CUTTING TORCH

Abstract: A cutting torch to generate from an electrode (2) placed in the cutting torch an arc which is transmitted to a workpiece (4), the said arc containing a plasma-generating gas and being guided by a gaseous medium (8) which is also arranged to cool the cutting torch. At least a portion (8b) of the said medium (8) is arranged to be forced into a cut (6) in the workpiece (4) generated by the cutting torch.

Description: Cutting torch The present invention is related to a cutting torch to generate from an electrode placed in the cutting torch an arc transmitted to a workpiece the said arc comprising a plasma-generating gas and being controlled by a gaseous medium which is also arranged to cool the torch. Cutting torches utilizing gaseous cooling medium are already known. These, however, have not been capable of coping in a satisfactory manner with the actual cutting temperatures and thereby function less efficient¬ ly than could be anticipated on account of, among other things, insuffi¬ cient cooling. These prior art cutting torches cannot for example cut thick worpieces at relatively low voltages and give a somewhat uneven cut. in the workpiece. The gaseous cooling medium used in known cutting torches is used essen¬ tially to cool down the surroundings of the generated cut in the workpiece and thereby indirectly also for cooling the surface of the cut, a circum- stance which impairs the stock removal ability. Further, a gaseous cooling medium is used to limit the extension of the arc but is linked off before the cut in the workpiece, whereby the arc is not limited in extension, viewed across the direction of transfer from the torch to the workpiece to such a high degree as is attainable in principle. The result of this is that the cut becomes unnecessarily wide, that a higher potential dif¬ ference must be applied in order to cut. a given cutting depth and/or that an uneven cut is generated. The object of the present invention is to provide a cutting torch which is so well cooled by means of gaseous cooling medium that it is capable of withstanding the actual cutting temperatures without being affected and is so elaborated that the used, gaseous cooling medium contributes not only to directing of the arc but also to removal of melted material from the cutting place, whereby a more efficient and concentrated light can be generated, enabling both thicker materials to be cut and a more uniform cut to be obtained in the workpiece. A further object of the inven tion is to provide a cutting torch which does not need to be held at a distance from the workpiece in which a cut is to be cut without risking difficulties in passing the cutting torch over the surface of the work- piece which is to be cut. In order to satisfy the aforesaid objects, the cutting torch is charac¬ terized as described in the descriptive preamble according to the present invention in that at least a portion of the cooling medium is arranged to be forced into a cut in the workpiece generated by the cutting torch. 05 Especially advantageous is an embodiment of the invention in which a large ly closed space is accomplished between the cutting torch and the work- piece by means of a heat-resistant, electrically isolated body placed in the outlet end of the cutting torch for the arc, the said body being of annular shape and with its centre placed opposite the direction of trans- 10 mission of the arc. A further advantageous embodiment of the inventive concept is - where the end sleeve is constructed of a suitable heat-con¬ ductive material - if according to the present invention, the annular, heat-resistant body is disposed in the opening of the end sleeve and the cooling medium is directed to flow along a not unessential part of the 15 end sleeve. Other advantageous embodiments of the inventive concept are evident from the accompanying claims and from the description which now follows. The invention will now be described in more detail and with reference to an embodiment of the invention selected as an example and which is il- ? lustrated by means of the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 shows a section through a design of a cutting torch according to the invention and Fig. 2 shows an enlarged subsection through the cutting torch accord¬ ing to Fig. 1, mainly its lower part. The cutting torch shown in Fig. 1 is provided with a handle or holder •*- ■* -• 19 (not shown), through which runs a supply tube 18 for a plasma-generat¬ ing gas 7 and a supply tube 17 for a gaseous cooling medium 8. Examples of plasma-generating gas 7 that can be used are argon, argon and hydrogen or nitrogen and examples of gaseous cooling medium are carbon dioxide, oxygen gas and compressed air, but obviously other suitable gases can also 30 be used. Moreover, the necessary voltages and potentials respectively can be supplied through the handle 19, for example by means of an electric conductor 20 and by means of the metal casing of the supply tube 18. On account of the extremely concentrated arc obtained according to the present invention, in numerous applications the need of using nitrogen, *•* - *■ which gives relatively unpleasant residual products but higher heat than given by, for example argon, can be avoided. I S UR OM The gaseous cooling medium 8, for example oxygen gas under a certain pressure or compress * ;*-, air, supplied by means of the supply tube is first supplied to a cooling chamber 13 provided in the cutting torch, which is essentially limited by an upper casing 12 of suitable electrically conduc- QI-\ tive and heat-conductive material, such as copper or brass, by an isolat¬ ing body 22, an isolating sleeve 16, for example of Teflon, capable of withstanding a temperature of approx. 250 C and by a guide device 23 con¬ sisting of electrically conductive material for a central electrode 2 placed in the latter, which electrode, for example via a screw sleeve 24 1C and a turnable button 21, is arranged to fix the electrode 2. The turn- able button 21 is sealed and self-locking via a seal 28 against the isola¬ ted body 22. The cooling chamber 13 opens out into a plurality of holes 15 in the isolating sleeve 16, which is fixed in an appropriate manner in the upper 1 * - * casing 12. Placed inside the said holes 15 is a device 26 made of an ap¬ propriate metal and provided with through-going ducts 27, relative to which a guide sleeve 9 made of a suitable electrically conducting material is fixed. Also attached in the isolating sleeve 16 - at a distance from t|g)ft upper casing 12 - is an end sleeve 1 consisting of a suitable heat ?(, conducting material, for example copper or brass. The end sleeve 1 is pro¬ vided in its lower part - as seen in the figures - with an annular body 3, which is made to advantage of a ceramic material capable of withstand¬ ing high temperatures without changing shape or properties. If so deemed appropriate, the end sleeve 1 and the body 3 can obviously instead be made y- in one piece, for example of a ceiamic material. The electrode 2 is - as evident from Fig. 1 - guided at its upper end by the guide device 23 and at a relatively large distance from there by a holed electrode guide sleeve 25, which is fixed in the guide device 23, for instance by means of threads. The guide device 23 is provided with -ii. a cavity to which plasma-generating gas 7 is supplied via the supply tube 18. The supply tube 18, which is also fed with for example a minus poten¬ tial and - if so required or desired - a high-frequency alternating cur¬ rent, is tightly fixed in the guide device 23 consisting of electrically conductive material, whereby the plasma-generating gas 7 is fed round the ■ -> electrode 2 through the holes in the electrode guide sleeve 25 on to an outlet 30 in a guide sleeve 9. This guide sleeve 9 can - if so desired OMP PAD ORIGINAL or required - be fed with a high-frequency alternating current from the conductor 20 via the metal device 26 in order to facilitate ignition of the arc and with a direct voltage potential which is slightly less nega¬ tive than the potential of the electrode 2. This difference in direct vol- o--*. ■ *"■"£ ■ ? can be utilized to keep a small pilot flame burning between the elec¬ trode 2 and the guide sleeve 9. The inner surface 10 of the guide sleeve 9 - see especially Fig. 2 - and the outlet 30 throttle together the pres¬ surized plasma gas 7, a workpiece 4, which is to be cut with a cut 6, is fed with a positive direct voltage potential, so that the pilot flame gene •^ rated by the direct voltage potential between the electrode 2 and the gui¬ de sleeve 9 is transmitted via the plasma-generating gas 7 in the form of an arc between the electrode 2 - with a negative direct voltage poten¬ tial - and the workpiece 4 - with a positive direct voltage potential. Other potentials can obviously be chosen instead. * The said generated arc has a relatively large diameter, viewed across the direction of transfer for the arc from the electrode 2 to the work- piece 4, and so a portion 8b of the said cooling medium 8 - supplied via the outlet 30 - is fed between on the one hand the inner surface la of the end sleeve 1 and the inner surface 3a of the annular body of ceramic 2 material 3 and on the other hand the outer surface 11 of the guide sleeve 9 at an angle to the arc, for example directed between 15 and 75 to the latter. The said inner surfaces la, 3a and the said outer surface 11 are so directed that they guide the said portion 8b of the cooling medium 8 to strike the arc just before the latter hits the workpiece 4, i.e. the 5 said portion 8b of the cooling medium 8 throttles the cross section of the arc. The lower surface of the annular body 3 - seen in Fig. 2 - is adapted to rest tightly against the workpiece 4, so that the said portion 8b of the cooling medium 8 is forced into the melt in the workpiece 4 gene rated by the arc and thus contributes to removal of the melt in the cut 6. 30 The remaining portion 8a of the cooling medium is discharged - if so required - during further cooling of the inner surface la of the end sle¬ eve 1 through holes 29 in the upper part of the end sleeve 1 at such a distance from the workpiece 4 that the remaining portion 8a of the cooling medium 8 does not cool the workpiece 4. Possibly, one portion 8b of the c cooling medium may be discharged through openings running in a turning direction between the surfaces 11 and 3a so that a whirl of the one portio -BUR 0 8b of the cooling medium 8 is created to further throttle the cross sec¬ tion of the arc. The guiding inner surface 3a of the annular body 3 extends - as is es¬ pecially evident from Fig. 2 - viewed in the direction of extension of OE the arc from the electrode 2 to the workpiece 4 far closer to the work- piece 4 than does the outer surface 11 of the guide sleeve 9, whereby the throttling effect of the cooling medium 8b on the cross section of the arc is large and the cooling medium 8b at the same time carries the arc through the ejector effect. . The upper casing 12 can be fed advantageously with a potential which agrees with the potential of the workpiece 4. The lower part lb of the end sleeve 1 is preferably made straight, enab¬ ling it to serve as a guiding surface at and for the movement of the cut¬ ting torch on the workpiece 4 which is to be cut. IE

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A cutting torch to generate from an electrode (2) placed in the cut¬ ting torch an electric arc transmitted to a workpiece (4), which arc com¬ prises a plasma-generating gas and is controlled by a gaseous medium (8) which is also arranged to cool a cutting torch, 05 c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that at least a portion (8b) of the said me¬ dium (8) is arranged to be forced into a cut (6) in the workpiece (4) gene¬ rated by the cutting torch and in that a closed space is achieved between the cutting torch and the workpiece (4) by means of a heat-resistant, elec¬ trically isolated body (3) placed in the outlet end of the cutting torch 10 for the arc, which body is annular-shaped and the centre of which is plac¬ ed opposite the direction of transmission of the arc. 2. A cutting torch according to Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the said body (3) is arranged with one part (3a) thereof to guide the said portion (8b) of the cooling medium (8). - 3. A cutting torch according to any of the preceding Claims, which uti¬ lizes a surplus (8a) of the cooling medium in relation to the portion (8b) thereof which controls the arc, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the said surplus (8a) of the cooling medium (8) is also used to cool the cutting torch. ? 4. A cutting torch according to any of Claims 1-3 with an end sleeve (1) consisting of a suitable heat-conductive material, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the annular, heat-resistant body (3) is located in the opening of the end sleeve (1) and in that the cooling medium (8) is controlled to flow along a not unessential part of the end ? ~ > sleeve (1). 5. A cutting torch according to Claim 4 with an annular flow of cooling medium (8b) around the arc, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the one portion (8b) of the cooling me¬ dium (8) is guided by the end sleeve (1) and by the annular, heat-resis¬ 30 tant body (3) and in that the remaining portion (8a) of the cooling medium (8) is directed to flow along the end sleeve (1) and away from this at such a distance that the remaining portion (8a) of the cooling medium (8) partly cools the end sleeve (1), partly does not affect the workpiece (4), in any case not the generated cut (6) in the worpiece (4). OMP Λ IWP 6. A cutting torch according to any of the preceding Claims 1-5 with a guide sleeve (9) of appropriate, electrically conductive material placed round the electrode (2), the inner surface (10) of the said guide sleeve (9) being appropriately arranged to direct the plasma-generating gas (7), c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the outer surface (11) of the guide sle¬ eve (9) is also arranged to direct the said portion (8b) of the cooling medium, the outer surface (11) of the guide sleeve (9) and the inner sur¬ face (3a) of the body (3) then being adapted so that a part of the said body (3), preferably its inner surface (3a) extends to a position closer to the workpiece (4) viewed in the direction of transmission of the arc than does the outer surface of the guide sleeve (9), viewed in the same direction. 7. A cutting torch according to any of Claims 2-6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a said part of the body (3), preferably its inner surface (3a) is arranged to direct the said portion (8b) of the cooling medium (8) to the edge situated closest to the cutting torch of the cut generated by the cutting torch. 8. A cutting torch according to any of the preceding Claims with the gaseous cooling medium (8) supplied to the outlet end of the cutting torch from the opposite end of the cutting torch, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a cooling chamber (13) which surrounds the electrode (2) and the plasma-generating gas (7) and which is limited by a casing (12) consisting of a suitable, heat-conducting and electrical¬ ly conducting material which is electrically isolated from the electrode (2) and from the feed of the latter and in that the said cooling chamber (13) is provided with a supply opening (14) and a discharge opening (15) for the cooling medium (8). 9. A cutting torch according to Claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the said casing (12) communicates with the end sleeve (1) by means of an isolated sleeve (16). 10. A cutting torch according to Claim 8 with the electrode (2) fed with • a certain potential and the workpiece (4) fed with an opposite potential, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the casing (12) is fed with the said opposite potential.

Inventors: GUSTAFSON ADOLF GUNNAR, GUSTAFSON, ADOLF, GUNNAR
Applicants: GUSTAFSON ADOLF GUNNAR, GUSTAFSON, ADOLF, GUNNAR
Application year: 1984
Main classification: B23K28
IPC codes: H05H1