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US 12,378,093 B2Granted
Wire spool rotation resistance adjusters and wire feed assemblies having adjustable wire spool rotation resistance
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsMark Richard Christopher, Justin Durik, Connor Denis Uitenbroek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Example wire spool hub assemblies include: a spindle configured to hold a wire spool; a spool rotation resistor positioned on the spindle to resist rotation of the wire spool on the spindle; and a resistance adjuster configured to selectively apply two or more rotation resistances via the spool rotation resistor based on two or more discrete positions of the resistance adjuster.
Claims14
A wire spool hub assembly, comprising:
- a spindle configured to hold a wire spool;
- a spool rotation resistor positioned to resist rotation of the wire spool on the spindle;
- and
- a resistance adjuster, comprising:
- a spring positioned between a compressive surface and a spool hub and configured to bias the spool hub toward the spool rotation resistor, the spool hub configured to carry the wire spool on the spindle;
- and
- a cam lever coupled to the spindle to adjust the compression of the spring, wherein the resistance adjuster is configured to selectively apply two or more rotation resistances via the spool rotation resistor based on two or more discrete positions of the resistance adjuster by adjusting, via the cam lever, the compression of the spring between a first compression force in the first discrete position and a second compression force in the second discrete position.
4 more elements
A wire feed assembly, comprising:
- a wire drive assembly;
- a wire spool support configured to support a wire spool;
- and
- a wire spool hub assembly on the wire spool support, comprising:
- a spindle configured to hold a wire spool;
- a spool rotation resistor positioned on the spindle and configured to resist rotation of the wire spool on the spindle;
- and
- a resistance adjuster configured to selectively apply two or more rotation resistances via the spool rotation resistor based on two or more discrete positions of the resistance adjuster, wherein the resistance adjuster comprises a spring positioned between a compressive surface and a spool hub and configured to bias the spool hub toward the spool rotation resistor, the spool hub configured to carry the wire spool on the spindle, the resistance adjuster further comprises a cam lever coupled to the spindle to adjust the compression of the spring between a first compression force in the first discrete position and a second compression force in the second discrete position.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.