Patent ID: 7520538
Filing Date: 2009-04-21
Classification: B23K,F16L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A purge injection system for orbital tube welding comprising: a breech having a bore formed partially through, said breech having an open end with a front annular bevel sloping inwardly towards a central axis of said breech; a ring having a back annular bevel sloping inwardly towards a central axis of said ring, said breech receives said ring, said front annular bevel divergently opposing said back annular bevel forming an annular groove, said ring and said bore being sufficiently large to receive a tube therein, said ring and said bore forming a tube receptacle; a purge inlet being formed through said breech and fluidly communicating between a purge source and said bore of said breech; a coupling means mechanically connecting said breech to said ring and drawing said ring towards said breech in an actuated mode and pushing said ring away from said breech in a disactuated mode, said back annular bevel and said front annular bevel being likewise displaced changing a width of the annular groove; an o-ring being seated within said annular groove, in said disactuated mode said annular groove being sufficiently sized to permit said o-ring to be completely recessed there within such that no portion of said o-ring protrudes from said annular groove and a tube can be inserted or removed from said tube receptacle, said tube being prevented from contacting said o-ring being protected within said annular groove, in said actuated mode said width is narrowed sufficiently to force said o-ring partially out of said annular groove and partially into said tube receptacle forming a hermetic seal between said o-ring, a wall of said tube and said annular groove; wherein a purge gas is introduced into said bore through said purge inlet, said purge gas fluidly communicated to an inner volume of said tube throughout an orbital welding process.