Trigger devices for exothermic welds

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11441776-B2
Application number	US-202117175147-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2021
Priority date	Oct 3, 2017
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

Trigger devices for igniting an exothermic reaction is provided. The trigger devices may be flint type trigger devices and electronic type trigger devices. The flint type trigger device has a housing with a spark opening on a rear wall of the housing. A mold mounting assembly is secured to an exterior of the rear wall of the housing. A motor assembly is secured to the inside of the rear wall of the housing. The motor assembly has a flint wheel attached to a shaft of a motor, where the flint wheel is located adjacent the spark opening. A flint assembly is positioned within the housing such that a flint of the flint assembly is in contact with the flint wheel. A controller positioned within the housing is configured to selectively activate the motor to cause the flint wheel to rotate against the flint to create one or more sparks that are ejected from the spark opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An exothermic welding trigger device, comprising:
a housing having a controller;
a mold mounting assembly secured to an exterior of the housing;
an ignition box external to the housing and electrically coupled to the controller via a cable; and
an ignitor having a first end and a second end, the first end is adapted to be inserted into the ignition box such that the first end is in electrical communication with the controller via the cable, and the second end is a free end and in electrical communication with the first end such that when the controller activates the first end of the ignitor the second end is adapted to initiate an exothermic reaction.

2. The trigger device according to claim 1 , wherein the ignition box includes a housing having a port configured to receive the first end of the ignitor.

3. The trigger device according to claim 2 , wherein the ignition box housing includes at least one electrode aligned with the port such that when the first end of the ignitor is received within the port the at least one electrode is in electrical contact with the first end of the ignitor.

4. The trigger device according to claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a timer switch operatively connected to the controller and configured to countdown a selected time delay before the controller activates the first end of the ignitor.

5. The trigger device according to claim 1 , wherein the mold mounting assembly includes a magnet fixture configured to be releasably attached to the exothermic mold.

6. The trigger device according to claim 5 , wherein the magnet fixture includes a magnet compartment to house the magnet fixture, a fixture positioning member extending from the magnet fixture and configured to rest on a cover of the exothermic mold.

7. The trigger device according to claim 5 , wherein the magnet fixture releasably attaches the trigger device to the exothermic mold.

8. An exothermic welding kit comprising:
an exothermic mold; and
an exothermic welding trigger device comprising:
a housing having a controller;
a mold mounting assembly secured to an exterior of the housing;
an ignition box external to the housing and electrically coupled to the controller via a cable; and
an ignitor having a first end and a second end, the first end is adapted to be inserted into the ignition box such that the first end is in electrical communication with the controller via the cable, and the second end is a free end and in electrical communication with the first end such that when the controller activates the first end of the ignitor the second end is adapted to initiate an exothermic reaction.

9. The exothermic welding kit according to claim 8 , further comprising a handle clamp for gripping the exothermic mold.

10. The exothermic welding kit according to claim 8 , wherein the housing includes a timer switch operatively connected to the controller and configured to countdown a selected time delay before the controller activates the first end of the ignitor.

11. The exothermic welding kit according to claim 8 , wherein the ignition box includes a housing having a port configured to receive the first end of the ignitor.

12. The exothermic welding kit according to claim 11 , wherein the ignition box housing includes at least one electrode aligned with the port such that when the first end of the ignitor is received within the port the at least one electrode is in electrical contact with the first end of the ignitor.

13. The exothermic welding kit according to claim 8 , wherein the mold mounting assembly includes a magnet fixture configured to be releasably attached to the exothermic mold.

14. The exothermic welding kit according to claim 13 , wherein the magnet fixture includes a magnet compartment to house the magnet fixture, a fixture positioning member extending from the magnet fixture and configured to rest on a cover of the exothermic mold.

15. The exothermic welding kit according to claim 13 , wherein the magnet fixture releasably attaches the trigger device to the exothermic mold.

16. The exothermic welding kit according to claim 8 , wherein the controller comprises a PCB assembly.

17. The exothermic welding kit according to claim 8 , wherein the exothermic mold is a horizontal mold.

18. The exothermic welding kit according to claim 8 , wherein the exothermic mold is a vertical mold.

19. A method for initiating an exothermic reaction within an exothermic mold, the method comprising:
inserting an exothermic reaction powder and welding material into a crucible within the exothermic mold;
mounting an exothermic welding trigger device to the mold, wherein the trigger device comprises:
a housing having a controller;
a mold mounting assembly secured to an exterior of the housing and configured to mount the exothermic welding trigger device to the mold;
an ignition box external to the housing and electrically coupled to the controller via a cable; and
an ignitor having a first end and a second end, the first end is adapted to be inserted into the ignition box such that the first end is in electrical communication with the controller via the cable, and the second end is a free end and in electrical communication with the first end such that when the controller activates the first end of the ignitor the second end is adapted to initiate an exothermic reaction;

inserting the second end of the ignitor into the crucible and the exothermic reaction powder within the crucible; and
using the controller, activating the first end of the ignitor causing the second end of the ignitor to initiate the exothermic reaction within the exothermic mold melting the welding material.

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Hoagland Timothy Charles
• CEASS Richard Wallace
• ABEDRABOH Mamoon Tawfiq

Classifications

• B23K23/00 Primary

  Alumino-thermic welding · CPC title

• B23K1/0006

  Exothermic brazing · CPC title

• F23Q1/02 Primary

  using friction or shock effects · CPC title