AUSTRALIA Patents Act COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (ORIGINAL) Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority Related Art: Name of Applicant: E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute Actual Inventor(s): Sergey 1. Kuchuk-Yatsenko, Vladimir S. Kachinsky, Boris A. Galyan, Nikolay 1. Koval, Alexander P. Miroshichenko, Vadim Y. Ignatenko, Andrey N. Levchuk Address for Service and Correspondence: PHILLIPS ORMONDE & FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 AUSTRALIA Invention Title: MACHINE FOR BUTT WELDING OF PIPES Our Ref: 822357 POF Code: 486167/486167 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): -1 - MACHINE FOR BUTT WELDING OF PIPES The present invention relates to the field of butt press welding and can be used in different branches of industry and construction in welding of tubular parts of different purpose and configuration. 5 Machine is known for butt welding (Author's certificate No.740436, B.I. No.22 of 15.06.1980), composed of movable and stationary casings, guides connecting them, upset cylinders, supports and a frame. Each casing has an aligning clamping mechanism. Their design is similar. In each cramp-shaped casing there is a cramp-like semi-ring, which is turned through by means of ID hydraulic cylinders. Inside, the semi-ring has grooves of radii, the center of which is located at similar distance from the machine center providing forces during the ring turning acting on insert of shoes preserving the angle of force action to the insert within 100 - 120, advancing them along the radial slots to the machine axle, thus clamping and aligning of the workpiece is performed. 15 The ring during the reverse movement is acting by grooves, which are located on the external surface, to special rests of shoes, removing them into initial position. There are the following drawbacks in the design of this machine: 1. Alignment device is designed for aligning rods and their distortion and 20 deterioration of alignment are possible in pipe alignment. 2. Cramp-shaped casing has a low rigidity, thus leading to increase in its weight and also deterioration of components alignment. 3. Large losses in clamping drive for friction forces are due to the fact that the cramp-like ring is simultaneously in friction by its external 25 surface on the casing and by its internal surface on the shoe inserts under full force of clamping. 4. Complicated mechanism of return into initial position. Drawbacks of the mechanism of alignment according to the Author's certificate No.251719 ( B.I. No.25 of 07.07.1984 ), which consists of 30 opening casings, are the same reasons, that are described also in the Author's certificate No.740436, i.e. insufficient rigidity, large mass, high losses for friction, as the semi-rings in movement under clamping load are subjected to friction on the internal surface of casings and on the shoe slopes by their inserts. 35 In design according to the Author's certificate No. 361050 (B.I. No.1 of 1973) there are the same drawbacks that were described in earlier mechanisms of alignment, the only advantage being a large rigidity of the device, as the non-detachable circular casing is available. Clamping aligning device for butt welding machine is taken as a 40 prototype according to the Author's certificate No.231041 (B.I.No.35 of 15.11.1968), which consists of movable and stationary columns, swinging cylinders of a ring drive which is located in the middle of their casings and aligned along the internal surface of casings. Into the ring the cylindrical inserts are pressed-in, whose lateral surface projects beyond the ring internal 45 surface and contacts at ring rotation the variable-angle slopes of clamping shoes, advancing them along the radial guides of the casing to the pipe. Slope with a large angle is designed for a fast shoe feed to the pipe, while the force, necessary for generation of a clamping force, is developed at the slope with a smaller angle. Shoes have a possibility of a radial movement in radial slots 5 of the casings. In addition, in column casings are mounted variable-arm levers which are rotated around pins fixed in casings. One lever arm interacts with special projections of the ring, and the second arm enters the shoe slot and returns the shoe into initial position at the ring reverse rotation. 10 Movable and stationary columns are interconnected by 4 (four) guides, moreover, at the end of the guides, which passed through a movable column, the pistons of flashing and upsetting mechanism are mounted, whose cylinders are fixed on the movable column. As all the clamping force is imparted to the ring, then under its action the 15 ring deformation and increase in force of its friction on the column casing are possible. This is a large drawback of a proposed design because the drive force is increased. In addition, drawback is the large losses in friction of ring inserts on the shoe slopes. 20 Drawback is also a complicated mechanism of shoes removal to the initial position, and the removal itself is not precise. This leads to increase in dimensions of columns and rings, thus increasing greatly the mass of columns. A large drawback is also transition through a crest between shoe slopes with 25 different angles. This leads to a jumpy movement of shoes and increased wear both of ring inserts and also shoe slopes. Besides, the maintenance of the machine in repair is complicated. For example, the replacement of a collar in a cylinder of flashing and upsetting requires the machine dismantling. 30 The present invention is based on the solution of the put problem of improving accuracy of alignment and clamping of pipes, decrease in losses for friction in drive of alignment and clamping, decrease in mass of the machine and simplifying its design. Owing to this, the quality of welding, labor productivity and reliability of the machine operation are increased. 35 The put problem is achieved by that the machine for butt welding of pipes comprises movable and stationary columns, interconnected by guides, a frame, hydraulic cylinders of flashing and upsetting, mechanisms of alignment and clamping with rings and shoes which are arranged both in movable and stationary columns. In each of column casings a clamping ring 40 is mounted, which is aligned by its internal diameter as to the external diameter of projections of casings with a possibility of rotation around the longitudinal axle of the machine under the action of slides contacting external projections of a clamping ring, with a possibility of their swinging around pins pressed-in into rods of cylinders of clamping and alignment, 45 whose casings are rigidly fixed on the external cylindrical surface of columns. The clamping ring is connected, by pins pressed-in into it, with one end of shackles, located in a circular groove of the ring, and the second end of shackles is connected by pins to clamping shoes which have an opportunity to move in radial slots of casings to a central axle of the machine 5 and back, moreover, shackles have a possibility to rotate on the pins. The proposed design of the machine for butt welding of pipes ensures the increase in accuracy of alignment and clamping of pipes by that the clamping ring is aligned by its internal diameter on the external diameter of projections of casings and feasibility of the ring jamming in casing at its deforming from 10 clamping forces (ring undergoes all clamping force) is eliminated. Application of shackles in the machine for butt welding of pipes, which are connected by pins from one end to a clamping ring, and from another end to clamping shoes, decreases losses for friction in the drive of aligning and clamping due to decrease in angle of friction by 2-3 times as compared with 15 prototype. In the proposed design of the machine for butt welding of pipes there is no a special mechanism of shoes removal into initial position because this function is fulfilled by the above-said shackles which perform clamping, and this simplifies its design and decreases greatly the machine dimensions in a radial direction and, as a consequence, its mass. 20 Invention is explained by the following drawings: - Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of the machine; - Figure 2 shows a transverse section A-A of the mechanism of alignment and clamping. Machine for butt welding of pipes comprises a movable column 1, a 25 stationary column 2. supports 3 and 4, which are interconnected by guiding rods 5, fixed on supports by nuts, a frame 6, hydraulic cylinders of upsetting 7, mechanisms of alignment and clamping with clamping rings 8, shackles 9, clamping shoes 10 and hydraulic cylinders of a clamping drive 11. Columns 1 and 2 consist of 2 (two) half-casings 12 and 13 assembled using 30 bolts. In a cavity of half-casings grooving a clamping ring 8 is arranged so that its external projections come beyond the diameter of half-casings. In half-casings the radial slots are made, in which clamping shoes 10 with an opportunity of a radial movement are arranged. Clamping ring 8 is aligned by its internal diameter as regards to external diameter of projections in half 35 casings. In the middle grooving of the ring shackles 9 are arranged, connected to a ring by pins 14, pressed-in into the ring. Shackles have a possibility to swing on these pins. Second ends of shackles are connected to clamping shoes 10 by pins 15, which are pressed-in into the shoe so that shackles can swing around them. 40 Hydraulic cylinder of clamping drive 11 is fixed rigidly on the cylindrical surface of columns and consists of a solid casing 16 with borings of different diameters at its ends in which are arranged pistons 17 (of large diameter) and 18, connected between themselves by rods 19 with pressed-in pine 20, on the ends of which the slides 21 are fixed, having a possibility of rotation. Shoes 45 10 are equipped with changeable inserts 22, which are replaced depending on 4 the external diameter of pipes 23 being welded. In addition, on a movable column 1 there is a roller 24 fixed on the lower hydraulic cylinder of clamping drive, which is set with a gasket 25 so, that it contacts a beam 26 of a frame 6. The gasket 25 is selected by thickness so 5 that to compensate the deflection of guides 5 under action of weight of movable and stationary columns. The machine operates as follows. To set a movable column 1 into initial position, a working fluid under the working pressure is supplied into a rod cavity of upsetting hydraulic cylinders 7, and a piston cavity is connected to 10 a drain. Cylinder, together with a casing 1, is moved up to its rest into a piston. Pipes being welded 23 are placed into movable 1 and stationary 2 columns with a gap. In feeding a working fluid into piston cavities 17 of hydraulic of clamping drive 11 their rods are moved. Through pins 20 and slides 21 the 15 rods 19 are acting on external projections of a clamping ring 8 to turn it through. In rotation, a clamping ring 8 through shackles 9 moves the clamping shoes 10 with changeable inserts, fixed on them, to the axles of pipes 23 being welded. Their alignment and clamping take place. Then, rod cavities of hydraulic cylinders of upsetting 7 are connected with 20 a drain, and the working fluid is supplied to the piston cavities. The pipes 23 being welded are moved to the rest one into another. By connecting the piston cavities of hydraulic cylinders of upsetting 7 with a drain and supplying the working fluid into rod cavities, the operation of jump away is performed, ensuring a stable arc burning between the edges of pipes. Then, 25 after heating of pipes, the operation of upsetting is fulfilled. For this, the working fluid is supplied to the piston cavities of upsetting hydraulic cylinders 7, and the rod cavities are connected with a drain. After welding, the working fluid is supplied to the piston cavities of hydraulic cylinders of clamping drive 11 with pistons 18. Unclamping of 30 welded pipes takes place. Machine is prepared to next welding cycle. Application of the machine in different branches of industry allows producing high-quality welded joints owing to increase in accuracy of alignment of clamping of pipes, decrease in losses for friction in drive of alignment and clamping, decrease in mass of the machine and simplifying of 35 its design that facilitates the operator's work, increases the labor productivity and reliability of the machine operation. This application claims priority from Ukraine Application No.a 2007 13302 filed on 29 November 2007, the contents of which are to be taken as incorporated herein by this reference. 40