Electric arc torch and system
AssigneeLincoln Global, Inc.
InventorChristopher J. Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A welding torch has a proximal portion, a distal portion including a contact tip and a diffuser, and a hexapod actuator located between the proximal portion of the welding torch and the distal portion of the welding torch. The hexapod actuator has a moving platform movable with six degrees of freedom and having a central opening through the moving platform. The distal portion of the welding torch is moved by said moving platform in said six degrees of freedom. A wire electrode is fed to the contact tip through the central opening of the moving platform during movement of the distal portion of the welding torch by the moving platform.
Claims20
A welding torch, comprising:
- a torch gun tube;
- a diffuser located distal of the torch gun tube;
- a contact tip located distal of the torch gun tube;
- and
- a hexapod actuator located proximal of the diffuser and the contact tip,
- wherein the hexapod actuator comprises a moving platform movable with six degrees of freedom and having a central opening through the moving platform, wherein the torch gun tube, the diffuser, and the contact tip are moved by said moving platform in said six degrees of freedom, and
- wherein a wire electrode is fed to the contact tip through the central opening of the moving platform during movement of the torch gun tube, the diffuser, and the contact tip by the moving platform.
A welding torch, comprising:
- a torch gun tube;
- a diffuser located distal of the torch gun tube;
- a contact tip located distal of the torch gun tube;
- and
- a motion stage located proximal of the diffuser and the contact tip,
- wherein the motion stage comprises:
- a first linear actuator;
- a second linear actuator;
- a third linear actuator;
- a fourth linear actuator;
- a fifth linear actuator;
- a sixth linear actuator;
- and
- a moving platform movable with six degrees of freedom by the first linear actuator, the second linear actuator, the third linear actuator, the fourth linear actuator, the fifth linear actuator, and the sixth linear actuator, and having a central opening through the moving platform, wherein the torch gun tube, the diffuser, and the contact tip are moved by said moving platform in said six degrees of freedom, and
- wherein a wire electrode is fed to the contact tip through the central opening of the moving platform during movement of the torch gun tube, the diffuser, and the contact tip by the moving platform.
An arc welding system, comprising:
- a welding robot including a robot base and a robot arm attached to the robot base;
- a welding torch attached to the robot arm, wherein the welding torch comprises a diffuser and a contact tip;
- a hexapod actuator attached to the welding robot and comprising a moving platform movable with six degrees of freedom, wherein the hexapod actuator is located proximal of the diffuser and the contact tip;
- a welding power supply configured to provide an electrical power output to the welding torch;
- and
- a motion controller operatively connected to the hexapod actuator to control movements of the moving platform during a welding operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.