Plasma arc welding method and apparatus in which a swirling flow is imparted to a plasma gas to stabilize a plasma arc
US5734144A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 12, 1995 |
| Grant date | Mar 31, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 12, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB23K10/02
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
There is provided a plasma arc welding method, characterized in that a portion of a front side workpiece material is heated and melted by a plasma arc to form a molten pool thereat, that the molten pool is held not to fall or drop under a surface tension acting thereto and is brought into contact with a portion of a rear side workpiece material under a pressure which is exerted by the plasma arc and/or a shielding gas, further that the portion of the said rear workpiece material is brought into a molten state by a thermal conduction thereto so that the two workpiece materials may be welded together, and that a swirling flow is imparted to a plasma gas of the plasma arc. There is also provided a plasma welding apparatus for using the above mentioned plasma arc welding method, characterized in that the apparatus comprises: a plasma torch which has a plasma flushing outlet for swirling and flushing a plasma gas of the plasma arc around an electrode therefor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.