Rotating electrical connection with locking axial and radial positions for use in welding and cutting devices

A welding torch body for use in MIG welding, comprising:

• distal and proximal ends extending along a central axis;
• a receiving member on the proximal end of the welding torch body, the receiving member including a receiving bore having a conductive bore surface extending there along, into which bore an end of the rotatable gooseneck can be received;
• a tubular segment having a gooseneck shape and first and second ends extending along a central axis thereof wherein, when the tubular segment of the rotatable gooseneck is at least partially inserted into the receiving member, an outer surface of the rotatable gooseneck is in electrical communication with an inner surface of the receiving member;
• a plurality of locking members comprising a plurality of counter bores and an undercut that creates an annular cavity at the axial location of the plurality of locking features, with the counter bores axially centered within the undercut and concentrically spaced about the central axis of the rotatable goose neck;;
• an electrical connection;
• and
• a release member, wherein:
• when installed in the receiving member the lockable gooseneck is prevented from movement in the axial and radial directions about the central axis of the receiving member by the plurality of locking members;
• an electrical circuit is provided between the lockable gooseneck and welding torch via the electrical connection;
• by axial movement of the release member about the central axis of the receiving member, the plurality of locking members can restore radial and axial movement to the lockable gooseneck;
• and
• the electric circuit between the lockable gooseneck and the welding torch body is completed independent of the plurality of locking members and the release member and prior to engagement of the plurality of locking members, wherein the release member extends outside of the torch body and can be pressed in the axial direction toward the distal end of the torch body.

A welding torch assembly for use in MIG welding comprising:

• a rotatable gooseneck comprising a tubular segment having a gooseneck shape and first and second ends extending along a central axis thereof, and a plurality of locking features adjacent the tubular segment, the plurality of locking features comprising a plurality of counter bores and an undercut that creates an annular cavity at the axial location of the plurality of locking features, with the counter bores axially centered within the undercut and concentrically spaced about the central axis of the rotatable gooseneck;
• a welding torch body comprising distal and aproximal body ends;
• a combination of a receiving member on the proximal body end, a plurality of locking members, an electrical connection, and a release member,
• wherein the receiving member comprises a receiving bore having a conductive bore surface extending there along, into which bore an end of the rotatable gooseneck can be received;
• wherein, when the tubular segment of the rotatable gooseneck is at least partially inserted into the receiving member, an outer surface of the rotatable gooseneck is in electrical communication with an inner surface of the receiving member, and wherein the locking features of the rotatable gooseneck prevents the rotatable gooseneck from moving in the axial and radial directions about the central axis of the welding torch assembly when the rotatable gooseneck is installed in the welding torch body, and the receiving member of the welding torch body is configured to receive a distal end of the rotatable gooseneck, and wherein an electrical circuit is completed between the rotatable gooseneck and the welding torch body via the electrical connection of the welding torch body and the tubular electrical connection of the rotatable gooseneck;
• and by axial movement of the release member about the central axis of the welding torch assembly the plurality of locking members of the welding torch body can restore radial and axial movement to the rotatable gooseneck;
• and
• wherein the electrical circuit between the tubular electrical connection of the rotatable gooseneck and the electrical connection of the welding torch body is completed independent of the plurality of locking members and the release member and prior to engagement of the plurality of locking members.

A method of operating a MIG welding torch assembly comprising a central axis, a rotatable gooseneck and a welding torch body, the rotatable gooseneck comprising a proximal end, a distal end, a tubular segment having a gooseneck shape and first and second ends extending along a central axis thereof, the tubular segment including a cylindrically shaped electrically conductive gooseneck surface along the first end which surface is insertable within the receiving bore along the conductive bore surface for electrical contact and communication therewith, and a plurality of locking features comprising a plurality of counter bores and an undercut that creates an annular cavity at the axial location of the plurality of locking features, with the counter bores axially centered within the undercut and concentrically spaced about the central axis of the rotatable goose neck, the welding torch body comprising, a proximal end, a distal end, an electrical conduction member, a plurality of locking members, and a release member, the method comprising the steps of:

• unlocking the plurality of locking members of the welding torch body, inserting the rotatable gooseneck into the welding torch body along the central axis and completing an electrical connection by bringing the electrical conduction section of the rotatable gooseneck and the conduction member of the welding torch body into mechanical communication, during, before or after insertion of the rotatable gooseneck, rotating the rotatable gooseneck about the central axis to achieve a desired radial orientation, locking the rotatable gooseneck in the radial and axial directions wherein, when the tubular segment of the rotatable gooseneck is at least partially inserted into a receiving member of the torch body, an outer surface of the rotatable gooseneck is in electrical communication with an inner surface of the receiving member.