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AssigneeHowmet Aerospace Inc.
InventorsRobert Wilcox, Thomas Kingsbury, Dan Peter Vanderzwet, Simon Maurice Britton, Donald J. Spinella, Daniel Bergstrom, Eric Jean Michaud, Larry Frank Koscielski, Gino Norman Iasella
Estimating the term…
A collet assembly including an actuator and a collet connected to the actuator. The collet assembly is adapted to be installed on a welding electrode holder having an electrode. The collet is moveable by the actuator from an advanced position, in which the collet is adapted to grip a fastener such as a welding rivet, and a retracted position, in which at least a portion of the collet is retracted into the actuator to enable the electrode to engage the fastener for welding to a work piece, and the collet is adapted to release the fastener.
In combination, a welding gun having an electrode holder, an electrode attached to the electrode holder, and an electrode cap attached to the electrode holder, and a collet assembly, comprising an actuator, and a collet connected to the actuator, the collet assembly being installed on the electrode holder, the collet being moveable by the actuator from an advanced position, in which the collet is adapted to grip a fastener, and a retracted position, in which at least a portion of the collet is retracted into the actuator to enable the electrode to weld the fastener to an external work piece, and in which the collet is adapted to release the fastener, wherein the electrode is shrouded by the collet when the collet is in its advanced position, and the electrode is exposed from the collet when the collet is in its retracted position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.