Patent GB-466139-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in method and apparatus for producing welded beams, columns or the like
IPC: B23K11/06
Filed: 1935-11-23
Abstract: 466,139. Making beams &c. BURGESS, A. F. (Inland Steel Co.) Nov. 23, 1935, No. 32543. [Classes 83 (ii) and 83 (iv)] Welding joints.-Beams, &c. are formed in a continuous operation by gradually assembling flange and web members between roller guides and welding between duplicated roller electrodes as the members travel under the electrodes. The elec - trodes resiliently press together the members. The flanges may be provided with ribs 43 which engage the webs and may be flexed by rollers prior to welding. The webs 41 and the flanges 42 are gradually positioned by rollers 61, 71, 72, are welded by roller electrodes 138, 139, 140, and the finished beam is delivered by rolls 371. Assembling. The web member 41 is supported by rolls 61 on shafts 56 and is guided by the flanged rolls 61 in bearings on beams 45, 46. The beam 46 is transversely adjustable and the shaft 56 may be driven from an electromotor 106. The flange members 42 are supported by the grooved rolls 71, 72 on shafts 74 journalled in beams 53, 54. The rolls 71, 72 are adjusted vertically by worm gearing. The distance between the rolls 71, 72 decreases to bring the flanges of the beam against the web as the members travel through the machine. Further guide rolls 81, 122 are provided. Bending. Rolls 122 may be adjusted to separate the members 42 from the member 41 until the welding position is approached by bending the members 42 outwards preferably beyond the elastic limit. Welding. Rolls 139, 140 engage the web and rolls 138 press against the outside of the flange. The rolls 139, 140, 138 are driven through gears 156, 143, 142, respectively from an electromotor. The upper rolls 139 are mounted, to adapt them for operating on webs of different thickness, in rock frames 151 moved vertically by upper and lower fluid pressure cylinders. The roll 138 is carried in frames 158 adjusted in position by fluid pressure cylinders 179 controlled by a valve 179a. A liquid chamber 183a allows resilient pressure. The upper cylinder may form a stop for the inner position of the rolls 138. Current is supplied to the roll 138 by stationary rolls 203, 204 mounted on counterpoised frames 208, 215 and connected to bus-bars. The rolls 203, 204 are cooled by the circulation of cooling medium through pipes 219. The roll 140 is mounted on a shaft 141 and is supplied with currents by a stationary disc 239 from leads 246. Cooling medium for the roll is supplied through a pipe 256. A spring 247 provides resilient contact between the disc and the roll. The roll 139 is similar in construction to the roll 146 and is supplied with current by leads 275 and resiliently pressed against a conducting member 273 by springs 278. The web member is guided through the welding rolls between rollers, Fig. 22, not shown, the upper rolls being adjustable vertically. The flange members are guided by vertical spring pressed grooved rollers and are pressed against the web member by resilient rollers, Fig. 31, not shown. The fin 326 is removed by stationary blades. Adjustable rollers 342 feed and smooth the welded section and are rotated from an electromotor 359 at a speed different to the speed of the rolls 139, 140 to produce slip between the work and the rolls 139, 140 to prevent pitting. Delivery rolls 370 mounted on shafts 367 rotated from an electromotor 374 and journalled in members 360, 362. The members 362 46 and the welding unit 132 are rigidly connected and adjusted transversely by gearing 380 from an electromotor. The bus-bars of the electrode rolls may be supplied with current from two direct current generators, Fig. 38, not shown, from a twophase alternating current circuit, Fig. 39, (not shown), or from a three-phase alternating current circuit, Fig. 40, in which one phase is supplied to the rolls 139, 140 and the others to the rolls 138.