Drive roller for wire feeding mechanism
AssigneeLincoln Global, Inc.
InventorsJames D. Bobeczko, Thaddeus A. Kasiewicz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wire feeding mechanism suitable for advancing ferrous and nonferrous wire along a pathway without causing damage to the wire, including a plurality of drive rollers stationed in opposing pairs along the pathway, each comprising a cylindrical hub and a flexible cover extending thereabout. The flexible covers conform to the cross-sectional contour of the wire therebetween under the compressive forces generated by the opposing drive rollers as the wire is driven along the pathway.
Claims7
A drive roller for use on a wire feeding mechanism to advance a continuous length of wire, said drive roller comprising:
- a hub having an axis and an outer surface extending circumferentially about said axis;
- a flexible cover on said outer surface and extending circumferentially thereabout;
- said outer surface of said hub is cylindrical;
- and,
- at least a portion of said outer surface of said hub is axially serrated.
A drive roller for use on a wire feeding mechanism to advance a continuous length of wire, said drive roller comprising:
- a hub having an axis and an outer surface extending circumferentially about said axis;
- a flexible cover on said outer surface and extending circumferentially thereabout;
- said outer surface of said hub is cylindrical;
- said outer surface includes at least one groove extending circumferentially therearound;
- said at least one groove is V-shaped;
- and,
- walls of said at least one V-shaped groove are at least partially serrated.
A drive roller for use on a wire feeding mechanism to advance a continuous length of wire, said drive roller comprising:
- a hub having an axis and an outer surface extending circumferentially about said axis;
- a flexible cover on said outer surface and extending circumferentially thereabout;
- said outer surface of said hub is cylindrical;
- said outer surface includes at least one groove extending circumferentially therearound;
- said at least one groove is V-shaped;
- and,
- walls of said at least one V-shaped groove are at least partially knurled.
A wire feeding mechanism for advancing a continuous length of wire along a pathway, said wire feeding mechanism comprising:
- a housing having two roller supports each rotatable about a corresponding axis transverse to said pathway, said roller supports being on opposite sides of said pathway and being driveably engaged with each other;
- a drive roller on each roller support for rotation therewith and having a roller axis coaxial with the axis of the corresponding roller support, said driver roller comprising a hub having an outer surface extending circumferentially about said roller axis, and a flexible cover on said outer surface and extending circumferentially thereabout;
- said flexible cover of each of said drive rollers tangentially and compressively contacting a continuous length of wire therebetween such that the wire is advanced along said pathway in response to the rotation of said drive rollers;
- at least one of said drive rollers is radially adjustably positionable relative to said pathway;
- said outer surface of said hub is cylindrical;
- said outer surface includes at least one groove extending circumferentially therearound;
- said at least one groove is V-shaped;
- and,
- walls of said at least one V-shaped groove are at least partially serrated.
A wire feeding mechanism for advancing a continuous length of wire along a pathway, said wire feeding mechanism comprising:
- a housing having two roller supports each rotatable about a corresponding axis transverse to said pathway, said roller supports being on opposite sides of said pathway and being driveably engaged with each other;
- a drive roller on each roller support for rotation therewith and having a roller axis coaxial with the axis of the corresponding roller support, said driver roller comprising a hub having an outer surface extending circumferentially about said roller axis, and a flexible cover on said outer surface and extending circumferentially thereabout;
- said flexible cover of each of said drive rollers tangentially and compressively contacting a continuous length of wire therebetween such that the wire is advanced along said pathway in response to the rotation of said drive rollers;
- at least one of said drive rollers is radially adjustably positionable relative to said pathway;
- said outer surface of said hub is cylindrical;
- said outer surface includes at least one groove extending circumferentially therearound;
- said at least one groove is V-shaped;
- and,
- walls of said at least one V-shaped groove are at least partially knurled.
A wire feeding mechanism for advancing a continuous length of wire along a pathway, said wire feeding mechanism comprising:
- a housing having two roller supports each rotatable about a corresponding axis transverse to said pathway, said roller supports being on opposite sides of said pathway and being driveably engaged with each other;
- a drive roller on each roller support for rotation therewith and having a roller axis coaxial with the axis of the corresponding roller support, said driver roller comprising a hub having an outer surface extending circumferentially about said roller axis, and a flexible cover on said outer surface and extending circumferentially thereabout;
- said flexible cover of each of said drive rollers tangentially and compressively contacting a continuous length of wire therebetween such that the wire is advanced along said pathway in response to the rotation of said drive rollers;
- said outer surface of said hub is cylindrical;
- said outer surface includes at least one groove extending circumferentially therearound;
- said at least one groove is V-shaped;
- and,
- walls of said at least one V-shaped groove are at least partially serrated.
A wire feeding mechanism for advancing a continuous length of wire along a pathway, said wire feeding mechanism comprising:
- a housing having two roller supports each rotatable about a corresponding axis transverse to said pathway, said roller supports being on opposite sides of said pathway and being driveably engaged with each other;
- a drive roller on each roller support for rotation therewith and having a roller axis coaxial with the axis of the corresponding roller support, said driver roller comprising a hub having an outer surface extending circumferentially about said roller axis, and a flexible cover on said outer surface and extending circumferentially thereabout;
- said flexible cover of each of said drive rollers tangentially and compressively contacting a continuous length of wire therebetween such that the wire is advanced along said pathway in response to the rotation of said drive rollers;
- said outer surface of said hub is cylindrical;
- said outer surface includes at least one groove extending circumferentially therearound;
- said at least one groove is V-shaped;
- and,
- walls of said at least one V-shaped groove are at least partially knurled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.