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US 6,225,599 B1Granted
Mig gun with axially aligned offset motor
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorKenneth C. Altekruse
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mig welding gun handle is in two sections that are offset from each other by an angle of approximately 20 degrees. The offset handle makes the gun exceptionally comfortable for an operator to maneuver when welding various workpieces. A non-right angle gear set in which the pinion axial centerline intersects the gear axis of rotation at an angle of approximately 70 degrees makes the offset handle possible. The gun further comprises a gas seal that blocks atmospheric air in the weld wire liner from reaching the welding arc. The gas seal comprises a passage that bleeds inert gas to the interior of the liner. The relatively high pressure of the inert gas in the liner interior blocks atmospheric air from flowing through the hole in the contact tip to the arc.
Claims27
A mig gun comprising:
- a. a handle having a first section with a tubular wall for holding by a person's hand and defining a first longitudinal axis and having an underside, and a second section that defines a second longitudinal axis, the first and second longitudinal axes intersecting at a predetermined acute angle;
- b. a head tube projecting from the handle second section;
- and
- c. means for pulling a weld wire from a welding machine to the handle and for pushing the weld wire out the head tube to a welding arc between the weld wire and a workpiece, the acute angle between the handle first and second sections enabling the person to comfortably maneuver his hand and wrist and the gun through a multiplicity of spacial orientations during welding operations on the workpiece, wherein the means for pulling a weld wire comprises:
- i. a motor in the handle having an armature with an axial centerline that is generally parallel to the handle first longitudinal axis;
- ii. at least one feed roller rotatable about an axes of rotation that is perpendicular to the handle second longitudinal axis, the feed roller gripping the weld wire to pull it in a downstream direction to the gun from the welding machine when the feed roller rotates;
- and
- iii. means for rotating the feed roller in response to energization of the motor.
5 more elements
A mig gun comprising:
- a. a handle having a first section for holding by a person's hand and defining a first longitudinal axis and having an underside, and a second section that defines a second longitudinal axis, the first and second longitudinal axes intersecting at a predetermined acute angle;
- b. a head tube protecting from the handle second section;
- and
- c. means for pulling a weld wire from a welding machine to the handle and for pushing the weld wire out the head tube to a welding arc between the weld wire and a workpiece, the acute angle between the handle first and second sections enabling the person to comfortably maneuver his hand and wrist and the gun through a multiplicity of spacial orientations during welding operations on the workpiece, wherein the means for pulling a weld wire comprises:
- i. a motor in the handle first section and having an armature with an axial centerline that is generally parallel to the handle first longitudinal axis;
- ii. at least one feed roller in the handle second section rotatable about an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the handle second longitudinal axis, the feed roller gripping the weld wire to pull it in a downstream direction to the gun from the welding machine when the feed roller rotates;
- and
- iii. means for rotating the feed roller in response to energization of the motor.
5 more elements
A mig gun comprising:
- a. a handle having a first section for holding by a person's hand and defining a first longitudinal axis and having an underside, and a second section that defines a second longitudinal axis, the first and second longitudinal axes intersecting at a predetermined acute angle;
- b. a head tube protecting from the handle second section;
- c. means for pulling a weld wire from a welding machine to the handle and for pushing the weld wire out the head tube to a welding arc between the weld wire and a workpiece, the acute angle between the handle first and second sections enabling the person to comfortably maneuver his hand and wrist and the gun through a multiplicity of spacial orientations during welding operations on the workpiece;
- and
- d. a thumbwheel rotatable in the handle first section, the thumbwheel being located on an underside of the handle first section whereat the thumbwheel is accessible to a first hand of the person holding the handle first section with his second hand whether the person holds the handle first section with his right hand or his left hand.
2 more elements
In combination with a gas metal arc welding machine, a gun for producing an arc between a weld wire and a workpiece comprising:
- a. a handle comprising:
- i. a first section held by a first hand of a person and defining a first longitudinal axis;
- and
- ii. a second section defining a second longitudinal axis that intersects the first longitudinal axis at a predetermined acute angle;
- b. a non-right angle gear set comprising:
- i. a pinion that rotates about an axial centerline parallel to the first longitudinal axis;
- and
- ii. a gear that meshes with the pinion and rotates about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis;
- and
- c. means for pulling the weld wire at a selected feed rate from the welding machine in response to rotation of the gear set.
7 more elements
In combination with a gas metal arc welding machine, a gun for producing an arc between a weld wire and a workpiece comprising:
- a. handle comprising:
- i. a first section held by a first hand of a person and defining a first longitudinal axis;
- and
- ii. a second section defining a second longitudinal axis that intersects the first longitudinal axis at a predetermined acute angle;
- b. a non-right angle gear set comprising:
- i. a pinion that rotates about an axial centerline parallel to the first longitudinal axis;
- and
- ii. a gear that meshes with the pinion and rotates about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis;
- c. means for pulling the weld wire at a selected feed rate from the welding machine in response to rotation of the gear set;
- and
- d. means for adjusting the selected weld wire feed rate with a second hand of the person without the person having to release the hold of the handle with his first hand regardless of whether the person holds the handle with his right or his left hand, wherein the means for adjusting the weld wire feed rate comprises a thumbwheel located proximate the center of an underside of the handle, the thumbwheel being accessible to the left hand of a person holding the handle with his right hand, the thumbwheel being accessible to the right hand of a person holding the handle with his left hand.
8 more elements
A gas metal arc welding gun for producing an arc between a workpiece and a weld wire supplied by a welding machine, the welding gun comprising a liner with upstream and downstream ends and comprising a wall with an interior that guides the weld wire in a downstream direction, the liner interior containing atmospheric air that flows therethrough in the downstream direction;
- a diffuser having first and second ends with a bore that receives the liner, the liner and the diffuser bore cooperating to define an annular first passage therebetween that receives an inert gas entering the annular first passage at the diffuser second end and flowing in the downstream direction from the welding machine;
- a contact tip connected to the diffuser first end and having a hole that guides the weld wire from the liner interior to the workpiece;
- a nozzle that directs the inert gas from the annular first passage to form a shield that surrounds the arc;
- and a gas seal that blocks atmospheric air in the liner interior from flowing through the hole in the contact tip to the arc inside the shield of inert gas from the nozzle.
1 more element
A method of gas metal arc welding comprising the steps of:
- a. feeding a weld wire in a downstream direction through a liner having a wall, a downstream end, and an interior, the liner interior having atmospheric air therein;
- b. providing an annular first passage between the liner and a diffuser bore;
- c. substantially blocking the annular first passage at the downstream end of the liner by locating the downstream end of the liner against the diffuser bore;
- d. connecting a contact tip to the diffuser, the contact tip having a hole therethrough that guides the weld wire from the liner to a welding arc;
- e. shielding the welding arc from atmospheric air with a shield of inert gas that is received in the annular first passage and flows therefrom out a nozzle and surrounds the arc;
- and
- f. bleeding the inert gas from the annular first passage to the liner interior and thereby blocking the atmospheric air therein from reaching the contact tip hole,
- so that the atmospheric air in the liner interior does not flow through the contact tip hole to the arc.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.