Welding shielding gas saver device

Abstract

This device significantly reduces major reasons for shielding gas waste primarily in metal inert gas welding. Excess shielding gas stored at the end of each weld in the shielding gas delivery hose connecting the gas source to the welding machine creates a shielding gas flow-surge at the next weld start. This gas flow-surge creates shielding gas waste and can cause poor weld start performance. Other methods employed over the years to reduce shielding gas waste have been either complex, leaked, were not sufficiently robust for the environment, provided only partial solutions or did not provide shielding gas savings for welds longer than about 3 seconds. This device includes a delivery hose connecting the shielding gas supply to the welding machine, which has a small internal volume and a gas surge-restricting orifice at the gas solenoid end of the hose.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.