System and method for servicing welding torches
AssigneeNasarc Technologies Inc.
InventorsNaseem Kteily, Michel Tremblay, Dave Springett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems for servicing welding torches are provided, which include a feeder assembly and a nozzle cleaning assembly. The feeder assembly may be configured to feed removable components (e.g., contact tips). For example, the feeder assembly comprises a hopper magazine configured to store contact tips for a welding torch so that one contact tip is on top of another contact tip in their horizontal directions and to release each of the contact tips in the horizontal direction. The nozzle cleaning assembly may comprise a brush for cleaning the inner wall of the contact tip and a universal joint for off-centered rotation of the brush head.
Claims18
A tip feeder assembly, comprising:
- a tip feeder hopper configured to store contact tips for a welding torch horizontally and to release the contact tips, comprising:
- a body section dimensioned to hold contact tips in horizontal orientations so that one contact tip is on top of another contact tip horizontally, the body section comprising a slot, and a bottom opening section for releasing the contact tips in the horizontal orientations, and
- a slide removably insertable from the slot to close the bottom opening section,
- wherein a groove is formed in the body section so that the slide is engaged with the groove to hold the slide, and
- wherein the tip feeder hopper comprises a top member, a front member, a rear member, first and second side members, and a bottom member, which form the body section, wherein the first side member has the slot, and the front member has the groove coupled to the slot.
A tip feeder assembly, comprising:
- a tip feeder hopper configured to store contact tips for a welding torch horizontally and to release the contact tips, comprising:
- a body section dimensioned to hold contact tips in horizontal orientations so that one contact tip is on top of another contact tip horizontally, the body section comprising a slot, and a bottom opening section for releasing the contact tips in the horizontal orientations,
- a slide removably insertable from the slot to close the bottom opening section,
- a rotatable feed wheel having tip slots, each tip slot being configured to receive and release a contact tip in its horizontal orientation, the feed wheel being positioned below the center axis of the tip feeder hopper,
- a stepper motor for controlling rotation of the feed wheel, and
- a sensor for detecting an empty tip slot among the tip slots in the feed wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.