Elpatronic Ag

Alfonso D'Aniello

Niklaus Portmann

Werner Urech

Peter Taiana

A roller head (10) for a resistance seam welding machine has an internally located sliding contact current transmission device (24) between stator 12) and rotor (14) and is composed of a pair of circular ring-shaped discs (26, 26') which extend radially between rotor and stator, are fastened to the rotor on their outer circumferences, carry axial sliding contact rings (32,32') on their inner circumferences, and are flexible designed in their intermediate parts (28,28') between inner and outer circumferences. These sliding contact discs (26,26') are composed of a copper mesh, to which the axial sliding contact rings (32,32') are fastened. Thin-walled metallic diaphragms can also be used instead of the copper mesh. The roller head (10) can transmit high welding currents. As a result of the flexible design of the sliding contact discs (26,26') the contact presssure, which is created by a stack of plate springs (40), remains constant even with external mechanical influences.

Sliding contact roller head

A pendulum roller head for a resistance seam-welding machine is described, having a sliding contact current transmission device between a stator and a rotor, which device is composed of an annular disc which extends radially between rotor and stator, is fastened by its outer circumference to the stator, carries an axial sliding contact ring on its inner circumference, and is flexibly designed in its bridging part between the inner and outer circumferences. The sliding contact disc is composed of a copper braid to which the axial sliding contact ring is fastened. The sliding contact current transmission device in the form of the disc with a flexible bridging part replaces the current transmission device in the form of fluid metal which has formerly been in use in pendulum roller heads.

Electrode roller with flexible current transmitting disc

The apparatus described is so constructed that narrow can bodies having an internal diameter of 52 mm for example can be produced from rounded blanks by welding the edges of the blanks. The supply of welding current to the electrode roller is effected through copper caps, a clamping member, contact members disposed at each side thereof, contact jaws silver contact segments and peripheral surfaces of wide hubs which are provided on the electrode roller. The contact jaws engage the hubs of the electrode roller at both sides of the roller from above and below, as a result of which there is a large area for the transmission of current and a low specific contact pressure. The hub surfaces, which form the actual contact surfaces of the electrode roller, are continuously lubricated through felt lubricating segments. The contact pressure of the contact jaws can be adjusted in a simple manner by means of a screw. The whole apparatus and particularly the electrode roller are extensively cooled internally by a special cooling device.

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Widen, Switzerland

Alfonso D'Aniello