GB546961A - Improvements in or relating to electric arc welding - Google Patents

Abstract

546,961. Uniting by fusion. ULMER, W. L. Nov. 1, 1940, No. 15975. [Class 83 (iv)] In electric arc welding with a bared or coated electrode there is supplied to the atmosphere in the welding zone a stream of a gas non-reactive with the work parts and having entrained therein a fluxing agent consisting of a vaporized substance or mixture of substances capable of dissolving oxides &c. or of giving rise under welding conditions to substances having these properties. The fluxing agent may consist of alkyl borates or azeotropic mixtures of alkyl borates and alcohols with or without volatile sillicates or may consist of liquid flux compositions as described in Specifications 532,267 and 534,084, [both in Group II]. The gas may be an inert gas such as helium or argon or a combustible gas such as hydrogen, acetylene or methane with or without oxygen or air. The gas stream may be supplied under sufficient pressure to agitate or puddle the weld metal so as to promote the dissolving of the oxides &c. The gas stream may be supplied to the welding zone through a pair of bent copper tubes crimped or provided with nozzles and secured to the welding head one on each side of the electrode. The electrode 3, Fig. 2, is slidable on a head 1 provided with a cover plate 4 secured to the part 2 by collars 5 and set screws. The gas stream is supplied to the head through a branch 8 to which lead two pipes one of which is connected to an oxygen cylinder and the other to a vessel containing the liquid flux composition through which a combustible gas from a cylinder is bubbled. The gas passes through a guide sleeve 7 surrounding part of the lower portion of the electrode, and provided with apertures 11, 12 at opposite ends. In another form, Fig. 5, the gas passes through a valved branch 32 in the welding head into a sleeve 37 provided with apertures 38, 39 at opposite ends. In a further form a sleeve 41 secured to the welding head has a gas inlet branch 44 and exit apertures 45 and contains an inner guide sleeve 42. An adjustable outer sleeve 46 is used to vary the area of the work subjected to the gas stream.