Patent GB-1146332-A (GB)
Title: Stud welding apparatus
IPC: B23K9/20
Filed: 1966-04-04
Abstract: 1,146,332. Shoots; pneumatic conveyers; vibratory hoppers. WARREN FASTENER CORP. 4 April, 1966 [29 April, 1965], No. 14876/66. Headings B8A and B8S. [Also in Division B3] Stud welding apparatus comprises studfeeding means including a hopper 52, Fig. 3, a raceway and a separating mechanism feeding studs H one at a time in uniform orientation to a flexible conduit 36 leading to a welding gun 20, Fig. 1, having an electrode assembly including means for holding a stud with its weldable end projecting axially from the assembly, and comprises means whereby air is admitted to the conduit to blow the studs therealong and electrical control means arranged to cause, in each cycle of operation of the tool, one stud to be welded to a workpiece and another to be released by the separating mechanism and blown through the conduit to the electrode assembly. The hopper 52 is vibrated to cause the studs therein to move up a ramp 62 to a vertical passage 80 of the raceway which communicates by means of a horizontal passage 90 of the separating mechanism with a second vertical passage 92 leading to the conduit 36, the studs being moved from the passage 80 along the passage 90 to the passage 92 by a reciprocating piston-rod 100. The feeding means 22 is suspended from a trolley 30 and the gun 20 is suspended by a cable 26 from a take-up reel 28. A remote control unit 24 is electrically connected to the feeding means 22 by a cable 38, the feeding means also being connected to a source of compressed air, and the electric current and the air are supplied to the gun 20 through lines indicated at 40. The hopper 52 is mounted on a platform (42), Fig. 2 (not shown), by means of leaf springs (50). As the studs leave the hopper they are correctly orientated by guide members 64, 66, see also Fig. 4 (not shown). The passage 80 is provided in a block (78), Fig. 5 (not shown), and is bounded by a member (74), the block (78) and the member (74) having slots (82) opening into the passage 80. The piston-rod 100 is operated by a double-acting pneumatic ram 96 and has an aperture 102 for receiving the studs. The air is supplied to the conduit 36 through a connection 106, the conduit having a bore (112), Fig. 7 (not shown), corresponding to the shape of the studs H. The conduit 36 is made from plastics material, e.g., nylon, polypropylene, polyethylene or polyurethane. The studs may be T-shaped, Figs. 8, 9, 10 (not shown). An electrical wiring diagram is described with reference to Fig. 11 (not shown). Automatic operation is initiated by closing a switch (150), which may be a triggertype switch 152 on the gun 20. After a stud has been welded a plunger in the gun 20, which is used to feed studs to the stud holding means of the gun, is retracted pneumatically to a position for receiving a further stud, the piston-rod 100 is moved to receive a stud from the passage 80 and is then returned to deliver the stud to the passage 92, and finally air is supplied to the connection 106 to deliver the stud to the gun 20. The slots (82) opening into the passage (80) permit any compressed air which may have reached the latter to escape therefrom. The welding gun is constructed as described in Specifications 1,118,707 and 1,118,708.