Vertical welding equipment
The vertical welding apparatus addresses the high cost and low efficiency of flange connections in wind power towers by directly welding metal pipes, enhancing connection efficiency and reducing costs through precise alignment and rotation mechanisms.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- CHINA THREE GORGES RENEWABLES (GRP) CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-31
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-21
AI Technical Summary
The high cost and low efficiency of connecting flanges using bolts in wind power towers are significant challenges in current construction practices.
A vertical welding apparatus is employed to weld adjacent metal pipes directly, utilizing an internal and external support mechanism to ensure precise alignment and rotation of the welding mechanism, reducing the need for flange connections and high-strength bolts.
This method saves on flange design and connection costs while improving efficiency by allowing for rapid and high-quality welding of metal pipes, reducing labor and material expenses.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the technical field of welding machines, and particularly to a vertical welding device.
Background Art
[0002] In recent years, wind power generation technology has developed rapidly, and wind power generation has gradually become an important support for clean energy conversion in various countries around the world. A wind power tower is a tower pole for wind power generation, which mainly plays a supporting role in wind power generation equipment and at the same time absorbs the vibration of the equipment. As an important supporting structure to ensure the safe and stable operation of wind power generation equipment, a metal plate is wound to form a metal pipe, which is usually manufactured and transported in multiple sections and assembled on site.
[0003] In current construction practices, flanges forged directly from steel are pre-welded at both ends of multiple sections of wind power towers. After transporting multiple sections of wind power towers to the installation site, adjacent towers are lifted and aligned at the installation site, and then bolts are used to connect the flanges of adjacent towers, thereby realizing the connection of multiple sections of wind power towers.
[0004] However, the above method of connecting flanges using bolts has high costs and low connection efficiency.
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0005] This application provides a vertical welding device to solve the technical problem that the cost of connecting bolts to the flanges of wind power towers is high and the connection efficiency is low.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] To achieve the above object, the embodiments of this application provide the following technical solutions.
[0007] This application provides a vertical welding apparatus for welding two adjacent metal pipes that are connected vertically, the apparatus comprising an internal support mechanism, a support mechanism and at least one welding mechanism, The internal support mechanism is provided inside the metal pipe, and moves up and down relative to the metal pipe to support the connection point between two adjacent metal pipes. The support mechanism is for contacting the outer wall of the lower of the two adjacent metal pipes. The welding mechanism is provided on the support mechanism and rotates relative to the metal pipes in order to weld two adjacent metal pipes together, by surrounding the connection point of the outer walls of the two adjacent metal pipes.
[0008] In one possible embodiment, the welding mechanism includes a load-bearing board, a support ring, at least one moving assembly, and a welding assembly provided on the moving assembly. The load-bearing board is for insertion into the metal pipe, and the load-bearing board is connected to the support mechanism. The support ring is provided on the load-bearing board, and the support ring is provided coaxially with the metal pipe. The movable assembly is slidably connected to the inner wall of the support ring, the welded assembly is connected to the movable assembly, and the movable assembly rotates around the inner wall of the support ring to drive the welded assembly to rotate relative to the metal tube.
[0009] In one possible embodiment, the moving assembly includes a first mounting seat and at least one slider. The welding assembly is provided on the first mounting seat. The slider is provided on the first mounting seat, the support ring is provided with an annular sliding groove, the portion of the slider is located within the annular sliding groove and moves in an annular manner along the annular sliding groove.
[0010] In one possible embodiment, the welding assembly includes a second mounting seat and a welding head provided on the second mounting seat, the second mounting seat being slidably connected to the first mounting seat, and the welding head being directed toward the metal pipe.
[0011] In one possible embodiment, the welding assembly further includes at least one rust removal member, the rust removal member being provided on the second mounting seat and spaced apart from the welding head, and the rust removal member being used in front of the welding head, facing the metal pipe.
[0012] In one possible embodiment, the support mechanism includes a support beam, a friction ring, and an expansion member. The support beam has one end in contact with the bottom surface of the load-bearing board and the other end connected to the friction ring, and the friction ring is provided to fit the metal pipe. The expandable member is connected at one end to the bottom surface of the load-bearing board and at the other end to the support beam, and the expandable member expands and contracts itself to drive the friction ring to contact the outer wall of the metal pipe or away from the outer wall of the metal pipe in order to support the welding mechanism or to release the welding mechanism.
[0013] In one possible embodiment, the internal support mechanism includes an internal support baseboard, a jack member, and an internal support assembly. The internal support baseboard is for fixing to the inner wall of one of the metal pipes, and the jack member is located on the internal support baseboard. The internal support assembly is connected to the jack member, which pushes the internal support assembly to move it up and down relative to the inner wall of the metal pipe.
[0014] In one possible embodiment, the internal support assembly includes a first internal support ring and a second internal support ring provided to fit over the first internal support ring, the outer wall of the second internal support ring being for contact with the joint of the inner walls of two adjacent metal tubes.
[0015] In one possible embodiment, the first internal support ring is provided with an electrically heated member.
[0016] In one possible embodiment, the system further includes at least two climbing members, which are axially mounted on the outer wall of the metal pipe to push the welding mechanism up and down relative to the metal pipe, with the tops of the climbing members in contact with the bottom of the load-bearing board. [Effects of the Invention]
[0017] The vertical welding apparatus provided by this application is used for welding two adjacent metal pipes that are connected vertically. By providing a support mechanism on the outer wall of the lower of the two adjacent metal pipes to support the welding mechanism, the welding mechanism is positioned to surround the connection point of the outer walls of the two adjacent metal pipes. Furthermore, by providing a vertically movable internal support mechanism inside the metal pipe, the internal support mechanism is supported at the connection point of the inner walls of the two adjacent metal pipes. When the welding mechanism rotates relative to the metal pipe, the internal support action of the internal support mechanism causes the welding mechanism to weld around the two adjacent metal pipes, thereby achieving a vertical connection of the two adjacent metal pipes. Compared to a method of connecting metal pipes to flanges using high-strength bolts, this connection method saves on flange design costs and the process of connecting flanges to metal pipes, thereby reducing costs and improving connection efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0018] To more clearly explain the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings that need to be used in the following description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described. Of course, the drawings in the following description are part of the embodiments related to this application. On the premise that those skilled in the art do not perform creative work, they can obtain other drawings based on these drawings. Here, the drawings are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of this specification, showing the embodiments that conform to this application, and are used to explain the principles of this application together with the specification. [Figure 1] It is a schematic structural diagram of a vertical welding device provided by an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 2] It is a plan view of FIG. 1. Through the above drawings, clear embodiments of the present application are shown, and more detailed descriptions will be given later. These drawings and written descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept of this application by any means, but to explain the concept of this application to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments.
Modes for Carrying Out the Invention
[0019] To make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, hereinafter, specific embodiments will be used to clearly and completely explain the technical solution of the present application and how the above technical problems are solved by the technical solution of the present application while referring to the drawings of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of them. Some of the following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and for the same or similar concepts or processes, they may not be described again in some embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art on the premise of not performing creative work based on the embodiments of the present application shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.
[0020] In the specification, claims and drawings of the present application, terms such as "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc. (if any) are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or priority, but are for distinguishing similar objects. It should be understood that the data used in this way is interchangeable where appropriate so that the embodiments of the present application described in this specification can be implemented in an order other than, for example, the order illustrated or described in this specification.
[0021] In the embodiments of the present application, terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to represent examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the present application should not be construed as being more preferable or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Exactly, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to specifically present the related concepts.
[0022] The support structure of the wind power generation device mainly consists of a pedestal and multiple towers. Among these, the tower serves to increase the height of the wind turbine and position the wind turbine at the position of the maximum wind energy, and at the same time can also function as a passage for the power transmission line. As a high-altitude support structure, the tower of the wind power generator needs to play a role in resisting the wind, and its stability and structural strength are the key points to ensure that the wind power generator is not affected.
[0023] Currently, wind turbine towers are formed by rolling metal plates to create metal tubes. Once the welding of a single section of the cylindrical body is complete, a support ring is installed inside the tower to prevent the metal tube from bending and deforming due to its own weight or external forces, and flanges are pre-welded to both ends of the tower. After the fabrication of the wind turbine tower is complete, it is usually transported to the installation site in sections, where each section is lifted and assembled. After butting the sections together with the lower-positioned wind turbine tower, the flanges of adjacent tower sections are connected using high-strength bolts to complete the assembly of the wind turbine tower. However, the flanges are forged using steel as is, and the cost of the flanges per unit weight is much higher than that of the tower per unit weight. Furthermore, it is necessary to increase the design cost of the flanges. In addition, connecting the flanges of two adjacent tower sections with high-strength bolts requires a flange-to-metal tube connection process, which is not only labor-intensive but also inefficient.
[0024] Therefore, this invention provides a vertical welding apparatus for welding two adjacent metal pipes that are connected vertically. By providing a support mechanism on the outer wall of the lower of the two adjacent metal pipes to support the welding mechanism, the welding mechanism is positioned to surround the connection point of the outer walls of the two adjacent metal pipes. Furthermore, by providing an internally movable support mechanism inside the metal pipe, the internally movable support mechanism is supported at the connection point of the inner walls of the two adjacent metal pipes. When the welding mechanism rotates relative to the metal pipe, the internally movable support of the internally movable support mechanism causes the welding mechanism to weld around the two adjacent metal pipes, thereby achieving a vertical connection of the two adjacent metal pipes. As a result, this connection method saves on flange design costs and the process of connecting flanges to metal pipes compared to a method of connecting metal pipes to flanges using high-strength bolts. In addition, by achieving the connection of two adjacent metal pipes with a short working time using a welding apparatus, labor costs can be further reduced, resulting in high connection efficiency.
[0025] The technical aspects of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings and specific embodiments. Some of the following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and some of the same or similar concepts or processes may no longer be described in some embodiments.
[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, an embodiment of the present invention provides a vertical welding apparatus for welding two adjacent metal pipes 100 that are vertically connected, the apparatus comprising an internal support mechanism 400, a support mechanism 300 and at least one welding mechanism 200, wherein the internal support mechanism 400 is provided inside the metal pipe 100 and moves up and down relative to the metal pipe 100 to support the connection point of the two adjacent metal pipes 100, the support mechanism 300 is provided in contact with the outer wall of the lower of the two adjacent metal pipes 100, and the welding mechanism 200 is provided in the support mechanism 300 and rotates relative to the metal pipe 100 to surround the connection point of the outer walls of the two adjacent metal pipes 100 and to weld the two adjacent metal pipes 100.
[0027] In this invention, as shown in Figure 1, two adjacent metal pipes 100 are butted together vertically, and the support mechanism 300 abuts against the outer wall of the lower metal pipe 100. The support mechanism 300 is slidably provided with at least one welding mechanism 200 so that the welding mechanism 200 faces the connection point of the outer walls of the two adjacent metal pipes 100 and rotates around the metal pipe 100 at the same height. Inside the metal pipe 100, an internal support mechanism 400 is further provided, and the internal support mechanism 400 moves up and down relative to the metal pipe 100 so that the internal support mechanism 400 is positioned at the connection point of the inner walls of the two adjacent metal pipes 100. That is, when the welding mechanism 200 surrounds the connection point of the outer walls of the two adjacent metal pipes 100 and performs welding, the internal support mechanism 400 supports the connection point of the inner walls of the two adjacent metal pipes 100.
[0028] In a specific embodiment, for two vertically adjacent metal pipes 100, the lower metal pipe 100 is first fixed to the base surface, the upper metal pipe 100 is lifted using crane equipment such as a crane, and abutted against the opening of the lower metal pipe 100. The support mechanism 400 inside the lower metal pipe 100 is then moved upward and supported at the connection point of the inner walls of the two adjacent metal pipes 100, thereby ensuring the alignment of the two adjacent metal pipes 100 and their perpendicularity to the base surface. Exemplarily, as shown in Figure 2, in this application, four welding mechanisms 200 surrounding the connection point of the outer walls of the two adjacent metal pipes 100 are distributed axially symmetrically on the outer walls of the metal pipes 100. When each welding mechanism 200 rotates by a quarter turn with respect to the circumferential direction of the metal pipe 100, all welding in the circumferential direction of the two adjacent metal pipes 100 is completed. This invention realizes a connection method in which two vertically adjacent metal pipes 100 are surrounded and welded, saving on flange design costs and the process of connecting flanges to metal pipes, reducing overall costs of labor and materials, and by arranging multiple welding mechanisms 200, the welding work can be completed in a relatively short time, resulting in high connection efficiency.
[0029] In this embodiment, the metal pipe 100 is a wind power tower. In other embodiments, the material of the metal pipe 100 may be steel, aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, copper alloy, titanium alloy, etc. Furthermore, the metal pipe 100 may be a fixed diameter or a variable diameter metal pipe 100 whose diameter gradually increases or decreases, as long as it is ensured that two adjacent metal pipes 100 have the same diameter at the butt joint in order to form an effective weld bead at the joint. The specific material and dimensions of the metal pipe 100 can be determined according to the actual usage scenario, and this embodiment is not limited thereto.
[0030] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the welding mechanism 200 includes a load-bearing board 210, a support ring 220, at least one movable assembly 230, and a welding assembly 240 provided on the movable assembly 230, wherein the load-bearing board 210 is for insertion into the metal pipe 100 and is connected to the support mechanism 300, the support ring 220 is provided on the load-bearing board 210 and is provided coaxially with the metal pipe 100, the movable assembly 230 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the support ring 220, the welding assembly 240 is connected to the movable assembly 230, and the movable assembly 230 rotates around the inner wall of the support ring 220 to drive the welding assembly 240 to rotate relative to the metal pipe 100.
[0031] As shown in Figure 1, the welding mechanism 200 includes a load-bearing board 210, a support ring 220, at least one movable assembly 230, and a welding assembly 240 provided on the movable assembly 230. Exemplarily, the load-bearing board 210 may be an annular plate positioned within the outer walls of the metal pipe 100, and the load-bearing board 210 abuts above the support mechanism 300 to support other components of the welding mechanism 200. The movable assembly 230 is slidably mounted on the inner wall of the support ring 220, and the movable assembly 230 is provided in one-to-one correspondence with the welding assembly 240, which is oriented towards the joint of the outer walls of two adjacent metal pipes 100, and the movable assembly 230 drives the welding assembly 240 to weld the joint of the outer walls of the two adjacent metal pipes 100 by rotating at the same height on the inner wall of the support ring 220. As shown in Figure 2, specifically, the support ring 220 is provided coaxially with the metal pipe 100, has a larger diameter than the metal pipe 100, and can be attached to the load-bearing board 210 by means of rivets, welding, etc. Furthermore, by axially symmetrically arranging movable welding assemblies 240 on the support ring 220, it is possible not only to ensure the balance of the support ring 220 but also to ensure the perpendicularity of the metal pipe 100 during the welding process, thereby improving welding quality. By operating multiple welding assemblies 240 simultaneously, the welding speed can be increased, and efficient connection of two adjacent metal pipes 100 can be achieved.
[0032] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 1, the moving assembly 230 includes a first mounting seat 231 and at least one slider 232, a welded assembly 240 is provided on the first mounting seat 231, the slider 232 is provided on the first mounting seat 231, the support ring 220 is provided with an annular sliding groove 221, and a portion of the slider 232 is located within the annular sliding groove 221 and moves annularly along the annular sliding groove 221.
[0033] In this application, as shown in Figure 1, the movable assembly 230 includes a first mounting seat 231 and a slider 232 provided on the first mounting seat 231, and the support ring 220 is provided with an annular sliding groove 221. Exemplarily, the slider 232 may be a roller, the roller shaft of which is movably connected to the first mounting seat 231, and the roller portion is slidably connected to the annular sliding groove 221. The slider 232 may also be a gear or the like, and accordingly, the annular sliding groove 221 on the inner wall of the support ring 220 is a rack that meshes with the gear, and the shape of the annular sliding groove 221 is set to match the slider 232, and this embodiment is not limited thereto.
[0034] In a specific embodiment, a first drive motor (not shown) is provided within the first mounting seat 231, and the output terminal of the first drive motor is connected to a slider 232, which drives the slider 232 to move in an annular manner along the annular sliding groove 221 in order to ensure that the moving assembly 230 moves continuously in an annular manner at the same height on the inner wall of the support ring 220. A welding assembly 240 is also provided in the first mounting seat 231, so that when the slider 232 moves in an annular manner along the annular sliding groove 221, the welding assembly 240 can surround and weld the outer wall of the metal pipe 100.
[0035] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the welding assembly 240 includes a second mounting seat 241 and a welding head 242 provided on the second mounting seat 241, the second mounting seat 241 being slidably connected to the first mounting seat 231, and the welding head 242 being directed toward the metal pipe 100.
[0036] In this application, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the welding assembly 240 includes a second mounting seat 241 which is slidably connected to a first mounting seat 231, the second mounting seat 241 is provided with a welding head 242 which faces the outer wall of the metal pipe 100.
[0037] In a specific embodiment, exemplary, a second drive motor (not shown) and a third drive motor (not shown) are provided within the first mounting seat 231, where the output terminal of the second drive motor is connected to a corresponding first transmission mechanism (not shown) within the second mounting seat 241 to drive the second mounting seat 241 closer to or further away from the metal pipe 100, thereby enabling the welding head 242 to move closer to or further away from the metal pipe 100. The output terminal of the third drive motor is connected to a corresponding second transmission mechanism (not shown) within the second mounting seat 241 to drive the second mounting seat 241 up and down relative to the metal pipe 100, thereby adjusting the height of the welding head 242 to match the height of the connection point of the outer walls of two adjacent metal pipes 100, thereby ensuring effective contact between the welding head 242 and the connection point of the outer walls of two adjacent metal pipes 100, and thus ensuring welding quality. For example, the first transmission mechanism may be a retractable connecting rod structure, and the second transmission mechanism may be a sprocket chain or the like. Specifically, it can be set based on the actual application scenario, and this embodiment is not limited thereto.
[0038] As can be understood, each drive motor in the first mounting seat 231 provides power for the movement of the slider 232 in the annular sliding groove 221 in the support ring 220, and provides power for the horizontal and vertical movement of the second mounting seat 241 relative to the metal pipe 100. Therefore, in this application, the annular movement of the moving assembly 230 and the horizontal and vertical movement of the welding module 240 can be achieved simultaneously, thereby enabling accurate positioning of the welding head 242 and the welding bead, and effectively improving the work quality of this device. Note that each drive motor in this embodiment is illustrative, and a hydraulic device or the like may be provided as a drive member in the first mounting seat 231, and this embodiment is not limited thereto.
[0039] In the embodiments of this invention, the welding head 242 can employ stir friction welding, which highly plasticizes the material at the joint of the outer walls of two adjacent metal pipes 100 by frictional heat, thereby welding the two adjacent metal pipes 100 to each other. Stir friction welding is not required for the working environment temperature, humidity, wind speed, etc., and the working process does not cause environmental pollution such as radiation or smoke. Moreover, since the mechanical properties of the weld bead are superior to those of the metal pipe 100 itself, the weld bead does not affect the strength and rigidity of the metal pipe 100, thereby reducing the possibility of fatigue failure or fracture of the two adjacent metal pipes 100 at the weld bead.
[0040] In some embodiments, the welding assembly 240 further includes at least one rust removal member 243, the rust removal member 243 being provided on a second mounting seat 241 and spaced apart from the welding head 242, and the rust removal member 243 facing the metal pipe 100 and used in front of the welding head 242.
[0041] In this application, the rust removal member 243 is provided on the second mounting seat 241 and spaced apart from the welding head 242. For example, when the vertical welding apparatus of this application is welded as the metal pipe 100 rotates clockwise, that is, when the movable assembly 230 rotates clockwise around the metal pipe 100, as shown in Figure 2, the rust removal member 243 and the welding head 242 are sequentially provided on the second mounting seat 241 at intervals in a clockwise direction. As the movable assembly 230 moves around, the rust removal member 243 comes into contact with areas that have not been welded before. The rust removal member 243 may be an abrasive material with a high surface roughness. The abrasive material comes into contact with the rust on the weld bead, generating frictional force to polish the rust and ensure the quality of the weld of this application to the adjacent metal pipe 100. Furthermore, the vertical welding apparatus of this invention may perform welding by surrounding the metal pipe 100 clockwise or counterclockwise, and the specific configuration will be set according to the actual application, and this embodiment is not limited thereto. However, it should be noted that the installation positions of the rust removal member 243 and the welding head 242 should be determined according to the direction of surrounding during actual welding, and that it is sufficient to ensure that the rust removal member 243 is used in front of the welding head 242.
[0042] In some embodiments, the support mechanism 300 includes a support beam 310, a friction ring 320, and an expansion member 330, the support beam 310 having one end in contact with the bottom surface of the load-bearing board 210 and the other end connected to the friction ring 320, which is provided for fitting the metal pipe 100; the expansion member 330 having one end connected to the bottom surface of the load-bearing board 210 and the other end connected to the support beam 310, and the expansion member 330 expands and contracts itself to drive the friction ring 320 into contact with the outer wall of the metal pipe 100 or away from the outer wall of the metal pipe 100 in order to support or dissupport the welding mechanism 200.
[0043] In this application, as shown in Figure 1, the support mechanism 300 includes a support beam 310, a friction ring 320, and an expandable member 330. Here, one end of the support beam 310 may be connected to the bottom surface of the load-bearing board 210 by a hinge connection or the like, and the other end of the support beam 310 may be fixed to the friction ring 320 by welding or the like. The friction ring 320 abuts against the outer wall of the metal pipe 100, generating a frictional force between itself and the outer wall of the metal pipe 100, thereby providing a support force perpendicular to the support mechanism 300. One end of the expandable member 330 is rotatably connected to the bottom surface of the load-bearing board 210, and the other end of the expandable member 330 is connected to the support beam 310. Specifically, the expandable member 330 extends itself, causing the support beam 310 to rotate away from the metal pipe 100 and the friction ring 320 to move away from the outer wall of the metal pipe 100, thereby releasing support to the welded structure. Conversely, when the expansion member 330 shortens, the support beam 310 rotates toward the metal pipe 100, bringing the friction ring 320 into contact with the outer wall of the metal pipe 100, thereby achieving support to the welded structure. In this way, support to or release from the welding mechanism 200 can be flexibly controlled.
[0044] In some embodiments, the internal support mechanism 400 includes an internal support baseboard 420, a jack member 430, and an internal support assembly 410, wherein the internal support baseboard 420 is for fixing to the inner wall of a metal pipe 100, the jack member 430 is located on the internal support baseboard 420, and the internal support assembly 410 is connected to the jack member 430, which pushes the internal support assembly 410 up and down relative to the inner wall of the metal pipe 100.
[0045] In this application, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the internal support mechanism 400 is provided inside the metal pipe 100, the internal support baseboard 420 is fixed to the inner wall of the metal pipe 100 by welding or the like, and a jack member 430 is provided on the internal support baseboard 420. For example, the jack member 430 may be a lifting mechanism such as a jack, and the jack member 430 pushes the internal support assembly 410 attached to the inner wall of the metal pipe 100 to raise and lower it relative to the metal pipe 100. It is understood that the internal support mechanism 400 can avoid deformation of the metal pipe 100 due to its own gravity or external forces, guarantee the verticality of the metal pipe 100, and ensure a good welding effect.
[0046] In some embodiments, the internal support assembly 410 includes a first internal support ring 411 and a second internal support ring 412 provided to fit over the first internal support ring 411, the outer wall of which is provided to contact the joint of the inner walls of two adjacent metal pipes 100.
[0047] In this invention, the internal support assembly 410 is provided coaxially with the metal pipe 100, and the jack member 430 lifts the internal support assembly 410 upward, so that the outer wall of the second internal support ring 412 of the internal support assembly 410 contacts the connection point of the inner walls of two adjacent metal pipes 100, and the first internal support ring 411 is fitted onto the inner wall of the second internal support ring 412. The first internal support ring 411 may be a high-strength steel ring that uses its own rigidity to bring the first support ring 220 into radial contact and to ensure sufficient contact between the second internal support ring 412 and the inner wall of the metal pipe 100. Furthermore, the second internal support ring 412 is an annular structure with a ceramicized surface. When the welding head 242 is positioned at the connection point of the outer wall of the adjacent metal pipe 100 and welding is performed, the second internal support ring 412 plays a role in supporting the weld bead so that the weld bead does not deform during welding. In addition, because ceramic has a high melting point, the metal that has been highly plasticized by the weld bead during welding does not adhere to the second internal support ring 412, thereby ensuring a good welding effect and improving the reliability of the connection of the adjacent metal pipes 100.
[0048] In some embodiments, the first internal support ring 411 is provided with an electric heating element 413.
[0049] In the embodiment of the present invention, the first internal support ring 411 is provided with an electric heating member 413. Exemplarily, the electric heating member 413 may be an electric heating sheet attached to the inner wall of the first internal support ring 411. When heated, the electric heating sheet generates heat, causing the first internal support ring 411 to expand to some extent, resulting in a greater interaction force with the second internal support ring 412, thereby providing greater internal support force to the inner wall of the metal pipe 100. At the same time, the heat generated in the first internal support ring 411 is transferred via the second internal support ring 412 to the connection point of the inner walls of the two adjacent metal pipes 100, providing an initial welding temperature to the weld bead, which is advantageous for the welding efficiency and welding effect of the metal pipe 100, which has a thick wall and a high melting point.
[0050] In some embodiments, the system further includes at least two climbing members 500, which are axially mounted on the outer wall of the metal pipe 100 to push the welding mechanism up and down relative to the metal pipe 100, with the tops of the climbing members 500 in contact with the bottom of the load-bearing board 210.
[0051] In the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 1, climbing members 500 such as magnetic adsorption type wall climbing robots or negative pressure adsorption type wall climbing robots are provided axially on the outer wall of the metal pipe 100, and the tops of the climbing members 500 may be brought into contact with the bottom of the load-bearing board 210. When the climbing members 500 climb upward, they push up the welding mechanism 200, moving the welding mechanism 200 to the vicinity of the weld bead. By adjusting the vertical position of the welding assembly 240, the welding head 242 is aligned with the weld bead, and precision welding is started.
[0052] In a specific embodiment, the present invention further includes a controller which establishes an electrical connection between the moving assembly 230 and the welding assembly 240 of the welding mechanism 200, the jack member 430 and the electric heating member 413 of the internal support mechanism 400, and the telescopic member 330 and the climbing member 500 of the support mechanism 300, and provides automated control to the vertical welding apparatus through real-time signal feedback and data interaction to better complete the welding of two adjacent metal pipes 100.
[0053] For example, after the vertical welding apparatus has finished welding the adjacent metal pipe 100 located at a lower position, it controls the upward movement of the climbing member 500 to push the welding mechanism 200 by controlling the extension member 330 via a controller to extend the support beam 310 so that the friction ring 320 moves away from the outer wall of the metal pipe 100, thereby releasing the support beam 310 from the welding mechanism 200, and stopping the upward movement when the welding mechanism 200 is positioned at the joint of the outer walls of the two adjacent metal pipes 100 located at a higher position, and the support beam 310 moves the friction ring 320 To drive the support beam 310 to contact the outer wall of the metal pipe 100, the expansion member 330 is controlled to shorten, supporting the support beam 310 on the welding mechanism 200. At this time, the controller controls the welding assembly 240 to adjust its vertical position relative to the welding head 242 so that the welding head and the welding assembly are precisely aligned, and then controls the welding head 242 to move closer to the welding assembly. Subsequently, the controller activates the moving assembly 230, which moves the welding assembly 240 to surround the outer wall of the metal pipe 100, thereby completing the surround welding. It is also understood that the controller may be equipped with a user monitoring interface so that the operator can intuitively and clearly monitor the operation status of the vertical welding apparatus.
[0054] Although the technical proposal of the present application has been described above in relation to preferred embodiments shown in the drawings, it will be easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the scope of protection of the present application is clearly not limited to these specific embodiments, and that the above embodiments are used solely to illustrate the technical proposal of the present application and not to limit it. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they may modify the technical proposal described in the above embodiments or substitute some or all of its technical features, and that such modifications or substitutions will not cause the essence of the corresponding technical proposal to deviate from the scope of the technical proposal of the embodiments of the present application.
[0055] Those skilled in the art will readily conceive of other embodiments of the Application after considering and practicing the Specification and the Contents Disclosed herein. The Application is not limited to the exact structures shown in the drawings as described above, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The Application aims to cover any variations, uses, or adaptive changes of the Application, including common or customary technical means known in the Art and not disclosed herein, in accordance with the general principles of the Application. The Specification and Examples are merely illustrative, and the scope of the Application is limited only by the appended Claims.
[0056] Explanation of the symbols 100-metal tube, 200-Welding mechanism, 210-Load-bearing board, 220 - Support ring, 221-Annular sliding groove, 230-Moving Assembly, 231-First mounting seat, 232-Slider, 240-Welding Assembly, 241-Second mounting base, 242 - Welding head, 243-Rust removal component, 300-support mechanism, 310-support beam, 320-Friction ring, 330 - Expandable member, 400-internal support mechanism, 410 - Internal support assembly, 411-First internal support ring, 412-Second internal support ring, 413 - Electric heating element, 420 - Internal support baseboard, 430-Jack component, 500 - Climbing components.
Claims
1. A vertical welding apparatus for welding two adjacent metal pipes that are connected vertically, Including an internal support mechanism, a support mechanism and at least one welding mechanism, The internal support mechanism is provided inside the metal pipe, and moves up and down relative to the metal pipe to support the connection point between two adjacent metal pipes, and the internal support mechanism includes an internal support baseboard, a jack member, and an internal support assembly. The support mechanism is for contacting the outer wall of the lower of the two adjacent metal pipes. The welding mechanism is provided on the support mechanism, and the welding mechanism surrounds the connection point of the outer walls of two adjacent metal pipes and rotates relative to the metal pipes in order to weld two adjacent metal pipes. A vertical welding apparatus characterized by the following features.
2. The welding mechanism includes a load-bearing board, a support ring, at least one movable assembly, and a welding assembly provided on the movable assembly. The load-bearing board is for insertion into the metal pipe, and the load-bearing board is connected to the support mechanism. The support ring is provided on the load-bearing board, and the support ring is provided coaxially with the metal pipe. The movable assembly is slidably connected to the inner wall of the support ring, the welded assembly is connected to the movable assembly, and the movable assembly rotates around the inner wall of the support ring to drive the welded assembly to rotate relative to the metal tube. The vertical welding apparatus according to feature 1.
3. The moving assembly includes a first mounting seat and at least one slider. The welding assembly is provided on the first mounting seat, The slider is provided on the first mounting seat, the support ring is provided with an annular sliding groove, the portion of the slider is located within the annular sliding groove and moves in an annular manner along the annular sliding groove. The vertical welding apparatus according to feature 2.
4. The welding assembly includes a second mounting seat and a welding head provided on the second mounting seat, the second mounting seat being slidably connected to the first mounting seat, and the welding head being directed toward the metal pipe. The vertical welding apparatus according to feature 3.
5. The welding assembly further includes at least one rust removal member, the rust removal member being provided on the second mounting seat and spaced apart from the welding head, and the rust removal member facing the metal pipe and used in front of the welding head. The vertical welding apparatus according to feature 4.
6. The support mechanism includes a support beam, a friction ring, and an expansion / contraction member. The support beam has one end in contact with the bottom surface of the load-bearing board and the other end connected to the friction ring, and the friction ring is provided to fit the metal pipe. The expandable member is connected at one end to the bottom surface of the load-bearing board and at the other end to the support beam, and the expandable member expands and contracts itself to drive the friction ring to contact the outer wall of the metal pipe or away from the outer wall of the metal pipe in order to support the welding mechanism or to release the welding mechanism. The vertical welding apparatus according to feature 2.
7. The internal support baseboard is for fixing to the inner wall of one of the metal pipes, and the jack member is located on the internal support baseboard. The internal support assembly is connected to the jack member, and the jack member pushes the internal support assembly to raise and lower it relative to the inner wall of the metal pipe. The vertical welding apparatus according to feature 1.
8. The internal support assembly includes a first internal support ring and a second internal support ring provided to fit over the outside of the first internal support ring, the outer wall of the second internal support ring being for contact with the connection point of the inner walls of two adjacent metal pipes. The vertical welding apparatus according to feature 7.
9. The first internal support ring is provided with an electric heating element. The vertical welding apparatus according to feature 8.
10. The invention further includes at least two climbing members, the climbing members being provided axially on the outer wall of the metal pipe so as to push the welding mechanism up and down relative to the metal pipe, with the tops of the climbing members in contact with the bottom of the load-bearing board. A vertical welding apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6.
Citation Information
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