Patent ID: 7784666
Filing Date: 2010-08-31
Classification: B23K

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for positioning plate members with front ends to be butt-welded, comprising: a first table for a first plate member to be butt welded and a second table for a second plate member to be butt welded, wherein the first and second tables are opposing and relatively movable toward and away from each other and have respective first and second platforms for the first and second plate members, a first plate-member support coplanar with the first platform of the first table, a second plate-member support coplanar with the second platform of the second table, wherein each platform has a platform front end, the platform front ends being closest to the front ends of the plate members to be butt welded, a first reference positioning device protrusibly upward and ahead of the platform front end of the first platform of the first table in a longitudinal direction of movement which is identical to a direction that a first pushing device longitudinally pushes the first plate member in order to longitudinally position the first plate member on the first plate-member support, a second reference positioning device protrusibly upward and ahead of the platform front end of the second platform of the second table in a longitudinal direction of movement which is identical to a direction that a second pushing device longitudinally pushes the second plate member in order to longitudinally position the second plate member on the second plate-member support, wherein the first and second plate members are longitudinally positioned by abutting the front ends of the plate members against their respective reference positioning devices by being longitudinally pushed by their respective pushing devices, lateral positioning devices for laterally positioning the plate members having been longitudinally positioned by the first and second reference positioning devices, press-locking devices for locking the positioned plate members on the platforms, each of said press-locking devices having a plurality of pressing members aligned longitudinally of a vertically movable frame laterally extending over the platform via resilient members so as to be adjustably pushed, each of the first and second reference positioning devices having a plurality of positioning members aligned on a positioning frame laterally extending over the platform, said positioning frame being driven by an actuator to selectively swing the positioning members into an upwardly protruded position longitudinally ahead of the front ends of their respective platforms, and into a downwardly retracted position longitudinally behind the front ends of the respective platforms.