form is fabricated with at least one surface recess for receiving the back-up tape, the recess having a central longitudinal generally arcuate groove for conforming the backside weld bead, and longitudinally extending heat radiating fins. In another form, the extrusion is provided with a cover which coacts with the fins to provide a flow passage for a coolant fluid. In another arrangement the extrusion is reversible and has back-up tape receiving recesses on opposite sides.

Abstract: In welding metal sheets together from only one side, an improved welding backup tape is self-adhesively applied to insure the consistent formation of a smooth, inclusion free, slightly convex underbead which requires little or no dressing, or grinding, and which does not impede in any way the achievement of 100% radiographic weldment testing. This welding backup tape is made in one embodiment by mixing into solution two parts of a colloidal silica solution with one part of a titanium dioxide refractory coating solution. Applying this resulting solution as a refractory coating to the upper portion of an electrical grade, heat treated, braided, natural finish, finely woven, fiberglass material in a sleeving configuration.

Abstract: A welding seam back-up arrangement for mounting on the backside of the adjacently positioned edge margins of work members or workpieces that are to be joined by a weld seam, which is selectively variable as to length to accommodate it to weld seams of different lengths, and which comprises a plurality of tape engaging elongate channel members hingedly or otherwise interconnected in end-to-end relation and adapt it to be longitudinally positioned over a seam back-up tape of a material such as fiberglass, an elongate bar of a material having high heat conductivity characteristics, such as copper or aluminum, being interposed in the channel in underlying relationship to the tape to form a heat sink for conducting heat away from the weld seam during a welding operation.

Abstract: Welding backup shoe apparatus, wherein plural backup shoes are carried side-by-side on flexible bands, each backup shoe being resiliently biased outwardly so that the backup shoes are resiliently pressed against the inner side of a weld joint between end-to-end pipe sections to prevent blowthrough of weld metal through the joint during welding and to dissipate heat from the weld metal. A pair of bands, each carrying a plurality of backup shoes, are supported by the shoes of a welding clamp, the bands being disposed at the upper and lower interior of the pipes to be expanded outwardly when the welding clamp shoes are expanded and to be retracted inwardly when the welding clamp shoes are retracted.

Abstract: A method of joining an inner metal pipe with a surrounding outer metal pipe comprising placing inside the inner pipe a contact body which prevents change of the inside diameter of the inner pipe and detonating an explosive around the outer pipe so that the inner surface of the outer pipe is metallurgically joined to the outer surface of the inner pipe. The contact body is a rigid body made of salt and the contact body is removed after the pipes are joined by dissolving the contact body in a fluid in which the salt is soluable.

Abstract: An expandable band is employed to provide a mold on the interior of the joint into which the weld puddle is flowed which may be made of any appropriate material, but preferably is copper. The back-up band is carried on a set of rounding jacks which engage the facing pipe ends and exert a circumferentially uniform radial force on the pipes. This serves to round the ends equally and bring them into coaxial alignment with each other in the vicinity of the joint. The back-up band bridges the joint and expands to form a closed or semi-sealed chamber around the joint.

Abstract: In the welding of tubes with bevelled ends without heels or root-faces, all the weldings beads are made from the outside of the tubes with the tubes being in contact with local gap not exceeding 2 mm. The first and second welding beads are made both by the up-hill method and the down-hill method with the axis of the welding torches at the same inclination to the normal or the radius of the pipe and the accuracy of welding is improved by the use of mechanical guiding means for the welding means comprising at least one roller which bears on the bevelled ends of the tubes adjacent the welding zone.

Abstract: An improved back-up pad apparatus for use in externally welding abutting ends of pipe comprises a plurality of arcuate back-up pads positioned to face the interior of the weld. Each arcuate pad is mounted on a support shoe for radial movement into and out of biased engagement with the interior cylindrical surfaces of the pipes. The arcuate pads are pivotally supported by the support shoes and biased about axes parallel with the centerline of the pipe to permit retraction of the pads without interference. Preferably, the pads are constructed of hard anodized aluminum material.

Abstract: Welding backup comprising a flexible backing to which is adhered a train of rigid, heat-resistant tiles having knuckle joints wherein a protuberance of one tile fits into an indentation in the mating tile so that the train of tiles is conformable to both convex and concave surfaces without stretching or kinking the backing.

Abstract: Welding backup having a train of rigid, heat-resistant tiles, the contiguous ends of which have round surfaces which provide knuckle joints. The round surfaces terminate in matching stops which limit the knuckle motion in either direction to 5-20 degrees.

Abstract: An assembly for shielding the underside of a weldment joint comprising an elongated, flexible, preferably metallic mounting strip and a plurality of small, discrete back up blocks made of a refractory material suitably secured in end to end array to one face of the metallic strip centrally thereof. The blocks preferably having a groove wider than the weldment joint, the grooves being aligned to define a channel confronting the joint and of a predetermined depth to control the penetration and depth of the weld bead. The back up blocks are of a width narrower than said metallic strip to expose side edge portions of said metallic strip, the exposed side edge portions having an adhesive coating to provide a substantially air-tight sealing engagement with the weldment joint along both edges of the mounting strip.The assembly has a degree of flexibility to permit conformation of the assembly to the shape of the weldment and in use supports slag and the welding pool formed during welding.

Abstract: A TIG pipe welding method which employs two sets of machine guide surfaces on the pipe ends. First radially inner guide surfaces cooperate with a sensor coupled to the welding torch to continuously monitor the arc gap between the welding electrode and the weld puddle as the welding electrode moves around the circumference of the pipe. The second set of radially outer surfaces cooperate with a welding carriage to guide the carriage and welding modules around the pipe joint. The carriage is constructed to provide a sealed welding chamber surrounding the electrode. An additional flow of shielding gas is provided around the torch electrode of a TIG or hot wire TIG welding module to augment the normal gas shield.

Abstract: Rotary internal pipe clamp apparatus for use in welding pipes together end to end, said apparatus having a first set of circularly spaced pipe engagement elements for disposition within the end of one section of pipe, and having a second set of circularly spaced pipe engagement elements for disposition in the end of a second length of pipe abutted end to end with the first length of pipe. Each set of circularly spaced pipe engagement elements is expanded and retracted by rotation of a circular disc to which said pipe engagment elements are linked by toggle elements. In addition, the apparatus includes a welding back up assembly which is expandable and retractable simultaneously with the second set of pipe engagement elements. The welding back up assembly includes plural peripheral bands or strips which are supplemented by shorter peripheral bands or strips which separately retract and expand.

Abstract: An improved back-up pad apparatus for use in externally welding abutting ends of pipe is formed of hard anodized aluminum material and comprises a plurality of arcuate back-up pads for interior positioning to face the weld. Each arcuate pad is mounted on a shoe for biased engagement with the interior cylindrical surfaces of the pipes. Intermediate shoes carrying cylindrically surfaced members are provided at the rounded ends of adjacent back-up pads.

Abstract: An improved back-up tape for use in fusion welding metal sheets and structures is disclosed. The tape comprises a rolled refractory fiber fabric partially flattened against an adhesive coated surface of a wider, heat resistant, strip. In use, the tape is pressed against the back side of a joint or other weld line to be welded with the adhesive bonding the tape along strips parallel to but slightly spaced from the weld line and the roll pressed against the joint. Fusion welding is conducted without the addition of any filler wire. A flat weld underbead, with no molten metal drop-through is produced, with no melting or other significant change in the tape. The tape is then stripped off and the welded structure is ready for use.

Abstract: An asymmetrical welding ring for facilitating the end to end welding of tubes having unequal inside diameters. The welding ring is provided with an arcuate inner periphery and an irregular outer periphery divided into three distinct frustoconical surfaces.

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for welding cylindrical elements headwise to one another, whereby the welding is achieved by subjecting the cylindrical parts during the welding operation to a radial pressure near the welding area, which radial pressure may be directed inwardly or outwardly, whereas the device employed comprises an elastic ring to be arranged around the parts to be welded, said ring being accommodated in a sleeve in which a conduit for the supply of pressurized medium to the space between the ring and the sleeve is arranged.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for use in welding together work pieces along a weld line including backing locating means which applies progressively a backing strip over the weld line in advance of the formation of a reverse bead along such weld line and which maintains the flexible backing strip in position over the weld line as the reverse bead is formed along the weld line, first means from which the flexible backing strip is passed to the backing locating means, second means which lifts the flexible backing strip progressively off the weld line as formation of the reverse bead along the weld line is completed and support means which holds the backing locating means, the first and the second means relative to a welding head. Provision is made for the backing locating means to comprise a roller, for a sensing means in the form of a thermocouple for controlling the formation of the reverse bead and for a tracking means for positioning the backing locating means relative to the weld line.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of joining together the ends of tubular metal members by explosive welding and to a permanent, self-aligning backing mandrel for use in the method. The mandrel is in the form of a tubular member having an outer face defining a cylindrical portion and an axially adjacent tapered portion, the maximum diameter of the tapered portion being greater than the diameter of the cylindrical portion. An annular shoulder extends outwardly between the cylindrical portion and the maximum diameter end of the tapered portion, which tapers inwardly away from the shoulder. One pipe end is outwardly flared and fits over the tapered portion of the mandrel and the other pipe end is non-flared and fits over the cylindrical portion, abutting the shoulder. The outer end of the flared pipe end overlaps the non-flared pipe, defining therewith an annular wedge-shaped outwardly-opening space. An explosive is located around this outer overlapping end and is detonated to weld the ends together.

Abstract: A one-side welding facility having means pushing up backing metals against the butting part of the welding edges is mounted on guiding rails which are attached by means of magnets to materials to be welded and suspended therefrom, the facility being self-running thereon by an electric motor included therein. A pair of front and rear links having a spring therebetween are provided on the facility to push up the backing metal against the butting part. Thus, well conditioned one-side welding is stably provided with ease.

Abstract: An improved back-up tape for use in fusion welding aluminum sheets and structures is disclosed. The tape comprises a small diameter, heavy wall, flexible woven refractory fiber tube within a slightly larger diameter similar tube, both partially flattened against an adhesive coated surface of a wider, heat resistant, strip. In use, the tape is pressed against the back side of a joint to be welded with the adhesive bonding the tape along strips parallel to but slightly spaced from the joint. The joint is fusion welded without the addition of any filler wire. A flat weld underbead, with no molten metal drop-through is produced, with no melting or other significant change in the tape. The tape is then stripped off and the welded structure is ready for use.

Abstract: The tendency of molten weld metal to burn through a supported refractory welding backup material is greatly reduced by incorporating a woven carbon fiber cloth between the refractory and the support. A preferred product is a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape construction incorporating the carbon-fiber cloth in the backing; surprisingly, the carbon does not embrittle the weld.

Abstract: A backing and alignment ring assembly for insertion in pipes, particularly for welding purposes, comprising a segmented backing ring and a pair of axially spaced hub members connected to the backing ring by radially and axially extending connecting means. When the hub members are drawn together the backing ring is caused to expand and engage with the pipe bore.

Abstract: A welding jig is provided for supporting C-shaped and L-shaped sheet metal blanks during welding thereof to form a dishwasher housing. The welding jig includes a frame against which the panels of the blanks are disposed with adjacent edges in positions to be welded, and the blank panels are held against the frame by corresponding wall plates during the welding operation. Certain members of the frame are disposed along the lines of juncture between the blanks and are provided with passageways for delivering inert gas to the line of juncture between the blanks during the welding operation. One of the frame members is displaceable relative to a fixed wall of the jig to facilitate the introduction and removal of the blanks, and the remaining walls of the jig are movable relative to the frame for the latter purpose.

Abstract: A device used during fusion butt-welding between the ends of tubes to form a backing for the weld inside the tubes. The device comprises a thin flexible metal support strip having end portions which are overlapped to provide an arcuate outer peripheral surface, means guiding the overlapping end portions for relative longitudinal sliding movement to change the peripheral circumference of the support strip, and means for biasing the end portions in a direction to increase the peripheral circumference of the device. For use, the circumference of the support strip is decreased in opposition to the biasing means, and a backing strip of refractory material is secured on the periphery of the support strip. Next the device is positioned with the backing strip adjacent the inner surfaces of and bridging the ends of the tubes to be welded. The device is activated so that the biasing for the support strip will press the backing strip into engagement with the tubes, and the tubes are ready for welding.

Abstract: An internal pipe clamp is provided by the present invention. The clamp is designed to clamp two joints of pipe into position for a circumferential weld. The clamp includes mechanism for spacing the two joints apart a very short distance to facilitate welding. A backup member is provided which is movable from a retracted position. The backup member comprises two backup portions each of which comprises two pivotally coupled backup segments. Each segment extends through an arc of approximately 90.degree. and terminates in a wedge shaped end that is complemental to the wedge shaped end of an adjacent segment. Power cylinders move each segment from a retracted to an extended position. Power cylinders are also coupled in opposed relationship with each adjacent pair of wedge shaped ends to force same into tight contiguous relationship when the segments are extended.