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US 8,499,995 B2Granted
Systems and methods for joining metal
AssigneeTrane International Inc.
InventorsRiaan Oosthuysen, Richard Alan Stewart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A metal joining system having a first burner assembly configured to selectively heat a first zone and an assembly support at least partially vertically lower than at least a portion of the first heat zone and a first hood vertically above at least a portion of the assembly support.
Claims19
A method of joining metal components, comprising:
- providing a conveyor comprising a conveyor path;
- providing a hood that extends along and vertically above the conveyor path, the hood comprising a concavity comprising an open entry side, an open exit side, an open first side, and an open second side;
- providing heat to the concavity;
- and
- retaining heat within the concavity by preventing an outflow of heated fluid from the concavity via at least one of the first side and the second side relatively more effectively than via at least one of the entry side and the exit side when the outflow is substantially due to a buoyancy of the heated fluid.
2 more elements
A method of joining metal, comprising:
- providing a conveyor;
- providing a first hood and a second hood;
- selectively operating a first burner to provide heat to a concavity of the first hood and selectively operating a second burner to provide heat to a concavity of the second hood;
- locating at least a portion of the metal component within the concavity of the first hood;
- and
- operating the conveyor to move at least a portion of a metal component from vertically below the first hood to vertically below the second hood.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.