Electric heating – Metal heating – By arc
Patent
1998-07-22
2000-11-14
Ryan, Patrick
Electric heating
Metal heating
By arc
219132, 219 591, B23K 912, B23K 900, B23K 910
Patent
active
061473243
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a command and control device for a coupling-welding machine for metal pipes.
A coupling-welding machine for metal pipes (or coupling machine for brevity) is known to comprise a device which enables the movement of the machine to be commanded and controlled within the pipe, and the welding heads carried by said machine to be activated. The device comprises a remote commanding unit external to the pipe in which the machine is located, and connected to a control unit associated with the machine to control the execution of the numerous operations which the machine performs. These operations comprise: moving the coupling machine within the pipe, aligning the machine with one end of the pipe, clamping appropriate known parts of the machine to the end of that pipe and to a pipe brought close to that end, positioning the welding heads in predefined positions within the pipes to weld them together, powering at least one welding cable, and providing the necessary shielding for the gas generated during said welding. All these operations must be constantly monitored to ensure that they are properly carried out. This is done by the control unit associated with the coupling machine, said unit being controlled by an operator via the remote commanding unit external to the pipe. This latter unit carries a plurality of analog or digital light-emitting display devices positioned on an interface on which there are also provided keys, levers or similar command members by which an operator can control and suitably intervene in the operation of the coupling machine.
Usually the commanding unit and control unit comprise variously configured electrical circuits to enable an operator to actuate and control the welding machine (via the display devices or the like)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,000 describes a device for controlling a coupling machine, of the type comprising a commanding unit and control unit of multiprocessor type in which these units are connected together by a serial connection (or at least two cables enclosed in a single sheath) With this solution an external microprocessor holds in its memory all the machine operating steps (program). Other microprocessors are associated with the machine, these also containing said operating steps in their memory. This control system, defined as distributed processing, enables fast and reliable control of the welding machine to be achieved.
This device is also of simpler construction than the aforesaid electrical circuit types, is more reliable then these latter, and is of considerably lower cost than these. Its cost is however still relatively high (because of the large number of components), it is of very complex construction, and is very sensitive to low temperature (at which the welding machine has often to operate) in relation to the connecting cable between the multiprocessor control unit and the commanding unit, also of multiprocessor type. In this respect, if this cable is bent, it can easily break because of its fragility caused by said temperature. In addition, this solution is of poor reliability precisely because of the large number of components.
An object of the invention is to provide an improved command and control device for a metal pipe coupling machine.
A particular object of the invention is to provide a device of the stated type having a small number of components and hence simpler and of lower cost than the known solutions, and which is more reliable in use than these latter.
These and further objects are attained by a device in accordance with the accompanying claims.
The present invention will be more apparent from the accompanying drawing, which is provided by way of non-limiting example and on which:
FIG. 1 is a general block diagram of the device of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram of a modification of the device of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a coupling machine provided with the device of the invention.
With reference to said figures, the
REFERENCES:
patent: 5148000 (1992-09-01), Tews
patent: 5276305 (1994-01-01), Hsien
patent: 5433484 (1995-07-01), Ewen et al.
patent: 5529656 (1996-06-01), Ewen et al.
Dey Anjan
PSI Pipeline Service
Ryan Patrick
LandOfFree
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