A pipeline gas supply device, a pipeline gas filling method, and a pipeline welding method.

Abstract

This invention discloses a pipeline gas supply device, a pipeline gas filling method, and a pipeline welding method, relating to the field of welding tool technology. The pipeline gas supply device includes a gas supply pipe, which comprises a hollow gas supply pipe body and a sealing plate located at one end of the gas supply pipe body, with the other end of the gas supply pipe being the gas supply end; a sealing sleeve fitted around the outer circumference of the gas supply pipe; two fixing washers, located at opposite ends of the sealing sleeve; a pushing component located at the gas supply end of the gas supply pipe; and an expansion / contraction component. The pushing component moves towards the sealing plate end of the gas supply pipe, causing the expansion / contraction component to be squeezed by the fixing washers and the sealing plate or the pushing component, achieving a pipeline sealing effect. This device limits the gas filling range of the protective gas to between the two expansion / contraction washers, greatly reducing the amount of gas used for welding, preventing free discharge of the protective gas, enabling quantitative use of the protective gas, and reducing waste. It is applicable to the gas filling of welded bends, long pipes, and irregularly shaped pipelines.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of welding tool technology, specifically to a pipeline gas supply device, a pipeline gas filling method, and a pipeline welding method. Background Technology

[0002] When butt-welding metal pipe joints, weld quality is of paramount importance. The industry commonly employs gas-shielded welding to complete the joint welding and backfilling requirements, thereby ensuring the consistency and reliability of the internal and external welds of the pipe joint.

[0003] The commonly used gas shielded welding process can be roughly divided into: pipeline gas filling → gas filling completion → welding start → weld formation and cooling → internal gas release and welding completion. In the above scheme, the shielding gas on the back of the pipeline is released from one end, and the gas needs to fill the entire pipeline before welding can be carried out. The biggest drawback of this structure is the free and unpredictable release of gas, resulting in significant waste.

[0004] To address this issue, existing technologies have proposed various sealing solutions. The patent "A Protective Gas Sealing Fixture for Butt Welding of Steel Pipes" (application number: CN202010343549.6) involves fixing rubber seals on the two pipes to be welded to seal the protective gas between them. A protective gas inlet pipe runs below one rubber seal, and an air outlet runs above the other. However, this structure requires fixing the sealing components at the ends of both pipes. When used for long welded pipes, the distance between the two sealing components is considerable, wasting protective gas. Furthermore, this structure is only suitable for direct welding; for bends, the sealing component holder cannot cooperate with the hammer rod connecting the two rubber seals, rendering it unusable. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To overcome the problems of shielding gas usage in existing pipeline welding technology and the inapplicability of existing structures to bends, this invention provides a pipeline gas supply device, a pipeline gas filling method, and a pipeline welding method. This not only saves on shielding gas consumption but also offers convenient operation and can be used for welding and gas filling of bends, long pipes, and irregularly shaped pipes. The above effects of this invention are achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] As a first aspect of the present invention, it is to provide a pipeline gas delivery device, including a gas delivery pipe, the gas delivery pipe including a hollow gas delivery pipe body and a sealing plate located at one end of the gas delivery pipe body, and the other end of the gas delivery pipe being a gas delivery end.

[0007] A sealing sleeve is fitted around the outer circumference of the air supply pipe;

[0008] Two retaining washers, located at both ends of the sealing sleeve;

[0009] The pusher is located at the air delivery end of the air delivery pipe;

[0010] Two expansion and contraction components: one expansion and contraction component is located between the sealing plate of the air supply pipe and a fixing washer, and the other expansion and contraction component is located between another fixing washer and the pushing component.

[0011] The air supply pipe passes through the inner end expansion joint, the inner end fixing washer, the sealing sleeve, the outer end fixing washer, and the outer end expansion joint in sequence.

[0012] The pushing component moves towards one end of the gas supply pipe sealing plate, causing the expansion and contraction component to be squeezed by the fixed washer and the sealing plate or the pushing component, thereby achieving the sealing effect of the pipeline.

[0013] The air supply pipe is provided with an air supply vent hole, and the sealing sleeve is provided with a sleeve vent hole; when the sealing sleeve moves to the inner end, the sleeve vent hole and the air supply vent hole are connected; even if the sealing sleeve is in the initial state, it is not limited whether the sleeve vent hole blocks the air supply vent hole.

[0014] Preferably, the pushing component includes a baffle and a driving component, the air supply pipe passes through the baffle, the baffle contacts one of the expansion and contraction components, and the driving component is located at the air supply end of the air supply pipe to apply a pushing force to the baffle.

[0015] Preferably, the air supply vent and the sleeve vent can be any shape, such as circular, elliptical, or square.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the driving component is an L-shaped eccentric handle, including an operating lever and a booster connected to the operating lever. One side of the booster is a plane, and the other two sides are continuous arcs. The handle is hinged to the air delivery pipe at the connection between the operating lever and the booster.

[0017] Preferably, the expansion and contraction element is a flexible sealing element that achieves pipeline sealing through compression deformation, and is selected from sealing elements with cavities or solid sealing elements. The sealing element with cavities is an airbag, or an inflatable airbag connected to an inflation device; the solid sealing element is selected from flexible material pads such as rubber pads and silicone pads.

[0018] In an embodiment of the present invention, the expansion and contraction component is a silicone expansion and contraction washer, which can be replaced and adjusted according to the inner diameter of the pipeline to be welded. The outer diameter of the expansion and contraction washer should preferably be less than or equal to the inner diameter of the pipeline to be welded. When it is squeezed by the structures on both sides, it will produce a slight extension to block the pipeline to be welded.

[0019] Preferably, the sealing sleeve is a pipe with an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the air supply pipe, to avoid wasting protective gas in the space between the sealing sleeve and the air supply pipe. The sealing sleeve and the air supply pipe can be sealed by any method, such as clearance fit, transition fit, or filling with organic material in between.

[0020] There are no requirements regarding the size of the baffle and the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded; it is advisable to ensure that the expansion and contraction gasket can be moved.

[0021] Preferably, the driving component is a threaded fastening structure or a spring structure with internal threads, which clamps the baffle through thread locking or spring compression.

[0022] Preferably, the pipeline includes bends, long straight pipes, short straight pipes, and irregularly shaped pipelines; the gas supply pipe and sealing sleeve can be prepared according to the shape and curvature of the pipeline to be welded to adapt to different application scenarios.

[0023] As a second aspect of the present invention, a method for inflating a pipeline using the pipeline air supply device provided by the present invention is provided, comprising the following steps:

[0024] Step 1: Place the gas supply device between the two pipes to be welded. Preferably, insert it from one end of the shorter pipe to be welded, with the sealing end of the gas supply pipe located at the inner end.

[0025] Step 2, locking the pusher: Move the pusher inward, and the air supply pipe will generate a relatively outward pulling force. At this time, the sealing plate of the air supply pipe and the fixing washer at the inner end, and the fixing washer at the outer end of the pusher baffle will clamp the two expansion washers respectively to deform them, thereby sealing the inside of the welded pipeline. At the same time, the sealing sleeve is pushed to slide axially along the air supply pipe, and the sleeve vent of the sealing sleeve is connected to the air supply vent.

[0026] Step 3: Gas is released outward through the gas supply pipe and the gas supply vent to inflate the pipeline.

[0027] As a third aspect of the present invention, a pipeline welding method is provided, employing the pipeline gas supply device provided by the present invention, comprising the following steps:

[0028] S1, connect and fix the two pipes to be welded by spot welding;

[0029] S2, clamp the two pipes obtained in S1. As one implementation method, an automatic pipe welding machine can be used for clamping and subsequent welding.

[0030] S3, insert the pipeline air supply device into the two pipelines to be welded;

[0031] S4, the pusher locks and begins inflation;

[0032] S5, inflation complete, welding begins;

[0033] S6, weld formation and cooling;

[0034] S7, the pusher part is released, completing the welding process.

[0035] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0036] 1. This device limits the gas filling range of the protective gas to the area between two expansion and contraction components. The distance between the expansion and contraction components is determined according to the heat-affected zone of the weld, which greatly reduces the amount of gas used for welding, avoids the free discharge of the protective gas, enables the quantitative use of the protective gas, and reduces the waste of the protective gas.

[0037] 2. The gas supply pipe, sealing sleeve, baffle, expansion and contraction gasket, etc. used in the gas supply device of the present invention are all conventional structures, which are easy to obtain materials and have low manufacturing and use costs.

[0038] 3. This device is easy to clamp and can be inflated quickly, which greatly improves welding efficiency;

[0039] 4. This device innovatively introduces protective gas through the inner cavity of the gas supply pipe, eliminating the need for drilling holes in structures such as expansion and contraction components that provide a sealing effect. During use, the expansion and contraction gaskets can be replaced at any time according to the inner diameter of the pipeline to be welded, thus making it suitable for gas filling pipelines with various inner diameters.

[0040] 5. In the gas supply device and method provided by the present invention, the gas supply pipe can be extended and bent according to the shape of the pipeline to facilitate the welding and gas filling of bent pipes, long straight pipes and irregularly shaped pipelines. Attached Figure Description

[0041] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0042] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a pipeline gas supply device in application state according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; wherein, the sealing sleeve 2, welded pipeline I01, and welded pipeline II02 are in a cut-out state;

[0043] Figure 2 This is an overall structural diagram of the initial state of a pipeline gas delivery device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of a pipeline gas delivery device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a pipeline gas delivery device for delivering gas through a bend in a pipe, as provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0046] Among them, 01-Welded Pipeline I, 02-Welded Pipeline II;

[0047] 1-Air supply pipe, 2-Sealing sleeve, 3-Expansion and contraction washer I, 4-Fixed washer I, 5-Expansion and contraction washer II, 6-Fixed washer II, 7-Baffle, 8-Handle;

[0048] 101 - Air supply vent, 201 - Casing vent;

[0049] 801 - Control lever, 802 - Booster. Detailed Implementation

[0050] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are exemplary and intended to provide further illustration of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0051] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of exemplary embodiments according to the invention. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0052] Example 1: A pipeline gas delivery device

[0053] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the device includes an air supply pipe 1, a sealing sleeve 2, expansion and contraction washers I 3 and II 5, a fixing washer I 4 and II 6, a baffle 7, and a handle 8. The air supply pipe 1 passes through the central holes of the expansion and contraction washers I 3, I 4, 2, II 6, II 5, and 7 in sequence. The air supply pipe 1 includes an air supply pipe body and a sealing plate fixed to the inner end of the air supply pipe body. The air supply pipe body is a hollow tube with its outer end connected to a protective gas source and its other end sealed by the sealing plate. An air supply vent 101 is provided on the side of the air supply pipe body, and the shape of the air supply vent 101 can be any shape such as circular, elliptical, or square. The sealing sleeve 2 is fitted around the outer periphery of the air supply pipe 1, and a sleeve vent 20 is provided on its side. 1. The shape of the vent hole 201 of the sleeve is not limited, but it is preferable that it does not block the vent hole 101 of the air supply pipe 1 when it overlaps with the vent hole 101 of the air supply pipe 1; the handle 8 is an L-shaped eccentric handle, including an operating rod 801 and a pusher 802 integrally formed with the operating rod 801. One side of the pusher 802 is flat, and the other two sides are continuous arcs. The handle is hinged to the air supply pipe 1 at the connection between the operating rod 801 and the pusher 802; the fixing washer I4 and the fixing washer II6 are respectively fixed to both ends of the sealing sleeve 2; in the initial state, the two sides of the expansion washer I3 are respectively attached to the sealing plate of the air supply pipe 1 and the fixing washer I4, and the two sides of the expansion washer II5 are respectively attached to the fixing washer II6 and the baffle 7.

[0054] In use, place this device inside the welding pipes I01 and II02 to be welded, with handle 8 at the shorter end of the welding pipe; the fixing washer I4 and the expansion washer I3 should be located at the inner end of the weld, i.e., inside the other pipe to be welded, or described as being located at the inner end of the welding bevel of the two pipes to be welded; turn handle 8 to rotate the arc-shaped surface of its pusher 802 until it contacts the baffle 7, pushing the baffle 7 inward ( Figure 1 The left side moves, thereby pushing the expansion and contraction washer II5, the fixed washer II6, the sealing sleeve 2, the fixed washer I4, and the expansion and contraction washer I3 to move inward in sequence. This causes the expansion and contraction washer I3, located between the sealing plate of the gas supply pipe 1 and the fixed washer I4, and the expansion and contraction washer II5, located between the baffle 7 and the fixed washer II6, to be compressed, increasing their outer diameter. This forms a closed area inside the welding pipe I01 and the welding pipe II02 to be welded. Then, argon or other protective gas is introduced into the gas supply pipe 1 from one end of the handle 8, and enters the closed area through the vent holes of the gas supply pipe 1 and the sealing sleeve 2.

[0055] Among them, expansion and contraction washers I3 and II5 can be replaced and adjusted according to the inner diameter of the pipeline to be welded. The outer diameter of expansion and contraction washer II5 of expansion and contraction washer I3 should be slightly smaller than or equal to the inner diameter of the pipeline to be welded. When subjected to compression from both sides, a slight extension will occur, which can seal the pipeline to be welded.

[0056] As a typical solution, the sealing sleeve is a pipe with an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the air supply pipe, avoiding waste of protective gas in the space between the sealing sleeve and the air supply pipe. When the vent hole of the sealing sleeve slides to the position of the air supply vent hole of the air supply pipe, gas is released; otherwise, it provides a sealing function. In actual operation, when the entire device enters the pipeline to be welded, the handle 8 is rotated. The eccentric force on the handle (which includes an eccentric structure) pushes the baffle to generate tension. At this time, the air supply pipe and the fixed washer I4, and the baffle and the fixed washer II6 clamp the expansion and contraction washer, causing deformation and thus achieving internal sealing of the welded pipeline. Simultaneously, the sealing sleeve 2 is pushed to slide axially along the air supply pipe, connecting the vent hole of the sealing sleeve with the air supply vent hole of the air supply pipe, releasing gas. After welding is completed, the handle is released, the expansion and contraction washer and the sealing sleeve return to their original positions, and the gas release ends.

[0057] As a typical embodiment, in the initial state, the distance between the center points of the sleeve vent 201 and the air supply vent 101 is less than the maximum axial change length that the expansion washer I3 or expansion washer II5 can deform. The expansion washer I3 or expansion washer II5 can be made of flexible materials such as rubber pads or silicone pads.

[0058] The combination of the sleeve vent 201 and the air supply vent 101 can be one or more sets. In actual use, it has been found that one set is sufficient to achieve rapid inflation.

[0059] As another implementation, the expansion and contraction washers I3 and II5 adopt an inflatable airbag structure, but the airbag structure has the following defects: since the airbag requires a separate inflation device, the cost of use is high and the operation steps are increased; in addition, the airbag wall is thin and easy to leak air, and it softens due to heating during the welding process, affecting the sealing effect, and has poor high-temperature stability and durability.

[0060] The air supply pipe 1 can be made of any material, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the air supply pipe 1 and the sealing sleeve 2 can be extended and bent according to the shape of the pipeline to facilitate the welding and air filling of bent pipes, long straight pipes, short straight pipes and irregularly shaped pipelines.

[0061] Specifically, the air supply pipe 1 can be made of polyurethane or multi-section nylon. The high temperature of the pipe welding is absorbed by the internal gas and silicone, which does not affect the shape of the air supply pipe; or, the air supply pipe 1 can be a metal universal hose or a stainless steel corrugated pipe, which is shaped according to the shape of the pipe to be welded.

[0062] The sealing sleeve 2 is made of rigid polyurethane rubber, nylon or other polymer materials, or aluminum, stainless steel or other metal materials. It has a certain degree of hardness. The fixing washers I4 and II6 at both ends squeeze the two expansion washers to achieve a sealing effect.

[0063] The size of the vent hole 201 of the sealing sleeve is not limited. When the vent hole 201 does not block the air supply vent hole 101, a protective gas control component such as a gas release valve can be added to the handle to control the gas filling, releasing, or closing. When the vent hole 201 can block the air supply vent hole 101 in the initial state, the protective gas control component may or may not be installed. As another implementation, the handle 8 is replaced with a threaded fastening and spring structure to press the baffle. The right end of the air supply pipe 1 is provided with an external thread, and the handle can be any structure with an internal thread. The baffle is pushed inward through the threaded structure to press and seal the expansion and contraction washers I3 and II5.

[0064] Alternatively, the handle can be replaced with a spring located at the outer end of the baffle, and the operator can press the spring to push the baffle inward.

[0065] Alternatively, the sealing sleeve and the air supply pipe can be sealed using any method, such as clearance fit, transition fit, or filling with organic material in between.

[0066] Example 2: A method for inflating pipelines

[0067] The pipeline gas supply device provided in Example 1 includes the following steps:

[0068] Step 1: Place the gas supply device between the two pipes to be welded, inserting it from the shorter welding pipe end, with the sealing end of the gas supply pipe located at the inner end.

[0069] Step 2, handle locking: The operator turns handle 8 and pushes the baffle to move inward. The air supply pipe generates a relatively outward pulling force. At this time, the air supply pipe and the fixed washer I4, the baffle and the fixed washer II6 clamp the expansion and contraction washer to deform, thereby achieving internal sealing of the welded pipeline. At the same time, the sealing sleeve 2 is pushed to slide axially along the air supply pipe, so that the sleeve vent hole is connected to the air supply vent hole.

[0070] Step 3: Gas is released from the outer end of the gas supply pipe through the gas supply vent to inflate the pipeline.

[0071] As a preferred method, when placing the gas supply device in the pipeline to be welded, the gas supply vent should be positioned at the weld seam to achieve the best gas protection effect.

[0072] Example 3: A pipe welding method

[0073] The pipeline gas supply device provided in Example 1 includes the following steps:

[0074] S1, connect and fix the two pipes to be welded by spot welding;

[0075] S2, clamp the two pipes obtained in S1. As one implementation method, an automatic pipe welding machine can be used for clamping and subsequent welding.

[0076] S3, insert the pipeline air supply device provided in Example 1 into the structure obtained in S1;

[0077] S4, turn the handle to start inflation;

[0078] S5, inflation complete, welding begins;

[0079] S6, weld formation and cooling;

[0080] S7, release the handle to complete the welding process.

[0081] Because the welding time is short, the requirement for the gas filling device is not to completely isolate the air, but to achieve the effect of shielding gas isolating the welding surface during the welding process. The device provided by this invention can prevent the flow of gas to the back (inside) of the pipeline during the welding operation, thus achieving a protective sealing effect.

[0082] Using this device and method for welding, calculations were performed on a stainless steel pipe with an inner diameter of 20mm, resulting in the following table:

[0083]

[0084] On-site testing showed that the clamping time (steps S3+S4) was ≤4 seconds, the inflation time was 3 seconds, and the total time was about 7 seconds. All materials used were from the workshop, with a material cost of about 20 yuan. Labor costs were the same as in actual production, with no additional investment. Theoretically, only 15ml of gas is needed for filling. Including the loss from the bevel during welding, the total amount does not exceed 30ml.

[0085] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pipeline gas delivery device, characterized in that, It includes an air supply pipe, which includes an internally hollow air supply pipe body and a sealing plate located at one end of the air supply pipe body, and the other end of the air supply pipe is the air supply end. A sealing sleeve is fitted around the outer circumference of the air supply pipe; Two retaining washers, located at both ends of the sealing sleeve; The pusher is located at the air delivery end of the air delivery pipe; Two expansion and contraction components: one expansion and contraction component is located between the sealing plate of the air supply pipe and a fixing washer, and the other expansion and contraction component is located between another fixing washer and the pushing component. The air supply pipe passes through the inner end expansion joint, the inner end fixing washer, the sealing sleeve, the outer end fixing washer, and the outer end expansion joint in sequence. The pushing component moves towards one end of the gas supply pipe sealing plate, causing the expansion and contraction component to be squeezed by the fixed washer and the sealing plate or the pushing component, thereby sealing the pipeline. The air supply pipe is provided with an air supply vent hole, and the sealing sleeve is provided with a sleeve vent hole.

2. The pipeline gas delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pushing component includes a baffle and a driving component. The air supply pipe passes through the baffle, and the baffle contacts one of the expansion and contraction components. The driving component is located at the air supply end of the air supply pipe and applies a pushing force to the baffle.

3. The pipeline gas delivery device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The driving component is an L-shaped eccentric handle, including an operating lever and a booster connected to the operating lever. One side of the booster is a plane, and the other two sides are continuous arcs. The handle is hinged to the air delivery pipe at the connection between the operating lever and the booster. Alternatively, the driving component may be a threaded fastening structure or a spring structure.

4. The pipeline gas delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The expansion and contraction element is a flexible sealing element that achieves pipeline sealing through extrusion deformation, and is selected from sealing elements with cavities or solid sealing elements.

5. A pipeline gas delivery device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The cavity-filled seal is an airbag, or an inflatable airbag connected to an inflation device; the solid seal is a flexible material pad.

6. A pipeline gas delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The expansion and contraction component is a silicone expansion and contraction washer, and the outer diameter of the expansion and contraction washer is less than or equal to the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded.

7. A pipeline gas delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing sleeve and the air supply pipe are sealed by a clearance fit, a transition fit, or by filling the middle with organic material.

8. A pipeline gas delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pipeline includes bends, straight pipes, and irregularly shaped pipes; the gas supply pipe and sealing sleeve are prepared according to the shape and degree of curvature of the pipeline to be welded.

9. A method for inflating a pipeline, characterized in that, The pipeline gas delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 comprises the following steps: Step 1: Place the gas supply device between the two pipes to be welded; Step 2, locking the pusher: Move the pusher inward. At this time, the sealing plate of the air supply pipe and the fixing washer at the inner end, and the pusher and the fixing washer at the outer end clamp the two expansion washers respectively to deform them, thereby sealing the inside of the welded pipeline. At the same time, push the sealing sleeve to slide axially along the air supply pipe, and connect the sleeve vent of the sealing sleeve with the air supply vent of the air supply pipe. Step 3: Gas is released outward through the gas supply pipe and the gas supply vent to inflate the pipeline.

10. A pipe welding method, characterized in that, The pipeline gas delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 comprises the following steps: S1, connect and fix the two pipes to be welded by spot welding; S2, clamp the two pipes obtained in S1; S3, insert the pipeline air supply device into the two pipelines to be welded; S4, the pusher locks and begins inflation; S5, inflation complete, welding begins; S6, weld formation and cooling; S7, the pusher part is released, completing the welding process.

Images