Patent Application
20090050606
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to welding torches and, more particularly, to welding torches with changeable welding head assemblies.
2. Background Art
Welding torches are used to join various materials, including a variety of different types of metals. Among the different forms of welding are MMA, MIG, and TIG, each of which is chosen depending on the type of metal and the type weld desired.
These different forms of welding include different components, such as consumable or non-consumable electrodes, different forms of inert gases, working gases, and the like. For example, with tungsten inert gas welding (TIG), the electrodes are non-consumable. An inert or semi-inert gas mixture is used together with a filler material to join pieces of metal. The torches used for welding are connected to lines to supply the required materials as well as coolants. For example, with TIG welding, a torch is connected to a power source to supply electricity, a gas source to supply the inert or semi-inert gas, and a coolant supply for providing water or other cooling material to the torch.
Oftentimes, the design of a torch is such that it is unsuitable for accessing certain work regions, such as small openings in workpieces, as shown in
In one form, a welding head assembly is provided for use with a torch having an electrical contact and a gas passage for operatively supporting an electrode with a working end of the electrode at a first location. The welding head assembly has a first end and a second end. The first end has an electrical input and a gas inlet. When coupled to the torch, the first end provides a connection between the electrical contact and the electrical input and a fluidic connection between the gas passage and the gas inlet. The second end has a gas outlet at which end a working end of an electrode is operatively maintained at a second location that is remote from the first location. The welding head assembly defines a gas flow path extending from the gas inlet to the gas outlet and an electrical flow path extending between the electrical input and the electrode.
The invention is also directed to a welding head assembly for use with a torch having an electrical contact and a gas passage for operatively supporting an electrode with a working end of the electrode at a first location. The welding head assembly has a body, a gas flow path, a gas outlet, an electrical flow path, and an electrode. The body extends between a first end and a second end. The first end is configured to connect to the torch while the second end is located remotely from the torch. The gas flow path extends from the first end to the second end and is in fluid communication with the gas passage. The gas outlet is located at the second end and is in fluid communication with the gas flow path. The electrical flow path extends from the first end to the second end and is electrically coupled to the electrical contact. The electrode is located at the second end and is electrically coupled to the electrical flow path.
In another form, a torch and a weld head assembly are provided in combination. The torch has an electrical contact and a gas passage and operatively supports an electrode with a working end of the electrode at a first location. The welding head assembly has a first end configured to connect to the torch, a second end located remotely from the torch, and a body extending between the first and second ends. The first end has an electrical input and a gas inlet. The first end provides a connection between the electrical contact and the electrical input and a fluidic connection between the gas passage and the gas inlet. The second end has an electrode and a gas outlet. The body has a gas flow path extending from the gas inlet to the gas outlet and an electrical flow path extending between the electrical input and the electrode.
According to one form, the welding head assembly further has a locking clamp at the first end to releasably maintain the welding head assembly in a desired orientation on the torch.
In one form, the welding head assembly further has a chuck located at the second end to operatively maintain the working end of the electrode.
According to one form, the welding head assembly has a nozzle located at the second end to direct the gas at the gas outlet.
In one form, the body has an interior space which defines the gas flow path.
According to one form, the body has a non-conducting material covering the body.
In one form, the first end is threaded to releasably couple the welding head assembly at the first end to the torch.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a review of the entire specification, including the appended claims and drawings.
In
The conventional torch 20 has a number of limitations inherent to its geometry. As an example, as seen in
A welding head assembly 40, according to the invention, can be utilized to, among other things, weld the inside of the workpiece 22, as shown in
The first end 42 has an electrical input 50 and a gas inlet 52. The first end 42, and more specifically the electrical input 50, provides a connection from the electrical contact 26 to the welding head assembly 40 with the welding head assembly 40 operatively connected to the torch 20. Furthermore, the first end 42, and more specifically the gas inlet 52, provides a fluidic connection from the gas passage 28 to the welding head assembly 40 with the welding head assembly 40 operatively connected to the torch 20.
It should be understood that the first end 42 can take a variety of forms for connecting the torch 20 to the welding head assembly 40, and need not include threads 48. Other suitable mechanisms for connecting the torch 20 and welding head assembly 40 would be well known to those skilled in this art. Similarly, other forms of the electrical input 50 and the gas connection 52 are also contemplated.
The second end 44 has an electrode 60 and a gas outlet 62. Furthermore, the second end 44 may include a chuck 64 and a cup/nozzle 66. The electrode 60 may be the same electrode as identified by the reference numeral 24 used in the torch 20, or it may be a different electrode. When used with the welding head assembly 40, the working end of the electrode 60 is located remotely from the location of the working end of the electrode 24 that is used directly with the torch 20, as in
Generally, the working end of the electrode 60 is operatively maintained at the second end 44 by the chuck 64. The chuck 64 may be affixed to the second end 44 such as at a complementary aperture 68, which may be threaded. In this form, the chuck 64 has external threads 70 to engage with internal threads 71 within the aperture 68. It should be understood that the chuck 64 may be coupled to the second end 44 in other manners as would be understood by those skilled in the art. As one example, the chuck 64 may be permanently affixed at the second end 44.
It should also be understood that the chuck 64 may include additional structure, such as a collet (not shown) or other structure, likewise known to those skilled in the art. With the form of the chuck 64 and second end 44, as illustrated in
Another form of the chuck 64′ and the second end 44′ is illustrated on a modified form of the welding head assembly 40′ in
The cups 66, 66′, shown respectively in
Furthermore, the cups 66, 66′ may attach to the chucks 64, 64′ and/or second ends 44, 44′ in a variety of different manners as understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in
The exemplary body 46, as seen additionally in
The body 46 may also include a locking clamp 84, as shown in
Furthermore, the body 46 may include a non-conducting or insulating cover 86 surrounding some, and more preferably substantially all, of the body 46, where it would otherwise be directly exposed, as shown also in
In one form, gas flows and electricity conducts from the torch 20 through the first end 42 of the body 46 to the second end 44 thereof to weld a workpiece 22. In this form, electricity conducts from the electrical contact 26 to the electrical input 50, through the body 80 to the chuck 64, and ultimately to the electrode 60, whereby it can provide an electrical arc at the workpiece 22. Similarly, gas flows from the gas glow path 28 to the gas inlet 52, through the gas flow path 82 to the chuck 64, and ultimately through the gas outlet 62 adjacent the electrode 60.
It should be understood that the welding head assembly 40 can be utilized in a manner that it becomes unnecessary to change out the supply lines 30,32,34 from the torch 20 to another torch (not shown). Instead, the welding head assembly 40 is coupled to the torch 20 to enable the torch 20 and selected welding head assembly 40 to be used to adapt to different encountered field conditions. Different types of working head assemblies may be kept on hand to meet all, or most, anticipated demands.
It should also be understood that the welding head assembly 40 can be used with a variety of different sizes and types of torches. For example, the welding head assembly 40 can be sized to work with large and small torches. Furthermore, the welding head assembly 40 can be used with different forms of welding torches such as TIG, and the like. The welding head assembly 40 can be used on air cooled, water cooled, large, small, and high or low amp TIG torches.
It should be appreciated that for all of the disclosed embodiments there are many possible modifications contemplated. Additionally, it should be understood that the embodiments described herein may be utilized with a variety of additional optional components understood by those skilled in the art.
