Automatic welding apparatus

An automatic welding apparatus comprising:

• a workpiece fixture for securing a workpiece thereto, said workpiece fixture being rotatable about a first axis,
• means for mounting said workpiece fixture, said mounting means including a member movable in a first direction parallel to said first axis of rotation and in a second direction orthogonal to said first direction,
• a welding torch,
• means for holding said welding torch,
• an arm movable in a third direction orthogonal to said first and second directions, said torch holding means being mounted on said arm for rotation about an axis extending parallel to said third direction, and
• means for controlling the respective rotations of said workpiece fixture and said welding torch holding means and for controlling the positional relationship of said movable member in said first and second directions and of said arm in said third direction.

An automatic welding apparatus comprising:

• a workpiece fixture for securing a workpiece thereto, said workpiece fixture being rotatable about an axis,
• a welding torch,
• means for holding said welding torch, said holding means being rotatable about an axis,
• means for mounting each of said workpiece fixture and said welding torch holding means, said mounting means for at least one of said workpiece fixture and said welding torch holding means being movable in three dimensions as defined by mutually orthogonal first, second and third directions, thereby to selectively adjust the relative positional relationship of said workpiece fixture and said welding torch holding means,
• said mounting means for said workpiece fixture including means for altering the tilt angle of said workpiece fixture relative to said axis of rotation thereof, and
• means for controlling the respective rotations of said workpiece fixture and said welding torch holding means, and for controlling said movable mounting means for adjusting said three dimensional relative positional relationship of said workpiece fixture and said welding torch holding means.

An automatic welding apparatus comprising:

• a workpiece fixture for securing a workpiece thereto, said workpiece fixture being rotatable about an axis,
• a welding torch,
• means for holding said welding torch, said holding means being rotatable about an axis,
• means for mounting each of said workpiece fixture and said welding torch holding means, said mounting means for at least one of said workpiece fixture and said welding torch holding means being movable in three dimensions as defined by mutually orthogonal first, second, and third directions, thereby to selectively adjust the relative positional relationship of said workpiece fixture and said welding torch holding means, and
• means for controlling the respective rotations of said workpiece fixture and said welding torch holding means and of said movable mounting means for adjusting said three dimensional relative positional relationship of said workpiece fixture and said welding torch holding means, said controlling means including:
• storage means for storing information necessary for control of said respective rotations of said workpiece fixture and said welding torch holding means and said adjustment of said relative positional relationship of said workpiece fixture and said welding torch holding means,
• means for reading information from said storage means,
• a shift register for storing said information read from said storage means and providing an output in accordance with said stored information, and
• a control mechanism responsive to an output from said shift register of said information stored therein for controlling said respective rotations of said welding torch holding means and said workpiece fixture and for controlling said adjustment by said movable mounting means of said relative positional relationship of said workpiece fixture and said welding torch means.