Apparatus for obtaining abutting contact of hollow tank courses to be circumferentially welded
AssigneeACF Industries, Incorporated
InventorsRobert W. Randolph, Steven L. Jantzen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Circumferentially spaced jacks for clamping and supporting a pair of tank sections in end-to-end relationship during welding include spring biased gripping members mounted on at least some of the tank engaging ends of the jacks which initially grip the surfaces of the tank sections and then move in a direction to force the ends of the tank sections together as the jacks are extended.
Claims16
Apparatus for clamping and supporting a pair of hollow tank sections in end-to-end abutting relationship during welding comprising, a supporting ring, a plurality of circumferentially spaced jacks mounted on said ring and extendible radially with respect to said ring to clamp and support the opposed ends of a pair of tank sections in end-to-end relationship, a gripping jaw extending from one side of the extendible end of at least one of said jacks and engagable with one of said tank sections, spring means biasing said jaw to an extended position relatively to said extendible end of said one of said jack, and means interconnecting said jaw with said extendible end of said one of said jacks whereby said jaw is moved transversely of said extendible end against the bias of said spring means to force the opposed end of said one tank section toward the opposed end of the other of said tank sections when said jaw is forced against said tank section on extension of said jacks.
Apparatus for obtaining longitudinal alignment and abutting contact of hollow tank courses to be welded together comprising:
- a welding ring having a plurality of clamping jacks mounted about the internal periphery of said ring;
- said jacks extending radially inwardly within the ring;
- a weld point located at about the longitudinal mid point of said ring;
- means for supporting courses to be welded together adjacent one another, end-to-end in said ring;
- a plurality of pivoted jaws mounted upon at least some of said jacks longitudinally spaced on at least one side of said weld point;
- resilient means biasing said pivoted jaws in a direction away from said weld point, whereby application of clamping power to said jacks will cause said jaws to contact at least one of said courses and overcome the bias of said spring and move said contacted course longitudinally toward said weld point and into abutting contact with the adjacent course.
Apparatus for obtaining longitudinal alignment and abutting contact of hollow tank courses to be welded together comprising:
- a welding ring having a plurality of clamping jacks mounted about the internal periphery of said ring, said jacks extending radially inwardly within the ring;
- a weld point located at about the longitudinal mid point of said ring;
- means for supporting courses to be welded together adjacent one another, end-to-end in said ring;
- a plurality of pivoted jaws mounted upon at least some of said jacks longitudinally spaced on each side of said weld point;
- each of said jaws being pivotally mounted about a transversely extending pin;
- a retainer engaging opposite ends of said pivoted jaws;
- at least one spring engaging said retainers and biasing said jaws in a direction away from said weld point, whereby application of clamping power to said jacks will cause said jaws to contact said courses and overcome the bias of said spring and move said courses longitudinally toward each other and into abutting contact for welding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.