A method and apparatus for guiding the opposed edges of sheet metal (16) into substantially abutting edge-to-edge relationship with one another and thereafter welding said edges by a high energy welding source (17) to form a seam. The invention enables the continuous high speed butt welding of the sheet metal to form cylindrical bodies. The apparatus includes three elements (24, 25, 26) which are cooperatively secured in assembled relationship and thereby form opposed and converging guide channels (46, 47) which ' converge into open relationship with one another along the length of the apparatus so that the opposing edges of sheet metal (16) are guided into intimate abutting edge-to-edge relationship with one another. The elements (24 - 26) extend to a point adjacent the weld zone (W) in order to maintain the sheet metal edges in abutting relationship as they enter the weld zone. In another embodiment, two of the elements (25, 26) may include portions (65) which extend into and beyond the weld zone (W). Such portions are provided with a tapered opening (68) through which the high energy welding source (17) may be continuously focused relative to the point of the weld.

Z-bar guide apparatus and method of butt welding

A pair of sheets are supported on a support assembly having skewed support rollers disposed on opposite sides of an elongate guide having a pair of sidewardly opening and vertically overlapping guide grooves The pair of sheets are disposed on opposite sides of the guide and are urged inwardly into the guide grooves so that adjacent edges of the sheets are vertically overlapped A shuttle moves the overlapping pair of sheets toward the nip of a weld roller assembly, with the sheets being engaged by driving skewed rollers disposed directly adjacent the weld roller assembly The sheets are drivingly moved through the nip of the weld roller assembly, with the weld roller assembly having upper and lower weld rollers which pressingly and drivingly engage the overlapping edges of the sheets therebetween to create a seam weld as the sheets move through the nip A planish roll assembly having upper and lower planish rolls engages the seam weld directly downstream of the weld rolls to effect mashing thereof so that the resulting seam weld has a thickness which is not significantly greater than the sheet thickness

Mash seam weld sheet splicer

A trailing end of a preceding bar is arranged slantingly by an angle θ relative to a succeeding bar such that the lower edge of the leading end face of the succeeding bar is vertically shifted from the lower edge of the trailing end face of the preceding bar with the leading end face of the succeeding bar abutting against the trailing end face of the preceding bar. After that, the succeeding bar is vertically depressed by applying a predetermined force. Since the trailing end face is inclined by θ relative to the leading end face, the depression causes a relative slide between surfaces of both the end faces and, at the same time, a pressure P is also produced by the wedge effect, the pressure P causing a compression force and a plastic deformation between both the end faces. Oxide scales on the contact surfaces of both the end faces are peeled off due to the plastic deformation and the relative slide, so that the metal surfaces of the material are exposed to join the bars simultaneously in combination with the compression force and the plastic deformation caused by the pressure P. Thus, the bars are joined to each other in a short time for realization of continuous hot rolling.

Method and apparatus for joining hot strips

A method and apparatus for continuously finishing hot-rolling steel strips includes partially joining a rear end (2a) of a preceding steel strip and a leading end (3a) of a succeeding steel strip after the strips have passed through a rough hot-rolling step. The joint is flattened. The joint is rolled with a first stand (F1) of a tandem rolling mill (50). The mill is provided with a plurality of stands that includes a pair of work rolls (51) and backup rolls (52) and/or intermediate rolls, so that a compression stress acts at the unjointed section of the strips in the longitudinal direction of the joint while tracking the joint. Shape-control-rolling is performed on the joint with a second and succeeding stands so that a section of the steel strip other than the joint is subjected to the shape-control-rolling at all the stands.

Method and apparatus for continuous finishing hot-rolling a steel strip

A pair of upper and lower pressure rollers 3, 4 is disposed so that their axes 15, 16 are tilted in a horizontal plane in respective directions opposite to each other with respect to a straight line perpendicular to a welding line of a joint portion J. The pressure rollers 3, 4 are positively driven by corresponding electric motors 63, 64 to thereby roll the joint portion. Thus, steps defined at the joint portion can be smoothed and a step gradient can be reduced to ensure a high degree of joint strength.

Metal plate joining method and apparatus

1,142,922. Welding. THOMSON CORP. 9 May, 1967, No. 21573/67. Heading B3B. Metal strips 16, 18 are butt welded by moving the strips at a relative acute angle, up to a welding head 28, providing a high frequency electric current, whereupon the edges of the strip are heated when spaced apart, whilst being held in slightly overlapped relationship, and then moved transversely, so that they wipe across each other and are welded. The apparatus 10 for carrying out the operation comprises a base 20, adjustable guide rolls 22, strip tensioning rolls 26, welding head 28, edge forging rolls 34, 36, compression rolls 46, 48, pinch rolls 50, 52, and where one of the strips is of zinc-coated steel, means for supplying carbon dioxide, or nitrogen to the welding area. Rolls 34, 36 are supported in fixtures 38, 40, and are held against the strips by a pneumatic cylinder 42. The strips may be galvanized cold rolled steel, stainless steel, or non-ferrous metal, and they may be of the same, or different materials. Guide roll stands 24 are insulated at 56, rolls 26 are made of polyurethane, and rolls 34, 36 are of bronze, brass, or ceramics. Rests 64 are provided for the strips and are adjustable about pivots 66 so as to vary the approach angle between the strips. Electrodes 80 are secured to arm 82 pivotable at 84, and engage the top faces of the strips. Rolls 46, 48 are disposed slightly rearwardly of rolls 34, 36 and are held in contact with the composite strip by springs 100, whose rating can be adjustable. In operation, strips 16, 18 are taken from reels insulated from each other, are guided by rolls 22, tensioned by rolls 26, heated to a plastic state by electrodes 80, squeezed by rolls 34, 36, followed by rolls 46, 48, and then the composite strip is removed by rolls 50, 52 to a wind-up reel.

Iii Sidney Briggs

Papers

Longitudinal strip edge butt welding