Welding machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12397366-B2
Application number	US-202117759214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2021
Priority date	Feb 3, 2020
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

A welding machine, preferably of the flash butt welding type, designed to facilitate maintenance of the clamping means, e.g. clamps, of the two longitudinal metal products to be welded. Advantageously, a first structure, provided with first clamping means, and a second structure, provided with second clamping means, are supported in a first part of the carriage delimited by a first beam and a second beam of the carriage parallel to the feeding direction, while at least one transformer is fixed to the carriage and supported in a second part of the carriage, arranged laterally outside the first part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A welding machine, preferably of the flash welding type, to weld a tail of a first longitudinal metal product together with a head of a second longitudinal metal product along a feeding direction of said longitudinal metal products, the machine comprising a carriage adapted to slide along the feeding direction,
said carriage supporting
a first structure connected to said carriage;
first clamping means, provided on said first structure, to clamp either the tail of the first longitudinal metal product or the head of the second longitudinal metal product;
a second structure adapted to slide, with respect to both the first structure and the carriage, parallel to the feeding direction;
second clamping means, provided on said second structure, to clamp either the head of the second longitudinal metal product or the tail of the first longitudinal metal product;
at least one transformer provided with conductors connected to the first clamping means and to the second clamping means, respectively, to supply electric current to said tail and said head;

wherein the first structure and the second structure are supported in a first part of the carriage delimited by a first beam and a second beam of the carriage that are parallel to the feeding direction, while the at least one transformer is fixed to the carriage and supported in a second part of the carriage, arranged laterally outside the first part.

2. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein only one transformer or two or more transformers completely supported in said second part of the carriage are provided; or wherein at least two transformers are provided, a first transformer of said at least two transformers being fixed to the carriage and supported in said second part of the carriage, and a second transformer of said at least two transformers being fixed to the carriage and supported in a third part of the carriage arranged laterally outside the first part, on a side opposite to the second part.

3. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein said second part is delimited by said second beam and by a third beam of the carriage, preferably parallel to the feeding direction.

4. The machine according to claim 3 , wherein, in the case of only one transformer or two transformers completely supported in the second part, the first beam and the third beam are peripheral beams of the carriage, while the second beam is an intermediate beam; or wherein, in the case of a first transformer supported in the second part and a second transformer supported in the third part of the carriage, said third part is delimited by said first beam and a fourth beam, the fourth beam and the third beam being peripheral beams of the carriage, while the first beam and the second beam are intermediate beams of the carriage.

5. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the conductors connect the at least one transformer to the first clamping means and to the second clamping means, respectively, passing underneath the first structure and the second structure, respectively, so as to have both a space between the first clamping means and a space between the second clamping means freely accessible from below in the absence of longitudinal metal products to be welded.

6. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein both a space between the first clamping means and a space between the second clamping means are freely accessible both from above and below in absence of longitudinal metal products to be welded.

7. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first structure and the second structure are arranged substantially parallel to each other and transversely, preferably orthogonally, to the first beam and the second beam.

8. The machine according to claim 7 , in which the first structure and the second structure define a respective longitudinal axis inclined, with respect to a horizontal plane, by an acute angle between 30° and 70°; or wherein the first structure and the second structure define a respective longitudinal axis arranged substantially horizontally.

9. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first structure and the second structure are supported in the first part of the carriage by means of a lifting system adapted to lift together said first structure and said second structure with respect to the carriage, by means of a rotation along a plane transverse to said feeding direction.

10. The machine according to claim 9 , wherein said lifting system is of the linkage type;
preferably wherein said lifting system comprises
a first rotating shaft, parallel and proximal to the first beam of the carriage and constrained to the carriage so as to rotate about an axis thereof;
a second rotating shaft, parallel and proximal to the second beam of the carriage and constrained to the carriage so as to rotate about an axis thereof;
a further first beam, distinct from the carriage, parallel, proximal and possibly placed above said first rotating shaft and said first beam;
a further second beam, distinct from the carriage, parallel, proximal and possibly placed above said second rotating shaft and said second beam;

wherein the further first beam and the further second beam support both the first structure and the second structure, which are arranged substantially parallel to each other and transversely, preferably orthogonally, to said further first beam and said further second beam;
wherein the first rotating shaft is, directly or indirectly, connected to said further first beam by means of at least one first lever;
wherein the second rotating shaft is connected, directly or indirectly, to said further second beam by means of at least one second lever;
and wherein at least one actuator is provided, adapted to rotate the first rotating shaft and/or the second rotating shaft by a predetermined angle so that the first structure and second structure can be lifted together with respect to the carriage.

11. The machine according to claim 10 , wherein said further first beam and said further second beam have a respective first portion, which is proximal to the first structure and to which said first structure is integrally fixed, and a respective second portion, which is distal from the first structure and to which the second structure is slidingly connected.

12. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first structure and the second structure are supported in the first part of the carriage, preferably directly, by means of the first beam and the second beam of the carriage that have a respective first portion, which is proximal to the first structure and to which said first structure is integrally fixed, and a respective second portion, which is distal from the first structure and to which the second structure is slidingly connected.

13. The machine according to claim 11 , wherein the second portion of the further first beam or of the first beam is inserted into a first through-hole of the second structure, internally provided with first rolls or pads for the second structure to slide on said further first beam or first beam; and wherein the second portion of the further second beam or second beam is inserted into a second through-hole of the second structure, internally provided with second rolls or pads for the second structure to slide on said further second beam or second beam.

14. The machine according to claim 13 , wherein both the second portion of the further first beam, or of the first beam, and the first through-hole have a quadrangular section, and said first through-hole is provided with the first rolls or pads on two opposite inner sides only, preferably wherein a pair of first

Assignees

• Danieli Off Mecc

Inventors

• Russian Daniele
• Bordignon Giuseppe
• Paolone Rolando
• Tomat Claudio

Classifications

• B21B15/0085 Primary

  Joining ends of material to continuous strip, bar or sheet · CPC title

• B23K11/046 Primary

  Apparatus therefor · CPC title