Welding apparatus

Welding apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a cable having a first electrical conductor and a first gas passage, said cable at one end having conductive cable coupling means, said cable coupling means connected to said first conductor and having a valved gas passage, including normally closed valve means, in communication with said first gas passage;
• a first welding torch adapted to hold a first electrode and having a gas outlet adjacent the position of said first electrode in said torch, said first torch having a second electrical conductor therewithin adapted for connection to said first electrode and a torch gas passage therewithin in communication with said gas outlet, and said first torch having conductive first torch coupling means, said first torch coupling means connected to said second conductor and having a torch coupling gas passage in communication with said second gas passage, said first torch coupling means adapted for selective electrically conductive connection to said cable coupling means with said torch coupling gas passage in communication with said valved gas passage, said first torch coupling means including means for opening said valve means with said first torch coupling means and said cable coupling means connected;
• and
• a second welding torch adapted to hold a second electrode, said second torch having a third electrical conductor therewithin adapted for connection to said second electrode, and said second torch having conductive second torch coupling means connected to said third conductor, said second torch coupling means adapted for selective electrically conductive connection to said cable coupling means, said second torch coupling means adapted to maintain said valve means in said normally closed position with said second torch coupling means and said cable coupling means connected.