Curved nozzle welding gun

In a welding gun, a curved nozzle embodying a pair of concentric, thin-walled, longitudinally curved inner and outer sleeves, an annular space between the sleeves extending the length thereof which is closed by fore located and aft located mounting bodies which are ported to provide entrance of gas into and exit from said space, said mounting bodies further having bores therethrough algined with the bore of the inner sleeve for passage of a consumable wire electrode, and annular cooling-chamber-forming member of U-shape in cross section having its legs brazed water tight to and about the forward end of the outer sleeve, inlet and outlet tube member having forward ends communicating with the interior of said cooling-chamber-forming member at opposite sides of the outer sleeve, said inlet and outlet tube member extending closely along the length of the outer sleeve member and having rearward ends fixed in receiving recess in the forward side of the aft-located mounting body member, and a pair of water hose connectors fixed in the rearward side of said aft-located mounting body and each ported to one of said tube-member-receiving recesses, said tube members and cooling-chamber-receiving recesses, said tube members and cooling-chamber-forming member being enclosed by a closely conforming sheath of electrically insulative material.

A replaceable gas nozzle for a welding gun comprising a generally cylindrical open-ended member having a stepped through-bore embodying a first end portion of constant internal diameter separated by a radially-directed annular wall portion from a second end portion of constant but smaller internal diameter, at least the outer ends of said first and second end portions being internally threaed, and a removable nozzle having an externally threaded end portion which threadedly connects with the interiorally threaded second end portion, the outside diameter of said member progressively tapering across the area of said member containing said transversely directed inner separating wall portion to a minor outside diameter at the outer end of said member having a smaller internal diameter bore portion, the wall thickness of said member being least in the annular area thereof containing the transversely directed inner separating wall portion.

A welding gun comprising in combination a tubular handle having a consumable wire-electrode-directing and gas shield forming nozzle mounting portion fixed in the fore end thereof, said mounting portion having means on its rear side accessible from the rear open end of the tubular handle by which the gun is connectable to a source of consumable wire electrode and gas, a switch housing attached to the tubular handle having a fore and aft directed cavity open at the aft end thereof, and a normally open switch connected by conductors to controls operable to feed said gas and wire electrode to the gun, said switch being axially adjustable in said receiving cavity of the switch housing and means for locking said switch in an adjusted position in said cavity, said housing containing a fore and aft extending channel above and extending generally parallel to the axis of said cavity, said conductors being attached to terminals of the switch at the fore end of the cavity and extending therefrom through the channel entering the tubular handle through a provided slot therein at the aft end of the channel and exiting through the rear end of the tubular handle, and an actuator pivotally connected to the switch housing having a hand grip portion located to be conveniently gripped in the operator's hand which holds the welding gun by its handle to close said switch.

In a gas shielded arc welding gun, the combination of an open-ended tubular handle, a curved nozzle having passages extending longitudinally therethrough for directing a consumable wire electrode and gas to its forward end, said curved nozzle having a current pickup tube and a surrounding gas nozzle fixed to its forward end and means fixed to its rearward end which releasably secure said nozzle in the fore end of the handle, said means comprising a cross-shaped mounting body disposed in said end of the tubular handle having passages communicating with the passages of the curved nozzle, said mounting body having circumferentially spaced arms the outer ends of which snugly engage the interior wall of the tubular handle and the spaces therebetween accomodating free flow of air through the handle.

In a gas shielded arc welding gun, the conbination of an open-ended tubular housing having a mounting body fixed in the fore end thereof and a curved nozzle fixed to said mounting body, said curved nozzle having an oversized wire electrode feeding bore extending therethrough, the mounting body having a stepped opening communicating with said bore of the curved nozzle providing a surrounding ledge at the rear end of said curved nozzle bore, and means at the fore end of the curved nozzle for replaceably connecting a current pickup tube in aligned relation with the fore end of said curved nozzle bore, and replaceable liner means insertible in the bore of said curved nozzle to facilitate its feeding of consumable wire electrodes of different diameters through the curved nozzle to the current pickup tube connected thereto, said liner means comprising a coiled wire helix which readily conforms to the curved shape of the nozzle bore, said helix having a flanged portion which seats on said ledge at the fore end of the curved nozzle bore, said helix having an having an inner diameter corresponding to the gauge of a selected wire electrode and receiving current pickup tube connected to the nozzle fore end, said coiled wire helix being of a length to extend through the curved nozzle bore and locate its fore end in centered relation with the current pickup tube.