GB781872A - Flash butt welding machine incorporating work spacing means - Google Patents

Abstract

781,872. Welding by pressure. TAYLORWINFIELD CORPORATION. March 8, 1954, No. 6634/54. Class 83 (4). In a flash butt-welding machine having fixed and movable platens, each platen being provided with a pair of strip clamping dies, a strip spacing gauge is connected to one platen, the gauge is guided for movement in a vertical plane for positioning between the dies and the gauge has guide bars at its opposite ends for insertion between the platens. Clamping dies 14, 15 are mounted on a fixed platen 11 and dies 17, 18 are mounted on movable platen 12. The dies may be clamped by means described in Specification 766,339. An arm 24 acted on by a fluid-operated actuator 25 is pivoted at 26 to the fixed platen and supports through a pivoted link 23 a carrier 22 for a spacer gauge 19 having several parallel gauging faces thereon. With the platens in the work-loading position the arm 24 is lowered by the actuator 25 and the carrier 22 swings outwardly to position the spacer gauge intermediate the dies and a key 34 engages a slot 33 in the carrier to guide the latter. The tapered guide bars 27 at the ends of the spacer gauge engage guide blocks 28 on the dies and cutter bars 32 on the spacer gauge clean the die faces as the spacer bar is lowered through the dies. The spacer bar is then retracted somewhat into correct spacing position. The strips 20, 21 are moved by rollers 29, 30 towards each other and their ends abut the spacer bar. The dies are then clamped on to the strips in the position shown in Fig. 4. To permit the spacer bar to be withdrawn the platens are slightly separated by a short stroke hydraulic actuator 36, Fig. 6, the piston 35 of which is connected to the platen 12 and the cylinder of which is connected to the pistonrod 38 of the upsetting actuator 39. In the work-loading position the actuators are in the positions shown in Fig. 6. Fluid pressure is applied to the conduit 42 and piston 35 and platen 12 move to the right until piston 35 engages the bottom of the actuator cylinder. The spacer bar is now withdrawn swinging outwardly from the platen 11 and welding of the strips is then effected, the direct contact established between the piston of the upset actuator and the platen 12 allowing large upset pressure to be applied independently of the actuator 36. After welding, fluid is applied to both actuators to cause the piston of the actuator 39 and thus the actuator 36 to move to the right until a nut 40 thereon abuts a stop and to cause piston 35 to move to the left relatively to the actuator 36. The work-loading position of the platens is thus obtained.