Abstract: A carriage is disclosed for holding and guiding a tool along a specified path on a workpiece at a controlled, substantially constant speed. The carriage has at least one drive roller disposed on a bed with drive means for rotating the drive roller. A pair of idler rollers are attached to the bed in opposed relation to the drive roller. A pair of transverse rollers are mounted on the bed and are adapted to ride along an upper edge of a flange disposed on the workpiece.

Abstract: A robot drive for cutting fins having pipes extending on opposite sides therefrom, with the pipes laying in parallel spaced apart rows, comprises a carriage which can move in the longitudinal direction between rows of the pipes. A pair of driven guide rollers is mounted to the carriage for rolling against the pipe of one of the rows. The carriage also carries four spring loaded pressure wheels which bear against the fins of the pipe in an adjacent row so as to press the carriage and guide rollers against the pipe on which the guide rollers roll. A pair of cutting torches or mechanical cutters are connected to the carriage on opposite sides of the guide rollers so that they can cut the fins of the pipes on which the guide rollers roll.

Abstract: An apparatus for circumferentially and longitudinally positioning a weld head or other tool with respect to the surface of a pipe. A first annular ring is affixed to the pipe. A longitudinally movable annular indexing track is also circumferentially fitted about the pipe and rides upon a plurality of support rods mounted to the indexing track. The support rods are slidably received within corresponding holes in the clamping ring and extend longitudinally and parallel to the outer surface of the pipe. A motor mounted to the fixed ring drives a ring gear concentric to the fixed ring to reciprocate a ball screw which moves the second longitudinally moveable ring toward and away from the fixed ring. An orbitally moveable third annular ring is circumferentially mounted to the second ring, and a second motor mounted to the fixed ring drives a telescoping drive shaft which rotates the orbital third ring.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a procedure for replacing a worn bolster ring on a freight car truck bolster which utilizes a motorized circle cutting and welding machine which rests upon the bolster and is centered by supporting structure positioned by locating pins which engage two pairs of mounting holes for the side bearing cages. The worn ring is cut from the bolster by a cutting torch driven around the circumference of the ring by the motorized machine. Then, the replacement ring is placed on the cut bolster surface, centered with respect to the axis of the motorized machine and tack welded, and finally welded to the bolster by a welding head which traverses the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the ring under the control of the motorized machine.

Abstract: A portable torch support and guide having a torch mounting carriage advanceable along a track by a threaded member on the carriage in releasable engagement with a feed screw. Release of the bearing from the feed screw allows rapid return of the carriage.

Abstract: A fixture for selectively positioning a tube turn for acetylene torch cutting thereof to a desired included angle includes means for supporting a tube turn of particular dimension and for selectively positioning the tube turn relative to a vertical or horizontal plane of reference and for selectively positioning the tube turn at a particular angle with reference to the selected plane of reference. Means is also provided for orienting a cutting torch for accomplishment of a circular cut through the tube turn, said cut being made in a plane positioned substantially normal to an axis defined by the support structure. The support structure defines an annular tube orienting surface that is adapted to establish annular surface contact with the outer curved surface portion of the tube turn.

Abstract: A spacer and block cutting torch is lowered through the wrapper-to-shell annulus of a removed-top steam generator by addition of vertical sections of hollow-back column by vertical movement of a motorized carriage along a rack-and-guide track extending upwardly from atop the wrapper and manipulation of column clamps, one movable with the carriage and the other affixed to the wrapper, to transfer column weight from carriage to wrapper-top during adding and subtracting column sections. The rearward concave side of the column, held flush with the wrapper wall, readily accepts and serves to enclose operating gas hoses for the cutting torch. Yieldable bias means cooperates with the interior of the generator shell to urge the concave side of the column toward the wrapper.

Abstract: A system for using a cutting torch for making accurate curved, straight and beveled cuts. A supporting and guiding device is attached to cutting torches, which may be of various sizes and shapes, and includes an elongated bar having a ring and opposed set screw clamp at one end to receive the torch tip. A member on the elongated bar carries a workpiece engaging knife-edge wheel and supports the lower parallel tube of the torch, this member being removably mounted on and slidable along the bar to desired positions. The height bar above the wheel is adjustable for positioning the burning tip at the correct angle and spacing with respect to the workpiece. The wheel can be positioned with its plane transverse to the bar for making curved or lateral cuts, or parallel to the bar for making longitudinal straight, perpendicular or bevel cuts. A centering pin is slidably positionable on the bar for making long radius cuts.

Abstract: A device comprises a gas cutter in the form of an annular combustion chamber (10) provided with injectors and manifolds for delivery of oxidant and fuel into the combustion chamber (10) and an annular nozzle (9) adapted to cut an escape hatch out of the intact area of an aircraft hull. Mounted centrally in the combustion chamber is a punching-and-gripping means (8) fired into the wall to be cut for securing a gas cutter (6) thereto. This gas cutter together with oxidant and fuel bottles may be conveniently mounted between external and internal skins of an aircraft to serve as means for performing an independent autonomous rescue operation with the result that in the course of several seconds escape hatches may be cut in an aircraft hull with the maximum safety and dependability, without waiting for arrival of rescue parties at a crash scene.

Abstract: One or more pairs of vertically-spaced-apart sidewardly-aimable plasma arc cutting torches, the upper one angled upward and the bottom one downward, on the end of a horizontal boom movable longitudinally fore and aft and angularly sideward, are used to double-cut the tube bundle of a steam generator progressively in a manner clearing a path that accommodates torch assembly advancement.

Abstract: A track guided carriage unit for selectively supporting a variety of work performing devices, tools and the like for movement along a predetermined working path, in which a supporting platform has spring loaded wheels that are releasably clamped by a manually operable handle into and out of engagement with opposed surfaces of a guide track, and wherein a motor driven pinion has adjustable meshing relation with a linear rack extending along the track, the pinion being operative to advance the platform at a predetermined rate of guided movement along the work path.

Abstract: A stone and concrete cutting machine is described for performing cutting operations on stone or concrete surfaces. The machine includes an elongated base that is mountable to a stone or concrete surface through a bracket mechanism that is releasably received on the base. The base is comprised of one or more lengths of triangular cross-sectional tubing that provides rigid support for a truck mechanism movably mounted thereon. A number of rollers are rotatably mounted to a truck mechanism and engage three separate walls of the base to allow longitudinal movement of the truck mechanism along the length of the base. A hollow standard protrudes from the base to movably mount a cutting head carriage. A cutting head is mounted to the carriage through an adapter assembly that facilitates selective positioning of the cutting head on either of two sides of the standard.

Abstract: A pipe cutter including a wheeled carriage which mounts a torch and rolls circumferentially about a pipe so that the torch can progressively make a cut thereabout. The carriage may be held snugly to the pipe by a chain or rope and take-up mechanism, and be advanced about the pipe by a crank unit detachably mounted to the pipe.