Welding torch

Water-cooled welding torch, wherein:

• the torch includes an electrified welding-wire, suitable for creating a welding arc;
• the torch includes a gas-feed-tube, for conveying anti-oxidation gas to the welding arc;
• the torch includes a nose-piece, which is located forward, towards the arc, of the gas-feed-tube;
• the nose-piece is formed with gas-spreading-holes, which are suitably positioned in the nose-piece for receiving gas in and from the gas-feed-tube, and for conveying the gas radially outwards and around the nose-piece;
• the gas-spreading-holes have entry-mouths, into and through which the gas flows from the feed-tube into the gas-spreading-holes in the nose-piece;
• the gas-spreading-holes have exit-mouths, from and through which the gas emerges from the nose-piece;
• the gas-spreading-holes in the nose-piece are so folded and arranged that the exit-mouths thereof lie further forward in the nose-piece than the entry-mouths thereof;
• the nose-piece includes a central wire-way, through which the welding wire passes, the wire-way in the nose-piece being of such narrow dimensions as to preclude the flow of the gas through the wire-way;
• the torch includes a jacket-piece, which lies outside and around the nose-piece;
• the jacket-piece is radially spaced from the nose-piece, whereby a water jacket is defined between the nose-piece and an outer surface of the jacket-piece, the arrangement of which is such that water present in the water jacket is in direct contact with the material of the nose-piece;
• the torch includes means for conducting cooling water into and out of the water jacket;
• the jacket-piece is sealingly attached to the nose-piece, in such a manner as to define a sealed forward end of the water jacket;
• and the arrangement of the torch is such that the said forward end of the water jacket lies further forward than the entry-mouths of the gas-spreading-holes, and the exit-mouths of the gas-spreading-holes lie further forward than the forward end of the water jacket.