# US 10,369,668 B2 · Welding system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,668 B2 - Document ID: US10369668B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/180,597 - Filed: 2016-06-13 - Published: 2017-01-05 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-02 - Assignees: Lincoln Global, Inc. - Applicants: Lincoln Global, Inc. - Inventors: Christopher Jack; Stephen Cole - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369668B2 ## CPC - B23K 37/0229: {the guide member being situated alongside the workpiece} - B23K 9/0026: {specially adapted for particular articles or work} - B23K 9/0282: {for welding tube sections} - B23K 9/16: making use of shielding gas - B23K 10/00: Welding or cutting by means of a plasma - B23K 26/282: of tube sections - B23K 26/38: by boring or cutting - B23K 37/0276: {for working on or in tubes (B23K37/0211 takes precedence)} - B23K 37/0538: for rotating tubes, e.g. rollers - B23K 2101/04: Tubular or hollow articles - B23K 2101/06: Tubes - B23K 2101/10: Pipe-lines - B26F 3/004: {by means of a fluid jet (methods for use of abrasive blasting for cutting B24C1/045; guns for abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; perforating by non-mechanical means, e.g. by fluid jet B26F1/26)} - 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 - B26F: PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING (marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; shoemaking A43D; surgery A61B; punching metal B21D; drilling metal B23B; cutting of metal by applying heat locally, e.g. flame cutting, B23K; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; details common to machines for severing B26D; drilling wood B27C; drilling stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; of glass C03B; of leather C14B; of textile materials D06H; for light guides G02B6/25; of tickets G07B) ## Abstract A welding system is disclosed that includes a power supply, a controller in communication with the power supply, and a welder in communication with the controller. The controller detects a configuration of the welder that includes at least a 1G configuration. Upon the controller detecting the 1G configuration, the controller inverts a height adjustment and automatically calculates a contact tip to work distance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A welding system comprising: a power supply; a controller in communication with the power supply; a welder in communication with the controller, wherein the welder is configurable to an angular configuration and a fixed configuration, wherein the fixed configuration comprises a 1G configuration; wherein the controller is configured to: detect a configuration of the welder, upon detection of the fixed configuration, invert a height adjustment and automatically calculate a contact tip to work distance, wherein the contact tip to work distance comprises a distance between a contact tip of the welder and a workpiece; and adjust at least one of the contact tip to work distance or an arc current level based on the inverted height adjustment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The welding system of claim 1, further comprising a positioner connectable to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to convert a travel position of the welder into a motion of the positioner upon detection of the fixed configuration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The welding system of claim 2, wherein the positioner comprises a chuck mounted on a drive shaft of a motor, and wherein the motion of the positioner set by the controller is a revolutions per minute value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The welding system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to coordinate movement of the positioner with operation of the welder in the fixed configuration. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The welding system of claim 2, wherein the positioner is configured to move a workpiece relative to the welder. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The welding system of claim 5, wherein the positioner is further configured to rotate the workpiece relative to the welder. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The welding system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface connected to the controller, wherein the user interface includes a display configured to convey at least the configuration of the welder. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The welding system of claim 7, wherein the user interface further comprises a user input. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The welding system of claim 8, wherein the user input allows the user to set welder parameters including at least one of a travel speed and a workpiece diameter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The welding system of claim 1, further comprising a positioner assembly including a first positioner and a second positioner, wherein the first positioner is configured to define a first workstation and the second positioner is configured to define a second workstation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The welding system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to detect if the welder is in an inverted configuration. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The welding system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to: invert the height adjustment if the controller detects that the welder is in the inverted configuration; and calibrate the welder for orbital operation if the controller does not detect that the welder is in the inverted configuration. ### Claim 13 A welding system for welding a workpiece comprising: a power supply; a controller in communication with the power supply; a positioner assembly in communication with the controller, the positioner assembly including at least a first positioner, the first positioner including a chuck, the chuck being mounted on a drive shaft and driven by a drive motor to rotate the chuck; a welder in communication with the controller; and a support configured to hold the welder in an inverted configuration; wherein the controller is configured to: detect the inverted configuration of the welder; upon detection of the inverted configuration, invert a height adjustment and automatically calculate a contact tip to work distance, wherein the contact tip to work distance comprises a distance between a contact tip of the welder and a workpiece; and adjust at least one of the contact tip to work distance or an arc current level based on the inverted height adjustment. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The welding system of claim 13, further comprising a user interface connected to the controller. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The welding system of claim 14, wherein the support is moveable in a vertical direction to set a height of the welder relative to the chuck. ### Claim 16 A method comprising: detecting, by a controller, an inverted configuration of a welder; inverting, by the controller, a height adjustment control of the welder and automatically calculating a contact tip to work distance, in response to detection of a first configuration, wherein the contact tip to work distance comprises a distance between a contact tip of the welder and a workpiece; and adjusting at least one of the contact tip to work distance or an arc current level based on the inverted height adjustment. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising automatically calculating a contact tip to work distance in response to the detection of the first configuration. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the first configuration comprises a fixed, inverted configuration. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising, upon detection of a second configuration, calibrating the welder for orbital operation, wherein the second configuration comprises a non-inverted configuration.