Apparatus and method for brazing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10058946-B2
Application number	US-201615160943-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2016
Priority date	Sep 25, 2013
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A brazing system has a first gas source, a second gas source, an enclosure, a brazing torch, and a control system configured to control a ratio of the first gas source and the second gas source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform a method for setting parameters for a brazing operation using a user interface, the instructions comprising instructions configured for:
displaying on said user interface a first display region, a second display region, a third display region, and a fourth display region, where
the first display region allowing for user input related to a first gas and allowing a user to input a first gas type, first pressure and a first micrometer valve setting for said first gas,
the second display region allowing for user input related to a second gas and allowing said user to input a second gas type, a second pressure and a second micrometer valve setting for said second gas,
the third display region displays a gas ratio between said first and second gases based on said user input in each of said first and second display regions,
the fourth display region displays a flame type, a flame energy, and a relative temperature of a flame to be created by said first and second gases;
entering user input related to each of the first and second gases into each of the first and second display regions;
calculating and displaying a first flow rate for said first gas in the first display region and a second flow rate for said second gas in the second display region;
calculating and displaying said gas ratio, wherein the gas ratio is calculated from user inputs including said first pressure, said second pressure, said first micrometer valve setting for said first gas, and said second micrometer valve setting for said second gas; and
calculating and displaying said flame type, said flame energy, and said flame temperature.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein said flame type is any one of a neutral flame, an oxidizing flame, and a carburizing flame.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein said user input displays, in said fourth region, a first identifier for a first flame type, a second identifier for a second flame type, and a third identifier for a third flame type.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein said flame type is calculated to be one of a first, a second, or a third flame type based on said gas ratio and said second gas type.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4 , wherein said calculation of said flame type uses a first gas ratio range to determine if said flame type is said first flame type, a second gas ratio range to determine if said flame type is said second flame type, and a third gas ratio range to determine if said flame type is said third flame type.

6. A method for setting parameters for a brazing operation using a user interface, the method comprising:
displaying on said user interface a first display region, a second display region, a third display region, and a fourth display region;
inputting in said first display region user inputs related to a first gas, including a first gas type, a first pressure and a first micrometer valve setting for said first gas,
inputting in said second display region user inputs related to a second gas, including a second gas type, a second pressure and a second micrometer valve setting for said second gas,
displaying in said third display region a gas ratio between said first and second gases based on said user inputs in each of said first and second display regions;
displaying in said fourth display region a flame type, a flame energy, and a relative temperature of a flame to be created by said first and second gases;
calculating and displaying a first flow rate for said first gas in the first display region and a second flow rate for said second gas in the second display region;
calculating and displaying said gas ratio, wherein the gas ratio is calculated from user inputs including said first pressure, said second pressure, said first micrometer valve setting for said first gas, and said second micrometer valve setting for said second gas; and
calculating and displaying said flame type, said flame energy, and said flame temperature.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said flame type is any one of a neutral flame, an oxidizing flame, and a carburizing flame.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising, displaying in said fourth region a first identifier for a first flame type, a second identifier for a second flame type and a third identifier for a third flame type.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising, calculating said flame type to be one of a first, a second, or a third flame type based on said gas ratio and said second gas type.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said calculating of said flame type uses a first gas ratio range to determine if said flame type is said first flame type, a second gas ratio range to determine if said flame type is said second flame type, and a third gas ratio range to determine if said flame type is said third flame type.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises monitoring for changes in an actual value of at least one of the first pressure, the second pressure, the first micrometer valve setting, and the second micrometer valve setting.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises making adjustments to at least one of the first micrometer valve setting or the second micrometer valve setting until the gas ratio is within an acceptable range.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the first gas is oxygen or air.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the second gas is a fuel gas including at least one of acetylene, propane, natural gas or methane, propylene, hydrogen, or butane.

15. The method of claim 6 , further comprising monitoring for changes in an actual value of at least one of the first pressure, the second pressure, the first micrometer valve setting, and the second micrometer valve setting.

16. The method of claim 6 , further comprising making adjustments to at least one of the first micrometer valve setting or the second micrometer valve setting until the gas ratio is within an acceptable range.

17. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first gas is oxygen or air.

18. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second gas is a fuel gas including at least one of acetylene, propane, natural gas or methane, propylene, hydrogen, or butane.

19. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:
adjusting at least one of the first pressure, the first micrometer valve setting, the second pressure, and the second micrometer valve setting; and
after said step of adjusting, locking an enclosure that contains each of a first pressure regulator valve for the first gas, a second pressure regulator valve for the second gas, the first micrometer valve, and the second micrometer valve.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the method comprises setting the gas ratio to reproduce a targeted and maximized oxidizing flame, neutral flame or carburizing flame.

21. The method of claim 16 , further comprising setting the gas ratio to reproduce a targeted and maximized oxidizing flame, neutral flame or carburizing flame.

Assignees

• Lincoln Global Inc

Inventors

• Smith Loren C
• Perry Douglas S
• Hopper William

Classifications

• B23K37/006

  Safety devices for welding or cutting · CPC title

• B23K3/022 Primary

  using a gaseous fuel · CPC title

• G05D11/132

  by controlling the flow of the individual components (G05D11/133 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T137/2703

  Flow rate responsive · CPC title

• B23K1/008

  Soldering within a furnace (B23K1/012 takes precedence) · CPC title