Apparatus for automatically guiding a welding gun along a programmed welding seam

US4356378A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Carl Cloos Schweisstechink GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Erwin Cloos · Haiger, DE
• Manfred Schmidt · Krefeld, DE
• Helmut Kring · Haiger, DE
• Gerhard Schnell · Neuffen, DE
• Joachim Thielmann · Eisenberg (Pfalz), DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 4, 1979
• Grant date: Oct 26, 1982
• Expiry date: Sep 4, 1999

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B25J17/0258
• WIPO field: Handling
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A welding robot having an elongated arm pivotally mounted on an upright turret which is movable about the upright axis thereof. As a result, the arm is swingable about the aforesaid upright axis. A fine movement control device or commuter is mounted on an end of the air remote from the aforesaid pivotal attachment thereof to the upright turret. The fine movement control device has a welding gun mounted thereon with structure being provided in the control device for permitting the welding gun to move through a very fine pattern of movement independent of the movement of the arm. A preprogram is provided for moving the arm in a predesignated direction to coincide with the path of a welding seam. Variations of the welding seam from the preprogram can be controlled by the structure in the fine movement control device so that the welding torch will follow the actual welding seam even if it varies from the preprogrammed path thereof.