Welding wire feed system and method
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsJonathan R. Ertmer, Jeff Lenzner, Kenneth A. Stanzel, Ronald D. Woodward
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment, a system is provided with a welding wire feeder that a first wheel having a first rotational direction, and a second wheel having a rotational direction opposite from the first rotational direction. The first and wheels are disposed compressively about a wire feed region, and the first and wheels are drivingly coupled together to output substantially equal tangential in the wire feed region. In addition, the first wheel, or the second wheel, or first and second wheels comprise a drive wheel directly coupled to a gear separately coupling both the drive wheel and the gear to a shaft.
Claims17
A system, comprising:
- a welding wire feeder, comprising:
- a wheel assembly consisting essentially of a first wheel and a second wheel disposed opposite from one another compressively about a wire feed region;
- and
- a first gear coupled to the first wheel, wherein the first wheel comprises a central passage, opposite slots disposed axially along the central passage, and opposite recesses disposed on an axial end of the first wheel angularly away from the opposite slots, wherein the first gear comprises opposite protrusions disposed in the opposite recesses at the axial end of the first wheel, the first gear comprises a passage aligned with the central passage in the first wheel, and the first gear comprises slots aligned with the opposite slots in the first wheel;
- wherein the first wheel has a first rotational direction;
- wherein the second wheel has a second rotational direction opposite from the first rotational direction;
- wherein the first and second wheels are drivingly coupled together to output substantially equal tangential speeds in the wire feed region;
- and
- wherein the first wheel comprises a shaft coupled to a motor.
A welding system, comprising;
- a wire feed wheel configured to feed a welding wire, wherein the wire feed wheel comprises a central passage, opposite slots disposed axially along the central passage, first opposite recesses disposed on a first axial end of the wire feed wheel angularly away from the opposite slots, and second opposite recesses disposed on a second axial end of the wire feed wheel angularly away from the opposite slots;
- a drive gear comprising opposite protrusions disposed in the first opposite recesses at the first axial end;
- and
- a shaft comprising opposite prongs, wherein the opposite prongs are configured to pass along the opposite slots during insertion and removal of the shaft relative to the central passage, and the opposite prongs are configured to rotate from the opposite slots to the second opposite recesses at the second axial end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.