US 4,541,621 A · Portable welding jig

Abstract

A portable welding jig, for positioning and manipulating a workpiece, configured for pipe-flange welding at remote locations and capable of establishing automatically a two-holed flange configuration, is comprised of a rotatable shaft adjustably secured to a support, wherein the shaft rotates about a longitudinal work axis, and an adjustment member for orienting the shaft in a positioning plane containing the work axis; a flange mounting member depending from the distal end of the shaft, including a flange mounting plate member for receiving a flange and presenting same for rotation about the work axis in a working plane generally normal to the positioning plane; and indexing members for locating a flange borne upon the mounting plate in a two-holed configuration within the plane. The indexing members include a lateral leveling member rotatable concentrically with respect to the shaft and having a reference inscription thereon for establishing a reference location when the lateral leveling member is leveled horizontally to define a leveling plane generally normal to both the positioning and working planes, and an array of indexing inscriptions associated with the shaft and disposed at preselected positions corresponding to fixed angular orientations of the shaft, one of each of the indexing inscriptions in the array relating to a predetermined flange size, whereby registration of an appropriate indexing inscription with the reference inscription at the reference location correlates the angular position of the shaft to present the flange in a two-holed orientation within the working plane.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A portable welding jig providing work positioning and manipulating means configured for pipe flange welding at a remote field location and capable of establishing automatically a two-holed flange configuration, said welding jig comprising:

a. a base;
b. rotatable shaft means comprising a sleeve receiving a shaft internally thereof for rotation therein about a work axis, said shaft means being pivotally secured to said base at a pivot joint disposed proximate a first end of said shaft means and adjustably secured to said base at a generally vertically adjustable fixture means proximate the second end of said shaft means, whereby vertical adjustment of said second end will cause generally arcuate movement of said shaft means within a positioning plane containing said work axis;
c. flange mounting means secured to said second end of said shaft means, including a flange mounting plate extending generally radially outward therefrom defining a working plane normal to said positioning plane and adjustable flange fasteners for securing a selected flange to said plate for rotation about said work axis;
d. indexing means for locating said selected flange, borne on said plate, in a two-holed configuration, including reference means for presenting a reference inscription at a reference point corresponding to lateral leveling of a leveling plane generally normal to said positioning and working planes and an array of indexing inscriptions associated with said shaft, one of each of said indexing inscriptions corresponding to a predetermined angular orientation of said plate characteristic of a two-holed configuration for a respective standard pipe flange, whereby mating the indexing inscription corresponding to said selected flange with said reference inscription at said reference point presents said selected flange in a two-holed configuration on said plate in said working plane.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Portable welding jig

Life of this patent

Portable welding jig

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10