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US 4,304,982 AGranted
Optical viewing system associated apparatus and machines equipped therewith
AssigneeChem-tronics, Inc.
InventorJames R. Gramse
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Optical workpiece viewing systsms and associated apparatus for electron beam welders and other workpiece processing machines which generate metal vapors. The subject systems have replaceable shields which keep the optical components of the system from being coated by condensation of vapors generated during the welding operation, and the associated apparatus includes an arrangement for changing shields as they become clouded which reduces to a small fraction the time conventionally required for that purpose. Workpiece processing machines with optical viewing system and related apparatus of the character just described.
Claims26
A machine for processing workpieces by a technique in which vapors condensible to opaque materials are generated, said machine including:
- an optical system for viewing the workpiece during the processing thereof;
- a disposable shield for intercepting said condensible vapors and thereby protecting the components of the optical system from the build-up of opaque materials condensed from said vapors;
- means for supporting said shield in an optical path of said viewing system;
- means housing the workpiece, the optical system, and the shield in a protective environment;
- storage means outside of said housing means in which shields as aforesaid can be maintained in an environment matching that of the workpiece;
- and externally accessible, operator actuatable means for displacing said supporting means and shields clouded by the build-up of vapor deposited materials thereon from said optical path to said storage means, for ejecting said clouded shields from said supporting means into said storage means, for transferring unclouded shields from said storage means to said shield supporting means, and for so displacing said supporting means as to position said shield in the optical path of said machine.
3 more elements
A machine for processing workpieces by a technique in which vapors condensible to opaque materials are generated, said machine including:
- an optical system for viewing the workpiece during the processing thereof;
- a shield for intercepting said condensible vapors and thereby protecting the components of the optical system from the build-up of opaque materials condensed from said vapors;
- means for supporting said shield in an optical path of said viewing system;
- storage means in which shields as aforesaid can be maintained in an environment matching that of the workpiece;
- and externally accessible, operator actuatable means for displacing said supporting means and shields clouded by the build-up of vapor deposited materials thereon from said optical path to said storage means, for ejecting said clouded shields from said supporting means into said storage means, for transferring unclouded shields from said storage means to said shield supporting means, and for so displacing said supporting means as to position said shield in the optical path of said machine, said optical system including means for illuminating said workpiece;
- said vapor shield supporting means comprising means for supporting vapor shields as aforesaid in the optical path between said workpiece illuminating means and the workpiece and in the optical viewing path;
- said operator actuatable means comprising means as aforesaid for displacing said supporting means and shields obscured by the build-up of vapor deposited materials thereon from said optical path to said storage means, for ejecting said obscured shields from said supporting means into said storage means, for transferring unclouded shields from said storage means to said shield supporting means, and for so displacing said supporting means as to position said shields in the aforesaid optical paths of said machine;
- and said storage means comprising means accommodating two separate stacks of unclouded shields which are concomitantly transferable to said shield support means by said operator actuatable means.
5 more elements
A machine for processing workpieces by a technique in which vapors condensible to opaque materials are generated, said machine including:
- an optical system for viewing the workpiece during the processing thereof;
- a shield for intercepting said condensible vapors and thereby protecting the components of the optical system from the build-up of opaque materials condensed from said vapors;
- means for supporting said shield in an optical path of said viewing system;
- storage means in which shields as aforesaid can be maintained in an environment matching that of the workpiece;
- and externally accessible, operator actuatable means for displacing said supporting means and shields clouded by the build-up of vapor deposited materials thereon from said optical path to said storage means, for ejecting said clouded shields from said supporting means into said storage means, for transferring unclouded shields from said storage means to said shield supporting means, and for so displacing said supporting means as to position said shield in the optical path of said machine, said storage means having a removable cover means furnishing access to the interior of said storage means, an elevator means for elevating a stack of vapor shields supported thereon and thereby bringing the topmost shield in said stack to a position in which it can be transferred to said shield supporting means by operation of said operator actuatable means, means for locking said elevator means in a retracted position to facilitate the replacement of said cover, and externally accessible means which can be actuated with said cover in place to unlock said elevator means and thereby make it effective to elevate said shields as aforesaid.
2 more elements
Vapor shield support and exchange apparatus, comprising:
- an essentially gastight housing which can consequentially be matched to the environment in a machine with which said apparatus is employed;
- a vapor shield support carriage;
- means for retracting said carriage into said housing;
- a vapor shield magazine in said housing;
- means for stripping a used up shield from said carriage as said carriage is retracted into said housing;
- and means operable in response to a subsequent displacement of said carriage in and relative to said housing for transferring an unused vapor shield from said magazine to said support carriage.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.