Fume exhaust device

Abstract: A device for exhausting fumes during the welding of large metal workpieces, using one or more movably suspended fume exhaust hoods (8), wherein the supply lines (11) necessary for welding are at least partly coupled with the elements for displacing the fume exhaust hood.

Description: The invention relates to a device for exhausting air from a workshop, in particular welding fumes, comprising at least one exhaust hood connected through flexible tube means to rigid tube means. Such a device is disclosed in DE-A-3434519. The known device comprises a hood connected to a flexible hose suspended from an overhead rail and connected to a rigid tube. The rigid tube is connected to a fan which is either carried by a welding trolley or mounted on the floor. In the latter case a welding trolley is still present. Thus the welder may move along a substantially linear path below the overhead rail while pulling along the hood and the welding trolley. DE-A-3606308 discloses a rather heavy welding trolley to be moved over the floor and provided with an air cleaning filter device and flexible tube means connected to a hood for extracting welding fumes. US-A-3926104 discloses an air purifier device mounted on a boom secured to a column. The purifier device is movable along the boom to position the device above a workpiece to be welded. A separate welding trolley is needed but US-A-3926104 also discloses an embodiment in which a welding trolley to be moved over the floor is provided with a mast to which a boom carrying the air purifier device is secured. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which is suitable for exhausting locally throughout a workshop fumes and the like produced for instance during welding operations and which is easy to handle and flexible in use. To that end a device of the type described above is characterized in that the rigid tube means comprises a substantially vertically suspended tube, which near its lower end is provided with a rotatable hollow sleeve to which the flexible tube means are connected, and which further near its lower end is provided with means for carrying a welding cable reel or the like. To clarify the invention, one embodiment of a fume exhaust device will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing showing a diagrammatic side elevation. Referring to the drawing, there is shown a fume exhaust device comprising a rail 1 with a suction tube pivotally connected to a wall 3 by means of a triangle 2. Connected to rail 1 by means of a connecting head 4 adapted for sliding movement along the rail 1 is a vertical rigid tube 5. The lower end of the rigid tube 5 is provided with a rotatable hollow sleeve 6 mounted for rotation through 360° about the rigid tube 5 in a known manner. Connected to sleeve 6 are a plurality of hingedly interconnected tube sections 7a, 7b. The last tube section 7a can have fume exhaust hood 8 mounted on its free end. The closed lower end of the rigid tube 5 comprises a chain 9 that can be extended in a manner not shown, having a hose reel 10 connected to its free end. Issuing from the hose reel 10 is a supply hose 11 for welding wire and current supply wires (not separately shown). This assembly terminates in a welding gun 12. The above-mentioned current supply wires, not separately shown, are supplied from a fixed wall socket (not shown) via cable 13 (shown in chain-dotted lines) suspended in loops, to the top of the rotatable hollow sleeve 6, so that rotation of sleeve 6 through 360° will not cause the current supply wire and the like to twist. The drawing further shows in part an extended position of the tube sections 7a, 7b and the fume exhaust hood 8 mounted at the free end thereof. The pipe sections are a plurality of hingedly interconnected rigid tube sections provided with means (not shown) for arresting the tube sections in any relative hinged position. Disposed near the welding gun 12 is a diagrammatically shown workpiece 14, releasing welding fumes 15 which are immediately removed via the fume exhaust hood 8. It is observed that after the foregoing, various constructional modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Further, a device according to the invention can also be used to exhaust fumes and/or dust clouds produced during processes other than welding. Such modifications are understood to fall within the framework of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims: A device for exhausting air from a workshop, in particular welding fumes, comprising at least one exhaust hood (8) connected through flexible tube means (7a,7b) to rigid tube means, characterized in that the rigid tube means comprises a substantially vertically suspended tube (5), which near its lower end is provided with a rotatable hollow sleeve (6) to which the flexible tube means (7a,7b) are connected, and which further near its lower end is provided with means (9) for carrying a welding cable reel (10) or the like. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the upper end of the vertical tube (5) is connected to a transversely extending suction tube/rail combination (1) wherein the vertical tube (5) is movable along said suction tube/rail combination (1). A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized by passage means provided at least at the lower end of the vertical tube (5) for guiding at least one supply line necessary for welding through the vertical tube (5). A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the lower end of the vertical tube (5) is closed and in that the means (9) for carrying a welding cable reel or the like comprises a chain connected to said closed lower end of the vertical tube (5). A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the means (9) for carrying a welding cable reel (10) or the like allows vertical displacement of the welding cable reel or the like relative to the lower end of the vertical tube (5). A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the flexible tube means (7a,7b) comprise a plurality of hingedly interconnected rigid tube sections (7a,7b) and in that means are provided for arresting the tube sections (7a,7b) in any hinged position.

Inventors: KNIJPSTRA HETTE, KNIJPSTRA, HETTE
Applicants: HEERENVEEN IND DEV, INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT HEERENVEEN B.V.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B08B15
IPC codes: B23K9, B08B15