# US 7,745,757 B2 · Welding apparatus for carrying a welding gun along a surface to be welded

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- Number: US 7,745,757 B2
- Document ID: US7745757B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/518,780
- Filed: 2006-09-11
- Published: 2008-04-24
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2006-09-11
- Assignees: Lincoln Global, Inc.
- Inventors: Edward A. Enyedy; Jeff Klein
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7745757B2

## CPC

- B23K 37/0294: {Transport carriages or vehicles}
- B23K 37/0282: {Carriages forming part of a welding unit}
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

## Abstract

A welding apparatus is provided for carrying a welding gun across or past a surface for making welds. The apparatus may include one or more rolling components, such as wheels for example, that do not substantially plastically deform as a result of contacting or being in close proximity to recently completed welds or preheated joints and provide adequate traction to move the apparatus across or past the surface. A portion of the contact surface of the rolling component may be configured with a given surface roughness to provide sufficient traction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for moving a weld gun across a workpiece to be welded, comprising: a housing; a welding gun supported by the housing; and at least one driven rotatable component rotatably mounted to the housing and having a workpiece contacting outer face that does not include rubber but that includes an abrasive material for providing rolling movement of the apparatus across the workpiece; wherein the outer face of the at least one rotatable component does not plastically deform as a result of being exposed to a temperature of at least 500 degrees Fahrenheit and provides traction to move the apparatus across the workpiece during a welding operation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the abrasive material includes at least one of aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, zirconia alumina, ceramic aluminum oxide, and seed gel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outer face comprises intermittent areas of abrasive material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one rotatable component is one of: a grinding wheel, a modified grinding wheel, or like a grinding wheel in manufacture and structure.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a majority of the rotatable component is comprised of a pressed mixture of a bonding material and abrasive particles.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one rotatable component does not plastically deform as a result of being exposed to a temperature of at least 800 degrees Fahrenheit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a motor for driving the apparatus.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable component further comprises a rigid core material, the abrasive material being bonded to an outer surface of the rigid core material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the rigid core material comprises a solid metal disc.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one rotatable component comprises a solid disc formed from a matrix of coarse abrasive particles.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable component is a solid, non-tired wheel.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable component is a grinding wheel.