Combustion Engineering, Inc.

Dennis E Savor

John J Barger

Milton Lee Blevins

Roderick G Rohrberg

James W Hales

Adam Leshem

Martin Lewis Marugg

Charles D Hackett

Semi-automatic welding apparatus is suspended from a plug body vertically force fitted into the end of a tube to which the plug is welded. The plug body configuration is disclosed, along with the internal arrangement it provides for suspending the welding apparatus. A mandrel is depicted in its movable parts which enables it to be manually linked between the plug body and welding apparatus.

System for plugging tubes by welding

A stepped platform is arranged to traverse the down-facing tubesheet of a nuclear steam generator with a rotating, circular work table attached to the platform to position a plurality of tools, in sequence, at a common area of the tubesheet for required work.

Work table for a stepped platform

A metallic body is formed to have a clearance fit up into a reamed and spot faced tube extended through, and welded to a tubesheet. The form of the body provides a lip which functions to limit the distance the body can be inserted into the tube and supply filler material at the weld zone between the body and the tube.

Tube plug

An apparatus for automatically seal welding a tube to the inside surface of a header. A mandrel concentrically supports the apparatus from the tube to be welded and carries a rotating support which in turn carries a welding torch. Electric motors for rotating and oscillating the torch are located with their axis parallel to that of the mandrel. Weld spatter shields protect the interior of the tube and also the various drive mechanisms.

Automatic seal welding apparatus

An improved surface traversing apparatus has an anchor finger selectively movable laterally of another anchor finger into near or substantial alignment with an opening in a member for insertion thereinto and includes one or more of the fingers being mounted to a base portion of the platform by a mounting arrangement which allows one finger to be deflected laterally relative to another finger such that the finger being inserted may deflect into exact alignment with the receiving opening by lateral engagement with the sidewall of the opening. Each finger is resiliently mounted to a connecting member which is, in turn, connected to the base portion of the platform. The resilient mount for each finger normally centers the finger and allows both pivotal and translatory displacement of the finger relative to the connecting member. A cylindrical adaptor is fixed to the finger and is radially supported in a circular opening in the connecting member by a resilient O-ring therebetween in mutually opposing radial engagement therewith.

Mounting arrangement for anchor fingers on a surface traversing apparatus

A method and apparatus for removing a hollow tube from a tube sheet in which the tube is held by expansive forces in the tube. A GTA arc is established between an electrode and the interior tube wall. The arc parameters are such that it melts partially through the tube wall and the arc is then translated in a desired pattern of movement along the length of the tube contained in the tube sheet. Upon re-solidfication of the melted part of the tube the compressive forces of solidification shrinkage and thermal contraction result in a reduction of the tube diameter. Apparatus is disclosed for carrying out the method which, through a dual drive arrangement, is capable of producing a variety of weld head translation paths.

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Hixson, TN, United States of America

Dennis E Savor