Year: 1886

page_text: I, JOHN BENJAMIN ROOT, of Portchester, County of Westchester, and State of
New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in machines for welding together sheet
metal plates or blanks, whether flat or curved.
The said invention consists in a clamp for holding the blanks that are to be
welded together; a blow-pipe furnace which is made in two parts that are arranged
and constructed so as to be brought in contact with the opposite sides of the
blanks to enclose their overlapping edges and to confine the action of the jets to
such edges, and that have motion when closed along or across the blanks to apply
heat to the whole length or any part of such edges; and a welding mechanisio
arranged also to move along the heated edges of the blanks and operating to unite
such edges, together with stationary driving mechanism for operating said furnace
and said welding mechanism.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention, and adapted to
cross welding, or the welding of flat blanks.
Figure 2 is an end elevation view of the same from the left of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a section of the same on plane a, a of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is an elevation view shewing a modification of the hammering or
welding mechanism.
.
Figure 5 is a plan view of a machine embodying the same improvements but
specially adapted for welding pipe sections together along longitudinal seams.
Figure 6 is a side, and
Figure 7 is an end elevation of the same.
Referring to these views in detail A is the bed of the machine; this form of
machine being constructed and adapted to welding together the edges of flat blanks.
BB are fixed standards supporting the clamping bars or plates C, C, the upper
one of which is movable and operated from the hydraulic or steam cylinders D, D
Prins 11

page_text: through the medium of the pistons E, E and levers F, F which are pivotted to the
standards at G and to the upper of the clamping plates; H H are standards carrying
the heating and welding mechanisms, and they slide on ways I in the base of the
machine, being moved to and from the clamping devices by the stationary screw
shaft J which engages the lug K attached to the bottom of the standards H, H.
These travelling standards carry the shafts L, L on which are the hubs M, M, geared
together and supporting the separate halves of the furnace on arms N N, each such
half consisting of a shell or case O containing brick work P hollowed out as shewn
at Q, and a blow pipe R. These shafts L; L also carry other geared hubs SS which
support the haminers T, T, U being an arm on one of said hubs by which these
hammers are operated, and which engages with a cushioning stirrup ▼ attached to
the crank rod W of the driving shaft ✗, this shaft X being longitudinally movable
in its fixed supports Y, and through its driving pulley Z, so that it may have the
same movement as the travelling heating and welding devices which it actuates.
A¹ B are the driving pulleys of the screw-shaft J, they being adapted to
reversing the screw-shaft. C¹ represents the blanks arranged in the clamps with
their edges overlapping and in position to be heated and welded together; the
halves of the furnace being closed and about to advance over and under such over-
lapping parts, the proper position of these halves to each other, to permit of their
passing over the blank, being regulated and maintained by the arms D¹ D¹ projecting
therefrom and locked together by the screw-rod E¹. F¹ represents water pipes
leading into and around the halves of the furnace for the purpose of keeping them
properly cooled; these. pipes are connected with any suitable water supply by
flexible connections Q¹.
H¹ represents the air-pipes, and I the gas-pipes which form the blow-pipe; the
gas pipes passing into the air-pipes and ending therewith at a nozzle within the
furnace, in accordance with the usual manner of constructing blow pipes; such
nozzles being located so as to direct their flames upon the overlapping edges of the
blank. The air and gas pipes of the two parts of the furnace extend back to the
axial lines of such parts where they turn freely in their joints as the furnace is
opened or shut, and where they are joined to common supply pipes J¹ and K¹.
When the blanks have been properly clamped and the parts of the furnace brought
into operative position as shewn and explained, the blow-pipe jets are lighted, and
the screw-shaft of the heating and welding mechanisms is put into operation to
move the furnace forward over the blank, to bring its edges to a welding heat.
As the furnace passes beyond the rear edge of the blanks, the hammering mechanism
is put into operation, and the hammers are caused to rapidly strike together upon.
the opposite sides of the heated edges of the blank and, thus weld them together.
When the entire width of the blank has been traversed, the .action of the heating
jets is stopped, the furnace opened, the hammers stopped, and the heating and
hammering mechanisuus run back to their former position. The blank, or blanks
may then be changed, or a new blank substituted, and the welding together of other
parts performed in like manner.
'
It will be understood that as the hammers are operating they should cease their
forward movement during such time as they are in contact with the blank. To
this end I mount the pulley A' upon. a sleeve A which carries one half of the
friction clutch B2 and is longitudinally, movable on the shaft J, being impelled to
operative engagement with the fixed half of the clutch C by the spring D*.
E represents a shifting arm, the lower end of which engages the sleeve A³, the
upper end being pivotted to the bracket F by a pivot G* passing through an
elliptical bearing in such upper end, the shape of such bearing being for the purpose
of permitting this end of the arm to have a slight lateral movement on its pivot.
His a lug on the arm E' which lug is arranged in the path of the bevelled
tappet I³ secured to, and revolving with, the shaft X.
J2 is a lever for shifting the belts on the pulleys Z, and it also is provided with
the cam lug K which overhangs the upper end of the shifting arm E. By throwing
the shifting lever J2 over so as to set the hammers in operation (as seen in Figure 1),

page_text: .
the upper end of the shifting arm is moved toward the tappet I', so that the lug H
is brought into the path of the tappet. It will be now seen that the tappet will
come in contact with the lug just before or as the hammers strike the metal, and by
its circular motion and bevelled end will force the shipping arm away from the
tappet, thus uncoupling the pulley A' from the shaft J and momentarily stopping
such shaft at the instant the hammers strike. Upon the tappet passing the lug,
the spring D at once recouples the pulley A¹ to the shaft which continues to.
revolve until the hammers again strike. When the lever J* is moved over from its -
présent position it frees the upper end of the arm E' so that the tappet can only.
act (if the shaft ✗ be turning) to move the lug out of its path, where it would
remain until the lever J' might be again swung back.
In Figures 5, 6 and 7 I show heating and welding "mechanisms in all substantial
respects the same as those of the first three figures, the only difference being that
the heating and welding devices are stationary and the blank-supporting mechanism
travels to and from them, carrying the blank with it. This form of machine is
especially adapted to welding together the edges of curved blanks, such particularly,
as the longitudinal seams of cylindrical or conical pipe sections. Here, as before,
NO represent the furnace, T the hammers, R the blow pipes, and H their common,"
and in this case fixed; supports, the actuating devices of the hammers being also
substantially the same. Here the shaft J engages with a lug on the blank
carriage L which moves on ways in the bed of the machine. This carriage is
provided with adjustable parti-circular supports M¹ shaped to enclose and hold'
the blank N' as seen in Figure 7. These supports are moved to and from each
other by a hand-wheel shaft O¹ which is geared to the screw shafts P₁ engaging!
the supports M and held stationary on the base of the carriage while the supports
are movable laterally in ways Q¹. When a sinaller sized blank is to be welded,
blocks R (represented by dotted lines in Figure 7) will be placed within the
Bupports Mto take up the extra space. With this form of machine, the blank is '
run up to and through the furnace, and will be acted on to' weld its edges together
substantially as in the case of a flat blank.
In Figure 4 I shew, a form of hammering mechanism, adapted to welding pipe
sections or similar blanks of small size, or of such size that they do not afford
enough room for the lower hammer to have so long a swing as is the case with the
other forms described and shewn. Here the hammers are connected by mechanism
which causes the upper hammer to have a long slow stroke while the lower hammer
has a short and quick stroke. This is accomplished by making that part of the
gearing connecting them which is attached to the lower hammer, of longer radius'
than that of the upper hammer, and hence, while imparting to them equal force'
giving the different angular motion. In the view (Figure 4) illustrating this
construction the parts are connected by but two teeth or arms S', that of the upper
hammer being considerably shorter than that of the lower hammer; these arms,
however, work together similarly to the teeth of a gear, and the lower hammer has
a short swing which permits of it acting inside a pipe section of small diameter.
In other respects this form of machine is substantially the same as the forms of
the other figures of the drawing.
It is essential that the blow pipes be enclosed or confined so as to concentrate
them and prevent their heat from being dissipated, by some means substantially
like those shewn; that is, I have found that an open blow pipe, or one whose jet
is not enclosed, will not suffice to quickly and uniformly beat the blank. The
furnace structure shewn and described, therefore, is an important adjunct to the
machine, and essential to its successful operation...
The devices here shewn may be modified in various other ways and hence I do
not limit myself to any particular form thereof. I am aware however, that it is
not new to use a hand welding mechanism consisting of open blow pipes, and
reciprocating hammers movably mounted upon a fixed support which is attached
to and borne by the blank, such blow pipes and hammers being moved and operated
by hand mechanism; and I do not claim such a mechanism.
I

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. In a mechanism for welding sheet-metal blanks together, the combination
of a clamp for supporting the blanks and holding them in position to be heated,
blow pipes for heating the edges of the blanks and a furnace structure enclosing
the blow pipes and arranged to confine their action to the edges of the blanks, said
blow-pipes and enclosing structure being mounted on travelling supports adapting
them to be moved along the edges of the blank, substantially as described.
Second. In a machine for welding sheet metal blanks together the combination
of a clamp for holding the blanks in position to be heated, a heating apparatus
consisting of two halves composed of fire-brick constructed to enclose the edges of
the blank, each half being arranged upon opposite sides of the blank and mounted
upon supports adapting the said halves to be moved to and from the blanks,
substantially as shewn and described.
Third. In a machine for welding sheet metal blanks together, the combination
of a clamp for holding the blanks in position for heating, a heating apparatus
consisting of two separate and movable parts or halves, each half being provided
with a blow pipe and being arranged upon opposite sides of the blank and mounted
upon supports adapting such halves to be closed upon and swung away from the
blank.
Fourth. In a machine for welding sheet metal blanks together, the combination
of a fixed clamp for holding the blanks in position to be welded, a hammering
mechanisin arranged to operate upon both sides of the blanks and mounted upon
travelling supports adapting it to be moved along the edges of the blank while
operating to weld such edges, and stationary driving mechanism for operating said
hammers and moving them along the blanks, substantially as described.
Fifth. In a machine for welding sheet-metal blanks together the combination of
a clamp for supporting the blanks and holding them in position to be operated
upon, blow pipes for heating the edges of' the blanks, a furnace structure enclosing
the blow-pipes, and arranged to confine their action to the edges of the blanks, and
hammering mechanism for welding the heated edges together, said heating and
welding mechanism being carried on travelling supports adapted to move them
across the blank, substantially as described.
Sixth. In a machine for welding sheet-metal blanks together, the combination of
a fixed clamp for holding the blanks in position to be operated upon, a furnace
constructed to confine its heating action to the edges of the blanks, a hammering
mechanism for welding the said edges together, travelling supports carrying said
furnace and said hammers and stationary driving mechanism for moving the
furnace and hammers along the edges of the blanks and for operating the hammers,
substantially as described.