A FIXTURE ASSEMBLY TO CONTROL DISTORTION DURING WELDING BETWEEN TRIPLE ELBOW AND STUBS IN
TRANSITION PANELS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
The present disclosure generally relates to welding between triple elbows and stubs in transition panels of steam generators. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a fixture assembly to control distortion during welding between triple elbow and stubs in transition panels of high pressure steam generators.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention.
The welding of forged triple elbow to the stubs are a cumbersome process due to the triple elbow's complexity, size and accessibility to the ends to be welded. In conventional method, the triple elbows were placed in a particular orientation on a concrete floor supported by plates, the stubs will be welded sequentially onto the triple elbow. During welding, the distortion control was severely compromised due to the focus required on maintaining the orientation of the triple elbow and stubs.
In the patent number US3596898A discloses a fixture for retaining the end of two pipe sections together during welding. The fixture comprises an slidable upper clamp and a rigid lower clamp. A wing nut or nut with a handle is threaded on the rod above the sleeve of the upper clamp and is used to tighten that clamp into place to hold the pipe ends firmly between the two clamp members. Central portions of the clamps are recessed to give availability to the welding fixture. The pipe has to be turned to weld the entire peripheries of the two pipes. However, there is no provision for welding the triple elbow to the stubs at an angle of orientation to obtain the desired spiral and vertical transition panel.

In the patent number US3542354A discloses a work holding fixture adapted to minimize clamp distortion of a work piece by providing a movable metallic collet encompassing the work piece and a non-metallic gland which expands upon pressure to press upon the collet to squeeze the work piece. Still fixture holding the work piece in an angle of orientation is not disclosed.
The aforementioned prior art and conventional welding fixture often suffers from the problem that it requires a fixture assembly to retain the position of the work piece in a desired angle of orientation, distorting or minor movements during welding, clamping the one or more work piece to carry out easier welding process.
Hence, there is a need of a fixture assembly that secures the triple elbow at a necessary angle, to fasten the one or more stubs using clamp arrangements, facilitate the accessibility to welding, to control distortion and also to overcome the above mentioned problems of the conventional system of welding between the triple elbows and the stubs thereby to improve the overall quality of the triple elbow assembly.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION:
It is therefore the object of the invention to overcome the aforementioned and other drawbacks existing in prior arts.
An object of the present invention is to propose a fixture to fasten the stubs and triple elbow in a required dimension and orientation to control distortion in welding. Another object of the invention is to improve the quality of the triple elbow assembly.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred form of the present invention is illustrated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
One or more drawbacks of conventional systems for welding between triple elbow and stubs in transition panels which results in distortion are overcome, and additional advantages are provided through a fixture assembly as claimed in the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the technicalities of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered to be part of the claimed disclosure.
The triple elbow and stub assembly enables transition panels which acts as a manifold that transitions spirally raising tubes of the spiral wall panels to vertical tubes of vertical wall panels. The fixture assembly facilitates welding of the stubs to the triple elbow to control distortion during welding and also to carry out easy welding process.
In an embodiment, the stubs are placed on to the 'V' Groove plates arrangement in the base plate of the fixture assembly. The triple elbows are placed on to the plate arrangement with respect to the angle of the triple elbow to obtain a level parallel to the envisaged plane of the panel. The stubs placed are fastened by the clamp and bolt arrangement in the fixture assembly and is retained. The welding process between the triple elbow and the stubs is continued.
With the intention of controlling distortion during welding and also for easy welding, the present invention is advantageous.
Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.
It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
RRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:
The illustrated embodiments of the subject matter will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. The following description is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain selected embodiments of apparatus that are consistent with the subject matter as claimed herein, wherein:
Figure 1 illustrates the required product to be made through the fixture assembly
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 illustrates the fixture assembly of base plate and V Groove plates arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 illustrates the plate arrangement to hold the triple elbow in the fixture assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 illustrates the clamp and bolt arrangement in the fixture assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 illustrates constructional features of the fixture assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION:
While the embodiments of the disclosure are subject to various modifications and
alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof have been shown by way of example
in the figures and will be described below. It should be understood, however, that it
is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the
contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative
falling within the scope of the disclosure.
The drawings illustrate only those specific details that are pertinent to understand the embodiments of the present disclosure, so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of the description herein.
In an embodiment according to figure 1, the required welded product that is to be made using the fixture assembly (11) is disclosed. In transition panels, the spirally raising tubes of the spiral wall panels to vertical tubes of vertical wall panels is enabled by welding of stubs (02) with the triple elbows (01).
In an embodiment according to figure 2, the base plate (03) consists of plate arrangements of required dimension to be welded to develop the base. 10mm plates of required dimensions are taken and cut to required size and quantity, wherein the dimensions vary according to the pitch and the angle of orientation of the triple elbow (1). Further, it is welded to form a V Groove plates arrangement (04) to place the stubs (02). The size of the 'V' Groove plates (04) depends on the outside diameter of the stubs (02), where the 'V' Groove plates (04) are welded to the top surface of the base plate (03) and arranged at a distance based on the pitch of the triple elbows (01). The stubs (02) are placed on to the 'V' Groove arrangement in the fixture assembly (11).

In an embodiment according to figure 3, the plate arrangements (08,09,10) are welded to the base plate (03) perpendicular to the V Groove plate arrangement, with the angle of orientation of the plate arrangement (08,09,10) which is determined with respect to the angle of the triple elbow (01), wherein the plate arrangement (08,09,10) holds the triple elbow's non-welded ends.
In an embodiment according to figure 4, the clamp plate (05) and bolt arrangement (06,07) are affixed to the base plate (03). The stubs are placed on to the V Groove arrangement and fastened in the fixture assembly (11) by using the clamp and bolt arrangement to retain the position throughout the welding process.
In an embodiment according to figure 5, the constructional features of the fixture assembly (11) to control distortion during welding between the stubs and the triple elbows is disclosed. The fixture assembly (11) consists of 10mm plate arrangements of required dimension and quantity to be welded to develop the base plate (03) and V Groove arrangement (04). The fixture assembly (11) also consists of a fastening arrangement using the clamp plate and bolts as in fig 4.
With the aforementioned constructional features of the fixture assembly (11), the stubs (02) are placed on to the V Groove plates arrangement (04) in the base plate (03) and fastened in the fixture assembly (11) by using the clamp plate (05) and bolt arrangement (06,07) to retain and arrest the minor movements thereby to control the distortion. The triple elbow (01) is placed on to the plate arrangement (08,09,10) to obtain a level parallel or at necessary angle of orientation to the envisaged plane of the transition panel. The fixture assembly (11) eases out the accessibility to welding the work piece. Further, the welding process between the triple elbow (01) and the stubs (02) is continued.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restricted. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes that come within the meaning and range and equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.
Further, the drawings are illustrative only but not used to limit the scope of the present subject matter. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present subject matter and are therefore not to be considered for limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.


WE CLAIM:
1. A fixture assembly to control distortion during welding between triple elbows
and stubs in transition panels comprising:
- a fixture assembly (11) consisting of a base plate (03) having at least a V groove plate arrangement (04) on its top surface placed with at least a stub (02), wherein the stubs are fastened to the V groove plates by using a clamp plate (05) and a bolt arrangement (06,07);
- a plate arrangement (08,09,10) is made and fixed to the base plate (03) perpendicular to the V Groove arrangement in an angle of orientation to contain at least a triple elbow's (01) non-welded end.

2. A fixture assembly to control distortion as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate arrangement (08,09,10) and the V groove plate arrangement (04) are made by cutting preferably using 10mm plates as per required dimensions and quantity, wherein the dimensions are determined according to the pitch of the panel and the angle of orientation of the triple elbow (1).
3. A fixture assembly to control distortion as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate arrangement (08,09,10) is fixed to the base plate (03) at a level parallel or at a necessary angle of orientation with respect to both the angle of the triple elbow (01) and the envisaged plane of the transition panel.
4. A fixture assembly to control distortion as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top surface of the base plate (03) is defined to have V groove plates (04) welded and arranged at a distance based on the pitch of the panel.
5. A fixture assembly to control distortion as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stubs (02) are clamped to the V groove plates (04) by using the clamp plate (05) to retain and arrest the minor movements and fastened using bolt arrangements (06,07) to control distortion during welding.