Welding wire feeder method
AssigneeEsab AB
InventorJorma Kalevi Vesanen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wire feeder device and method for feeding a welding wire includes a plurality of first and second gripper members movable from an open position to a closed position to engage on another and the welding wire along an engagement path. A projection from each gripping member is received in a recess defined in its engaged gripping member such that the welding wire is contacted on opposite sides in notches defined at the distal edges of respective projections. The gripper members may include a built-in centering function to center a position of the welding wire, may be made at least partially of material that conforms to the welding wire, and may be biased toward one another to firmly grip the welding wire.
Claims15
A method for feeding a welding wire comprising:
- positioning first and second endless loops of sequentially arranged gripper members in close adjacency;
- counter rotating said loops such that successive gripper members of the first loop engage successive gripper members of the second loop along a substantially linear engagement path at successive respective length portions of the rotating loops;
- inserting the welding wire between said loops of gripper members;
- engaging the inserted welding wire by and between engaged gripper members and pushing the engaged welding wire along said engagement path;
- laterally centering the welding wire between said loops of gripper members such that lateral movement of the welding wire is impeded by engaged gripper members;
- and
- longitudinally offsetting engaged gripper members along said engagement path such that the engaged gripper members contact the welding wire at different but longitudinally adjacent points along the wire to minimize compression and distortion of the wire.
A method for feeding a welding wire comprising:
- positioning first and second endless loops of sequentially arranged gripper members in close adjacency;
- counter rotating said loops such that successive gripper members of the first loop engage successive gripper members of the second loop along a substantially linear engagement path at successive respective length portions of the rotating loops;
- inserting the welding wire between said loops of gripper members;
- engaging the inserted welding wire by and between engaged gripper members and pushing the engaged welding wire along said engagement path;
- laterally centering the welding wire between said loops of gripper members such that lateral movement of the welding wire is impeded by engaged gripper members;
- receiving in a recess defined in each gripper member a projection from its engaged gripper member;
- and
- contacting the welding wire with the projections from the engaged gripper members along the engagement path.
A method for feeding a welding wire comprising:
- positioning first and second endless loops of sequentially arranged gripper members in close adjacency;
- counter rotating said loops such that successive gripper members of the first loop engage successive gripper members of the second loop along a substantially linear engagement path at successive respective length portions of the rotating loops;
- inserting the welding wire between said loops of gripper members;
- engaging the inserted welding wire by and between engaged gripper members and pushing the engaged welding wire along said engagement path;
- laterally centering the welding wire between said loops of gripper members such that lateral movement of the welding wire is impeded by engaged gripper members;
- receiving in a recess defined in each gripper member a projection from its engaged gripper member;
- contacting the welding wire with the projections from the engaged gripper members along the engagement path;
- and
- resiliently conforming the distal edges of the projections of engaged gripper members to the shape of the welding wire along said engagement path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.