Band flash butt welding machine and group of accessories for a band flash butt welding machine

Abstract

The invention relates to a band flash butt welding machine (1) with which end faces of band ends (3, 11) of at least one band, in particular a saw band, can be welded. The band flash butt welding machine (1) has clamping elements (5, 12) for clamping the band ends (3, 11). Furthermore, the band flash butt welding machine (1) has alignment elements (4, 10) for aligning the band ends (3, 11). The second clamping elements (12) are movable in the direction of a longitudinal axis (9) relative to the first clamping elements (5) via a drive. According to the invention, the two alignment elements (4, 10) are fixedly connected to each other via a coupling device (54), in particular a bridge part (22). The coupling device (54) predetermines the relative alignment of the alignment elements (4, 10). The second clamping element (12) is movable relative to the two alignment elements (4, 10). This configuration is advantageous for setting up the band flash butt welding machine (1) for band ends (3, 11) with a changed geometry. Use is preferably made of a group of accessories (23) with which a conventional band flash butt welding machine (1) can be adapted according to the invention.

Description

[0001] Strip flash butt welding machine and attachment group for a strip flash butt welding machine

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The invention relates to a strip flash butt welding machine. With such a strip flash butt welding machine, any strip ends (particularly of metallic strips with a constant cross-section along the longitudinal axis) can be welded flush with one another in the region of the end faces. In particular, this can involve welding the end faces of strip ends of two strips arranged coaxially and flush with one another to form a strip strand whose length corresponds to the length of the two strips, or of a single strip bent into a strip ring slotted in the region of the end faces, which forms an "endless" strip strand after welding.

[0004] The flash butt welding process is a pressure welding process in which the required welding heat is generated by applying an electric current to strip flash butt welding machine electrodes that are in contact with the components to be welded (here: the strip ends). This creates an arc between the components to be welded (here: the end faces of the strip ends). The heated components (here: the strip ends with their end faces) are pressed together with a contact force, thus welding the components together via a weld seam.

[0005] In the following, reference is made in part to the design of the band saw blade, in which case the end faces of the saw blade ends of a ring-shaped bent saw blade can be welded to produce an "endless" saw blade strand. These statements then apply accordingly to at least one band saw blade not designed as a saw blade.

[0006] A manufacturing process performed with a cutting tool is referred to as "cutting" according to DIN 8589-0. According to this standard, a distinction is made between cutting with geometrically defined cutting edges and cutting with geometrically indeterminate cutting edges. Cutting with geometrically defined cutting edges also includes sawing according to DIN 8589-6. According to this standard, sawing does not include cutting with geometrically indeterminate cutting edges. In practice, however, cutting bands coated with cutting particles are still referred to as saw bands. Therefore, when the present patent application / patent refers to a saw band, this includes both a saw band with teeth having geometrically defined cutting edges and a saw band with geometrically indeterminate cutting edges.

[0007] The invention also relates to an attachment group for a strip flash butt welding machine.

[0008] STATE OF THE ART

[0009] The website www.youtube.com / watch?v=_BqfobJ-tYO

[0010] (Date accessed: January 14, 2022) shows the welding of strip ends to form a closed strip strand using an "IDEAL BAS 340" strip flash butt welding machine from IDEAL-Werk C. + E. Jungeblodt GmbH + Co. KG, Lippstadt. To insert the strip into the strip flash butt welding machine, it is bent into a ring that is closed except for a gap between the end faces of the strip ends. The strip ends facing each other are then inserted into the strip flash butt welding machine from both sides and, optionally, their end faces are placed against a insertion stop. The strip flash butt welding machine has an alignment and clamping unit on each side of the insertion stop. An alignment and clamping unit is firmly connected to the foundation (in particular, a substructure or supporting structure) of the strip flash butt welding machine.The other alignment and clamping unit is guided in the manner of a carriage, translationally guided in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the belt relative to the foundation, and is movable by means of a drive. Each alignment and clamping unit has a stop rail with a vertical stop surface. The back of the belt of the assigned belt end is placed against the stop rail. The stop rails carry horizontally oriented support pins onto which the belt ends can be placed. Once the operator has brought the belt ends into the predetermined positions and orientations, which are determined by the stop surface, the support pins, and the insertion stop of the alignment and clamping units, the belt ends are each tensioned and secured using clamping elements of the assigned alignment and clamping unit, which are operated by actuators.If an insertion stop was used, the insertion stop is then moved out of the space between the end faces of the strip ends. The width of the gap between the end faces of the strip ends is automatically reduced to the gap required for the arc during the flash butt welding process. To do this, the drive moves the movable alignment and clamping unit along the translational degree of freedom relative to the foundation and relative to the fixed alignment and clamping unit until the end faces of the strip ends have the distance required for the arc. The clamping elements form strip flash butt welding machine electrodes. As a result of the contact of the clamping elements with the strip ends, electrical energization of the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes leads to the formation of the arc between the end faces of the strip ends.Already during arc generation, the strip ends are moved toward each other by a relative movement of the alignment and clamping units. The timing of the relative movement is determined by a rotating cam disk. At the end of the cam disk, the arc is switched off in a time-controlled manner. The strip ends are then compressed until the joint cools down, with a compression cylinder applying a compression force to the movable alignment and clamping unit. The weld seam and the adjacent material areas of the strip ends are then annealed, and the weld seam is deburred.During machining operations, the relative degree of freedom between the two alignment and clamping units can also be used to change the locations at which the strip strand is clamped by the clamping elements and / or to cause the strip strand to shift along its longitudinal axis and / or to induce compressive or tensile stress in the strip strand. For example, if a tool for deburring the weld seam is arranged at an offset to the created weld seam, the clamping elements of the fixed alignment and clamping unit can be released and the movable alignment and clamping unit is moved by the offset along the degree of freedom using the drive. If the clamping elements of the movable alignment and clamping unit are closed during this movement, the strip ends and the weld seam are also moved by the offset from the work area in which the weld seam was created into the work area of ​​the deburring tool.This movement increases the distance between the clamping elements of the fixed alignment and clamping unit and the weld seam. The clamping elements of the fixed alignment and clamping unit are then closed again. The clamping elements of the movable alignment and clamping unit are now opened and the drive moves these clamping elements until the clamping elements are at the same distance from the weld seam as the clamping elements of the fixed alignment and clamping unit. The clamping elements of the movable alignment and clamping unit are then closed again. The weld seam can then be deburred. The distances between the pairs of clamping elements and the weld seam, and thus from each other, can be dimensioned such that the deburring tool (in this case a plane) can be moved between the clamping elements along the weld seam.On the other hand, the distance between the clamping elements on both sides of the weld seam can also be changed in a corresponding manner in order to enable the strip ends to be clamped at different distances from the end faces for the individual processing steps. For example, a smaller distance may be required for flash butt welding than is the case for deburring and / or annealing. It is also possible to use the relative degree of freedom between the two alignment and clamping units to compress the strip ends with the weld seam during processing by the drive. When the clamping elements are closed, the drive applies force-controlled force to the movable alignment and clamping unit in the direction of the fixed alignment and clamping unit.

[0011] A corresponding strip flash butt welding machine is also described in EP 2 540 431 B1. Other strip flash butt welding machines are offered by TEMELSAN MAKINA (see www.youtube.com / watch?v=vTq9BCQz1 Mc; www.temelsan.de).

[0012] US 2 203 151 A discloses a flash butt welding machine with which the ends of sheets provided from smaller coils are welded together to produce a longer overall sheet, which is then wound onto a larger coil and can then be continuously fed from the larger coil to a cold forming process or a descaling process. In the flash butt welding machine, the ends to be joined are first cut in a cutting unit. In a welding unit, the two ends are clamped by clamping elements and brought into a predetermined alignment with one another, in which the weld seam connecting the ends is then created. From the welding unit, the welded sheets then pass to a downstream trimming unit, in which excess welding material is removed from the weld seam.To ensure the desired alignment of the sheets in the welding unit area, the edges of the sheets are guided laterally by discs. The lateral position of the discs can be adjusted using screws, either motorized or manually. The clamping elements for the sheets have a vertical degree of freedom, which allows them to be opened and closed and adapted to different sheet thicknesses.

[0013] DE 41 07 984 A1 discloses a flash butt welding machine in which a strip flash butt welding machine electrode is attached to an electrode holder via a screw connection. The electrode holder is in turn held on an electrode stand. For this purpose, the electrode holder has a lateral T-slot. The electrode stand has a T-shaped sliding block. If the sliding block of the electrode stand is arranged in the T-slot of the electrode holder, the sliding block can be tightened by a hydraulically actuated piston of the electrode stand, whereby the electrode holder can be pulled against a lateral clamping surface of the electrode stand. The strip flash butt welding machine electrode has a fitting surface on its underside, which is clamped against an upper support surface of the electrode holder by the screw connection. The fitting surface serves to ensure the desired distance of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode from the weld point.To enable reuse of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode in the event of wear after reworking without changing the height of the upper end face of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode, multiple electrode holders can be used, with the support surface for the mating surface of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode arranged at different heights. The height differences of the electrode holders compensate for the reduction in the height of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode due to wear and reworking.

[0014] US 3,469,064 A discloses a flash butt welding machine having a pair of upper clamping jaws and a pair of lower clamping jaws. The spacing between the pairs of clamping jaws can be adjusted so that a left-hand strip can be clamped between the left-hand clamping jaws and a right-hand strip can be clamped between the right-hand clamping jaws. The right and left clamping jaws can then be moved laterally so that the end faces of the two strips are pressed against each other. An electrical circuit running across the clamping jaws is closed by the contact of the end faces of the strips. The clamping jaws are held on holders, which in turn are held on holding plates via a wedge connection and an actuator. Spacer plates allow the spacing between the clamping jaws to be adjusted for different strip geometries of the flash butt welding machine.

[0015] Further prior art is known from the documents US 2 203 151 A1, KR 10 2011 0 018 734 A, JP S55-81 088 A, CN 110 948 095 A, CN 102 371 400 A and CN 102 319 950 A.

[0016] OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The invention is based on the object of proposing a strip flash butt welding machine which is improved in particular with regard to ensuring the required alignment of the strip ends in the strip flash butt welding machine and taking into account the effort required for converting the strip flash butt welding machine for changing from its use for a first type of strip to a second type of strip with a changed geometry.

[0018] Furthermore, the invention is based on the object of proposing an add-on group which can be attached to a conventional strip flash butt welding machine in order to ensure the above-mentioned advantageous properties of the strip flash butt welding machine then formed.

[0019] SOLUTION

[0020] The object of the invention is achieved according to the invention with the features of the independent patent claims. Further preferred embodiments of the invention can be found in the dependent patent claims.

[0021] DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The invention is based in particular on the finding that, according to the prior art cited at the outset (www.youtube.com / watch?v=_BqfobJ-tYO), the quality of the produced weld seam and the produced strip strand depends crucially on the precise positioning and orientation of the strip ends during processing and thus on the position and / or orientation (position and / or orientation hereinafter referred to as "alignment") of the stop rails of the alignment and clamping units. If, after welding at least one strip of a first type, the strip flash butt welding machine is to be used to weld at least one strip of a second type with different dimensions, in particular a different cross-sectional geometry, an adjustment of the two stop rails in the horizontal plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the strip strand is required (hereinafter also referred to as "conversion").Such a conversion is necessary, for example, if the blade height of the bands to be welded changes. Such a conversion may also be necessary, for example, if the saw blade height does not change when welding saw blades, but the tooth height of the saw blade changes. The reason for this is that the weld seam is preferably created in the area of ​​the tooth base, which means that a changed tooth height may require a conversion of the stop rails despite the blade height of the saw blade remaining the same. When manually adjusting the stop rails, the operator must ensure that the two stop rails are correctly aligned to one another and that the stop rails are correctly aligned to the clamping elements, the flash butt welding machine electrodes, and the processing tools of the flash butt welding machine.This is time-consuming and requires careful and experienced workmanship. This can be further complicated by the fact that tightening the stop rail fastening screws to secure them after the desired alignment has been achieved can lead to undesirable changes in the stop rail alignment. Therefore, in an iterative process, the stop rails must be repeatedly adjusted and tightened, with repeated checks and, if necessary, fine-tuning of the alignment.

[0023] In practice, for the reasons stated above, the alignment process of the stop rails for converting to state-of-the-art strip flash butt welding machines leads to increased changeover times. If the alignment is not changed with the required precision, there is a risk that the subsequent weld will not meet the requirements. The following are just a few examples of the consequences of an inaccurate adjustment of the alignment of the stop rails according to the state of the art when the strip to be welded is in the form of a saw blade: a) If the backs of the two saw blade ends are welded together with an offset in the main extension plane transverse to the direction of blade travel, this leads to undesirable force and travel jumps for the feed of the saw blade in the direction of the saw channel of the workpiece being machined during operation of the saw blade strand.

[0024] In addition, in this case the weld seam does not extend across the entire end faces of the saw blade ends, which leads to reduced strength of the saw blade strand. b) If the tooth roots of the two ends of the saw blade are not flush with each other, this can result in impaired sawing behavior, impaired chip transport during sawing and / or reduced durability of the saw blade strand. c) It is also possible that if the tooth roots are not flush, a tooth of the saw blade may stand up in the area surrounding the weld seam during the welding process. In this case, not only excess welding material but also material from the tooth is removed during the subsequent deburring. The reduced thickness of the tooth can then, for example, lead to undesirable scoring in the sawn surface later when the saw blade is used.On the other hand, this can lead to a reduction in the thickness of the welded end faces. This results in a thinner weld, which can lead to premature failure of the weld during operation. d) Impairments in strength and the sawing pattern can also occur if, due to an error in the alignment of the saw blade ends, the cross-section of the weld (when cutting in the direction of blade travel and in a vertical plane) is trapezoidal rather than rectangular.

[0025] Against the background of these disadvantages of known strip flash butt welding machines, the invention proposes a strip flash butt welding machine to which the statements made for strip flash butt welding machines according to the prior art basically apply. The strip flash butt welding machine according to the invention has first clamping elements, by means of which a first strip end can be clamped, and second clamping elements for clamping a second strip end. It is possible for at least one clamping element to be multifunctionally designed as a strip flash butt welding machine electrode. Furthermore, the strip flash butt welding machine has a first alignment element for aligning the first strip end and a second alignment element for aligning the second strip end.Within the scope of the invention, "alignment" comprises specifying an orientation of the band end (in particular in a horizontal plane and / or in a vertical plane) and / or specifying a position of the band end, in particular in a horizontal plane in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the band and / or in a vertical direction of the band end. To name only one non-limiting example, the alignment elements can have a horizontal alignment surface on which the respective band end rests and / or a vertical alignment surface against which a band back or the teeth of a saw blade rest. The alignment elements can also generally be designed as a stop rail, as is the case according to the prior art.The invention proposes that the second tensioning elements be movable relative to the first tensioning elements via a drive, with a movement in the direction of a longitudinal axis of at least one belt, which is aligned by means of the alignment elements and tensioned by the tensioning elements. This movement can be force-controlled or displacement-controlled for the purposes exemplified for the corresponding movement in the aforementioned prior art.

[0026] According to the invention, the first alignment element and the second alignment element are coupled to one another via a coupling device. The coupling device specifies a relative alignment of the first and second alignment elements.

[0027] While the prior art required the operator to adjust the relative alignment of the first and second stop rails to each other when converting the strip flash butt welding machine, this is ensured by the coupling device according to the invention. On the one hand, this saves effort during the conversion of the strip flash butt welding machine. On the other hand, according to the invention, setting the desired relative alignment of the alignment elements is no longer dependent on the operator's care; instead, the coupling device "automatically" ensures that the required relative alignment (within the limits specified by the precision of the coupling device) is always maintained.

[0028] In the strip flash butt welding machine according to the invention, the second clamping elements can be moved translationally in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the at least one strip relative to the two alignment elements by means of the drive. During this movement, a relative sliding movement of at least the strip end, which is clamped by the second clamping elements, occurs relative to the second sliding element. Such a movement of the second clamping elements can occur, for example, in order to clamp the strip ends and, if necessary,to move a weld seam already created between them from one work area to another work area and / or to bring about the required width of the gap between the end faces to generate the arc and / or to compress the strip strand and / or to change the clamping distance of the strip strand by means of the clamping elements and / or to press the end faces of the strip ends together with the arc after the welding heat has been generated, whereby the drive can generate the movement in a force-controlled or path-controlled or closed-loop manner.

[0029] However, while in the prior art embodiment, the drive moved a carriage that moved both the second clamping elements and the second stop rail, the inventive design releases the coupling of the second clamping elements with the second alignment element, enabling relative movement between them for the first time. This makes the use of the coupling device between the first alignment element and the second alignment element possible.

[0030] Within the scope of the invention, there are different possibilities for the type of design of the coupling device which specifies the relative alignment of the first and second alignment elements.

[0031] In a first variant, the coupling device is an electronic coupling device. For example, it is possible that for the conversion, the first alignment element and the second alignment element are each moved in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the belt via an electronically controlled or regulated drive. In this case, the alignment elements can each be guided relative to one another via a transverse guide device such that the alignment surfaces of the alignment elements are oriented parallel to one another, regardless of the position of the alignment elements along the transverse guide devices. The two drives then only ensure that the two alignment, stop, or vertical surfaces of the alignment elements are not offset from one another in the transverse direction, but are arranged in one plane. It is possible for the electronic coupling device to be a pure control system that controls the same displacements of the two alignment elements in the transverse direction.It is also entirely possible, however, for the electronic coupling device to have a control system in which the positions of the alignment elements in the transverse direction are each measured by a sensor. The drives are then controlled based on the sensor signals so that the desired position is reached in the transverse direction and both alignment elements are moved by the same amount in the transverse direction, so that the alignment, stop, or vertical surfaces are arranged in one plane. The use of an electronic coupling device is particularly advantageous in the context of automating the processing of at least one strip using the strip flash butt welding machine and in the context of partially or fully automating the conversion of the strip flash butt welding machine.

[0032] In a second variant of the invention, the coupling device is a mechanical coupling device. The mechanical coupling device firmly connects the first alignment element and the second alignment element during the changeover. The mechanical coupling device thus ensures that the two alignment elements have the correct relative position to each other and are aligned. In other words, the alignment elements and the mechanical coupling device in the strip flash butt welding machine according to the invention form a unit in which the alignment elements and the mechanical coupling device are moved together.In this case, it is only necessary to ensure that this unit is moved in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the belt by the amount required for the changed type of belt (whereas, without a transverse guide device for the unit, it is also necessary to ensure that the unit has the correct orientation parallel to the longitudinal axis of the belt).

[0033] There are many different options for designing the mechanical coupling device used in the invention. In one proposal according to the invention, the coupling device has a bridge part, which in the simplest case can be a bridge plate. The bridge part has different sections, namely a first bridge section and a second bridge section. The associated alignment element can be fastened, in particular screwed, to the respective bridge section. In this case, for example, during initial assembly or on a regular basis or for readjustment, the alignment elements can be screwed to the associated bridge section in the correct alignment to the named unit. This screw connection and alignment then no longer need to be changed during conversion. However, it is also possible for the bridge section to directly form the first alignment element.The bridge section further comprises a recess located between the first bridge section and the second bridge section. The weld seam can then be created in the area of ​​the recess (when projected into a common horizontal plane), a tool of the strip flash butt welding machine can be positioned or moved, and / or the first clamping elements and the second clamping elements and / or the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes are located here. The recess has sufficient dimensions in the horizontal plane to allow relative movement between the bridge section and the clamping elements and strip flash butt welding machine electrodes during changeover.

[0034] For one proposal of the invention, the bridge part is roughly U-shaped. In this case, an alignment element is arranged in the area of ​​each vertical leg of the U (preferably with the vertical alignment surface aligned parallel to the base leg of the U), and the recess is bounded by the horizontal leg and the vertical legs of the U, with the recess being open in the direction oriented away from the horizontal leg. In this case, the horizontal leg of the U of the bridge part ensures the connection of the two alignment elements and the associated bridge sections.

[0035] In principle, within the scope of the invention, it is possible for the mechanical coupling device to exclusively ensure the relative position of the two alignment elements to one another. During the conversion, the operator must then specify the position of the coupling device with the alignment elements in the transverse direction and / or the correct orientation of the same relative to the strip flash butt welding machine in the horizontal plane, for example, by screwing the coupling device to the foundation of the strip flash butt welding machine in the correct position and / or orientation. A further increase in precision and / or reduction in the effort required for conversion can be achieved with a proposal of the invention according to which the strip flash butt welding machine has a transverse guide device.The transverse guide device guides the mechanical coupling device with the alignment elements held thereon in such a way that the coupling device with the alignment elements held thereon (except for any small remaining tolerances of the transverse guide device) has only a single degree of freedom in the transverse direction. This degree of freedom can then be used for the necessary adjustment during conversion, while the transverse guide device ensures that the alignment elements have the desired orientation relative to the strip flash butt welding machine. For this proposal, converting the strip flash butt welding machine therefore only requires one adjustment in the transverse direction. All transverse guide devices known from the prior art can be used for the transverse guide devices that can be used within the scope of the invention.It is possible to use two spaced-apart transverse guide devices with parallel transverse guide axes. Preferably, only a single transverse guide device is used, which can be arranged, for example, in a side area of ​​the strip flash butt welding machine. The transverse guide device is designed as a linear guide of one of the known embodiments. The linear guide can be based on a plain bearing or a roller bearing. To name just one example which does not limit the invention, the transverse guide device can be a linear guide designed as a prismatic or trapezoidal guide, in which the cross sections of the parts moving relative to one another form a positive connection, whereby these linear guides only have one remaining degree of freedom in the transverse direction. It is also possible for the transverse guide device to be designed as a ball rail guide, see, for example, the example available at www.boschrexroth.com / ics / cat / ?cat=Linear-Motion-Technology-.

[0036] Catalog&m=DE&u=si&o=FilterDesktop&p=g254980&pi=4E760D7D-F909-075C-

[0037] 022C11 D6E9CE5A7B_ICS_82

[0038] (Date of access to the website: 18.01.2022) offered products.

[0039] The precision requirements of the transverse guide device dictate a residual angular error of the coupling device and the alignment elements held thereon. According to one proposal of the invention, the angular error can be reduced by clamping the linear guide used for the transverse guide device, which can reduce or eliminate any play and / or angular error of the linear guide.

[0040] Alternatively or cumulatively, it is possible to use a locking device after the adjustment for the conversion, which can be used to set the degree of freedom of the transverse guide device in the transverse direction. Under certain circumstances, actuating the locking device can also reduce or eliminate any play in the transverse guide device that could lead to an angular error. It is possible, for example, that a manual locking device is used, see in particular www.boschrexroth.com / de / de / produkte / produktgruppen / lineartechnik / zubehor-und- ersatzteile / klemm-und-bremselemente / hand-klemmelemente-hk-fur- kugelschienenfuhrungen?p=p668420&cat=Linear-Motion-Technology-Catalog&pi=759F85B1-EEB0-8791-71 DFBB05292B14F3_ICS_97&sapCat=LT&o=portal (date the website was accessed: January 18, 2022), or that a pneumatic locking device controlled manually or electronically via a valve is used, see in particular https: / / www.boschrexroth.com / de / de / produkte / produktgruppen / lineartechnik / accessories-and-spare-parts / clamping-and-braking-elements / pneumatic-clamping-elements-lcps-for- ball-rail-guides.

[0041] (Date of access to the website: 18.01.2022).

[0042] The aforementioned transverse guide device can serve alone or together with further supports or guide devices for supporting and guiding the unit formed by the mechanical coupling device and the alignment elements. For an inventive embodiment of the strip flash butt welding machine, the mechanical coupling device with the alignment elements held thereon is additionally guided via a guide device relative to a carriage that guides the second clamping element for movement in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the strip end. For example, this guide device can be a sliding guide that guides the mechanical coupling device or the bridge part relative to the carriage. It is possible, for example, for the bridge part to rest on the carriage with a sliding contact in the vertical direction, spaced from the transverse guide device, and thus be additionally supported.

[0043] A further aspect of the invention is dedicated to generating the movement of the mechanical coupling device with the alignment elements held thereon in the transverse direction. For a first proposal, the mechanical coupling device with the alignment elements held thereon can be moved in the transverse direction via a drive driven by an external force. This drive is, for example, a controlled or regulated electric drive (in particular a stepper motor, whose font size and / or any gear ratio can be selected according to the desired precision for the transverse movement). It is also possible, for example, to use an electronically controlled pneumatic or hydraulic drive as the drive.

[0044] In another proposal, the mechanical coupling device with the alignment elements attached to it is manually movable in the transverse direction. For this purpose, a manual actuating device such as a handwheel, an actuating slide, or the like can be provided, via which the operator can apply the actuating forces to move the coupling device in the transverse direction.

[0045] It is possible for the externally powered drive or the actuating element for manual actuation to act directly on the mechanical coupling device. However, for a preferred embodiment of the strip flash butt welding machine, a gear is arranged in the power flow between the mechanical coupling device with the alignment elements held thereon, on the one hand, and the drive or the manual actuating element, on the other. By means of the gear, the forces required for the movement can be translated to the forces generated by the drive or manually. On the other hand, the actuating kinematics can be influenced by means of a suitable step-up or step-down ratio so that the precision required for the conversion is achieved when the coupling device moves in the transverse direction.

[0046] For the gear unit usable within the scope of the invention, all gear units known from the prior art can be used. For one proposal of the invention, the gear unit is a spindle drive. Such a spindle drive can (depending on the selected thread pitch and the resulting transmission ratio) enable very sensitive adjustment of the movement of the coupling device in the transverse direction. On the other hand, the spindle drive can also be used to rigidly support the mechanical coupling device. One of the known thread geometries of the spindle drive can be used to dimension the play of the gear unit and the rigidity of the drive connection. To name just one example that does not limit the invention, the spindle drive can have a trapezoidal thread.

[0047] Within the scope of the invention, it is possible for the clamping elements to be designed separately from the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes for performing the welding process. However, in a preferred embodiment, the invention proposes that a first clamping element and / or a second clamping element (preferably the lower clamping elements) directly form a strip flash butt welding machine electrode for the welding process.

[0048] In principle, the clamping elements forming the strip flash butt welding machine electrode can be designed as a single piece, as is the case with the embodiments known from the prior art. However, two-part strip flash butt welding machine electrodes can also be used in a strip flash butt welding machine according to the invention. In this case, the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes have a base body and a contact body. The base body serves to attach the strip flash butt welding machine electrode to a foundation, support body, or carriage of the strip flash butt welding machine and has the necessary fastening devices for this purpose, for example, holes for the passage of fastening screws. The contact body, on the other hand, serves to contact the associated strip end via a contact surface of the contact body.To ensure extensive contact between the contact surface of the contact body and the associated strip end for the electrical connection of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode to the strip end, the contact surface must be ground with high precision. Since the contact surface wears down during operation of the strip flash butt welding machine and the mechanical and electrical contact conditions in the area of ​​the contact surface, regular regrinding of the contact surface is necessary, which gradually changes the height of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode. Once a predetermined amount of height has been removed, the clamping element forming the strip flash butt welding machine electrode must be completely replaced according to the state of the art.In contrast, with the two-part design of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode, after the separately formed contact body has been machined down to a minimum, only the contact body can be replaced, while the same base body to which the machined contact body was attached can then also be used for a new contact body. This leads to significant cost savings. To achieve the heating required for welding the strip ends, as much of the electrical energy as possible applied to the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes must be transferred from the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes via the end faces of the strip ends.If the bridge section creates an electrical connection between the alignment elements (directly or indirectly via other components of the strip flash butt welding machine), this electrical connection would create an undesirable bypass for the electrical load. Due to the bypass, the electrical energy applied to the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes would not be fully or largely transmitted across the end faces of the strip ends. The invention proposes that the strip flash butt welding machine have at least one insulating element that separates the electrical connection between the alignment elements via the bridge section.To name just a few non-limiting examples of the invention, an insulating element can be arranged between the stop elements and the bridge part and / or screw insulators can be provided in the region of the screws by means of which the alignment elements are fastened to the bridge part, and / or insulating elements can be arranged between an attachment group comprising the bridge part and a foundation of the strip flash butt welding machine and / or the aforementioned sliding guide can have an insulating element for separating the mechanical coupling device from the carriage.

[0049] A further solution to the problem underlying the invention is an add-on assembly for a strip flash butt welding machine. This add-on assembly can be used, for example, to convert a conventional strip flash butt welding machine (and thus also, for example, a strip flash butt welding machine as described above) into a new strip flash butt welding machine with the previously explained inventive properties. The add-on assembly has a bridge part with a first alignment element for a first strip end and a second alignment element for a second strip end. Furthermore, the add-on assembly has a fastening area via which the add-on assembly can be attached to a foundation of the (possibly conventional) strip flash butt welding machine.To cite merely one non-limiting example, the foundations of known strip flash butt welding machines may already have mounting holes for attaching lifting elements such as eyebolts. The lifting elements may serve to attach a lifting device of a crane with which the strip flash butt welding machine can be handled during transport, installation, or dismantling. It is also possible for the mounting area of ​​the add-on assembly to interact with holes in the strip flash butt welding machine intended for insulating plates of the conventional strip flash butt welding machine or for attaching stop rails, etc.

[0050] Finally, the add-on assembly according to the invention comprises a transverse guide device via which the fastening area is coupled to the bridge part. Regarding the design of the transverse guide device, the above statements regarding the transverse guide device of the strip flash butt welding machine according to the invention apply accordingly.

[0051] The add-on assembly according to the invention can also comprise other previously mentioned devices, components, or properties. In particular, the bridge part can form a mechanical coupling device and / or comprise first and second bridge sections with a recess arranged therebetween and / or comprise a locking device by means of which the degree of freedom of the transverse guide device can be fixed in the transverse direction and / or comprise a guide device for guiding relative to a carriage that guides the second tensioning element for movement in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the belt end and / or comprise a drive driven by an external force or a manual actuating element for moving the actuating part in the transverse direction and / or comprise a gear or a spindle drive.

[0052] Within the scope of the invention, it is possible for the add-on assembly to be mounted with the (possibly conventional) strip flash butt welding machine without changing the position of the strip flash butt welding machine's components. However, according to one proposal of the invention, the add-on assembly comprises at least one intermediate body. The intermediate body can be arranged between a foundation of the strip flash butt welding machine and a tool of the strip flash butt welding machine, an actuator for a clamping jaw and / or the bridge section, the alignment element or the clamping elements and / or the strip flash butt welding machine electrode, thus allowing the working height to be increased relative to the foundation.This increase in working height allows, for example, additional installation space for the design of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode, so that it can also be designed in two parts with a base body and a contact body, as previously explained.

[0053] A further embodiment of the invention is based in particular on the realization that, during operation of the strip flash butt welding machine, the strip ends must be clamped between first and second clamping elements. The first and second clamping elements are each formed by upper and lower clamping jaws between which the strip ends are clamped. At least one of the two clamping jaws is multifunctionally designed as a strip flash butt welding machine electrode, whose electrical energy is transferred to the strip ends as a result of the pressure applied to the strip ends, in order to create the arc and the welding between the end faces of the strip ends.When using the strip flash butt welding machine electrode for multiple operating cycles, mechanical interaction, and in particular burn-off, leads to wear on the contact surface of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode with the strip end. This causes the contact surface of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode to be gradually worn down and the height of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode to gradually decrease. If wear on the strip flash butt welding machine electrode results in the height of the contact surface of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode being reduced by a critical height difference AH, the strip flash butt welding machine electrode must be replaced.The reason for this may be that the other clamping jaw can no longer compensate for the reduced height AH. This may result in the strip flash butt welding machine electrode no longer being pressed against the strip end with the predetermined contact force, which undesirably increases the transfer resistance between the strip flash butt welding machine electrode and the strip end, and / or the strip end is no longer sufficiently clamped and thus fixed. It is also possible that the extension plane is lowered by the amount AH compared to other contact surfaces of the strip end, for example in the area of ​​an alignment element, stop body, support body, or strip back stop, so that the strip end must be elastically deformed to an undesirable extent between the contact surface of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode on the one hand and the other contact surface.If the strip flash butt welding machine electrode is replaced after wear to the extent of the critical height change AH, the residual material of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode reduced by the height AH can no longer be used.

[0054] Against this background, the invention also proposes an embodiment in which the strip flash butt welding machine electrode is formed in at least two parts. The strip flash butt welding machine electrode comprises a base body and a contact body.

[0055] The base body serves, for example, to support the strip flash butt welding machine electrode on a foundation. The base body can also be attached to the foundation, particularly by screwing (e.g., using a flange of the base body). Alternatively or additionally, the base body has a connection for electrical contact to supply the electrical energy for the welding process to the base body.

[0056] The contact body has a flat contact surface which should lie as large as possible against the strip end in order to be able to transfer the electrical energy introduced into the base body and transferred to the contact body to the strip end with the smallest possible transfer resistance.

[0057] Within the scope of the invention, any desired configuration of the contact surfaces between the base body and the contact body is possible. For example, it is possible for the contact surfaces to be flat and horizontally oriented. However, it is also possible for the contact surfaces between the base body and the contact body to deviate from a plane by any desired distance. To name just one example, the contact surfaces can each be designed like a rack and pinion, which can then enlarge the meandering, back-and-forth contact surface and / or enable a high contact force between the base body and the contact body due to the wedge effect of the tooth engagement. However, any other shapes of the contact surfaces are also possible.Due to the two-part design of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode with the base body and the contact body, once the contact body has worn by a critical height AH, the contact body can be removed from the base body, and a new contact body can be inserted into the base body. Thus, the entire strip flash butt welding machine electrode does not need to be replaced due to wear, as is the case with the prior art. Instead, replacing the contact body is sufficient, allowing the material of the base body to be reused. The invention thus achieves significant material savings.

[0058] Alternatively, after the contact body has been worn by a critical height AH, the contact body can be reused, but in this case, a socket body can be used whose height is greater by the height AH than the previously used socket body. This can also result in significant material savings.

[0059] There are many different options for the type of connection between the base body and the contact body. According to one embodiment of the invention, the base body and the contact body are connected via fastening screws. The fastening screws ensure the contact force between the base body and the contact body in order to provide a low contact resistance. Alternatively or additionally, the base body and the contact body can be connected via locating pins that determine the relative position between the base body and the contact body. While any orientation of the fastening screws and / or locating pins is possible, they are preferably oriented vertically to the contact surfaces between the base body and the contact body and parallel to each other.

[0060] It is possible for the strip flash butt welding machine electrode (in addition to any fastening screws and dowel pins) to consist exclusively of the base body and the contact body. In another proposal, the strip flash butt welding machine electrode is designed in at least three parts. In this case, the strip flash butt welding machine electrode has a base body, a contact body, and at least one compensating body. The compensating body serves to compensate for vertical wear of the contact body as follows: First, a strip flash butt welding machine electrode is used that consists exclusively of the base body and the contact body. If the contact body has worn by the critical height AH, the contact body would normally have to be replaced with a new one. However, for this proposal of the invention, the contact body is still used.This is then removed from the base body, and the compensating body is mounted between the base body and the contact body. The compensating body has a height AH, which means that in the strip flash butt welding machine electrode now formed by the base body, the contact body, and the compensating body, the contact surface of the contact body for the strip is again arranged at its original height. By using the compensating body, the service life of the same contact body can be doubled. It is possible that, after further wear of the contact body by the height AH, an additional corresponding compensating body can be mounted, or the previously used compensating body can be removed and a compensating body with twice the height 2AH can be inserted, whereby the same contact body can then be used again, and so on.

[0061] Within the scope of the invention, as explained above, the at least one compensating body can be arranged between the base body and the contact body. It is likewise possible for the compensating body to be arranged between the base body and the foundation. It is also possible for at least one compensating body to be arranged between the foundation and the base body, while at least one compensating body is also arranged between the base body and the contact body. If the compensating body is located between the base body and the foundation, the compensating body can also ensure insulation in order to prevent a transfer or bypass of electrical energy via the foundation. In this case, the compensating body can have only an insulating layer or be made entirely of an insulating material.

[0062] There are fundamentally many possibilities for the geometric design of the compensating body, with the shape of the compensating body preferably being adapted to the contact surfaces with the foundation, the base body or the contact body. The compensating body is preferably plate-shaped. In this case, the compensating body has, in particular, a plate thickness that corresponds to the critical extent AH of wear. The plate height is preferably less than 10 mm, in particular less than 8 mm, less than 6 mm, less than 5 mm or even less than 4 mm. There are also many possibilities for the geometric design of the contact body. For one proposal of the invention, the contact body is plate-shaped or cuboid-shaped. The contact body can have a height that is less than 60 mm, in particular less than 50 mm or less than 40 mm or even less than 30 mm.

[0063] According to a further proposal of the invention, the contact body projects beyond the base body and / or a compensating body arranged between the base body and the contact body when viewed from above in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the strip. This dimensioning of the contact body, the base body and / or the compensating body means that the contact body can reach very close to the end faces of the strip ends, which is advantageous for the introduction of energy, the support of the strip ends and the welding process. As a result of the protrusion of the contact body, a recess is created below the contact body in the transition area to the compensating body and / or base body. This recess can be advantageously used to enable the movement of a tool of the strip flash butt welding machine.For example, if the weld seam created is reworked using a planer, a planer blade can move through a gap between the facing end faces of two contact bodies of the two strip flash butt welding machine electrodes, while a larger holder for the planer blade can pass through the enlarged gap between the base bodies in the area of ​​the recesses.

[0064] It is possible that, in a corresponding plan view, the base body projects beyond the base body and / or a compensating body arranged between the base body and the contact body in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the strip. Such a projection can be used to form a flange in the region of which the base body and / or compensating body can be screwed to the foundation of the strip flash butt welding machine. It is also possible that a projection (preferably arranged on the opposite side) serves to support the base body and thus the strip flash butt welding machine electrode on another part of the strip flash butt welding machine in order to specify the position of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode relative to the other components of the strip flash butt welding machine, preferably in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the strip ends.Within the scope of the invention, an electrode set for the strip flash butt welding machine can also be used. The electrode set then has a strip flash butt welding machine electrode, as previously explained. The electrode set contains at least two base bodies that have different heights. This is explained for an example in which a first base body has the size H required to use a new contact body in the strip flash butt welding machine. In contrast, the second base body has a height that results from the sum of the height H and the critical height due to wear AH. Initially, the strip flash butt welding machine electrode is operated with the first base body and a new contact body until wear AH has occurred on the contact body. The first base body is disassembled from the contact body.The same contact body is then mounted on the second base body. Due to the increased height of the second base body, the contact surface of the already worn contact body is then at the initial height of the unworn contact body on the first base body. The strip flash butt welding machine can then continue to operate with the already worn contact body. It goes without saying that a third, fourth, etc. base body, each with a height increased by AH, can also be used.

[0065] Alternatively or additionally, the electrode set may also contain compensating bodies with different heights, whereby the heights can then differ from each other by the height AH.

[0066] Advantageous further developments of the invention emerge from the patent claims, the description and the drawings.

[0067] The advantages of features and combinations of several features mentioned in the description are merely exemplary and can be effective alternatively or cumulatively, without the advantages necessarily having to be achieved by embodiments according to the invention.

[0068] With regard to the disclosure content – ​​not the scope of protection – of the original application documents and the patent, the following applies: Further features can be found in the drawings – in particular the illustrated geometries and the relative dimensions of several components to one another, as well as their relative arrangement and operative connection. The combination of features of different embodiments of the invention or features of different patent claims is also possible, deviating from the chosen references of the patent claims, and is hereby encouraged. This also applies to features that are illustrated in separate drawings or mentioned in their description. These features can also be combined with features of different patent claims.Likewise, features listed in the patent claims may be omitted for further embodiments of the invention, but this does not apply to the independent patent claims of the granted patent.

[0069] The number of features mentioned in the claims and the description is to be understood as meaning that exactly this number or a greater number than the stated number is present, without the need for the explicit use of the adverb "at least." Thus, for example, if reference is made to one element, this is to be understood as meaning that exactly one element, two elements, or more elements are present. The features mentioned in the claims may be supplemented by further features or may be the only features present in the subject matter of the respective claim.

[0070] The reference signs contained in the patent claims do not represent a limitation of the scope of the subject-matter protected by the patent claims. They serve solely to make the patent claims easier to understand.

[0071] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS

[0072] In the following, the invention is further explained and described with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the figures.

[0073] Fig. 1 shows a highly schematic view of a strip flash butt welding machine according to the state of the art.

[0074] Fig. 2 shows a highly schematic view of a strip flash butt welding machine.

[0075] Fig. 3 shows a strip flash butt welding machine in a front view. Fig. 4 shows the strip flash butt welding machine according to Fig. 3 in a horizontal section IV-IV for the cutting path indicated in Fig. 3.

[0076] Fig. 5 shows an attachment group for a strip flash butt welding machine in a plan view.

[0077] Fig. 6 shows the assembly according to Fig. 5 in a front view.

[0078] Fig. 7 shows the assembly according to Fig. 5 and 6 in a view from the left.

[0079] Fig. 8 shows an assembly group with belt ends and intermediate bodies arranged on it with a dismantled bearing plate in a spatial representation.

[0080] Fig. 9 shows the assembly with belt ends and intermediate bodies according to Fig. 8 in a front view.

[0081] Fig. 10 shows a section XX of the assembly group with belt ends and intermediate bodies in the cutting direction indicated in Fig. 9.

[0082] Fig. 11 shows the assembly with belt ends and intermediate bodies according to Fig. 8 to 10 with the bearing plate removed in a view from the left.

[0083] Fig. 12 shows a top view of the assembly with strip ends and clamping elements, strip flash butt welding machine electrodes and actuators.

[0084] Fig. 13 shows a schematic plan view of two strip flash butt welding machine electrodes.

[0085] Fig. 14 shows the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes according to Fig. 13 in a front view.

[0086] Fig. 15 shows the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes according to Figs. 13 and 14 in a vertical section XV-XV. Fig. 16 shows the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes according to Figs. 13 to 15 in a bottom view.

[0087] Fig. 17 shows a strip flash butt welding machine with the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes according to Figs. 13 to 16 in a plan view.

[0088] Fig. 18 shows the strip flash butt welding machine according to Fig. 17 in a vertical section XVIII-XVIII.

[0089] Fig. 19 shows a detail XIX of the vertical section of the strip flash butt welding machine according to Fig. 18.

[0090] Fig. 20 shows schematically a restoration of a strip flash butt welding machine electrode after wear by replacing the contact body.

[0091] Fig. 21 shows schematically a restoration of a strip flash butt welding machine electrode after wear by replacing the base body.

[0092] Fig. 22 shows schematically a restoration of a strip flash butt welding machine electrode after wear by using a compensating body.

[0093] FIGURE DESCRIPTION

[0094] In the figures, components that correspond or are similar in terms of their geometries and / or functions are sometimes provided with the same reference numerals, which may then be distinguished from one another by the additional letters a, b, ... If a reference to such a component is made using the reference numeral without the additional letter, this may refer to a single component, any number of these components, or all of the components.

[0095] Fig. 1 shows a strip flash butt welding machine 1 according to the prior art. The strip flash butt welding machine 1 has a foundation 2, which can be solid or designed as a supporting structure. A first strip end 3 is aligned by a first alignment element 4 with an alignment rail and support bolts and is clamped between first clamping elements 5a, 5b, with at least one of the first clamping elements 5 forming a first strip flash butt welding machine electrode 6. The first strip end 3 has a first end face 7.

[0096] By means of a drive (not shown here), a carriage 8 can be moved with a movement 14 in the direction of a longitudinal axis 9, which corresponds to the longitudinal axis 9a of the first strip end 3. A second alignment element 10 is mounted on the carriage 8. The second alignment element 10 aligns a second strip end 11. The second strip end 11 is clamped between second clamping elements 12a, 12b, with at least one of the second clamping elements 12 forming a second strip flash butt welding machine electrode 13. With the movement 14 of the carriage 8 along the longitudinal axis 9, a corresponding movement of the second clamping elements 12, the second strip flash butt welding machine electrode 13, the second alignment element 10 and the second strip end 11 takes place. The second strip end 11 has a second end face 15. In the operating position sketched in Fig. 2, the end faces 7, 15 lie against one another or are connected to one another via a weld seam 16.The strip flash butt welding machine 1 has at least one electronic control unit 17. The electronic control unit 17 controls, on the one hand, the electrical application of the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes 6, 13. On the other hand, the control unit 17 controls the operation of actuators 18a, 18b for actuating the clamping elements 5, 12 as well as the drive for generating the movement 14.

[0097] In Fig. 1, the longitudinal axis 9 denotes the longitudinal axis of the band ends 3, 11, which, for a design of the band as a saw band, corresponds to the band running direction of the saw band when it is operated to saw a workpiece. In contrast, in Fig. 1, a transverse direction 19 denotes a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis 9 in a horizontal plane, wherein the transverse direction 19 corresponds to the direction of extension of the weld seam 16.

[0098] For a conversion of the strip flash butt welding machine 1, adjustments 20a, 20b for the alignment of the alignment elements 4, 10 are required. The adjustments 20 must, in particular, ensure that the vertical surfaces 21a, 21b of the alignment elements 4, 10 are arranged in a plane and in the correct position in the transverse direction 19, which depends on the type of at least one strip forming the strip ends 3, 11. Here, the adjusted alignment of the alignment elements 4, 10 is fixed by means of screw connections to the foundation 2 or the carriage 8.

[0099] Fig. 2 shows a strip flash butt welding machine 1 according to the invention, for which the statements made for the known strip flash butt welding machine 1 according to Fig. 1 and the strip flash butt welding machines of the prior art explained at the outset can apply until further notice.

[0100] For this embodiment, the two alignment elements 4, 10 are rigidly connected to one another via a bridge part 22. It is possible for the alignment of the alignment elements 4, 10 to be adjusted to one another via an adjusting device or screws for initial assembly or fine or subsequent adjustment, regardless of the conversion. However, for a conversion, only a single adjustment 20 of the bridge part 22 and, with it, of the alignment elements 4, 10 takes place, whereby the alignment of the alignment elements 4, 10 to one another cannot change during the adjustment 20. In this case, the second alignment element 10 is not held on a carriage 8. Rather, a carriage 8 carries exclusively the second clamping elements 12, the strip flash butt welding machine electrode 13 formed separately therefrom or the strip flash butt welding machine electrode 13 formed integrally with the second clamping elements 12, and the second actuator 18b.If a movement 14 of the carriage 8 with the clamping elements 12, the strip flash butt welding machine electrode 13 and the actuator 18 occurs while the second strip end 11 is clamped by the clamping elements 12, a sliding relative movement of the second strip end 1 relative to the second alignment element 10 occurs, in particular in the region of the vertical surface 21b.

[0101] 3 to 12 show a particular embodiment of the invention in which the strip flash butt welding machine according to the invention is formed by attaching an add-on group 23 to a conventional strip flash butt welding machine.

[0102] Fig. 3 shows a front view of the strip flash butt welding machine 1 with the attachment assembly 23. A base 2 can be seen here, relative to which a carriage 8 can perform a movement 14. This movement 14 is also performed by the tower-like actuators 18b with an upper and lower clamping element 12a, 12b, and the second strip flash butt welding machine electrode 13 formed thereby. The attachment group 23 comprises the bridge part 22 with the alignment elements 4, 10, a fastening area 24 for fastening the attachment group 23 to the foundation 2 of the strip flash butt welding machine 1 (here in the side area thereof), a transverse guide device 25, via which the bridge part 22 is guided in the transverse direction 19 relative to the fastening area 24, and a manual actuating element, here in the form of a handwheel 26, for bringing about the relative movement of the bridge part 22 relative to the fastening area 24 in the transverse direction 19 (cf.also the following figures and associated description).

[0103] In the horizontal section IV-IV according to Fig. 4, it can be seen that the alignment elements 4, 10 each have a stop body 27a, 27b, which forms the vertical surface 21a, 21b for the belt backs 28a, 28b of the belt ends 3, 11. In addition, the alignment elements 4, 10 have support bodies 29a, 29b, which extend from the stop bodies 27 below the belt ends 3, 11 in the transverse direction 19 and on which the belt ends 3, 11 rest with their undersides. As can be seen in Fig. 4, the alignment elements 3, 11 each have a pair of such support bodies 29, which are arranged at a distance from one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis 9.

[0104] 5 to 7 show different views of the attachment group 23. In the plan view according to Fig. 5 it can be seen that the bridge part 22 is designed as a bridge plate 30. The bridge part 22 is in this case U-shaped in a first approximation with a base leg 31 and two side legs 32, 33. The base leg 31 and the side legs 32, 33 delimit a recess 34 which is open in one direction. The alignment elements 4, 10 are arranged in the region of the side legs 32, 33, the stop bodies 27 and the vertical surfaces 21 formed by them being arranged parallel to the base leg 31, while the support bodies 29 are arranged vertically to the base leg 31.

[0105] In Fig. 6 it can be seen that the transverse guide device 25 has a guide rail 35 extending in the transverse direction 19, the cross-section of which is positively enclosed by two guide bearings 36, wherein the transverse guide device 25 enables a relative movement of the guide bearings 36 along the guide rail 35 in the transverse direction 19. For the illustrated embodiment, the guide bearings 36 are fastened to the fastening area 24, while the guide rail 35 is fastened to a vertically oriented bearing plate 37 fastened to the bridge part 22. Preferably, the guide bearings 36 are braced in a conventional manner to reduce play in the transverse guide device 25. The transverse guide device 25 is preferably designed as a ball rail guide.If the attachment group 23 is fastened to the foundation 2 via the fastening area 24, the adjustment 20 of the bridge part 22 with the alignment elements 4, 10 can be brought about as a unit by means of the movement in the transverse direction 19 guided by the transverse guide device 25.

[0106] Furthermore, the attachment group 23 has a locking device 38, which, for the illustrated embodiment, can be manually actuated by the operator via a locking lever 39. For the illustrated embodiment of the locking device 38, the manual actuation of the locking lever 39 can tighten the locking jaws 40a, 40b (see Fig. 11) such that the locking jaws 40 are clamped to the guide rail 35, thereby locking the degree of freedom of the transverse guide device 25 in the transverse direction 19. The locking device 38 is released when the conversion is to take place. Once the adjustment 20 has been completed to the desired extent, the locking device 38 is locked again.

[0107] For the illustrated embodiment, the adjustment 20 in the transverse direction 19 is achieved by manually turning the handwheel 26. A gear 41, in this case a spindle drive 42, is actuated by the handwheel 26. The spindle drive 42 has a spindle 43 that is non-rotatably connected to the handwheel 26 and rotatably mounted in bearings, as well as a spindle nut 44 that, due to the transverse guide device 25, has only one degree of freedom in the transverse direction 19. For the illustrated embodiment, the bearings are attached to the mounting area 24, while the spindle nut 44 is attached to the bearing plate 37.

[0108] The mounting area 24 has a mounting plate 45, which, on the one hand, carries the aforementioned bearings for the spindle 43 and the guide bearings 36, and, on the other hand, mounting bolts 46a, 46b, which can be screwed into threaded holes in the foundation 2. These can be threaded holes for lifting eyes, via which the strip flash butt welding machine can be hinged to a crane hook according to the state of the art.It is possible that the working plane, in which the strip ends 3, 11 and the contact surfaces with the alignment elements 4, 10 as well as the areas of interaction with the clamping elements 5, 12 and strip flash butt welding machine electrodes 6, 13 as well as a tool, for example for deburring, are arranged, is raised via the attachment group 23 relative to the working plane for the strip flash butt welding machine known from the prior art, which can be reflected in the dimensioning of the bridge part 22 and the alignment elements 4, 10 as well as the lower clamping elements 5, 12 and strip flash butt welding machine electrodes 6, 13 in the height direction. If this also requires lifting of the upper clamping elements 5, 12 and / or the associated actuators 18a, 18b, additional intermediate bodies 47 can be used in the assembly group 23, on which the actuators 18a, 18b and the associated upper clamping elements 5, 12 are arranged (cf. Fig. 9, Fig. 10).This elevation of the working plane also allows the lower clamping elements 5, 12 and the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes 6, 13 formed by them to be constructed in two parts, with a base body 48 and a contact body 49. The base body 48 and the contact body 49 are screwed together to form a rigid unit. The base body 48 serves for attachment to the foundation 2 or the carriage 8, while the contact body 49 serves to contact the strip ends 3, 11 and to transmit the electrical energy of the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes 6, 13.

[0109] To form the arc between the end faces 7, 15 of the strip ends 3, 11, care must be taken to prevent a short circuit of the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes 6, 13 via the bridge part 22 or the attachment group 23. For this purpose, insulation elements 50 are provided along the path between the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes 6, 13 via the adjacent strip ends 3, 11, the alignment elements 4, 10, and the bridge part 22 to interrupt the short circuit.

[0110] For the illustrated embodiment, insulation elements 50a are designed as plastic plates 51 arranged between the alignment elements 4, 10 and the bridge section 22. The screws used to fasten the alignment elements 4, 10 to the bridge section 22 have screw insulators that form insulation elements 50b. Furthermore, the fastening area 24 can be supported on the foundation 2 via plastic plates 51 that form insulation elements 50c. For the illustrated embodiment, the attachment group 23 further has a plastic plate 52 that forms another insulation element 50d.Via the plastic plate 52, the bridge part 22 of the attachment group 23 is slidably supported in the end region on the side facing away from the transverse guide device 25 and the fastening area 24, additionally in the vertical direction to enable movement in the transverse direction 19, thus forming a further guide device 53 for the attachment group 23. Here, the guide device 53 is designed as a sliding guide. It is possible for the plastic plate 52 to be supported on the upper side of the carriage 8 of the strip flash butt welding machine 1. In this case, the guide device 53 ensures not only a sliding relative movement in the transverse direction 19 for the adjustment 20, but also a relative movement parallel to the longitudinal axis 9 during the movement of the carriage 8.

[0111] According to the invention, the alignment elements 4, 10 are coupled via a mechanical coupling device 54, which is formed with the bridge part 22 for the illustrated embodiment.

[0112] In the bridge part 22, the two side legs 32, 33 each form bridge sections 55, 56, which are connected to each other via the base leg 31. The alignment elements 4, 10 are attached to the bridge sections 55, 56. The mechanical coupling is then achieved via the base leg 31, which forms a type of coupling web.

[0113] For the description of the figures, reference has been made to any desired band ends 3, 11, so that, for example, the band ends can be those of any two bands with any desired longitudinal extension, any desired cross-section, and any desired material. Preferably, the band ends 3, 11 are saw band ends of a saw band bent and welded into an endless ring.

[0114] Figs. 13 to 16 show strip flash butt welding machine electrodes 6, 13 in different views. The design of the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes 6, 13 is explained using the strip flash butt welding machine electrode 6 as an example, with reference numerals used only for the strip flash butt welding machine electrode 6, while the same applies to the strip flash butt welding machine electrode 13 of identical design.

[0115] The strip flash butt welding machine electrodes 6, 13 have a base body 57 and a contact body 58, which are divided horizontally and evenly and lie against each other over their entire surface via contact surfaces 59, 60. On its upper side, the contact body 58 forms a contact surface 61, against which the strip end 3, 11 rests. On the underside, the base body forms

[0116] 57 a contact surface 62, via which the strip flash butt welding machine electrode 6, 13 is supported directly or indirectly on the foundation 2 or the carriage 8.

[0117] The contact body 58 is cuboid-shaped, whereby it is possible that edges of the cuboid are rounded or provided with a chamfer (see Fig. 15).

[0118] The contact body 58 is fastened to the base body 57 via fastening screws 63a, 63b, 63c, 63d. The relative position between the base body 57 and the contact body 58 is specified via locating pins 64a, 64b. The fastening screws 63 and the locating pins 64 extend vertically to the contact surfaces 59, 60. The locating pins 64a, 64b are preferably arranged at a relatively large distance from one another, which, for the illustrated embodiment, is oriented along a transverse axis that is oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis 9. For an exemplary hole pattern for the locating pins 64 and the fastening screws 63, reference is made to Fig. 16.

[0119] In the contact body 58, the holes are designed as blind holes, with threaded holes for the fastening screws 63. In contrast, the holes in the base body 57 are designed as through holes. The heads of the fastening screws 63 in the base body 57 are countersunk so that they do not protrude from the contact surface 62.

[0120] As can be seen in Fig. 16, the contact body 58 is dimensioned in the direction of the longitudinal axis 9 such that it forms a projection 65a, 65b on both sides of the base body 57. This results in the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes 6, 13 each forming a recess 66a, 66b in a vertical section running in the direction of the longitudinal axis 9 (see Fig. 15). In a horizontal plane and transverse to the longitudinal axis 9, the base body

[0121] 58 extends in both directions with a projection 67a, 67b over the contact body 58. The projection 67a forms a flange 58 on the side facing the user of the strip flash butt welding machine 1, which flange has bores 69a, 69b. The strip flash butt welding machine electrodes 6, 13 can be screwed to the foundation 2 or the carriage 8 via the bores 69 of the flange 68. The projection 67b forms an alignment and / or positioning element 70, the function of which will be explained below.

[0122] While it is fundamentally possible for the base body 58 to also be cuboid-shaped, the base body 58 preferably has a lower height in the region of at least one projection 67a, 67b than in the region of the contact surface 59. It is also possible for the contact body 58 to merge into the projection 67a, 67b via a recess formed by the base body 57.

[0123] Fig. 17 shows the strip flash butt welding machine electrode 6, 13 according to Figs. 13 to 16 in a state installed in the strip flash butt welding machine 1 in a plan view.

[0124] Fig. 18 shows a vertical section of the strip flash butt welding machine 1 at the cutting line XVII l-XVI 11 marked in Fig. 17.

[0125] Fig. 19 shows detail XIX of this vertical section. It can be seen here that, in a direction in the horizontal plane and transverse to the longitudinal axis 9, the strip flash butt welding machine electrode 6 is supported by the end face of the alignment and / or positioning element 70 on a shoulder or a corresponding end face of the strip flash butt welding machine 1, whereby the position of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode 6 in this direction and / or the alignment thereof is / are predetermined.

[0126] Fig. 20 schematically shows a strip flash butt welding machine electrode 6, 13 with a base body 57 and a contact body 58. In Fig. 20, the left-hand part of the image shows hatched wear of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode 6, 13 during operation, which reduces the height of the contact surface 61 by AH (see reference numeral 71). If the strip flash butt welding machine electrode 6 is no longer operable in this state, it is replaced with a new contact body 58, as shown in the right-hand part of Fig. 20.

[0127] In Figs. 20 to 22, the suffix "-1" or "-2" indicates that it is a first (old) or a second (or new) component, respectively. In Fig. 21, the strip flash butt welding machine electrode 6, 13 is restored in a different way. Here, despite the wear with the height 71, the same contact body 58 is still used. In this case, the base body 57-1 is replaced with a new base body 57-2. The base bodies 57-1, 57-2 differ in their heights: For the base body 57-2, the height H of the base body 57-1 is shown in dashed lines. The height of the base body 57-2 is higher than the height of the base body 57-1 by exactly the height difference 71, so that the height of the base body 57-2 is H + AH.

[0128] In Fig. 22, the same base body 57 is used, and the contact body 58 also continues to be used despite the wear. In this case, however, a compensating body 72 is used between the base body 57 and the worn contact body 58. This compensating body is plate-shaped here and its height corresponds to the height difference 71.

[0129] When operating a strip flash butt welding machine as described above, the strip flash butt welding machine is initially operated with a contact body until a predetermined level of wear has occurred or a predetermined number of operating cycles is reached, so that the height of the contact body has decreased by AH. The strip flash butt welding machine electrode is then dismantled and the contact body of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode is replaced with a new contact body. The contact body can be connected to the base body using locating pins and / or fastening screws. Optionally, the contact surface of the new contact body can then be remachined, preferably achieving plane-parallelism between the contact surface of the new contact body for the strip end and the underside of the base body.Reworking can also be carried out to ensure that the contact surfaces of the first strip flash butt welding machine electrode and the second strip flash butt welding machine electrode for the two strip ends are arranged in one plane. The strip flash butt welding machine electrode, with the new contact body contained therein, is then mounted on the strip flash butt welding machine. The strip flash butt welding machine can then be operated for further operating cycles, with the same base body with the new contact body being used in these further operating cycles. Alternatively, the strip flash butt welding machine can first be operated according to the previously explained method until a predetermined level of wear or a predetermined number of operating cycles is reached, and the strip flash butt welding machine electrode can be dismantled.In this case, however, the base body of the strip flash butt welding machine electrode is replaced with a new base body, whereby the new base body has a height increased by AH, or a compensating body is mounted with the. The difference between the heights of the base body and the new base body or the height of the compensating body correlates with the wear of the contact body by the height AH during operation of the strip flash butt welding machine until a predetermined level of wear or a predetermined number of operating cycles is reached. Optionally, the contact surface of the contact body with the strip end can then be remachined, as previously explained. The strip flash butt welding machine electrode is then mounted with the new base body or the compensating body on the strip flash butt welding machine.The strip flash butt welding machine can then be operated until a predetermined level of wear or a predetermined number of operating cycles has been reached, etc.

[0130] For all embodiments of the invention, the following can optionally, alternatively, or cumulatively apply to the design of the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes 6, 13: a) The strip flash butt welding machine electrode 6, 13 can be designed in at least two parts and have a base body 57 and a contact body 58. b) The base body 57 and the contact body 58 can be connected to one another via vertically oriented fastening screws 63 and / or dowel pins 64. c) The strip flash butt welding machine electrode 6, 13 can be designed in at least three parts and have the base body 57, the contact body 58, and at least one compensating body 72. d) The compensating body 72 can be plate-shaped with a plate height that is less than 10 mm. e) The contact body 58 can be plate-shaped with a height that is less than 60 mm.f) The contact body 58 can project beyond the base body 57 and / or a compensating body 72 arranged between the base body 57 and the contact body 58 in the direction of the longitudinal axis 9 of the strip. g) The base body 57 can project beyond the base body 57 and / or a compensating body 72 arranged between the base body 57 and the contact body 58 transversely to the longitudinal axis 9 of the strip. h) An electrode set can have at least two base bodies 57-1, 57-2 and / or compensating bodies 72 with different heights.

[0131] LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0132] Strip flash butt welding machine

[0133] Foundation first strip end first alignment element first clamping element first strip flash butt welding machine electrode first end face

[0134] Sleds

[0135] Longitudinal axis second alignment element second strip end second clamping element second strip flash butt welding machine electrode

[0136] Movement of the second frontal surface

[0137] Weld seam

[0138] Control unit

[0139] Actuator

[0140] Transverse direction

[0141] adjustment

[0142] vertical surface

[0143] Bridge section

[0144] cultivation group

[0145] Mounting area

[0146] Transverse guidance device

[0147] handwheel

[0148] stop body

[0149] Back of the band

[0150] Support body

[0151] bridge plate

[0152] base leg

[0153] Side leg Side leg Recess Guide rail Guide bearing Bearing plate Locking device Locking lever Locking jaws Gear Spindle drive Spindle Spindle nut Fastening plate Fastening bolt Intermediate body Base body Contact body Insulation element Plastic plates Plastic plate Guide device Coupling device Bridge section Bridge section Base body Contact body Contact surface Contact surface Contact surface Contact surface Fastening screw Dowel pin Projection Recess Projection Flange Bore Alignment and / or positioning element AH Compensating body

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS 1. Strip flash butt welding machine (1) for welding end faces (7, 15) of strip ends (3, 11) of at least one strip, comprising a) first clamping elements (5) for clamping a first strip end (3) and second clamping elements (12) for clamping a second strip end (11), b) a first alignment element (4) for aligning the first strip end (3) and a second alignment element (10) for aligning the second strip end (11), c) wherein the second clamping elements (12) are movable relative to the first clamping elements (5) in the direction of a longitudinal axis (9) via a drive, characterized in that d) the first alignment element (4) and the second alignment element (10) are coupled to each other via a coupling device which specifies a relative alignment of the first and second alignment elements (4, 10), and e) the second clamping elements (12) by means of the drive translationally in the direction of the longitudinal axis (9) relative to the two alignment elements (4,10) are movable.

2. Strip flash butt welding machine (1) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the coupling device is an electronic coupling device.

3. Strip flash butt welding machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling device is a mechanical coupling device (54) which firmly connects the first alignment element (4) and the second alignment element (10) during a changeover, wherein the coupling device (54) preferably has a bridge part (22) which a) has a first bridge part section (55) with the first alignment element (4), b) has a second bridge part section (56) with the second alignment element (10), and c) has a recess (34) ca) which is arranged between the first bridge part section (55) and the second bridge part section (56), and cb) in the area in which the weld seam (16) is created and / or a working area of ​​a tool of the strip flash butt welding machine (1) is arranged and / or the clamping elements (5, 12) and / or the strip flash butt welding machine electrodes (6, 13) are arranged.

4. Strip flash butt welding machine (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the coupling device (54) with the alignment elements (4, 10) held thereon is guided via a transverse guide device (25) with one degree of freedom in a transverse direction (19), wherein preferably a locking device (38) is provided by which the degree of freedom of the transverse guide device (25) in the transverse direction (19) can be fixed.

5. Strip flash butt welding machine (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the coupling device (54) with the alignment elements (4, 10) held thereon is guided via a guide device (53) relative to a slide (8) which guides the second clamping element (12) for movement in the direction of the longitudinal axis (9).

6. Strip flash butt welding machine (1) according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the coupling device (54) with the alignment elements (4, 10) held thereon is movable in the transverse direction (19) by means of a drive driven by an external force.

7. Strip flash butt welding machine (1) according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the coupling device (54) with the alignment elements (4, 10) held thereon can be moved manually in the transverse direction (19).

8. Strip flash butt welding machine (1) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that a gearbox (41) is arranged in the power flow between a) the coupling device (54) with the alignment elements (4, 10) held thereon and b) the drive or a manual actuating device.

9. Strip flash butt welding machine (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the gear (41) is a spindle drive (42).

10. Strip flash butt welding machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one first clamping element (5) and / or at least one second clamping element (12) forms a strip flash butt welding machine electrode (6; 13).

11. Strip flash butt welding machine (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the strip flash butt welding machine electrode (6; 13) is designed in two parts a) with a base body (48) over which the strip flash butt welding machine electrode (6; 13) is attached, and a contact body (49) which is pressed onto the associated strip end (3; 11) for contacting, or b) with a base body (57) and a contact body (58).

12. Strip flash butt welding machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one insulating element (50) is provided which separates an electrical connection of the alignment elements (4, 10) via the or a bridge part (22).

13. Attachment assembly (23) for a strip flash butt welding machine according to one of the preceding claims comprising a) a bridge part (22) with a first alignment element (4) for a first strip end (3) and a second alignment element (10) for a second strip end (11), b) a mounting area (24) via which the attachment assembly (23) can be attached to the strip flash butt welding machine (1), and c) a transverse guidance device (25) via which the mounting area (24) is coupled to the bridge part (22) with one degree of freedom in a transverse direction (19).

14. Mounting assembly (23) according to claim 13, characterized in that the mounting assembly is designed to form a strip flash butt welding machine (1) according to one of claims 1 to 14.

15. Mounting assembly (23) according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the mounting assembly (23) has an intermediate body (47) which is located between a foundation (2) and a) a tool of the strip flash butt welding machine (1) and / or b) an actuator (18) for a clamping element (5, 12) and / or c) the bridge part (22) and / or an alignment element (4, 10) and / or a strip flash butt welding machine electrode (6, 13) and / or a clamping element (15, 12).

Images