A main branch pipe assembling machine

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of pipe welding machine technology and discloses a main and branch pipe assembly machine, including a base, a fixed support fixedly mounted on one side of the base, a main pipe clamped on the fixed support, a sliding support mounted on the base, a branch pipe clamped on the sliding support, and a support seat provided on the base. Support rollers are symmetrically slidably arranged on both sides of the main pipe axis on the support seat. This application solves the structural limitation of traditional pipe welding positioners in synchronously clamping both ends of the main pipe. During the assembly process, the support rollers support the cantilever end of the main pipe, offsetting the bending deformation caused by the unilateral clamping of the main pipe, so that the axis of the main pipe to be welded point is restored to the designed straightness. Furthermore, through the sliding of the sliding support along the length of the base and the multi-degree-of-freedom linkage adjustment of the horizontal and vertical guide rails, the precise alignment of the branch pipe and the main pipe is achieved, avoiding the additional assembly deviation caused by external auxiliary tooling clamping the branch pipe.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pipe welding machine technology, specifically a main and branch pipe assembly machine. Background Technology

[0002] Pipeline welding positioners are specialized process equipment used in pipeline welding. Through a controllable drive and adjustment mechanism, they enable the pipeline workpiece to rotate 360° circumferentially without limit. Combined with multi-degree-of-freedom flipping and tilt angle adjustment, they can adjust various complex spatial welds, such as circumferential butt welds, saddle-shaped fillet welds on main and branch pipes, and flange connection fillet welds, to ideal welding positions that offer convenient operation and optimal weld quality, such as flat welding and ship-shaped welding. They are compatible with various mainstream welding methods, including manual welding, semi-automatic welding, and automated welding robots. Pipeline welding positioners significantly reduce the labor intensity and safety risks for welders in high-difficulty and special welding positions, effectively improving weld consistency and first-pass yield. They are a key supporting equipment for standardized and automated pipeline welding production.

[0003] Existing pipe welding positioners, such as the round pipe welding fixture positioner proposed in Chinese patent CN201920142969.0, can adapt to the clamping and welding of round pipes of different lengths through the active support, driven support and double-stage guide rail moving assembly at both ends of the base. However, in the saddle-mouth welding condition of the main pipe and the vertical branch pipe, the main pipe can only be clamped and fixed by the chucks on both sides. There is no dedicated positioning and clamping structure for the branch pipe. If an external auxiliary tooling is used to fix the branch pipe, it is easy to introduce additional assembly deviations, reducing the assembly and welding accuracy of the main and branch pipes. Furthermore, if both ends of the extra-long main pipe are clamped on the positioner chuck to adapt to some extra-long main pipes, it will cause a significant increase in the overall axial dimension of the positioner, resulting in a large equipment size, large footprint and high manufacturing cost. At the same time, it will also significantly increase the difficulty of posture adjustment during the welding process, and cannot balance the accuracy, efficiency and equipment cost of the main and branch pipe welding. Summary of the Invention

[0004] (a) Technical problems to be solved To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a main and branch pipe assembly machine that features simultaneous clamping of main and branch pipes and the ability to adapt to extra-long main pipes without increasing equipment size. This solves the problems of existing pipe welding positioners, which, when used for saddle-joint welding of main and branch pipes, lack a dedicated positioning structure for branch pipes, easily introducing assembly deviations and reducing welding accuracy. Furthermore, adapting to extra-long main pipes requires a significant increase in the axial dimension of the equipment, resulting in large size, high cost, and difficulty in welding adjustments.

[0005] (II) Technical Solution To achieve the goal of synchronous clamping of main and branch pipes and adapting to extra-long main pipes without increasing equipment size, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a main and branch pipe assembly machine, including a base, a fixed support fixedly mounted on one side of the base, a main pipe clamped on the fixed support, a sliding support movable along the length of the base, a branch pipe perpendicular to the axis of the main pipe clamped on the sliding support, a support seat movable along the length of the base, and a support roller symmetrically slidably mounted on both sides of the support seat along the axis of the main pipe, the support rollers having axes parallel to the axis of the main pipe and supporting the main pipe, and the two support rollers being able to slide offset towards the axial front and rear sides of the main pipe respectively to counteract the deformation of the main pipe between the two support rollers.

[0006] Preferably, the support base is provided in two or more sets along the length direction of the base.

[0007] Preferably, a fixed chuck is rotatably mounted on the fixed support, the main pipe is mounted on the fixed support via the fixed chuck, the sliding support is provided with a transverse guide rail in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the main pipe, a vertical guide rail perpendicular to the transverse guide rail is slidably mounted on the transverse guide rail, and a sliding chuck for clamping the branch pipe is also slidably mounted on the vertical guide rail.

[0008] Preferably, the base is fitted with a linear slide rail along its length to drive the support seat to move, and the bottom of the support seat is slidably fitted with the linear slide rail.

[0009] Preferably, a lifting platform for controlling the vertical height of the two side support rollers is provided between the two side support rollers and the support base, and a lifting module is provided between the lifting platform and the support platform, with the support rollers slidably assembled on both sides of the lifting platform.

[0010] Preferably, the support roller is rotatably connected to a sliding seat, and the top of the lifting platform is symmetrically machined with grooves parallel to the length direction of the base on both sides. The sliding seats are mounted on both sides of the grooves, and racks are machined on the opposite surfaces of the sliding seats on both sides. A drive gear is also rotatably mounted on the top surface of the lifting platform. The drive gear is disposed between the sliding seats on both sides and meshes with the racks on both sides for transmission. A gear drive module connected to the drive gear is mounted at the bottom of the lifting platform. When the drive gear rotates, it drives the sliding seats on both sides to slide synchronously and in opposite directions toward the axial front and axial rear sides of the main pipe along the grooves.

[0011] Preferably, the sliding seat includes a fixed end seat and a sliding end seat. The fixed end seat is fixedly connected to the lifting platform, while the sliding end seat is slidably engaged with the slide groove. The rack is machined on the sliding end seat. The support roller includes a fixed roller and a sliding roller. The fixed roller is rotatably connected to the fixed end seat, while the sliding roller is rotatably connected to the sliding end seat. When the sliding end seat slides, it drives the sliding roller to move synchronously.

[0012] Preferably, the fixed roller and the fixed end seat are axially connected by a bearing, and the sliding roller and the sliding end seat are axially connected by a bearing.

[0013] Preferably, a sliding shaft is coaxially mounted on both the fixed end seat and the sliding end seat, and the sliding roller and the fixed roller are coaxially rotatably mounted on the sliding shaft; one end of the sliding shaft is axially fixedly connected to the fixed end seat, while the other end of the sliding shaft is axially slidably mounted to the sliding end seat, and the length of the sliding shaft is greater than the total length of the support roller; when the sliding end seat slides away from the fixed end seat along the slide groove, it drives the sliding roller to synchronously move away from the fixed roller along the sliding shaft.

[0014] Preferably, the inner wall of the sliding roller that mates with the sliding shaft is machined with an internal thread, and the outer surface of the section of the sliding shaft that extends beyond the sliding end seat is machined with an external thread that meshes with the internal thread. The external threads on both sides of the sliding shaft have the same rotation direction. When the sliding end seats on both sides of the main shaft slide synchronously away from the fixed end seat along the corresponding sliding grooves toward the axial front side and axial rear side of the main shaft, respectively, the sliding rollers on both sides generate circumferential rotation in opposite directions through the meshing transmission of the internal and external threads. Guide cones are machined at both ends of the internal thread and the sliding roller.

[0015] Preferably, the diameter of the shaft holes at both ends of the sliding end seat is larger than the diameter of the external thread.

[0016] Preferably, the sliding chuck, fixed chuck, and lifting module are all driven by drive motors. The drive motor on the lifting module is also connected to the gear drive module, and the drive motor can control the movement of the gear drive module. The horizontal guide rail and vertical guide rail are driven by lead screw motors.

[0017] Preferably, guide rods are fixedly connected to both sides of the lifting platform, and the bottom of the guide rods is slidably connected to the support base.

[0018] (III) Beneficial Effects Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a main branch pipe assembly machine, which has the following beneficial effects: 1. This main and branch pipe assembly machine, through the combined use of a fixed support structure, a sliding support structure, and a support base structure, solves the structural limitations of traditional pipe welding positioners in synchronously clamping both ends of the main pipe. During the assembly process, support rollers are used to support the cantilever end of the main pipe, offsetting the bending deformation caused by the main pipe being clamped on one side, so that the axis of the main pipe to be welded point is restored to the design straightness. Moreover, this balancing couple does not generate additional vertical concentrated loads on the main pipe, avoiding the problem of damage to the main pipe wall caused by traditional rigid support structures. It can ensure the axial reference of the main pipe to be welded point throughout the entire welding process. Therefore, it can adapt to the clamping and welding needs of ultra-long main pipes without increasing the axial dimension of the equipment, greatly reducing the overall footprint and manufacturing cost of the equipment. At the same time, through the sliding of the sliding support along the length of the base and the multi-degree-of-freedom linkage adjustment of the horizontal and vertical guide rails, the precise assembly of the branch pipe and the main pipe is achieved, avoiding the additional assembly deviation caused by external auxiliary tooling clamping the branch pipe, and effectively improving the positioning accuracy of the main and branch pipe assembly.

[0019] 2. This main and branch pipe assembly machine, through the combined use of a fixed end seat structure and a sliding end seat structure, solves the problems of existing integral support roller structures where concentrated loads easily cause local crushing and wall depression deformation of thin-walled main pipes, making it impossible to accurately correct local micro-deformations near welding points, and causing radial runout, axial movement, and torsional instability during circumferential rotation welding of the main pipe. By coaxially assembling a sliding shaft with the fixed end seat and sliding end seat, the fixed roller and sliding roller are installed coaxially. With the help of a gear drive module, the drive gear meshes with the rack and pinion, causing the sliding roller to slide axially to form three independent support points distributed along the main pipe axis. This structure achieves uniform distribution of the cantilever load of the main pipe, reduces the contact pressure between the support roller and the pipe wall, forms a multi-segment deflection correction system to accurately correct local micro-deformations, and simultaneously forms a stable circumferential clamping support to suppress positional deviations during the rotation of the main pipe and ensure the positional accuracy of the welding points.

[0020] 3. This main and branch pipe assembly machine solves the problems of existing support structures being unable to provide stable radial clamping constraints under static clamping conditions of the main pipe, easily leading to welding reference offset and overall bending deformation, and requiring an additional drive mechanism to achieve circumferential rotation of the support roller, resulting in complex equipment structure and high manufacturing cost. By forming a threaded meshing transmission pair through the internal thread of the sliding roller and the external thread of the sliding shaft, the axial movement of the sliding roller is driven by the axial sliding of the sliding end seat. The circumferentially fixed threaded meshing pair converts the axial linear displacement into the reverse circumferential rotation of the sliding roller, forming a structure with radially inward symmetrical clamping force. The directional rotation of the sliding roller can be completed without an additional drive mechanism, simplifying the equipment structure. At the same time, it forms a stable radial constraint when the main pipe is statically clamped, offsetting static bending deformation and correcting local micro-deformation. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the main and branch pipe assembly machine in this invention; Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the support base of the main branch pipe assembly machine in this invention; Figure 3 This is a front view of the main branch pipe assembly machine in this invention; Figure 4 This is a side view of the main branch pipe assembly machine in this invention; Figure 5 This is a top view of the main branch pipe assembly machine in this invention; Figure 6 This is a front view of the support roller structure of the main branch pipe assembly machine in this invention; Figure 7 This is a top view of the support roller structure of the main branch pipe assembly machine in this invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the sliding shaft structure movement of the main branch pipe assembly machine in this invention; Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of Example 2; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structural motion of Example 2; Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of Example 3; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the internal thread structure in Example 3; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the rotation direction of the sliding roller structure in Example 3.

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Base; 11. Linear guide rail; 2. Fixed support; 21. Fixed chuck; 3. Sliding support; 31. Horizontal guide rail; 32. Vertical guide rail; 33. Sliding chuck; 4. Main pipe; 5. Branch pipe; 6. Support seat; 7. Lifting platform; 71. Slide groove; 72. Drive gear; 73. Gear drive module; 74. Lifting module; 8. Support roller; 81. Fixed roller; 82. Sliding roller; 9. Sliding seat; 91. Fixed end seat; 92. Sliding end seat; 93. Rack; 94. Sliding shaft; 941. Internal thread; 942. External thread. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] Example 1 Please see Figures 1-8 A main branch pipe 5 assembly machine includes a base 1, a fixed support 2 fixedly mounted on one side of the base 1, a main pipe 4 clamped on the fixed support 2, and a sliding support 3 movable along the length of the base 1, on which a branch pipe 5 perpendicular to the axis of the main pipe 4 is clamped. The body of the sliding support 3 adopts an integral cast box structure. The side of the sliding support 3 facing the main pipe 4 is a vertical reference surface that has been precision ground. This reference surface is parallel to the rotating end face of the fixed chuck 21 on the fixed support 2, thereby ensuring the perpendicularity of the branch pipe 5 to the axis of the main pipe 4 after clamping. Based on the reference, the bottom of the sliding support 3 is integrally formed with a sliding connection part adapted to the linear slide rail 11 on the base 1. The sliding connection part and the linear slide rail 11 are assembled with a pre-tightened rolling slider. The movement of the sliding support 3 is realized by a closed-loop servo-driven ball screw transmission mechanism. The two ends of the ball screw are fixed in the mounting reference groove of the base 1 by bearings with seats. The nut seat of the screw is rigidly connected to the center position of the bottom of the sliding support 3, thereby realizing the stepless sliding and position self-locking of the sliding support 3 along the length direction of the base 1. The rotation center axis of the clamping mechanism for clamping the branch pipe 5 on the sliding support 3 is also provided on the base 1. The base 1 is also provided with a support seat 6 that can slide along the length direction of the base 1. The support seat 6 is symmetrically provided with support rollers 8 on both sides of the main pipe 4, with the axis parallel to the axis of the main pipe 4 and supporting the main pipe 4. The two support rollers 8 can slide in a staggered manner toward the axial front and rear sides of the main pipe 4 respectively to offset the deformation of the main pipe 4 between the two support rollers 8. The support base 6 adopts an integral welded frame structure. A sliding engagement component is provided on the base plate of the support base 6 at the position corresponding to the linear slide rail 11 on the base 1. The engagement component adopts a double-row rolling slider structure, with the two rows of sliders symmetrically arranged along the transverse centerline of the support base 6 to ensure the horizontality and straightness of the support base 6 during sliding. The top of the support base 6 is provided with an installation plane for installing the lifting and adjusting structure. Symmetrically distributed positioning pin holes are machined on the installation plane to ensure the symmetrical installation accuracy of subsequent assembled components. The outer cylindrical surface of the support roller 8 is ground to ensure the cylindrical shape of the roller. To ensure accuracy in degree and coaxiality, the outer surface of the roller is covered with a high-wear-resistant, high-friction coefficient polyurethane protective layer, which not only ensures the transmission of static friction force between the roller and the outer wall of the main pipe 4, but also avoids scratches and indentations on the pipe wall caused by hard contact between the roller and the outer wall of the main pipe 4. The two ends of the support roller 8 are rotatably mounted on the corresponding connecting seats through double-row self-aligning roller bearings, ensuring that the support roller 8 can rotate freely around its own axis to meet the working conditions of circumferential rotation of the main pipe 4. The axis of the support roller 8 is always kept completely parallel to the axis of the main pipe 4, and the two support rollers 8 are arranged in a completely symmetrical manner with respect to the axis of the main pipe 4.

[0025] Please see Figures 1-8Two or more sets of support seats 6 are provided along the length of the base 1. The multiple sets of support seats 6 are evenly spaced or spaced as needed along the length of the base 1. The sliding trajectories of each set of support seats 6 are parallel to each other and extend along the length of the base 1. The support height of each set of support seats 6 can be adjusted independently. A safety gap is reserved between adjacent support seats 6. There is no interference during the movement. After assembly, the sets of support rollers 8 together form a segmented support system that continuously covers the main pipe 4 along the axial direction. A fixed chuck 21 is rotatably mounted on the fixed support 2. The main pipe 4 is mounted on the fixed support 2 via the fixed chuck 21. The fixed support 2 is a rigid vertical support structure. The bottom is connected to the base 1 by bolts and positioning pins. A circular rotary mounting groove is machined on the side of the fixed support 2 facing the main pipe 4. The fixed chuck 21 is embedded in the rotary mounting groove and rotates without clearance through a rotary bearing. The fixed chuck 21 is equipped with a multi-jaw clamping structure that can be radially and synchronously extended and retracted. Anti-slip and wear-resistant clamping pads are pasted on the inner side of the jaws. One end of the main pipe 4 extends into the fixed chuck 21, and a rigid clamping clamp is achieved by the radial retraction of the jaws. A transverse guide rail 31 is provided on the sliding support 3 along the direction perpendicular to the axis of the main pipe 4. A vertical guide rail 32 perpendicular to the transverse guide rail 31 is slidably mounted on the transverse guide rail 31. A sliding chuck 33 for clamping the branch pipe 5 is also slidably mounted on the vertical guide rail 32. The transverse guide rail 31 is fixedly installed on the vertical reference surface of the sliding support 3. The extension direction of the guide rail is perpendicular to the axis of the main pipe 4 and is arranged horizontally. The transverse guide rail 31 and the sliding support 3 are assembled by bolt fastening and positioning pin double positioning. The vertical guide rail 32 is vertically fixed on the sliding block of the transverse guide rail 31. The extension direction of the guide rail is arranged vertically. The vertical guide rail 32 and the sliding block of the transverse guide rail 31 are seamlessly connected by a rigid connecting plate. The sliding chuck 33 is firmly assembled on the sliding block of the vertical guide rail 32. The central axis of the chuck is perpendicular to the axis of the main pipe 4. The sliding chuck 33 is equipped with radially retractable clamping claws, which can adapt to the clamping of branch pipes 5 with different diameters.

[0026] A linear slide rail 11, which drives the support seat 6 to move, is mounted on the base 1 along its length. The bottom of the support seat 6 is slidably assembled with the linear slide rail 11. The linear slide rail 11 adopts a double-rail parallel precision guiding structure. The guide rail body is a long strip-shaped rigid rail with a regular rectangular cross-section. The rail body is fastened to the base 1 with a pre-machined precision mounting reference groove by countersunk bolts. The mounting reference groove can ensure the straightness and parallelism accuracy of the linear slide rail 11. The linear slide rail 11 is equipped with a pre-tightened rolling slider. The slider and the guide rail have a gapless rolling fit. The bottom of the support seat 6 is rigidly connected to the rolling slider of the linear slide rail 11. After the connection, the support seat 6 and the linear slide rail 11 form an integrated sliding structure. A lifting platform 7 is also provided between the two side support rollers 8 and the support seat 6 to control the vertical height of the two side support rollers 8. A lifting module 74 is provided between the lifting platform 7 and the support platform. The support rollers 8 are slidably mounted on both sides of the lifting platform 7. The lifting platform 7 is a horizontal, rigid plate structure with precision-machined surfaces. Vertical guide rods are installed at the four corners of the lifting platform 7, and these guide rods are slidably fitted to the support base 6, restricting the lifting platform 7 to vertical movement only. The lifting module 74 is an electric lifting module 74 with integrated dual-output shaft servo drive motors. It has a vertical, rigid transmission structure, with the main body rigidly fixed to the center of the top surface of the support base 6. Internally, it contains two servo drive motors with coaxially arranged power output ends. One output end connects vertically upwards to the lifting transmission component, which is rigidly connected to the lifting platform 7 to drive its vertical movement. The other output end extends horizontally outwards and connects to the power input end of the gear drive module 73 via a linkage transmission mechanism. The servo drive motors have integrated closed-loop control units and electromagnetic braking units. The motor housing and the lifting module 74 housing are integrally rigidly encapsulated. Horizontal guide sliding structures are machined on the top surfaces of both sides of the lifting platform 7. The support roller 8 is rotatably connected to the sliding seat 9, and the top of the lifting platform 7 is symmetrically machined with grooves 71 parallel to the length direction of the base 1 on both sides. The sliding seats 9 are mounted on both sides of the grooves 71, and the opposite surfaces of the sliding seats 9 are machined with racks 93. The sliding seat 9 is a block-shaped rigid solid structure, and the bottom is machined with a sliding boss that matches the shape of the groove 71. The sliding boss and the groove 71 are in clearance fit and slide smoothly without jamming. The support roller 8 and the sliding seat 9 are rotatably connected by a rotary bearing. The groove 71 is a long strip-shaped through groove structure, symmetrically distributed on the top of the lifting platform 7 and its direction is completely consistent with the length direction of the base 1. The rack 93 is a straight rack 93-shaped structure, integrally machined along the length direction of the opposite surface of the sliding seat 9, forming a rigid whole with the sliding seat 9.A drive gear 72 is rotatably mounted on the top surface of the lifting platform 7. The drive gear 72 is located between the two sliding seats 9 and meshes with the racks 93 on both sides. A gear drive module 73, which is connected to the drive gear 72, is mounted on the bottom of the lifting platform 7. The drive gear 72 is a spur gear and is mounted at the center of the top surface of the lifting platform 7 via a slewing bearing. The gear drive module 73 is a linkage transmission module without an independent power source. The whole is a transmission structure and is rigidly fixed at the center of the bottom surface of the lifting platform 7. The power input end of the module is stably connected to the extended output end of the drive motor on the lifting module 74 through a rigid linkage transmission mechanism. The module is equipped with a reversing transmission component and a reduction transmission component. The power output end is vertically upward through the lifting platform 7 and is rigidly connected to the drive gear 72 on the same axis. All internal transmission components are meshing assembly. When the drive gear 72 rotates, it drives the two sliding seats 9 to slide synchronously and in opposite directions along the slide groove 71 toward the axial front and axial rear of the main pipe 4, respectively.

[0027] Please see Figures 1-8 The sliding chuck 33, fixed chuck 21, and lifting module 74 are all driven by drive motors, all of which are servo drive motors. The motor body is mounted on the support base 6 via a motor mount. The motor output is connected to the transmission input of each actuator via a coupling. All motors have the characteristics of forward and reverse rotation adjustment, precise speed control, and stable torque output. The drive motor on the lifting module 74 is also connected to the gear drive module 73. The lifting module 74 drives the lifting platform 7 to move vertically via a lifting rod. The drive motor can control the movement of the gear drive module 73. The drive motor of the lifting module 74 adopts a dual power output structure. One set of outputs is rigidly connected to the lifting rod via a transmission mechanism, and the other set of outputs is coaxially connected to the power input of the gear drive module 73 via a linkage transmission component. The lifting rod is a rigid telescopic transmission rod. The top of the rod is rigidly fixed to the center of the bottom surface of the lifting platform 7, and the bottom is stably assembled with the transmission structure of the lifting module 74. The linkage transmission component adopts a backlash-free gearbox or synchronous belt structure. The horizontal guide rail 31 and the vertical guide rail 32 are driven by a lead screw motor. The lead screw motor integrates a servo drive unit and a precision ball screw transmission unit. The lead screw body is a long, rigid transmission rod with a continuous and smooth transmission thread machined on its surface. The two ends of the lead screw are respectively fastened to the end mounting positions of the horizontal guide rail 31 and the vertical guide rail 32 through high-precision bearing seats. The transmission nut pair on the lead screw is rigidly connected to the sliding block of the corresponding guide rail. The output end of the lead screw motor is rigidly connected to the ball screw on the same axis. The guide rail body and the lead screw are arranged parallel to each other. When the sliding block slides along the guide rail, it is synchronously linked with the lead screw transmission. Guide rods are also fixedly connected to both sides of the lifting platform 7. The bottom of the guide rod is slidably connected to the support base 6. The guide rod is a cylindrical rigid solid rod. The guide rod is vertically fixed at symmetrical positions on both sides of the lifting platform 7. The bottom end of the rod extends into the linear bearing sleeve preset at the corresponding position of the support base 6. The inner hole of the linear bearing sleeve is precisely matched with the outer diameter of the guide rod.

[0028] Please see Figures 1-8First, one end of the main pipe 4 is rigidly clamped and fixed by the fixed chuck 21 on the fixed support 2, forming a cantilever structure with one end fixed and the other end suspended. The middle part of the main pipe 4 is supported at the bottom by the support roller 8 on the support seat 6, which can slide along the length direction of the base 1. The branch pipe 5 to be welded is clamped and fixed by the sliding chuck 33 on the sliding support 3. The clamping center axis of the branch pipe 5 is perpendicular to the axis of the main pipe 4. Then, the fixed chuck 21 is driven to rotate the main pipe 4 circumferentially, so that the welding point of the main pipe 4 is aligned with the clamping direction of the branch pipe 5. At the same time, the branch pipe 5 is moved by the overall sliding of the sliding support 3 along the length direction of the base 1 and the multi-degree-of-freedom linkage adjustment of the horizontal guide rail 31 and the vertical guide rail 32. The branch pipe 5 is pre-assembled with the main pipe 4 at the welding point of the main pipe 4. Then, the support seat 6 is driven to slide along the axis of the main pipe 4 by the linear slide rail 11 on the base 1, so that the support seat 6 is moved directly below the welding area of ​​the main pipe 4. The lifting module 74 between the lifting platform 7 and the support seat 6 drives the lifting platform 7 to make vertical lifting movements, which drives the support rollers 8 symmetrically arranged on both sides of the axis of the main pipe 4 on the lifting platform 7 to lift synchronously, so that the roller surface of the two support rollers 8 on both sides is stably attached to the lower outer wall of the main pipe 4, providing symmetrical bottom support for the cantilevered main pipe 4. Then, the gear drive module 73 at the bottom of the lifting platform 7 is activated, and the gear drive module 73 drives the drive gear 72 to rotate on a fixed axis. Due to the opposite sides of the two sliding seats 9 The surface is machined with racks 93 extending parallel to the axis of the main pipe 4, and the two racks 93 are symmetrically meshed on opposite radial sides of the drive gear 72. When the drive gear 72 rotates on its fixed axis, it generates linear driving forces with completely opposite tangential directions on its two meshing sides. This driving force acts synchronously on the meshing racks 93 on both sides, thereby driving the two sliding seats 9 to move synchronously and in opposite directions along the slide groove 71 on the lifting platform 7 parallel to the axis of the main pipe 4. This causes one sliding seat 9 to slide along the slide groove 71 towards the axial front of the main pipe 4, and the other sliding seat 9 to slide along the slide groove 71 towards the axial rear of the main pipe 4. At the same time, the sliding seats 9 drive the corresponding rotating support rollers 8 to move synchronously, realizing the synchronous movement of the support rollers on both sides. The support rollers 8 move synchronously in opposite directions towards the front and rear of the main pipe 4, respectively. At this time, the welding point of the main pipe 4 corresponds exactly to the center position of the lifting platform 7. Due to the cantilever structure formed by the single-end fixation of the main pipe 4, its own weight and the additional load brought by the clamping of the branch pipe 5 will generate a downward cantilever bending moment at the welding point, causing the main pipe 4 to undergo downward bending deformation. During the synchronous opposite movement of the support rollers 8, the static friction between the support rollers 8 and the outer wall of the main pipe 4 will form a pair of equal, opposite, parallel and non-collinear axial forces on both radial sides of the main pipe 4. This pair of axial forces will form a balance couple around the central axis of the lifting platform 7 that is completely opposite to the direction of the cantilever bending moment of the main pipe 4.Furthermore, the rotation center of the balancing couple perfectly coincides with the center of the welding point on the main pipe 4. By precisely adjusting the misalignment displacement of the support roller 8, the torque of the balancing couple can be adjusted accordingly, completely offsetting the cantilever bending moment that causes bending deformation at the welding point on the main pipe 4. This eliminates the bending deformation of the main pipe 4 at the welding point and restores it to its designed straightness. After the deformation of the main pipe 4 is corrected, the welding operation between the main pipe 4 and the branch pipe 5 can begin. After the welding operation is completed, the above operation process is reversed to complete the equipment reset and workpiece disassembly.

[0029] Example 2 Please see Figure 9 and Figure 10The sliding seat 9 includes a fixed end seat 91 and a sliding end seat 92. The fixed end seat 91 is fixedly connected to the lifting platform 7 and is a rigid block base structure. It is rigidly fixed to the top surface of the lifting platform 7 by bolt fastening and positioning pin double positioning. The sliding end seat 92 is slidably engaged with the slide groove 71. The rack 93 is machined on the sliding end seat 92, and the rack 93 and the sliding end seat 92 are integrally cut and formed structures. The support roller 8 includes a fixed roller 81 and a sliding roller 82. The fixed roller 81 is rotatably connected to the fixed end seat 91, and the sliding roller 82 is rotatably connected to the sliding end seat 92. When the sliding end seat 92 slides, it drives the sliding roller 82 to move synchronously. The fixed roller 81 and the fixed end seat 91 are axially connected by a bearing, and the sliding roller 82 and the sliding end seat 92 are axially connected by a bearing. All bearings used are double-row self-aligning roller bearings. The inner ring of the bearing and the mounting journal of the support roller 8 are tightly fitted with an interference fit. The outer ring of the bearing and the mounting hole of the end seat are tightly fitted and fixed. Axial limit rings are set at both ends of the bearing to completely restrict the axial movement and radial loosening of the support roller 8. The bearing is filled with long-life grease to maintain smooth rotation without jamming for a long time. Both the fixed roller 81 and the sliding roller 82 are cylindrical and regular roller bodies. The outer surface of the roller body is covered with a flexible wear-resistant protective layer. In the initial state, the two are arranged coaxially. The fixed roller 81 and the fixed end seat 91 are rotatably connected by a slewing bearing structure. After connection, the fixed roller 81 can rotate freely around its own axis without radial movement. The sliding roller 82 and the sliding end seat 92 are rotatably connected by a coaxial fastening. A sliding shaft 94 is coaxially mounted on both the fixed end seat 91 and the sliding end seat 92. The sliding roller 82 and the fixed roller 81 are both coaxially rotatably mounted on the sliding shaft 94. One end of the sliding shaft 94 is axially fixedly connected to the fixed end seat 91, while the other end is axially slidably mounted to the sliding end seat 92. The length of the sliding shaft 94 is greater than the total length of the support roller 8. When the sliding end seat 92 slides away from the fixed end seat 91 along the slide groove 71, it drives the sliding roller 82 to simultaneously move away from the fixed roller 81 along the sliding shaft 94. The sliding shaft 94 is a cylindrical long shaft. Assembly holes matching the outer diameter of the sliding shaft 94 are opened at the axial center positions of both the fixed end seat 91 and the sliding end seat 92. The sliding shaft 94 passes through both assembly holes to achieve coaxial assembly. The sliding shaft 94 and the fixed end seat 91 are axially completely fixed by a key connection and a locking nut on the end face. The sliding shaft 94 and the sliding end seat 92 have a precision clearance fit sliding sleeve structure, ensuring smooth sliding without jamming or eccentricity. The length of the sliding shaft 94 is reserved with sufficient sliding allowance to ensure that the sliding end seat 92 does not detach from the sliding shaft 94 or interfere with other components during the entire sliding process.

[0030] Please see Figure 9 and Figure 10In this embodiment, when it is necessary to control the support roller 8 to form a stable support for the welding position of the main pipe 4, the gear drive module 73 drives the drive gear 72 to rotate on a fixed axis. Through the meshing transmission between the drive gear 72 and the rack 93 on the sliding end seat 92, the sliding end seats 92 on both sides of the radial axis of the main pipe 4 are driven to slide synchronously in opposite directions along the slide groove 71 on the lifting platform 7. During the sliding process, the sliding end seats 92 synchronously drive the sliding roller 82 connected to them to slide synchronously axially along the axis of the sliding shaft 94, so that the sliding roller 82 on the corresponding side gradually moves away from the fixed roller 81 on the same side, thereby causing the sliding rollers 82 on both sides of the axis of the main pipe 4 to move forward axially towards the main pipe 4. The sliding shaft 94 moves laterally and axially backward. During this process, the end of the sliding shaft 94 connected to the fixed end seat 91 remains axially fixed, while the sliding end seat 92 and the sliding roller 82 slide freely axially along the other end of the sliding shaft 94. Simultaneously, through the coaxial guiding effect of the sliding shaft 94, the fixed roller 81 and the sliding roller 82 maintain complete axial alignment throughout the entire axial relative sliding process. This ultimately provides three effective supports at the welding position of the main pipe 4: the two sliding rollers 82 located at the front and rear ends of the main pipe 4's axis, and the two sets of fixed rollers 81 at the center. The two sets of fixed rollers 81 at the center are always aligned with the welding position of the main pipe 4. Directly below the support point, a constant central reference support is provided for the welding area. The two sliding rollers 82, moving axially forward and backward towards the main pipe 4 respectively, together with the fixed roller 81 at the center, form three independent support points distributed along the axis of the main pipe 4. This evenly distributes the concentrated load generated by the cantilever bending moment of the main pipe 4 to the three support points, significantly reducing the contact pressure between a single support roller 8 and the outer wall of the main pipe 4. This fundamentally prevents local crushing and wall indentation deformation of the thin-walled main pipe 4 during the support process. Furthermore, the three support points distributed along the axis of the main pipe 4 form a multi-segment correction system, which can be further improved by the reverse misalignment of the support rollers 8. The dynamic equilibrium couple counteracts the cantilever bending deformation of the main pipe 4 as a whole. It can also accurately correct the micro-deformation caused by local bending near the welding point and the decrease in local stiffness due to welding heat input by controlling the position of the sliding roller 82. This avoids local wavy deformation in the welding area of ​​the main pipe 4 and further improves the straightness control accuracy of the main pipe 4 axis. In addition, the three symmetrically distributed support points can form a stable circumferential cohesive support system during the circumferential rotation welding of the main pipe 4. This effectively suppresses the radial runout, axial movement and torsional instability generated during the rotation of the main pipe 4 and ensures that the positional accuracy of the welding point remains constant throughout the circumferential rotation of the main pipe 4.

[0031] Example 3 Please see Figures 11-13The inner wall of the sliding roller 82, which mates with the sliding shaft 94, is machined with an internal thread 941. The outer surface of the section of the sliding shaft 94 that extends beyond the sliding end seat 92 is machined with an external thread 942 that meshes with the internal thread 941. The external threads 942 on both sides of the sliding shaft 94 have the same direction of rotation. The internal thread 941 on the inner wall of the sliding roller 82 is a continuous standard transmission thread with regular tooth profile and smooth tooth surface. It is integrally machined with the inner wall of the sliding roller 82, and its thread parameters are completely matched with the external thread 942 on the sliding shaft 94. The external thread 942 of the sliding shaft 94 is machined only on the section extending beyond the sliding end seat 92; the remaining sections are smooth, precision cylindrical surfaces to avoid unnecessary friction in non-working sections. The external threads 942 on both sides of the sliding shaft 94 have the same rotation direction, with no reverse or staggered arrangement. The sliding roller 82 is coaxially fitted onto the external thread 942 section of the sliding shaft 94 via the internal thread 941, forming a stable threaded transmission pair. When the sliding end seat 92 drives the sliding roller 82 to make axial displacement, the threaded pair always maintains a complete meshing state. When the sliding end seats 92 on both sides of the main pipe 4 slide synchronously away from the fixed end seat 91 along the corresponding sliding grooves 71 towards the axial front and axial rear sides of the main pipe 4, respectively, the sliding rollers 82 on both sides generate circumferential rotation in opposite directions through the meshing transmission of the internal thread 941 and the external thread 942; guide cones are machined at both ends of the internal thread 941 and the sliding roller 82. The guide cone is an integral conical chamfered structure with a smooth transition at both ends of the internal thread 941 of the sliding roller 82. The cone surface is free of sharp edges and burrs, and its taper size is adapted to the end shape of the sliding shaft 94. The diameter of the cone surface gradually increases from the inside out, forming an open guide structure. When the sliding roller 82 and the sliding shaft 94 are assembled, the guide cone contacts the end of the sliding shaft 94 first, automatically calibrating coaxiality and guiding the threaded section to smoothly connect. The diameter of the shaft holes at both ends of the sliding end seat 92 is larger than the diameter of the external thread 942. The shaft hole of the sliding end seat 92 is a smooth precision through hole. The hole wall is ground and hardened, and the inner wall is smooth and wear-resistant. The hole diameter is uniform throughout and is larger than the maximum outer diameter of the external thread 942 of the sliding shaft 94. A uniform annular gap is formed between the shaft hole and the external thread 942 of the sliding shaft 94. The two have no direct contact and no friction interference. When the sliding shaft 94 passes through the shaft hole of the sliding end seat 92, the external thread 942 section can pass freely through the shaft hole without scraping or colliding with the hole wall. When the sliding end seat 92 slides axially along the sliding shaft 94, it only forms a sliding fit with the smooth shaft section of the sliding shaft 94.

[0032] Please see Figures 11-13In Embodiment 3, as the sliding roller 82 moves axially away from the fixed roller 81, a threaded meshing transmission pair is formed between the internal thread 941 on the sliding roller 82 and the external thread 942 on the sliding shaft 94. Since the sliding shaft 94 is fixed to the fixed end seat 91, the sliding roller 82 and the sliding end seat 92 are rotatably connected by a bearing. The bearing allows the sliding roller 82 to rotate freely circumferentially relative to the sliding end seat 92, but it also completely limits the axial movement of the sliding roller 82. When the sliding end seat 92 slides axially along the slide groove 71, it synchronously drives the sliding roller 82 to move axially along the axis of the sliding shaft 94 via the bearing. Since the sliding shaft 94 itself is completely fixed circumferentially and cannot rotate, the helical contact surfaces of the threaded meshing pair will generate a circumferential tangential force due to the relative axial displacement. This tangential force will drive the sliding roller 82 to rotate circumferentially around the axis of the sliding shaft 94, thereby converting the axial linear displacement of the sliding roller 82 into sliding motion through the fixed threaded meshing pair. The rotation of roller 82, along with the fact that the external threads 942 on the two sliding shafts 94 rotate in the same direction, and the two sliding end seats 92 slide in opposite directions toward the axial front and axial rear of the main pipe 4 respectively, causes the sliding rollers 82 on both sides of the main pipe 4 to rotate in opposite directions, both in the circumferential direction toward the axial direction of the main pipe 4. The rotation direction of the two sliding rollers 82 is tangentially upward toward the main pipe 4, thereby generating symmetrically distributed tangential static friction forces pointing toward the axis of the main pipe 4 on the contact surface of the outer wall of the main pipe 4. This pair of tangential static friction forces forms a radially inward symmetrical clamping force with the axis of the main pipe 4 as the center. Under the condition that the main pipe 4 is statically clamped without circumferential rotation, it can form a stable radial constraint on the main pipe 4, offsetting the radial sinking and overall bending deformation caused by the static cantilever bending moment of the main pipe 4 due to its own weight and the additional load of the branch pipe 5 clamping, further correcting the static local micro-deformation near the welding point of the main pipe 4, and ensuring the straightness of the axis of the main pipe 4 and the radial reference accuracy of the welding point.

[0033] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0034] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A main branch pipe assembly machine, comprising a base (1), wherein a fixed support (2) is fixedly mounted on one side of the base (1), and a main pipe (4) is clamped on the fixed support (2), characterized in that: The base (1) is also equipped with a sliding support (3) that can move along the length of the base (1). A branch pipe (5) perpendicular to the axis of the main pipe (4) is clamped on the sliding support (3). The base (1) is also provided with a support seat (6) that can slide along the length of the base (1). Support rollers (8) with axes parallel to the axis of the main pipe (4) and supporting the main pipe (4) are symmetrically slidably arranged on both sides of the support seat (6) along the axis of the main pipe (4). The support rollers (8) on both sides can slide in a staggered manner toward the front and rear sides of the main pipe (4) to offset the deformation of the main pipe (4) between the support rollers (8) on both sides.

2. The main and branch pipe assembly machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A fixed chuck (21) is rotatably mounted on the fixed support (2). The main pipe (4) is mounted on the fixed support (2) via the fixed chuck (21). A transverse guide rail (31) is provided on the sliding support (3) in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the main pipe (4). A vertical guide rail (32) perpendicular to the transverse guide rail (31) is slidably mounted on the transverse guide rail (31). A sliding chuck (33) for clamping the branch pipe (5) is also slidably mounted on the vertical guide rail (32).

3. The main and branch pipe assembly machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base (1) is fitted with a linear slide rail (11) along its length direction to drive the support (6) to move, and the bottom of the support (6) is slidably fitted with the linear slide rail (11).

4. The main and branch pipe assembly machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A lifting platform (7) for controlling the vertical height of the two side support rollers (8) is also provided between the two side support rollers (8) and the support base (6). A lifting module (74) is provided between the lifting platform (7) and the support platform. The support rollers (8) are slidably assembled on both sides of the lifting platform (7).

5. A main and branch pipe assembly machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The support roller (8) is rotatably connected to a sliding seat (9), and the top of the lifting platform (7) is symmetrically machined with grooves (71) parallel to the length direction of the base (1). The sliding seats (9) are mounted on both sides of the grooves (71), and racks (93) are machined on the opposite surfaces of the sliding seats (9) on both sides. A drive gear (72) is also rotatably mounted on the top surface of the lifting platform (7). The drive gear (72) is located between the sliding seats (9) on both sides and meshes with the racks (93) on both sides. A gear drive module (73) is mounted at the bottom of the lifting platform (7) and is connected to the drive gear (72). When the drive gear (72) rotates, it drives the sliding seats (9) on both sides to slide synchronously in opposite directions along the grooves (71) toward the axial front and axial rear sides of the main pipe (4).

6. A main and branch pipe assembly machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The sliding seat (9) includes a fixed end seat (91) and a sliding end seat (92). The fixed end seat (91) is fixedly connected to the lifting platform (7), while the sliding end seat (92) is slidably engaged with the slide groove (71). The rack (93) is machined on the sliding end seat (92). The support roller (8) includes a fixed roller (81) and a sliding roller (82). The fixed roller (81) is rotatably connected to the fixed end seat (91), while the sliding roller (82) is rotatably connected to the sliding end seat (92). When the sliding end seat (92) slides, it drives the sliding roller (82) to move synchronously.

7. A main and branch pipe assembly machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The fixed roller (81) and the fixed end seat (91) are axially connected by a bearing, and the sliding roller (82) and the sliding end seat (92) are axially connected by a bearing.

8. A main and branch pipe assembly machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: A sliding shaft (94) is coaxially mounted on the fixed end seat (91) and the sliding end seat (92). The sliding roller (82) and the fixed roller (81) are coaxially rotatably mounted on the sliding shaft (94). One end of the sliding shaft (94) is axially fixedly connected to the fixed end seat (91), while the other end of the sliding shaft (94) is axially slidably mounted to the sliding end seat (92). The length of the sliding shaft (94) is greater than the total length of the support roller (8). When the sliding end seat (92) slides away from the fixed end seat (91) along the slide groove (71), it drives the sliding roller (82) to move away from the fixed roller (81) synchronously along the sliding shaft (94).

9. A main and branch pipe assembly machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The inner wall of the sliding roller (82) that mates with the sliding shaft (94) is machined with an internal thread (941). The outer surface of the shaft section of the sliding shaft (94) that extends beyond the sliding end seat (92) is machined with an external thread (942) that is adapted to mesh with the internal thread (941). The external threads (942) on both sides of the sliding shaft (94) have the same rotation direction. When the sliding end seats (92) on both sides of the main pipe (4) slide synchronously away from the fixed end seat (91) along the corresponding slide groove (71) toward the axial front side and axial rear side of the main pipe (4), the sliding rollers (82) on both sides generate circumferential rotation in opposite directions through the meshing transmission of the internal thread (941) and the external thread (942). The two ends of the internal thread (941) are machined with guide cones on the sliding roller (82).

10. A main branch pipe assembly machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: The diameter of the shaft hole at both ends of the sliding end seat (92) is greater than the diameter of the external thread (942).

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