Portable welding wire feeder and housing
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsBruce P. Albrecht, Donald R. Keddell, Richard J. Schuh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A modular portable welding wire feeder housed in an instrument case and a method of modifying an instrument case to house a welding wire feeder are disclosed. The modular portable wire feeder includes a chassis assembly conveniently mounted inside of the instrument case housing. The instrument case includes welding input interfaces disposed to receive welding inputs and welding output interfaces disposed to provide welding outputs.
Claims37
A portable welding wire feeder comprising:
- a plastic instrument case having a housing with a carrying handle, a hinge, and a latch which are injection molded;
- a spool support assembly mounted in the instrument case and disposed to support a spool of weld wire;
- and
- a wire drive assembly mounted in the instrument case and disposed to receive the weld wire from the spool and provide the weld wire to a welding gun.
A housing for a portable welding wire feeder comprising:
- plastic instrument case having a cover and a base connected to the cover wherein the cover and the base open and close along a mating seam, a carrying handle, and a latch which are all injection molded;
- at least one welding input interface one the instrument case disposed to receive a welding input;
- and
- at least one welding output interface on the instrument case disposed to provide a welding output.
A method of modifying a plastic instrument case to house a welding wire feeder, the instrument case having a housing with a carrying handle, a hinge, and a latch which are injection molded, the method comprising the steps of:
- adapting the instrument case to hold a spool support assembly disposed to support a spool of weld wire;
- and
- adapting the instrument case to hold a wire drive assembly disposed to receive the weld wire from the spool and provide the weld wire to a welding gun.
A method of converting a plastic instrument case having a housing with a carrying handle, a hinge, and a latch which are injection molded into a welding wire feeder housing comprising the steps of:
- adapting the instrument case to receive weld power from a welding power source;
- adapting the instrument case to provide weld power to a welding gun;
- and
- adapting the instrument case to provide a weld wire to a welding gun.
A method of converting a plastic instrument case having a housing with a carrying handle, a hinge, and a latch which are injection molded into a welding wire feeder housing comprising the steps of:
- adding at least one welding input interface to the instrument case to receive a welding input;
- and
- adding at least one welding output interface to the instrument case to provide a welding output.
A welding wire feeder comprising:
- a housing;
- and
- a modular chassis assembly wherein the chassis assembly includes a chassis frame and at least two welding wire feeder components attached to the chassis frame, the modular chassis assembly being mounted to the housing as a single unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.