ELECTRO-SLAG WELDING METHOD

1,217,877. Welding by fusion. MITSUBISHI JUKOGYO K.K. 13 Sept., 1968, No. 43797/68. Heading B3R. In electroslag welding using an electrode at least part of which is consumed during welding, the electrode, which is of steel plate, comprises a plurality of substantially parallel and coplanar branches 7a, 7b connected together (Fig. 4), or a plurality of separate substantially parallel and coplanar component electrodes (14, 15), (Fig. 7, not shown), electrically connected across the width of the plurality whereby a plurality of parallel current paths are produced through the weld pool, adjacent electrode branches or component electrodes being separated by a gap which is of such width that the thickness of the weld 13 produced is a maximum in the centre of the width thereof (Fig. 6). In the instance that separate component electrodes are used, each of these may be divided into a plurality of parallel and co-planar branches separated by gaps. Edges of the weld may be cooled, as at 6, 61.