Patent GB-723132-A (GB)
Title: Method and apparatus for fabricating a railroad car side
Inventor: SCHANZ ARTHUR CONRAD
IPC: B23K9/02
Filed: 1952-02-06
Abstract: 723,132. Making railway vehicles. AMERICAN CAR & FOUNDRY CO. Feb. 6, 1952, No. 3114/52. Classes 83 (2) and 83 (4). Welding by fusion.-In a method of making a railroad car side on an assembly line, metal panels are assembled side by side and welded at a first station, a top angle member and a bottom rail applied to the panel unit and welded at a second station, and stakes are then applied and welded between the top angle and the bottom rail. A hopper car sidewall unit 1 comprises panels 2, Fig. 3, welded along adjacent edge portions, a V-shaped bottom member 6, a top angle member 5 and stakes 7. The panels are assembled on a first jig section, Figs. 5 and 6, comprising longitudinal and transverse beams 20, 24 held at the top and bottom edges by bellcrank clamps 26 actuated by compressed air pistons in cylin. ders 30. The abutting edges of the panels are held by clamp fingers 80 on levers 81 moved by plungers 90, each actuated by a compressed air tube 86. The clamping devices are supported on a framework of a platen P, Fig. 7, which is vertically adjustable by elevating screws 44 operated through gearing from a reversible motor 52 in a gantry secured on trucks 33 and movable longitudinally of the table on tracks 32 by driving motors. The weight of the platen is counterbalanced by pneumatic cylinders 59, and the platen also carries the welding head which at the first station, Fig. 6, comprises flux hopper- 70, electrode reel 69, driving motor 68, and is movable on a beam 65 carried on the platen. After welding, the panel unit is lifted from the beams by rollers 13, Fig. 5, vertically movable by pistons 17 in compressed air cylinders 16, for moving on to the next jig section. At this section the members 5, 6 are placed in position and held by pneumatically-operated clamping- heads 103, Fig. 11, pneumatically operated bell-crank clamps 109 and clamps 126, 128, Fig. 7, carried by a platen P and similar to those carried by the platen at station 1. Rollers 115, Fig. 11, locate the edge of the unit. The platen at station 2 comprises a welding head structure 135, Fig. 7, supported and movable on a beam 136 and comprising a reversible driving motor 137, flux hopper 142 and electrode reel 143. A double electrode welding-head for welding the legs of the channel member sill to the panel unit comprises a framework 153 fastened to the beam of the platen and a carriage 155 supporting two flux hoppers 156 and reels 159. The electrodes and guide rollers 158 may be shifted relatively by a motor 161. A motor 162 drives the carriage unit on tracks 165. Welding generators 146, 166, are carried on the gantry. Rollers 13 again lift the work after welding and it is moved to station 3 where stakes 7 are welded. Pivoted arms 172, Fig. 15, straddle and locate the stakes 7 and pneumaticallyoperated clamping heads similar to the heads 126 at station 2 hold the stakes in position. The welding equipment carried by the platen at this station is of the dual-head type similar to that described in connection with station 2. Copper plates are fixed to various beams of the jig to make a good connection between the work and earth.