Electric heating – Metal heating – By arc
Patent
1994-10-11
1996-04-23
Shaw, Clifford C.
Electric heating
Metal heating
By arc
2191251, B23K 912
Patent
active
055105955
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automatic machine for the welding of metallic parts which one desires to assemble. More precisely the invention relates to a machine operated by a programmable control device and capable of carrying out "in situ" welds along a profile common to the parts to be assembled and comprising at least one curvilinear portion.
One has already proposed various automatic machines permitting to assemble through welding at least two metallic parts along a common profile. In general each machine comprises a support stationary with respect to the parts to be assembled and on which a robot or carriage is mounted and guided along a "feed" path of travel. A suitable welding equipment forms part of the machine and in particular comprises a torch apt to provide weld points and/or weld beads. The torch itself is movably mounted and guided on the carriage whereas a displacement system is provided to drive the torch as well as the carriage in their guiding directions or paths of travel with respect to the stationary support. Means for the detection of the position of the torch with respect to the parts as well as a programmable control device controlling the displacement system and the welding equipment are provided in the machine. The control device is connected to the detection means and determines as a function of the information supplied by the latter each displacement of the torch in order that a weld be performed along the common profile of the parts.
However, the welding machines of the prior art frequently use mechanical contact sensors (such as feelers, followers etc . . .) to detect and adjust the position of the welding torch. Therefore and above all in the case where this welding is entirely automatic and where the profile comprises curvilinear portions, the machines of the prior art prove themselves to be relatively inaccurate and do not permit to quickly obtain a quality weld. Moreover most of the known welding machines are heavy and cumbersome, so that they are difficult to be used for the welding of parts on the spot or "in situ", i.e. at the very position where these parts will be used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore the present invention has as its object to propose an automatic "in situ" welding machine which is precise, quick and light in order to cope with the above-recited inconveniences of the prior art.
For that purpose the invention has as its subject an automatic machine for the "in situ" assembling of at least two metallic parts through welding along a profile common to the parts and of the type comprising a support stationary with respect to the parts, a carriage movably mounted on this support and guided along a feed path of travel, a welding equipment with a torch or the like movably mounted and guided on the carriage, a system for the displacement of the carriage and of the torch with respect to the support, means for the detection of the position of the torch with respect to the parts as well as a programmable control device which is connected to the detection means and which controls the displacement system and the welding equipment in order that a weld be carried out by the torch along the said common profile, characterized in that the detection means comprise a locating telemeter apt to measure a chosen distance between the machine and one of the parts, the said profile exhibiting at least one curvilinear portion at the level where the chosen distance is outside of a given range, the automaton being provided with a memory wherein are recorded the coordinates of points of passage distributed on the curvilinear portion and in that the control device possesses first calculation means which permit on the one hand to determine the location of the points of passage on the profile as a function of the locating telemeter and on the other hand to define through circular extrapolation between the neighbouring points of passage, series of curves connecting these points and substantially coinciding with the curvilinear portion, in orde
REFERENCES:
patent: 4008384 (1977-02-01), Cecil
patent: 4296306 (1981-10-01), Nomura et al.
patent: 5006999 (1991-04-01), Kuno et al.
patent: 5276777 (1994-01-01), Hara
Drews et al, "Echtzeit-Bahnpanung eines Roboters . . . ", Robotersysteme, vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 213-218, Dec. 1989.
Shaw Clifford C.
Societe Nouvelle Technigaz
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