Patent ID: 7942307
Filing Date: 2011-05-17
Classification: B23K,F16L

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for applying a helical cladding bead to interior surfaces of a circularly curved pipe elbow having a first end, a second end, a curved centerline, a center of curvature, and a plane of curvature, said apparatus comprising: (a) an elbow carriage; (b) a rotor mounted to the elbow carriage and rotatable about a primary axis; (c) an elbow collar, to which the elbow may be removably mounted so as to be swivelable about a swivel axis, said swivel axis passing through the curved centerline and being substantially perpendicular to the elbow's plane of curvature; (d) collar-mounting means, for mounting the elbow collar to the rotor such that: (e) a stationary frame defining a pipe opening, said frame being positioned such that: (f) centering means, for centering the pipe elbow within the pipe opening such that as the elbow passes through the pipe opening: (g) elbow carriage drive means for simultaneously: (h) a weld arm carriage positioned on the side of the stationary frame opposite the elbow carriage; (i) a rigid weld arm having a drive end, a free end, a centerline, and an internal passage extending continuously between said drive end and said free end, said weld arm being mounted to the weld arm carriage such that: (j) weld arm rotation means, for rotating the weld arm about the primary axis in coordination with the rotation of the rotor, such that the weld arm will not interfere with the pipe elbow as it passes through the pipe opening of the stationary frame in response to actuation of the elbow carriage drive means; (k) weld head linkage extending between the drive end and the free end of the weld arm within the internal passage thereof, said weld head linkage having a free end associated with the free end of the weld arm; and (l) a weld head mounted to the free end of the weld head linkage such that its spatial orientation remains substantially fixed irrespective of rotation of the weld arm about the primary axis.