Patent GB-1371924-A (GB)
Title: Rod welding apparatus
Inventor: RONNKVIST A E
IPC: B23K9/028
Filed: 1971-10-21
Abstract: 1371924 Welding by fusion; unscrewing LONGYEAR CO 21 Oct 1971 [26 Oct 1970] 49018/71 Headings B3R and B3N A drill rod having at its opposite ends respectively a threaded pin and a threaded box respectively engageable with a box and a pin of adjacent rods, is produced by welding a pin and a box member to opposite ends of a plain rod portion preferably of smaller wall thickness and of lower quality steel than the pin and box members. The method of production comprises (1) axially compressively clamping a screwedtogether pin and box combination 561, 562 between two plain rod portions 563, 564, (2) effecting circumferential welds between the rod portion 563 and the pin 561 and between the box 562 and the rod portion 564, (3) unscrewing the two rod portions at their pin and box combination, (4) removing the rod 564 with its box 562, and (5) repeating the operation by clamping a further pin and box combination between the end of the rod portion 563 opposite to the weldedon pin and a further plain rod portion. Apparatus.-A roller cradle assembly 13 comprises offset roller pairs R. A rod hold down assembly 18 comprises a hinged frame 66 carrying rollers 78 co-operable with the roller pairs R. The rollers 78 are backed up by rollers 80 and are fast on a shaft 77 rotatable by an hydraulic motor 85. The hinged frame is movable between a raised and a rod-engaging position by an hydraulic cylinder 70. Spring mounted, offset roller assemblies S, T are provided for rod and pin-and-box support. A linear travel and rod clamp assembly 14 comprises a top roller (98) rotatable by an hydraulic motor 96 and a lower roller (106) vertically movable by an hydraulic cylinder 102. A live centre device 12 engageable with the left hand end of the rod portion 563 comprises a rod-bore-engaging, freely rotatable cone (40) mounted on a tailstock longitudinally movable by an hydraulic cylinder 46. The cone (40) is geared to a triple cam control drum (555). A live centre and chuck device 15 engageable with the right hand end of the rod portion 564 comprises a freely rotatable cone 140 supported in a rotatable drive tube 135. The latter carries a chuck comprising jaws 152 which are radially inwardly moved by rightward movement of a tapered sleeve 150 by resilient means not shown, and are resiliently radially outwardly moved when the sleeve 150 is leftwardly moved by energisation of an annular cylinder 148. The drive tube 135 is rotatably supported in a chuck housing 129 which is longitudinally movable by an hydraulic cylinder 120. The welding apparatus comprises an electrode 572b, a filler rod feed 572c and the probe 572a of a briefly referred to seam locator unit 572 having a longitudinally movable carriage 591. Preferably, an atmosphere of A or He or a mixture thereof is provided at the welding zone. A post heat operation on the welds is provided by gas supplied through nozzles 575 and ignited by pilots 574. An electro-hydraulic control system, Figs. 13, 13A, and Fig. 14 (not shown), includes manual and machine position responsive switches.  Weld preparations (Fig. 11) and welds.-The ends of the pin and box remote from their threads are externally and internally coned and the ends of the rod portions 563, 564 are externally coned. The through-welds effected form external groove-filling beads 580 and internal beads 581. Operation.-(1) A pump 426 is energized, with consequent lower end energization of the cylinder 70 to raise the rod hold down frame 66. (2) The rod portions 563, 564 and pin-and-box are placed in position and are clamped endwise by successive energization of cylinders 46, 120 at respective left and right hand ends thereof, and then held down by upper end energization of the cylinders 70. The motor 85 is continuously driven and rotates the rod portions and pin-andbox assembly. (3) The two circumferential welds and their respective post-heating are successively effected, each weld being continuous for 2 to 3 degrees beyond two complete revolutions. (4) The cylinders 70 are lowered end energized to raise the frame 66 and hence stop rod rotation. (5) The annular cylinder 148 is de-energized for closure of the chuck jaws 152 on to the rod portion 564, the cylinder 120 is neutralized for free longitudinal floating of the chuck housing 129, the cylinder 46 is energized at its right hand end to leftwardly return the live centre device 12, the cylinder 102 is high pressure energized at its lower end to rotationally and axially clamp the rod portion 563 between the rollers (98), (106), and the hydraulic motor 144 is energized to rotate the chuck and unscrew the pin and box. (6) The cylinder 120 is energized at its left hand end to rightwardly move the chuck housing 129, and the cylinder 102 is energized at its upper end to release the rod portion 563 from the rollers (98), (106). (7) The cylinder 148 is energized to open the chuck jaws and the chuck rotation motor 144 is de-energized. (8) The rod portion 564 with the box 562 welded thereto is removed. (9) The cylinder 120 is energized at its right hand end to move the chuck housing 129 leftwardly and the lower end of the cylinder 102 is low pressure energized so that the roller (98) engages the rod portion in longitudinal driving relationship. (10) The hydraulic motor 96 is energized to drive the rod portion 563 rightwardly. (11) After deenergization of the motor 96 and upper energization of the cylinder 102, the rod portion 563 is further rightwardly moved manually to the left of the assembly T, and a second pin and box combination and a second rod portion 563 are placed in position for the operational cycle to be repeated.