TAILOR WELDED PANEL BEAM FOR CONSTRUCTION MACHINE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING

摘要

A beam for use in construction equipment is made from tailor welded panels. At least one of the panels is made from at least two pieces of material such as steel welded together with the weld running the length of the beam. The weld between pieces of steel can either be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam, or the pieces can be tapered and the weld will be at an angle diverging from the longitudinal axis of the beam. The two pieces of material have a different compressive strength per unit of length in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the beam. In some embodiments a top panel is welded to two side panels to form two top corners of the beam and a bottom panel is welded to the two side panels to form two bottom corners of the beam.

主权项

1. A beam for use in a piece of construction equipment, the beam having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
a) a top panel, a bottom panel and two side panels connected together into a body, with two top corners and two bottom corners; b) at least one of the panels being made from at least two pieces of material joined together, the two pieces of material having a different compressive strength per unit of length in a direction transverse to said longitudinal axis; c) the top panel being welded with full penetration welds to the two side panels to form the two top corners of the beam, with each top corner being made from an edge surface of the top panel butting up against an inside surface of one of the side panels, wherein a plane defined by the inside surface of the side panel is parallel to an outside surface of the side panel, with the welds occurring at the two top corners where the edge surface of the top panel butts up against the inside surface of a side panel; and d) the bottom panel being welded with full penetration welds to the two side panels to form the two bottom corners of the beam, with each bottom corner being made from an edge surface of one of the side panel butting up against an upper surface of the bottom panel, with the welds occurring at the two bottom corners where the edge surface of each side panel butts up against the upper surface of the bottom panel.