Systems and methods for automated stud placement and welding
AssigneeStructural Services, Inc.
InventorsJames T. Benzing, William R. Haller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present application teaches systems and methods for automating all or portions of a construction process including the steps of locating stud welding locations on the surface of an I-beam, I-beam grinding, ferrule placement, stud placement and welding to ground welding sites, and ferrule fracturing.
Claims20
An apparatus for automatically welding a stud to a surface of a beam at each of at least one desired welding sites located on the surface of the beam, the beam having a longitudinal axis, the apparatus comprising:
- a carriage that is operably configured to be moveable parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam;
- at least one welding assembly attached to the carriage;
- at least one computer;
- at least one data input source;
- and
- at least one antenna;
- the at least one computer being in data communication with the carriage, the at least one welding assembly, the at least one data input source, and the at least one antenna, the at least one computer being operably configured to use geolocation-determining signals received by the antenna to determine geolocations of the carriage and the at least one welding assembly, the at least one computer being further operably configured to receive location data from the at least one data input source regarding a respective geolocation of each of the at least one desired welding sites, and the at least one computer being further operably configured to send an electronic command signal to the at least one welding assembly to automatically place and weld a stud to the surface of the beam at each of the at least one desired welding sites.
A stud placement and welding system that is operably configured to automatically weld a stud to a surface of a beam at each of at least one desired welding sites located on the surface of the beam, the system having a computer, the system being operably configured to perform the following steps in response to the receipt of a respective electronic command signal by the computer:
- move along at least a portion of a longitudinal axis of the beam;
- and
- place and weld a stud to the surface of the beam at each of the at least one desired welding sites.
A method of operating a stud placement and welding system that is operably configured to automatically weld a stud to a surface of a beam at each of at least one desired welding sites located on the surface of the beam, the system having a computer, the method comprising:
- sending an electronic command signal to the computer so that the system moves along at least a portion of a longitudinal axis of the beam;
- and
- sending an electronic command signal to the computer so that the system places and welds a stud to the surface of the beam at each of the at least one desired welding sites.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.