Automated welding device for the buildup of material

A rotary welding attachment member comprising:

• a cam member having a cam surface;
• a rotatable base movable relative to the cam member, the rotatable base. supporting a support rod and the support rod supporting a rider block which movable along the support rod;
• a movable torch head, supporting a welding tip, being supported by the rider block;
• the torch head being coupled to the rotatable base via a flexible coupling to facilitate conveyance of a welding wire and a gas to the torch tip while the rotatable base, the support rod, the rider block and the torch head facilitating a supply of electrical current to the torch tip;
• and
• an indexing mechanism, at least partially support by the rotatable base and cooperating with the cam surface, for moving the rider block radially along the support rod as the rotatable base rotates;
• wherein the rider block supports a first bracket and the torch head a supports a second bracket and a first end of a pivotable arm is connected to the first bracket while a second end of the pivotable arm is connected to the second bracket to facilitate support of the movable torch head by the rider block and pivoting movement of the torch tip to a desired welding orientation.

A rotary welding attachment member comprising:

• a cam member having a cam surface;
• a rotatable base movable relative to the cam member, the rotatable base supporting a support rod and the support rod supporting a rider block which is movable along the support rod;
• a movable torch head, supporting a welding tip, being supported by the rider block;
• the torch head being coupled to the rotatable base via a flexible coupling to facilitate conveyance of a welding wire and a welding gas to the torch tip while the rotatable base, the support rod, the rider block and the torch head facilitating a supply;
• of electrical current to the torch tip;
• and
• an indexing mechanism, at least partially support by the rotatable base and cooperating with the cam surface, for moving the rider block radially along the support rod as the rotatable base rotates;
• wherein the rider block has an indexing locking plate which engages with the indexing arm and an indexing locking plate spring biases the indexing locking plate into a partially skewed position such that any motion of the indexing arm tending to orient the indexing locking plate in a transverse, non-skewed orientation facilitates relative movement between the indexing arm and the rider block while any motion of the indexing arm in the opposite direction tends to further skew the indexing locking plate and engage the rider block with the indexing arm so that the rider block is coupled to the indexing arm.

A rotary welding attachment member comprising:

• a cam member having a cam surface
• a rotatable base movable relative to the cam member, the rotatable base supporting a support rod and the support rod supporting a rider block which is movable along the support rod;
• a removable torch head, supporting a welding tip, being supported by the rider block;
• the torch head being coupled to the rotatable base via a flexible coupling to facilitate conveyance of a welding wire and a welding gas to the torch tip while the rotatable base, the support rod the rider block and the torch head facilitating a supply of electrical current to the torch tip;
• and
• an indexing mechanism, at least partially support by the rotatable base and cooperating with the cam surface, for moving the rider block radially along the support rod as the rotatable base rotates;
• wherein the rider block has a support locking plate which engages with the support arm and a support locking plate spring biases the support locking plate into a partially skewed position such that any relative motion of the support arm tending to orient the support locking plate in a transverse, non-skewed orientation facilitates relative movement between the support arm and the rider block while any relative motion of the support arm in the opposite direction tends to further skew the support locking plate and engage the rider block with the support arm so that the rider block is coupled to the support arm to prevent relative movement.

A rotary welding attachment member comprising:

• a cam member having a cam surface;
• a rotatable base movable relative to the cam member, the rotatable base supporting a support rod and the support rod supporting a rider block which is movable along the support rod;
• a movable torch head, supporting a welding tip, being supported by the rider block;
• the torch head being coupled to the rotatable base via a flexible coupling to facilitate conveyance of a welding wire and a welding gas to the torch tip while the rotatable base, the support rod, the rider block and the torch head facilitating a supply of electrical current to the torch tip;
• and
• an indexing mechanism, at least partially support by the rotatable base and cooperating with the cam surface, for moving the rider block radially along the support rod as the rotatable base rotates;
• wherein a hub has a first end for engagement with a welding device, the hub is hollow to facilitate passage of a welding wire and a welding gas therethrough, and the hub supports both the cam member and the rotatable base.

A rotary welding attachment member comprising:

• a cam member having a cam surface
• a rotatable base movable relative to the cam member, the rotatable base supporting a support rod and the support rod supporting a rider block which is movable along the support rod;
• a movable torch head supporting a welding tip, being supported by the rider block;
• the torch head being coupled to the rotatable base via a flexible coupling to facilitate conveyance of a welding wire and a welding gas to the torch tip while the rotatable base the support rod, the rider block and the torch head facilitating a supply of electrical current to the torch tip;
• and
• an indexing mechanism at least partially support by the rotatable base and cooperating with the cam surface, for moving the rider block radially along the support rod as the rotatable base rotates;
• wherein the rider block has a pair of bores extending therethrough, a first one of the bores is sized to receive and allow relative sliding motion between the rider block and the support arm while still facilitating conductance of electricity therethrough without excessive arcing, and a second one of the bores sized to receive and allow relative sliding motion between the rider block and the indexing arm.

A rotary welding attachment member comprising:

• a cam member having a cam surface;
• a rotatable base movable relative to the cam member, the rotatable base supporting a support rod and the support rod supporting a rider block which is movable along the support rod;
• a movable torch head, supporting a welding tip, being supported by the rider block;
• the torch head being coupled to the rotatable base via a flexible coupling to facilitate conveyance of a welding wire and a welding gas to the torch tip while the rotatable base, the support rod, the rider block and the torch head facilitating a supply of electrical current to the torch tip;
• and
• an indexing mechanism, at least partially support by the rotatable base and cooperating with the cam surface, for moving the rider block radially along the support rod as the rotatable base rotates;
• wherein the rider block comprises at least one locking plate which, in a first normally biased position of the locking plate, locks the rider block with respect to the support rod and prevents relative motion therebetween, and, when the locking plate is moved to a second position, the locking plate allows free manual movement of the rider block relative to the support rod.

A rotary welding attachment member comprising:

• a cam ember having a cam surface.
• a rotatable base movable relative to the cam member, the rotatable base supporting a support rod and the support rod supporting a rider block which is movable along the support rod;
• a movable torch head, supporting a welding tip, being supported by the rider block;
• the torch head being coupled to the rotatable base via a flexible coupling to facilitate conveyance of a welding wire and a welding gas to the torch tip while the rotatable base, the support rod, the rider block and the torch head facilitating a supply of electrical current to the torch tip;
• an indexing mechanism, at least partially supported by the rotatable base and cooperating with the cam surface, for moving the rider block radially along the support rod as the rotatable base rotates, the indexing mechanism comprising an indexing rod supported by the rotatable base, the indexing rod having a roller which is biased, by a spring, into engagement with the cam surface of the cam member and the indexing arm is coupled to the rider block to convey the rider block one of radially inwardly and radially outwardly as the indexing arm is radially conveyed to due to the engagement between the roller and the cam surface;
• and
• the rider block having an indexing locking plate which engages with the indexing arm and an indexing locking plate spring biases the indexing locking plate into a partially skewed position such that any motion of the indexing arm tending to orient the indexing locking plate in a transverse, non-skewed orientation facilitates relative movement between the indexing arm and the rider block while any motion of the indexing arm in the opposite direction tends to further skew the indexing locking plate and engages the rider block with the indexing arm so that the rider block is coupled to the indexing arm.