WELDING MACHINE

Abstract: An internal pipe welding machine having a chassis with a front subframe being articulated relative to a rear subframe, the articulation being provided by a spherical bearing having a outer race secured to one of the front subframe and rear subframe and an inner race secured to the other of the front subframe and rear subframe.

Description: WELDING MACHINE The present invention relates tc internal pipe welding mac nines. Known intemai pipe welding macrπnes mciuαe a cnassis navmg a front subframe of me chassis moveaoie relative :o a rear subframe of the cnassis via tne intermediary of a caroan joint. " i:h sucn an arrangement services mat need to be passed between the front ana rear suDfra es sucn as weiding shieiα gas or compressed air tnereforε nεeα to oε routed around the cardan lomt. According to tnε present invention mere is provided an internal piυe weiαmg machine navmg a cnassis im - front suDframe being articulated relative to a rear subframe. me articulation oemg provioεα oy spneπcai beaπng having an outer racε secured :o one of tnε front subframε ana rear subframe and an inner racε secured :o me omer of me front suoframe and rear subframe. The invention will now s aεscr.cεα oy way of example oniy wun reference to me αrawmgs in wrucn - Figures 1-5 are successive composite cross-section views of an internal pipe welding macnine according tc :nε present invention: Figure 6 is an emargeα viεw of part of figure 3: ana Figures " and S are viεws similar :o figure ό snow g tuoe 537 ano housing 52- in isolation for ciaπtv Witn reference to figures 1-5 :nεrε .s snowη an internal pipe weiciing macnme 10 positioned witmn a pipeline . Tne pipeline 1 compπses a series of pines εacn of wmch have oeεn weiαεc toge er to ensurε a fluid tignt pipeline. Tne internal pipe welding macnme 10 enames the joint 6 etween the enα - of pipeline 1 ana ena 5 of adjacent pipe 3 to oe weiαec from the inside. Additionally me joint 6 can oe weiαec from tne outsiαe Dy the use of a separate external pipe weiαmg macnme. The internal pipe weiαing macnme iO compπses the following major components:- a) Nose cone assεmoiy 20 b) Tnruster assemϋly 30 ) A plurality of arrεstεr assemones ■ i 0 ) A plurality of automatic A eiαer assemones 50 e ' An arncuiateα joint assemoiy 60 f) A απve assemDiy TO g) An air receiver 80 n ) A commanc roc coupling $5. anc . ) A cnassis i 1 The nose cone assemDiy 20 mc.ucεs a manual weiαεr 19 including a welding torcn 21 along with a spool of weiomg wire 22. Thε nose cone assεmoly 20 includes a plate 22 to wnicn tnε tnruster assemoiy 30 is connected. The nose cone a≤semoι\ also includes a plurality of circumferεnuailv eαuisoaceα Divotai suiαe arms 24 ( in this case six; wnicn arε also connected to the thruster assemoiy 30. Tnruster assembly 30 includes a plurality of circumferentially equispaced pipe engaging clamps 31. a pair of guide wheels 32 and a rotatable πng member 33. Mounteα on πng member 33 is a plurality t in this case six) of circumferentially equispaced automatic weider assemblies 50. A plate 61 of articulated joint assembly 60 is attached to the back of the tnruster assembly 40. Attached to piate 61 is a plurality (in this case three i of circumferεnuailv equispaced arrester assemblies MD. Each arrester assembly 40 includes an extendable shaft -1 with a positioning abutment 42 at one end. Tne articulated joint assemoiy 60 allows the front subframe 12 of chassis 11 to articulate relative to me rear subframe 12 of chassis 11 and includes an articulated joint 62 and a plurality un is case two) of loading wheels 63. A piate " 1 of the dπve assemoiy 70 is attached to the back of the articulated joint assembly 60. Dπve assembly ~0 includes a plurality un this case three) of circumferentially equispaced track laying arrangements 72. Dπve assembly 70 also includes 2 batteπes " 3 and a tank 74 of inert welding shield gas. A plate 75 of the ciπvε assembly 70 is connectεd to the air receiver assembly 80. The air receiver assemolv 80 includes an air receiver tank 31. At the front of the nose cone assembly 20 there is positioned a command rod rear coupling 85 wnicn is reieasabiy connected to a command rod 86. Command rod 86 is of a length such that it projects beyond the end of pipe 3 and includes at that end a command rod control panel ( ' not shown) which can be used to control vaπous functions of the machine and a command rod front coupling (not shown) which reieasabiy connects the command rod to a suppiy of services eg. compressed air. battery cnargmg current and welding current generators. Control signals pass down the command rod. to the machine, along with service supplies sucn as compressed air, welding current, and welding shield gas. Once the internal pipe weiαing machine has completed a weld sequence, conunued operation of the macnme is as follow- - 1 ) .An operator standing at me open end of the pipeline, le. at the open end of the pipe that has nεwiy been welded into place, adjacent the command rod control panel disconnects the commanα rod front coupling from the services ana men operates the panel so as to retract the clamps ana then start tne air motors wmch m tum απve each track dπve 72 so as to aαvancε the machine along the pipeline 1 with the front subframe 12 being earned on guide wneεls 32. The air motors are supplied by prεssuπsed air from the air receiver tank 81. The macnme is advanced, pusmng tne control rod before it. the control rod being fed into the next pipe to be welded which has previously been locatεα proximatε the end of the pipeline. A wall proximity sensor (not shown) moulded on the machine engages the inner wall of the pipe. When the nose cone assembly 20 projects from the open end of the pipeline 1 to such an extent mat tne proximity sensor no longer engages the wall, the macnme is automatically stopped. 2) The operator further aαvances the machine by operating a machine control panel mot snowni. simated within the nose cone assembly and accessable to the operator, such that the automatic weiαer assemblies 50 project beyond me open enα of the pipeline. 3) The extendable snaft -1 of eacn arrester assembly 40 is then extended and rotateα sucn mat tnε posiuonmg aoutment is axiaily aligned with a weld plane of tne weiαer assemblies 50 ana radially aligned with the end of the pipeline. 4) The operator then reverses the macnme until the positioning abutments 42 contact the pipeline ana prevent further rearwara movement of the machine. At is position tne weld plane of tne automatic welder assemD es are now aiigneα with the end of t h e pipeline (see fig 1). 5) Tne rearmost pipe -engaging clamps 3 LA are then deployed to clamp the machine securεly relative to the pipeline. 6) Each positioning aσutmεnt 2 is then rotated about the axis of the extendable snaft 41, ana the extendable shaft is then withdrawn such that each positioning abutment lies between two adjacent rear pipe-engaging clamps 31 A. dear of the path of the automatic weiαer assemblies (see below). 7) Tne section of pipe is then moved such that its enα to be welded abuts the end 4 of the pipeiinε. 8) The operator then depioys the front pipe-engaging clamps 3 IB by using the command rod control panel. 9) At some convenient time following stage 1) above of the operauon of the machine, and pπor to welding (see below the control rod front coupling is reconnected to the supply of services and the air receiver tank 81 can be re-pressuπzεd if necessary. 10) Welding of the joint 6 oetweεn tne pipe 3 pipeline 1 then occurs m two stages: Firstly the automatic weiαer assemσlies positioned at 12 o ' clock. 2 o ' clock and 4 o ' clock (wnen viewing from the front of the machine) weld the joint 6 whilst tne πng member 33 rotates clockwise by approximately 60 degrees to weiα one half of tne joint 6. It should be noted that the automauc weiαer assemblies ongmaily positioned at 6 o ' clock. 8 o ' clock ana 10 o ' clock are now positioned at 8 o ' clock, 10 o ' clock and 12 o ' clock respectively. These latter automatic welder assemblies are then operated whiist the πng memoer is rotated sixty degrees an π -clockwise to weld the remaining half of the joint 6. 11) The operator then unclamps the front and rear pipe-engaging clamps via the command rod control panel and the machine can be advanced further along the pipeline to the next weld posmon. With reference to figures 3 and 6-8 there is snown an articulated joint assembly 60 including a spheπcal bearing 510 ana a plurality (in this case 6) of circumferentially equispaced articulation resisting means 511. The spneπcal beaπng 510 mciuαes an outer racε 520 and an inner racε 521. Outer race 520 is mounted m clamp collar 522. piate 523 ana housing 524. Nuts ana bolts 525 secure the clamp coilar 522. piate 523 and housing 524 together sucn that outer racε 520 is axially fixed. Housing 524 1S secured througn notes 525 to plate 526 of the rear suDframe 13 on the chassis 11. Housing 524 includes a manifold 527 having a port 528 connected to air receiver tank 81. a port 529 connected to the actuators of the rear clamp arrangement ana a port 530 connecteα via flexible pipe 531 and πgiα pipe 532 to the actuators of the front ciamp arrangement. Pipe 532 is secured to plate 61 of the front suoframe 12 of the cnassis 11. Bolts 536 secure tuoe 537 anc collar 538 togetner sucn that they ciamp the inner racε 521. End 539 of tuoe 53 " is secured to plate 61 ia nut and bolt arrangement 540. Thus me spneπcai beaπng 510 allows the front suoframe to pitch, yaw ana roll relative to the rear subframe wmlst services t in this case pressuπseα air) can oe earned between the front ana rear suoframes througn the oeaπng races 520 ana 521 The flexible pipe 531 compensates for a relative movement between the front and rear subframes of the cnassis 11. Each articulation resisting means 511 compπses an axially oπentated pm 541 having a tnrεaαed portion 5 2. a plain poπion 5 3 ana a conical nose poruon 54N Nuts 545 adjustably secure the p axially relative to plate 523. Mounteα on plane portion 543 is a compression spnng 546 which acts between coilar 547 and washer and nuts arrangement 5 8. Abutment 5 9 is secured to plate 61 ana includes conical aoutment surface 550 The washer and nut arrangements 548 of each articulation resisting means are arranged to put their respective spnngs 546 m to compression to proviαe a preload whicn biases tne front and rear suoframes into alignment. Should the suDframe pitcn rεiauve to eacn other eg as a result of an upward or αownwarα bend m the pipeline or yaw relative to each other eg. as a result of a nght or left-hand benc the pipeline the p collars 547 shαe relative to their respective abutments ^9 Pi ten and yaw movement is limited wnen the conical nose poraon 5 -i of one or more pms 541 contacts the respective conical aoutment suπacε 550 of the aDutment 549 As mentioned previously the spnencai beaπng 510 also allows roll of the front suoframe relative to the rear suoframe. However sucn roll is limited Dy appropπate contact of one or move conical nose poπions 5< with conesponding conical abutment suriaces 550. The articulauon resisting means 511 therefore not only limit pitcn and yaw movement of the front suoframe relative to the rear subframe but also limit roll movement of these comDonents relative to each other.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An internal pipe welding macnme having a chassis with a front subframe being articulated relative to a rear subframe, the aruculauon being provided by a spheπcai beaπng having a outer race secured to one of the front subframe and rear subframe ana an inner race secured to the other of the front suoframe and rear subframe. 2. An internal pipe weiα g macnme as defined m claim 1 in whicn supply of services oetween tne front suoframe and rear suoframe pass througn the spheπcal beaπng races. 3 An internal pipe weicing macnme as defined m claim 2 m wmch the supply of services is the supply or compressed air 4 .An internal pipe welding macnme as defined in any one of claims 1-3 m wmch articulation resisting means act to resist aruculauon a pitch ano yaw αirecuon of the front suoframe reiauve to the rear suoframe. 5. An internal pipe weiαing macnme as defined m claim 4 whicn the articulation resisting means also limits aruculauon in a roll direction of the front suoframe relative to tne rear suoframe 6 An internal pipe welding macnme as defined in claim 4 or 5 in which the aruculauon resisting means compπses a plurality of substanuaily axially oπentated resilient means, functionally acting between the front and rear subframes. 7 . An internal pipe welding machine as defined in cla i m 6 m wh i cn the resilient means are spπngs mounted on pms secured relat i ve to one of the front subframe and rear subframe. 8. An in t ernal pipe welding machine as defined m cla i m 7 m wh i cn each p engages a respective hole of the other of the fron t subframe and rear suoframe t o limit pi t ch, yaw and roll movement of the fron t subframe reiauve to the rear subframe.

Inventors: BRENNAN MICHAEL ANTHONY, POWER LESLIE ERNEST, TAYLOR REGINALD, BRENNAN, MICHAEL, ANTHONY, POWER, LESLIE, ERNEST, TAYLOR, REGINALD
Applicants: BRENNAN MICHAEL ANTHONY, PIPE O TRONIC WELDING SERVICES, POWER LESLIE ERNEST, TAYLOR REGINALD, BRENNAN, MICHAEL, ANTHONY, PIPE-O-TRONIC WELDING SERVICES LIMITED (IN LIQUIDATION), POWER, LESLIE, ERNEST, TAYLOR, REGINALD
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B23K37
IPC codes: B23K37