Welding lead safety system

A welding lead safety system for use with a female welding lead with a recessed substantially hollow female lead connector and a complementary male welding lead with a protruding male lead connector comprising:

• a cylindrical first sleeve having a substantially hollow main body constructed with an exterior circumference and a smooth interior circumference, the first sleeve constructed to slip fit over the male welding lead and be releasably fixed in place with a first fastener to releasably retain the first sleeve on the male welding lead at a predetermined position along an outermost surface of the male welding lead, the first sleeve including a capture gap bounded by a pair of opposing ridges and circumferentially extending around at least a portion of an outermost perimeter of the sleeve;
• a complementary second sleeve having a substantially hollow main body constructed with an exterior circumference and a smooth interior circumference, the second sleeve constructed to slip fit over the female welding lead and be releasably fixed in place with a second fastener to releasably retain the second sleeve on the female welding lead at a predetermined position along an outermost surface of the female connector welding lead;
• and
• a cap with a biasing element pivotally secured to the second sleeve about an axle passing through a pair of mounting arms extending from the main body of the second sleeve, the cap including a catch extending therefrom and constructed to be releasably disposed within a portion of the capture gap and remaining within the capture gap as the first sleeve is rotated relative to the second sleeve, the cap further being movable between a capture position wherein the catch at least partially resides within a portion of the capture gap restricting the associated lead connectors from being drawn apart once connected together, a release position wherein the catch resides outside the capture gap allowing the lead connectors to be separated, and a cover position wherein the cap rotates under a bias to cover an opening of the female lead connector.

A welding lead safety system kit for use with a male welding lead with a protruding male lead connector and a female welding lead with a recessed substantially hollow female lead connector, the kit comprising:

• a cylindrical first sleeve with a hollow body constructed to slip fit over an outermost surface of the male welding lead, the first sleeve including a capture gap surrounded by a pair of ridges circumferentially extending around at least a portion of an outermost perimeter of the sleeve;
• at least one fastener constructed to releasably retain the first sleeve in place about the male welding lead at a predetermined position along the male welding lead;
• a complementary second sleeve having a hollow body with an open leading edge surface constructed to slip fit over an outermost surface of the female welding lead, the second sleeve including a cap pivotally secured to the hollow body and constructed to rotate through a closed position, a coupling position, and a release position, with the cap being biased toward the closed position to dispose an interior surface of the cap against the leading edge surface to completely cover the female lead connector when mounted thereon, the cap including a catch extending from the interior surface and constructed to ride up and over at least one ridge and drop into the capture gap to assume the coupling position restricting the associated lead connectors from being drawn apart once connected together;
• and
• at least one other fastener constructed to releasably retain the second sleeve in place about the female welding lead at a predetermined position along the female welding lead.

A welding lead safety system comprising:

• a first welding lead end having a cylindrically shaped male body with a male connector side end having a male lead connector protruding therefrom and an opposing open end constructed to receive a cable insert, the first welding lead end further having at least one ridge extending outwardly from an outermost circumferential surface of the male body and recessed from the outermost extent of the male connector side end and circumferentially extending around at least a portion of the male body, and
• a second welding lead end having a cylindrically shaped female body with an open female connector side end exposing a substantially hollow female lead connector and an opposing open end constructed to receive a separate cable insert, the second welding lead end including at least one mounting arm permanently affixed to the outermost surface of the female body and extending outwardly therefrom;
• and
• a cap with a biasing element pivotally secured to the at least one mounting arm, the cap including a catch extending therefrom and constructed to be releasably disposed in a locking engagement with the at least one ridge and remaining in such locking engagement as the first welding lead end is rotated relative to the second welding lead end, the cap further being movable between a capture position wherein the catch engages at least one surface of the at least one ridge restricting the associated lead ends from being drawn apart once connected together, a release position wherein the catch is free of interference from the at least one ridge allowing the lead ends to be separated, and a cover position wherein the cap rotates under a bias to cover the female lead connector.