Welding gun with multi-directional switch
AssigneeMiller Electric Manufacturing Company
InventorsDon J. Corrigall, Floyd D. Hansen, James R. Kujawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A welding gun having a switch comprising two spaced apart coaxial conducting springs which act as switch contacts for completing a circuit to initiate a welding process. A coaxial flexible wall in the handle of the welding gun surrounds the two springs such that, when a welding machine operator depresses the flexible wall, the two springs make electrical contact to complete the circuit. When the flexible wall is released, the springs return to their original positions, thereby interrupting the electrical circuit.
Claims8
In a welding gun having an elongated tubular rigid handle including a switch means for electrically completing an electrical circuit to initiate a welding process, the improvement wherein said switch means comprises:
- a flexible electrically insulating tubular wall completely surrounding a portion of said rigid handle in a circumferential opening thereof and also surrounding a corresponding portion of the longitudinal axis of the handle, said wall being manually depressible at all points around the circumference thereof inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the handle;
- electrically conducting outer tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of, and adjacent to, said flexible wall and depressible inwardly when engaged by said wall;
- and
- electrically conducting inner tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of said outer spring means and adapted to be contacted by the depressed outer spring means to complete an electrical circuit to initiate a welding process;
- wherein said outer spring means is an elongated tubular coil spring having a longitudinal axis corresponding to that of said flexible wall;
- wherein said inner spring means is an elongated tubular coil spring having a longitudinal axis corresponding to that of said flexible wall;
- and
- wherein said wall, said outer spring means and said inner spring means are cylindrical and coaxial.
In a welding gun having an elongated tubular rigid handle including a switch means for electrically completing a circuit to initiate a welding process, the improvement wherein said switch means comprises:
- a flexible electrically insulating tubular wall completely surrounding a portion of said rigid handle in a circumferential opening thereof and also surrounding a corresponding portion of the longitudinal axis of the handle, said wall being manually depressible at all points around the circumference thereof inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the handle;
- electrically conducting outer tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of, and adjacent to, said flexible wall and depressible inwardly when engaged by said wall;
- and electrically conducting inner tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of said outer spring means and adapted to be contacted by the depressed outer spring means to complete an electrical circuit to initiate a welding process;
- wherein said outer spring means is an elongated tubular coil spring having a longitudinal axis corresponding to that of said flexible wall;
- wherein said inner spring means is an elongated tubular coil spring having a longitudinal axis corresponding to that of said flexible wall;
- and
- wherein the handle has a circumferential void interiorly of said inner spring means to permit inward overtravel of said inner spring means.
In a welding gun having an elongated tubular rigid handle including a switch means for electrically completing a circuit to initiate a welding process, the improvement wherein said switch means comprises:
- a flexible electrically insulating tubular wall completely surrounding a portion of said rigid handle in a circumferential opening thereof and also surrounding a corresponding portion of the longitudinal axis of the handle, said wall being manually depressible at all points around the circumference thereof inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the handle;
- electrically conducting outer tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of, and adjacent to, said flexible wall and depressible inwardly when engaged by said wall;
- and
- electrically conducting inner tubular means mounted in the handle interiorly of said outer spring means and adapted to be contacted by the depressed outer spring means to complete an electrical circuit to initiate a welding process;
- wherein said inner tubular means is a rigid metal tube;
- and
- further comprising means resiliently mounting said tube in the handle to permit overtravel of said inner tubular means when contacted by said outer spring means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.