WO1998012011A1 - Electrode extension guide for welding - Google Patents

Electrode extension guide for welding Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1998012011A1
WO1998012011A1 PCT/US1997/015576 US9715576W WO9812011A1 WO 1998012011 A1 WO1998012011 A1 WO 1998012011A1 US 9715576 W US9715576 W US 9715576W WO 9812011 A1 WO9812011 A1 WO 9812011A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
consumable electrode
welding
attachment device
electrode
consumable
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1997/015576
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Randall Davis
Original Assignee
Randall Davis
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Randall Davis filed Critical Randall Davis
Priority to AU42501/97A priority Critical patent/AU4250197A/en
Publication of WO1998012011A1 publication Critical patent/WO1998012011A1/en

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
    • B23K9/00—Arc welding or cutting
    • B23K9/24—Features related to electrodes
    • B23K9/28—Supporting devices for electrodes
    • B23K9/282—Electrode holders not supplying shielding means to the electrode

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a welding attachment device, and more particularly to a unitary ceramic electrode extension for attaching to a welding nozzle for guiding a consumable wire during long stick-out welding applications.
  • the electrode extension guide provides for increased deposition rate of the consumable wire while maintaining an accurate placement of the consumable wire within the weld for maintaining the integrity of the weld.
  • Arc welding processes include shielded metal-arc welding, flux-cord arc welding, submerged arc welding and gas metal arc welding.
  • Arc welding by the processes cited is a welding process in which the heat for welding is generated by an arc established between a consumable electrode and pieces of metal, known as the work pieces, which are to be welded together.
  • the consumable electrode in combination with the work pieces fuse together at the weld.
  • a power source provides a current through the consumable electrode producing the arc while melting the electrode.
  • the area of the weld is shielded. The area may either be shielded by a gas shield or by a flux.
  • a primary objective in commercial welding is to get the job done as quickly as possible without sacrificing the integrity of the weld.
  • One way in which a faster welding rate is accomplished is by raising the current from the power source. By increasing the current more electrical energy is induced into the consumable electrode increasing the deposition of the consumable electrode. However, to increase the current, larger more costly power supplies are required.
  • Electrode extension Another means for increasing the welding rate is achieved by using electrode extension. Electric current is carried by the consumable electrode at the point of electrical contact with a contact tip. The current passes through the consumable electrode to the tip of the electrode to the arc. The distance from the point of electrical contact with the contact tip to the electrode's tip is identified as the "electrode extension".
  • the electrode is subject to resistance heating based on the formula I 2 R where I is current and R is resistance.
  • I current and R is resistance.
  • One problem with electrode extension welding is that if the stickout is too long, the heat build up within the electrode may become to intense and the electrode may loss its stiffness and wander from the tip of the contact point making positioning of the electrode at the welding location difficult.
  • Some electrode extension shields are known. At least three such shields are provided by Lincoln Electric Company of Cleveland Ohio. Two of these guides are designed to be attached to the sides of the welding apparatus and extend below the contact point. These shields are identified as product number K-149 Line-Fill Extension Assembly and K-104 Line-Fill Extension.
  • Electrode extension guides provided by Lincoln are described in an article entitled "Long Stickout Welding- a practical way to increase deposition rates" written by J.E. Hinkel who was the director of welding procedure development for the Lincoln electric company and printed in the Welding Journal in 1968.
  • the guides shown therein for submerged arc machine heads have metal guide tips and are prone to double arcing and the fusion of heated electrodes to the tips.
  • all guides shown therein are lined with ceramics with large inside diameters which allow the consumable electrode to wander excessively, especially when smaller sized electrodes are used.
  • the ceramic linings chosen tend to crack easily due to the thermal stresses of welding, increasing the need for large internal bores to preclude seizing of the consumable electrode.
  • the increase in bore size becomes counterproductive as the extended and softened electrode will tend to collapse and jam the nozzle since it does not have adequate support.
  • an object of the present invention is to provide a unitary long electrode extension guide which can guide a consumable wire to a point of welding contact;
  • the above objectives are accomplished according to the present invention by providing a welding attachment device for guiding a consumable electrode along a general length after exiting a contact tip.
  • the attachment device includes a body having a first end adapted for attachment to the contact tip and a second end.
  • the body has an interior wall defining a central bore extending from the first end to the second end.
  • the first end defines a first bore opening for receiving the consumable electrode from the contact tip and the second end defines a second bore opening enabling the consumable electrode to exit the body for welding.
  • the body consists of a ceramic material having thermal stress properties of at least 600 "Kelvin as designated by the Hasselman,K designation for thermal stress.
  • Figure 1 illustrates an electrode extension guide according to the invention with a surrounding concentric flux cone
  • FIG. 2 illustrates an electrode extension guide known in the prior art
  • FIG. 3 illustrates an electrode extension guide known in the prior art
  • FIG. 4 illustrates an electrode extension guide made according to the invention.
  • Figure 5 illustrates a sectional view of an electrode extension guide made according to the invention.
  • FIG 1 illustrates the use of electrode extension 10 with submerged arc welding applications which utilize a surrounding concentric flux cone 12 having an internal chamber 14 which dispenses flux onto a weld.
  • Concentric flux cone 12 is known in the art and is available from Lincoln Electric Company of Cleveland Ohio as part number K-231 assembly.
  • Consumable electrode 16 is used to weld work pieces together.
  • electrode extension 10 has a narrow profile narrower than internal chamber 14 enabling electrode extension 10 to reside within the internal chamber 14 of the concentric flux cone 12. In this manner, flux dispensed from the concentric flux cone will flow around consumable electrode 16 protecting the weld from oxidizing and from contaminates in the air.
  • FIGs 2 and 3 illustrate welding attachment devices 18 and 20 for electrode extension applications which are known in the prior art and provided by Lincoln Electric Company of Cleveland Ohio.
  • attachment device 18 having a product number of K-233 is designed to attach to a welding nozzle 22 by an attachment assembly 24.
  • Extension arm 26 carries electrode guide 28 beneath the exit of the welding nozzle for guiding consumable electrode 16.
  • electrode guide sheath and tip 28 are made from a metal/ceramic combination and cannot adequately guide consumable electrode 16 for the increased risk of double arcing and galling of the heated electrode.
  • this assembly is bulky preventing its use in tight welds and cannot be used with a surrounding concentric flux cone of the type previous discussed.
  • the hole size of the inner core of this guide is not designed to contact the consumable electrode and quite often the electrode would collapse and jam the welding nozzle on start-up of the welding operation.
  • Electrode guide 20 Another electrode guide 20 from Lincoln Electric is shown in Figure 2 having product number K-149. Electrode guide 20 also utilizes an extension arm 32 for attaching electrode guide 20 to a welding nozzle. A flux dispenser 32 is attached to the side of electrode guide 20 for dispensing flux to a weld. This guide, while suited for its intended purpose, does not effectively provide for guidance of a consumable electrode during electrode extension applications for the same reasons discussed for the K-233 guide.
  • electrode extension guide 10 is a unitary piece made from a ceramic material. Electrode extension guide 10 includes body 34 having a first end 36 and a second end 38. Electrode extension guide 10 serves two primary purposes. The first purpose is to prevent collapse of consumable electrode 16 and the second is to guide electrode 16 if electrode 16 starts to wander. Since I 2 R heating will occur, consumable electrode 16 may lose some structural integrity and may bend. Electrode extension guide 10 enables consumable electrode 16 to extend a length from contact tip 40 of welding nozzle 22 to the point of welding enabling - I 2 R heating to occur within consumable electrode 16 while still being continuously fed and accurately positioned at the point of weld without jamming in the nozzle.
  • electrode extension guide 10 is cylindrical in shape and depends on electrode size. In the preferred embodiment, electrode extension guide 10 is cylindrical in shape and provides continuous guidance over a distance defined at least eight (8) times the electrode's cross-section and preferably sixteen times. (e.g. a 1 ⁇ 8" diameter wire would be supported for about 2 inches) . The preferred distance is measured by the cross-section of the consumable electrode since the consumable electrode may be either a cylindrical wire or a rectangular strip. The length may also vary depending upon the material which comprises the consumable electrode and depending upon the deposition increase desired. First end 36 is adapted for attachment to contact tip 40 of a welding gun having a welding nozzle 22.
  • Body 34 has an interior wall 42 which defines central bore 44 which extends from first end 36 to second end 38 for guiding consumable electrode 16 substantially along the length of body 34.
  • central bore 44 may be small in diameter so that contact may be had with consumable electrode 16 if wandering of the wire occurs.
  • central bore 44 is of a sufficient size to enable interior wall
  • central bore 44 is critical to the invention. Central bore 44 is designed to prevent the collapse of consumable electrode 16 on start-up and during welding and also to prevent electrode wandering which will cause erratically shaped weld beads. Since many different sizes of consumable wires are used for welding typically ranging from .035 inch in diameter to 1 ⁇ 4 inch in diameter, the actual size of central bore will vary, but it is desired that the bore will range from a size of approximately one hundred and two per cent to one hundred and forty percent the size of the consumable wire being used. The variation in bore size is due to the inherent qualities of the consumable electrode and the correlation between the diameter of the electrode and the electrode's ability to maintain its structural integrity.
  • the larger diameter electrodes can withstand a higher heat build up without losing structural integrity resulting in wandering.
  • the larger diameter electrodes may be used with a guide having a larger bore size.
  • many fabricators desire to use small diameter electrodes for welding and a central bore of approximately one hundred and two to one hundred and fifteen percent the size of the small diameter electrode is preferred.
  • Central bore 44 enables consumable electrode 16 to pass from contact tip 40 to the point of weld through electrode extension guide 10. However, if consumable electrode 16 starts to wander beyond a desired path, consumable electrode 16 will engage interior wall 42 and be prevented from wandering beyond the desired path maintaining alignment of the tip of consumable electrode 16 with the location of the weld.
  • Central bore 44 is of a size so that interior wall 22 supports consumable electrode 16 substantially over the entire length of electrode extension 10 should consumable electrode 16 start to lose structural integrity. Interior wall 22 maintains consumable electrode 16 in generally vertical alignment between the point consumable electrode 16 exits contact tip 40 to second end 38 of electrode extension guide 10.
  • first end 36 defines first bore opening 46 for receiving consumable electrode 16 from contact tip 40 and second end 38 defines second bore opening 48 enabling consumable electrode 16 to exit body 34 for welding.
  • electrode extension 10 is adapted for fitting with welding nozzle 22.
  • contact tip 40 having an interior wall 47 defining a central tip bore 49 is specially adapted for affixing electrode extension guide 10 to welding nozzle 22.
  • Contact tip 40 has a first end 50 which contains threads 52 for being received by welding nozzle 22.
  • First end 50 defines first tip bore opening 49a.
  • Contact tip 40 also has a second end 54 which is threaded for receiving electrode extension guide 10.
  • Second end 54 defines second tip bore opening 49b.
  • Interior wall 46 has threads 56 at first end 36 for being received by contact tip 40.
  • Interior wall 46 is contoured and second end 54 of contact tip 40 is matingly contoured for being received within the first bore opening 46.
  • electrode extension guide 10 preferably has thermal stress properties as measured by the standard Hassleman,K "Kelvin of at least 600.
  • the ceramic material Lava provided by AlSiMag® Technical Ceramics, Inc of Laurens, South Carolina is used. Lava has thermal stress properties of 800 Hassleman.K ° Kelvin. However, it will be understood that ceramics having thermal stress properties greater than 600 Hassleman, K "Kelvin are sufficient.
  • body 34 is tapered such that second end 38 is of a smaller diameter than first end 36.
  • the diameter of first end 36 is approximately five eighth inches with a maximum diameter of three quarter inches and the diameter of second end 38 is thirteen thirty-seconds ⁇ one thirty-second inches.
  • the small size of second end 38 enables electrode extension guide 10 to be positioned within the central grooves of work pieces enabling easier access to the part of weld.
  • the unitary ceramic construction eliminate the possibility of double arcing between the electrode extension guide and the work piece.
  • the advantage of the ceramic electrode extension guide is that higher deposition rates may be achieved while also maintaining the integrity of the weld by providing accurate placement of the welding wire.
  • an electrode extension guide may be advantageously had according to the invention by providing a body of non-conductive ceramic material that may support a consumable electrode substantially along the length of the body thereby accurately guiding the consumable electrode for positioning within the weld.
  • the ceramic construction of the attachment device enables the entire interior wall to engage the consumable electrode without fear of double arcing or mutual fusion.
  • the thermal stress characteristics provide for a durable electrode extension guide making the attachment device practical in an industrial environment.
  • W hile a preferred embodiment of the invention has b een described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that c h anges an d variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Arc Welding In General (AREA)

Abstract

A welding attachment device (10) for guiding a consumable welding electrode (16) along a general length after exiting a contact tip (40). The attachment device (10) includes a body having a first end adapted for attachment to the contact tip (40). The body has an interior wall (42) defining a central bore (44) for guiding the consumable welding electrode (16) during electrode extension welding applications so that the consumable electrode (16) may be accurately positioned with respect to a welding location. The interior wall (42) prevents the consumable electrode (16) from wandering and collapsing due to softening caused by internal heat build up.

Description

ELECTRODE EXTENSION GUIDE FOR WELDING Background of the Invention
This invention relates to a welding attachment device, and more particularly to a unitary ceramic electrode extension for attaching to a welding nozzle for guiding a consumable wire during long stick-out welding applications. The electrode extension guide provides for increased deposition rate of the consumable wire while maintaining an accurate placement of the consumable wire within the weld for maintaining the integrity of the weld.
There exists several methods for welding of which arc welding is the most popular. Arc welding processes include shielded metal-arc welding, flux-cord arc welding, submerged arc welding and gas metal arc welding. Arc welding by the processes cited is a welding process in which the heat for welding is generated by an arc established between a consumable electrode and pieces of metal, known as the work pieces, which are to be welded together. The consumable electrode in combination with the work pieces fuse together at the weld. A power source provides a current through the consumable electrode producing the arc while melting the electrode. In order to prevent the molten electrode and molten work pieces from being contaminated from particles in the air, the area of the weld is shielded. The area may either be shielded by a gas shield or by a flux.
A primary objective in commercial welding is to get the job done as quickly as possible without sacrificing the integrity of the weld. One way in which a faster welding rate is accomplished is by raising the current from the power source. By increasing the current more electrical energy is induced into the consumable electrode increasing the deposition of the consumable electrode. However, to increase the current, larger more costly power supplies are required.
Another means for increasing the welding rate is achieved by using electrode extension. Electric current is carried by the consumable electrode at the point of electrical contact with a contact tip. The current passes through the consumable electrode to the tip of the electrode to the arc. The distance from the point of electrical contact with the contact tip to the electrode's tip is identified as the "electrode extension".
The electrode is subject to resistance heating based on the formula I2R where I is current and R is resistance. The longer the length of the electrode from the point of electrical contact to the arc, the greater the heat build up within the electrode. One problem with electrode extension welding is that if the stickout is too long, the heat build up within the electrode may become to intense and the electrode may loss its stiffness and wander from the tip of the contact point making positioning of the electrode at the welding location difficult. Some electrode extension shields are known. At least three such shields are provided by Lincoln Electric Company of Cleveland Ohio. Two of these guides are designed to be attached to the sides of the welding apparatus and extend below the contact point. These shields are identified as product number K-149 Line-Fill Extension Assembly and K-104 Line-Fill Extension. Such a design cannot be used for submerged arc welding which uses a surrounding concentric flux cone. These, guides are typically constructed of steel with a ceramic liner and metal guide tip for machine submerged arc welding. For flux cored arc welding, the outer sheath is copper and there is no guide tip. All styles have ceramic liners with large inside diameters located near the tip of the guides. However, use of metals as part of a shield has certain disadvantages. The metal sheathed shield with metal guide tip is difficult to use for welding within grooves because double arcing may result between the metal tip and the work pieces. Also, fusion between the heated electrode and metal guide tips can occur.
Electrode extension guides provided by Lincoln are described in an article entitled "Long Stickout Welding- a practical way to increase deposition rates" written by J.E. Hinkel who was the director of welding procedure development for the Lincoln electric company and printed in the Welding Journal in 1968. The guides shown therein for submerged arc machine heads have metal guide tips and are prone to double arcing and the fusion of heated electrodes to the tips. Also, all guides shown therein are lined with ceramics with large inside diameters which allow the consumable electrode to wander excessively, especially when smaller sized electrodes are used. Furthermore, the ceramic linings chosen tend to crack easily due to the thermal stresses of welding, increasing the need for large internal bores to preclude seizing of the consumable electrode. However, the increase in bore size becomes counterproductive as the extended and softened electrode will tend to collapse and jam the nozzle since it does not have adequate support.
United States Patent No. 3,585,352 entitled "Arc Welding Process and Electrode for Stainless Steel" issued on June 15, 1971 discloses a tubular insulative member for enclosing an electrode which initially has water levels which would ordinarily be in excess of those required for a non- porous weld deposit. The wire is preheated to drive off moisture which would otherwise cause porosity. The insulative member is disclosed as being of a ceramic material resisting expansion upon heating but is disclosed as being of any shape and is not intended to guide the consumable wire.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a unitary long electrode extension guide which can guide a consumable wire to a point of welding contact;
Another object of the present invention is to provide a unitary electrode extension guide which is designed to guide a consumable wire substantially along the length of the guide; Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an unitary electrode extension guide which is streamline and adapted to fit at the end of a welding nozzle so that it may be received within a surrounding concentric flux cone for submerged arc welding or within a narrow groove;
Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a unitary electrode extension guide which is made from ceramic material having sufficient thermal stress attributes for durability;
Also, it is an object of the present invention to provide a unitary electrode extension guide which is durable for industrial usage.
Summary of the Invention The above objectives are accomplished according to the present invention by providing a welding attachment device for guiding a consumable electrode along a general length after exiting a contact tip. The attachment device includes a body having a first end adapted for attachment to the contact tip and a second end. The body has an interior wall defining a central bore extending from the first end to the second end. The first end defines a first bore opening for receiving the consumable electrode from the contact tip and the second end defines a second bore opening enabling the consumable electrode to exit the body for welding. The body consists of a ceramic material having thermal stress properties of at least 600 "Kelvin as designated by the Hasselman,K designation for thermal stress. Description of the Drawings The construction designed to carry out the invention will hereinafter be described, together with other features thereof . The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein:
Figure 1 illustrates an electrode extension guide according to the invention with a surrounding concentric flux cone;
Figure 2 illustrates an electrode extension guide known in the prior art;
Figure 3 illustrates an electrode extension guide known in the prior art;
Figure 4 illustrates an electrode extension guide made according to the invention; and
Figure 5 illustrates a sectional view of an electrode extension guide made according to the invention.
Description of a Preferred Embodiment Referring now in more detail to the drawings, the invention will now be described in more detail.
Figure 1 illustrates the use of electrode extension 10 with submerged arc welding applications which utilize a surrounding concentric flux cone 12 having an internal chamber 14 which dispenses flux onto a weld. Concentric flux cone 12 is known in the art and is available from Lincoln Electric Company of Cleveland Ohio as part number K-231 assembly. Consumable electrode 16 is used to weld work pieces together. In the preferred embodiment, electrode extension 10 has a narrow profile narrower than internal chamber 14 enabling electrode extension 10 to reside within the internal chamber 14 of the concentric flux cone 12. In this manner, flux dispensed from the concentric flux cone will flow around consumable electrode 16 protecting the weld from oxidizing and from contaminates in the air.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate welding attachment devices 18 and 20 for electrode extension applications which are known in the prior art and provided by Lincoln Electric Company of Cleveland Ohio. As shown in Figure 3, attachment device 18 having a product number of K-233 is designed to attach to a welding nozzle 22 by an attachment assembly 24. Extension arm 26 carries electrode guide 28 beneath the exit of the welding nozzle for guiding consumable electrode 16. As discussed in the background, electrode guide sheath and tip 28 are made from a metal/ceramic combination and cannot adequately guide consumable electrode 16 for the increased risk of double arcing and galling of the heated electrode. Also, this assembly is bulky preventing its use in tight welds and cannot be used with a surrounding concentric flux cone of the type previous discussed. Also, the hole size of the inner core of this guide is not designed to contact the consumable electrode and quite often the electrode would collapse and jam the welding nozzle on start-up of the welding operation.
Another electrode guide 20 from Lincoln Electric is shown in Figure 2 having product number K-149. Electrode guide 20 also utilizes an extension arm 32 for attaching electrode guide 20 to a welding nozzle. A flux dispenser 32 is attached to the side of electrode guide 20 for dispensing flux to a weld. This guide, while suited for its intended purpose, does not effectively provide for guidance of a consumable electrode during electrode extension applications for the same reasons discussed for the K-233 guide.
As shown in Figures 4 and 5, electrode extension guide 10 is a unitary piece made from a ceramic material. Electrode extension guide 10 includes body 34 having a first end 36 and a second end 38. Electrode extension guide 10 serves two primary purposes. The first purpose is to prevent collapse of consumable electrode 16 and the second is to guide electrode 16 if electrode 16 starts to wander. Since I2R heating will occur, consumable electrode 16 may lose some structural integrity and may bend. Electrode extension guide 10 enables consumable electrode 16 to extend a length from contact tip 40 of welding nozzle 22 to the point of welding enabling - I2R heating to occur within consumable electrode 16 while still being continuously fed and accurately positioned at the point of weld without jamming in the nozzle. In the preferred embodiment, electrode extension guide 10 is cylindrical in shape and depends on electrode size. In the preferred embodiment, electrode extension guide 10 is cylindrical in shape and provides continuous guidance over a distance defined at least eight (8) times the electrode's cross-section and preferably sixteen times. (e.g. a 1\8" diameter wire would be supported for about 2 inches) . The preferred distance is measured by the cross-section of the consumable electrode since the consumable electrode may be either a cylindrical wire or a rectangular strip. The length may also vary depending upon the material which comprises the consumable electrode and depending upon the deposition increase desired. First end 36 is adapted for attachment to contact tip 40 of a welding gun having a welding nozzle 22. Body 34 has an interior wall 42 which defines central bore 44 which extends from first end 36 to second end 38 for guiding consumable electrode 16 substantially along the length of body 34. By utilizing non-conductive ceramic material with high thermal stress resistance, central bore 44 may be small in diameter so that contact may be had with consumable electrode 16 if wandering of the wire occurs.
If consumable electrode 16 wanders due to the internal heat build up, the ability to control the point of contact of consumable electrode 16 with the weld becomes difficult. Thus, central bore 44 is of a sufficient size to enable interior wall
42 to contact consumable electrode 16 should consumable electrode 16 start to wander along the line between the contact tip 40 and point of weld.
The size of central bore 44 is critical to the invention. Central bore 44 is designed to prevent the collapse of consumable electrode 16 on start-up and during welding and also to prevent electrode wandering which will cause erratically shaped weld beads. Since many different sizes of consumable wires are used for welding typically ranging from .035 inch in diameter to 1\4 inch in diameter, the actual size of central bore will vary, but it is desired that the bore will range from a size of approximately one hundred and two per cent to one hundred and forty percent the size of the consumable wire being used. The variation in bore size is due to the inherent qualities of the consumable electrode and the correlation between the diameter of the electrode and the electrode's ability to maintain its structural integrity. The larger diameter electrodes can withstand a higher heat build up without losing structural integrity resulting in wandering. Thus, the larger diameter electrodes may be used with a guide having a larger bore size. However, many fabricators desire to use small diameter electrodes for welding and a central bore of approximately one hundred and two to one hundred and fifteen percent the size of the small diameter electrode is preferred.
Central bore 44 enables consumable electrode 16 to pass from contact tip 40 to the point of weld through electrode extension guide 10. However, if consumable electrode 16 starts to wander beyond a desired path, consumable electrode 16 will engage interior wall 42 and be prevented from wandering beyond the desired path maintaining alignment of the tip of consumable electrode 16 with the location of the weld. Central bore 44 is of a size so that interior wall 22 supports consumable electrode 16 substantially over the entire length of electrode extension 10 should consumable electrode 16 start to lose structural integrity. Interior wall 22 maintains consumable electrode 16 in generally vertical alignment between the point consumable electrode 16 exits contact tip 40 to second end 38 of electrode extension guide 10. The acceptable variance of the consumable electrode's path will vary depending on the diameter of the electrode since greater tolerance may be had for larger diameter electrode's since a larger variance in path may be had without loss of structural integrity. To guide consumable electrode 16, first end 36 defines first bore opening 46 for receiving consumable electrode 16 from contact tip 40 and second end 38 defines second bore opening 48 enabling consumable electrode 16 to exit body 34 for welding.
As shown in Figure 5, electrode extension 10 is adapted for fitting with welding nozzle 22. In the preferred embodiment, contact tip 40 having an interior wall 47 defining a central tip bore 49 is specially adapted for affixing electrode extension guide 10 to welding nozzle 22. Contact tip 40 has a first end 50 which contains threads 52 for being received by welding nozzle 22. First end 50 defines first tip bore opening 49a. Contact tip 40 also has a second end 54 which is threaded for receiving electrode extension guide 10. Second end 54 defines second tip bore opening 49b. Interior wall 46 has threads 56 at first end 36 for being received by contact tip 40. Interior wall 46 is contoured and second end 54 of contact tip 40 is matingly contoured for being received within the first bore opening 46.
A critical aspect of the invention is the electrode extension guide's ability to withstand the stress resulting from thermal shock while also being non-conductive. In the process of welding, the welding gun and consumable electrode will experience extreme heat fluctuations. To provide for a viable electrode extension guide, electrode extension guide 10 preferably has thermal stress properties as measured by the standard Hassleman,K "Kelvin of at least 600. In the preferred embodiment, the ceramic material Lava provided by AlSiMag® Technical Ceramics, Inc of Laurens, South Carolina is used. Lava has thermal stress properties of 800 Hassleman.K ° Kelvin. However, it will be understood that ceramics having thermal stress properties greater than 600 Hassleman, K "Kelvin are sufficient.
As shown in Figure 4, body 34 is tapered such that second end 38 is of a smaller diameter than first end 36. In the preferred embodiment, the diameter of first end 36 is approximately five eighth inches with a maximum diameter of three quarter inches and the diameter of second end 38 is thirteen thirty-seconds ± one thirty-second inches. The small size of second end 38 enables electrode extension guide 10 to be positioned within the central grooves of work pieces enabling easier access to the part of weld. Unlike the prior art which utilizes metal, the unitary ceramic construction eliminate the possibility of double arcing between the electrode extension guide and the work piece. Furthermore, unlike the prior art, there is no propensity for fusion of the electrode extension to the guide tip due to the continuous non- conductive feature of electrode extension guide 10.
The advantage of the ceramic electrode extension guide is that higher deposition rates may be achieved while also maintaining the integrity of the weld by providing accurate placement of the welding wire.
Thus it can be seen that an electrode extension guide may be advantageously had according to the invention by providing a body of non-conductive ceramic material that may support a consumable electrode substantially along the length of the body thereby accurately guiding the consumable electrode for positioning within the weld. The ceramic construction of the attachment device enables the entire interior wall to engage the consumable electrode without fear of double arcing or mutual fusion. Also, the thermal stress characteristics provide for a durable electrode extension guide making the attachment device practical in an industrial environment. While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. A welding attachment device for guiding a consumable welding electrode after exiting a welding tip, said attachment device comprising: a body having a first end adapted for attachment to said welding tip and a second end; said body having an interior wall defining a central bore extending from said first end to said second end for guiding said consumable electrode along the length of said body; said first end defining a first bore opening for receiving said consumable electrode from said welding tip and said second end defining a second bore opening enabling said consumable electrode to exit said body for welding; and said body consisting of a ceramic material having thermal stress properties of at least 600 "Kelvin for the Hasselman,K designation for thermal stress.
2. The welding attachment device of claim 1 wherein said ceramic material has thermal stress properties of at least 700 "Kelvin for the Hasselman,K designation for thermal stress.
3. The welding attachment device of claim 1 wherein said ceramic material has thermal stress properties of at least 800 "Kelvin for the Hasselman,K designation for thermal stress.
4. The welding attachment device of claim 1 wherein said body is of a sufficient length for fully enclosing a distance which is at least eight times the minimum cross- sectional dimension of said consumable welding electrode.
5. The welding attachment device of claim 1 wherein said central bore is of sufficient size enabling said consumable electrode to contact said interior wall of said body substantially along the length of said body if said consumable electrode deviates from a desired path for accurately positioning said wire at a desired weld location.
6. The welding attachment device of claim 5 wherein said central bore is of a desired cross-section selected from the range of approximately 102% to 125% greater than each of the cross-sectional dimensions of said consumable electrode enabling said interior wall of said body to contact said consumable electrode if said consumable electrode deviates from a desired path for accurately positioning said consumable electrode at a desired weld location.
7. The welding attachment device of claim 5 wherein said central bore is of a desired cross-section selected from the range of approximately 102% to 140% greater than each of the cross-sectional dimensions of said consumable electrode enabling said interior wall of said body to contact said consumable electrode if said consumable electrode deviates from a desired path for accurately positioning said consumable electrode at a desired weld location.
8. The welding attachment device of claim 5 wherein said central bore is of a desired cross-section selected from the range of approximately 102% to 115% greater than each of the cross-sectional dimensions of said consumable electrode enabling said interior wall of said body to contact said consumable electrode if said consumable electrode deviates from a desired path for accurately positioning said consumable electrode at a desired weld location.
9. A welding attachment device for adaptation to a contact tip for use with a submerged arc welding apparatus utilizing a consumable electrode and utilizing a surrounding concentric flux cone having an internal chamber of a given diameter for dispensing flux, said welding attachment device comprising: a body having a first end adapted for attachment to said welding tip and a second end; said body defining a central bore extending from said first end to said second end for receiving said consumable electrode along the length of said body; said first end defining a first bore opening for receiving said consumable electrode from said contact tip and said second end defining a second bore opening enabling said consumable electrode to exit said body for welding; and said body having a diameter less than said internal chamber of said surrounding concentric flux cone for being received within said internal chamber of said concentric flux cone enabling flux dispensed from said concentric flux cone to flow around said body and surround said consumable electrode.
10. The welding attachment device of claim 9 wherein said ceramic material has thermal stress properties of at least 600 "Kelvin for the Hasselman,K designation for thermal stress.
11. The welding attachment device of claim 9 wherein said ceramic material has thermal stress properties of at least
700 "Kelvin for the Hasselman,K designation for thermal stress.
12. The welding attachment device of claim 9 wherein said ceramic material has thermal stress properties of at least 800 "Kelvin for the Hasselman,K designation for thermal stress.
13. The welding attachment device of claim 9 wherein said body is of a sufficient length for fully enclosing a distance which is at least eight times the minimum cross- section of said consumable welding electrode.
14. The welding attachment device of claim 9 wherein said central bore is of sufficient size enabling said consumable electrode to contact said interior wall of said body substantially along the length of said body if said consumable electrode deviates from a desired path for accurately positioning said wire at a desired weld location.
15. The welding attachment device of claim 14 wherein said central bore is of a desired cross-section selected from the range of approximately 102% to 125% greater than each of the cross-sectional dimensions of said consumable electrode enabling said interior wall of said body to contact said consumable electrode if said consumable electrode deviates from a desired path for accurately positioning said consumable electrode at a desired weld location.
16. The welding attachment device of claim 14 wherein said central bore is of a desired cross-section selected from the range of approximately 102% to 140% greater than each of the cross-sectional dimensions of said consumable electrode enabling said interior wall of said body to contact said consumable electrode if said consumable electrode deviates from a desired path for accurately positioning said consumable electrode at a desired weld location.
17. The welding attachment device of claim 14 wherein said central bore is of a desired cross-section selected from the range of approximately 102% to 115% greater than each of the cross-sectional dimensions of said consumable electrode enabling said interior wall of said body to contact said consumable electrode if said consumable electrode deviates from a desired path for accurately positioning said consumable electrode at a desired weld location.
18. A welding attachment device for use with a submerged arc welding apparatus having a nozzle for feeding a consumable electrode, said attachment device comprising: a contact tip having a first tip end for attachment to said nozzle and a second tip end; said contact tip defining a central tip bore extend-ing from said first tip end to said second tip end; said first tip end defining a first tip bore opening for receiving said consumable electrode from said nozzle and said second end defining a second tip bore opening enabling said consumable electrode to exit said contact tip for welding; an electrode extension guide having a body; said body having a first end adapted for attachment to said contact tip and said body having a second end; said body defining a central bore extending from said first end to said second end for guiding said welding wire along the length of said body; said first end having a contoured interior wall defining a first contoured bore opening for receiving said welding wire from said welding tip and said second end defining a second bore opening enabling said welding wire to exit said body for welding; and said second tip end being matingly adapted for being received within said first contoured bore opening.
19. The welding attachment device of claim 18 wherein said ceramic material has thermal stress properties of at least 600 "Kelvin for the Hasselman,K designation for thermal stress.
20. The welding attachment device of claim 18 wherein said ceramic material has thermal stress properties of at least
700 "Kelvin for the Hasselman,K designation for thermal stress.
21. The welding attachment device of claim 18 wherein said ceramic material has thermal stress properties of at le-ast 800 "Kelvin for the Hasselman,K designation for thermal stress.
22. The welding attachment device of claim 18 wherein said body is of a sufficient length for fully enclosing a distance which is at least eight times the minimum cross- section of said consumable welding electrode.
23. The welding attachment device of claim 18 wherein said central bore is of sufficient size enabling said consumable electrode to contact said interior wall of said body substantially along the length of said body if said consumable electrode deviates from a desired path for accurately positioning said wire at a desired weld location.
24. The welding attachment device of claim 23 wherein said central bore is of a desired cross section selected from the range of approximately 102% to 140% greater than each of the cross-sectional dimensions of said consumable electrode enabling said interior wall of said body to contact said consumable electrode if said consumable electrode deviates from a desired path for accurately positioning said consumable electrode at a desired weld location.
25. The welding attachment device of claim 23 wherein said central bore is of a desired cross section selected from the range of approximately 102% to 125% greater than each of the cross-sectional dimensions of said consumable electrode enabling said interior wall of said body to contact said consumable electrode if said consumable electrode deviates from a desired path for accurately positioning said consumable electrode at a desired weld location.
26. The welding attachment device of claim 23 wherein said central bore is of a desired cross-section selected from the range of approximately 102% to 115% greater than each of the cross-sectional dimensions of said consumable electrode enabling said interior wall of said body to contact said consumable electrode if said consumable electrode deviates from a desired path for accurately positioning said consumable electrode at a desired weld location.
PCT/US1997/015576 1996-09-05 1997-09-04 Electrode extension guide for welding WO1998012011A1 (en)

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AU42501/97A AU4250197A (en) 1996-09-05 1997-09-04 Electrode extension guide for welding

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US70853896A 1996-09-05 1996-09-05
US08/708,538 1996-09-05

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Cited By (3)

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DE10200942A1 (en) * 2002-01-12 2003-07-17 Daimler Chrysler Ag Welding burner comprises a feed unit with one end facing a contact pipe having a conical tip having a slope gradient corresponding to the slope gradient of the conical extension in the bore of the contact pipe
DE20311232U1 (en) * 2003-07-22 2004-09-02 Seeger, Erhard Welding current nozzle body in metal, e.g. copper or other current conductive alloy or noble metal has a heat resistant nozzle section, on the welding wire exit end of the body
WO2023091657A1 (en) * 2021-11-19 2023-05-25 Lincoln Global, Inc. Electrode assembly for long stick-out submerged arc welding

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WO2023091657A1 (en) * 2021-11-19 2023-05-25 Lincoln Global, Inc. Electrode assembly for long stick-out submerged arc welding
WO2023091665A1 (en) * 2021-11-19 2023-05-25 Lincoln Global, Inc. Electrode assembly comprising an extension portion with an insulating sleeve and a non-magnetic envelope, for submerged arc welding
WO2023091658A1 (en) * 2021-11-19 2023-05-25 Lincoln Global, Inc. Electrode assembly with extension portion for submerged arc welding

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