Method and Apparatus For Feeding Wire to a Welding Arc

Abstract

A method and apparatus for feeding wire in a welding system include one or more motors disposed adjacent the wire to drive it. A wire feed motor is also disposed along the wire path, and is closer to the source of wire than the torch, and closer to the source than the one or more motors. The motors may be a pair motors disposed on opposite sides of the wire and move the wire to and away from an arc end of a torch. They preferably reversing the direction of the wire within one process cycle. The or more motors may be a stepper motor, a servo motor, a zero backlash motor, a gearless motor, a planetary drive motor, or a linear actuator (such as a piston), in various embodiments.

1 . A wire feeder for feeding wire from a source of wire in a welding system comprising:
 at least one stepper motor disposed adjacent the wire and disposed to drive the wire; and   wire feed motor disposed along a wire path from the source to a welding torch, wherein the torch is closer to the at least one stepper motor than the torch is to the wire feed motor, and wherein the wire feed motor is disposed to contact the wire and move the wire from the source to the torch.   
   
   
       2 . The wire feeder of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stepper motor is disposed along the wire path closer to the torch than to the source. 
   
   
       3 . The wire feeder of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stepper motor is disposed along the wire path near the torch. 
   
   
       4 . The wire feeder of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stepper motor is disposed along the wire path adjacent the torch. 
   
   
       5 . The wire feeder of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stepper motor has a reverse direction and a forward direction, and the motor is disposed to move the wire to an arc end of the torch. 
   
   
       7 . The wire feeder of  claim 1 , wherein the source includes a reel of wire mounted without a wire feed motor adjacent thereto. 
   
   
       8 . A wire feeder for feeding wire from a source of wire to a weld, comprising a pair of motors disposed on opposite sides of the wire and disposed to move the wire to and away from an arc end of a torch. 
   
   
       9 . The wire feeder of  claim 8 , wherein the pair of motors are disposed along a wire path from the source to the torch, adjacent the torch. 
   
   
       10 . The wire feeder of  claim 8 , wherein the pair of motors are disposed along the wire path closer to the torch than to the source. 
   
   
       11 . The wire feeder of  claim 10 , further comprising a wire feed motor disposed along the wire path, closer to the source than to the torch, and disposed to contact the wire and move the wire from the source to the torch. 
   
   
       12 . The wire feeder of  claim 10 , wherein the source includes a reel of wire mounted without a wire feed motor adjacent thereto. 
   
   
       13 . The wire feeder of  claim 10 , wherein the pair of motors are disposed directly opposite one another. 
   
   
       14 . The wire feeder of  claim 13 , wherein the pair of motors are stepper motors. 
   
   
       15 . The wire feeder of  claim 8 , wherein the pair of motors are disposed one after the other. 
   
   
       16 . The wire feeder of  claim 8 , wherein the pair of motors are servo motors. 
   
   
       17 . The wire feeder of  claim 8 , wherein the pair of motors are zero backlash motors. 
   
   
       18 . The wire feeder of  claim 8 , wherein the pair of motors are gearless motors. 
   
   
       19 . A wire feeder for feeding wire from a source of wire to a weld, comprising at least one gearless motor disposed adjacent the wire and disposed to drive the wire. 
   
   
       20 . The wire feeder of  claim 19 , further comprising a wire feed motor disposed along a wire path from the source to a torch, closer to the source than to the torch, and disposed to contact the wire and move the wire from the source to the torch. 
   
   
       21 . The wire feeder of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one gearless motor is disposed along the wire path near the torch. 
   
   
       22 . The wire feeder of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one gearless motor is disposed along the wire path adjacent the torch. 
   
   
       23 . The wire feeder of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one gearless motor is disposed along the wire path closer to the torch than to the source. 
   
   
       24 . The wire feeder of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one gearless motor has a reverse direction and a forward direction, and the motor is disposed to move the wire to and away from an arc end of the torch. 
   
   
       25 . A wire feeder for feeding wire from a source of wire to a weld, comprising at least one servo motor disposed adjacent the wire and disposed to drive the wire. 
   
   
       26 . The wire feeder of  claim 25 , further comprising a wire feed motor disposed along a wire path, closer to the source than to a torch, and disposed to contact the wire and move the wire from the source to the torch. 
   
   
       27 . The wire feeder of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one servo motor is disposed along the wire path near the torch. 
   
   
       28 . The wire feeder of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one servo motor is disposed along the wire path adjacent the torch. 
   
   
       29 . The wire feeder of  claim 28 , wherein the at least one servo motor has a reverse direction and a forward direction, and the motor is disposed to move the wire to and away from an arc end of the torch. 
   
   
       30 . The wire feeder of  claim 25 , wherein the source includes mounting for a reel of wire, without a wire feed motor adjacent thereto. 
   
   
       31 . A wire feeder for feeding wire from a source of wire to a weld, comprising at least one zero backlash motor disposed adjacent the wire and disposed to drive the wire. 
   
   
       32 . The wire feeder of  claim 31 , further comprising a wire feeder disposed near the source and further disposed to drive the wire to a weld. 
   
   
       33 . The wire feeder of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one zero backlash motor has a reverse direction and a forward direction, and the motor is disposed to move the wire to and from an arc end of a torch. 
   
   
       34 . A wire feeder for feeding wire from a source of wire to a weld, comprising:
 a wire feed motor disposed along a wire path and disposed to contact the wire and move the wire from the source to a torch; and   at least one linear actuator disposed adjacent the wire and disposed to drive the wire away from an arc end of the torch.   
   
   
       35 . The wire feeder of  claim 34 , wherein the at least one linear actuator is disposed along the wire path closer to the torch than to the source. 
   
   
       36 . The wire feeder of  claim 35 , wherein the at least one linear actuator is disposed along the wire path adjacent the torch. 
   
   
       37 . A method of providing wire from a source to a weld in a welding system comprising:
 driving the wire to a torch with a wire feed motor; and   superimposing, onto motion imposed by the wire feed motor, motion of the wire between the wire feed motor and the weld, with at least one stepper motor.   
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising disposing the at least one stepper motor along a wire path from the source to the torch, and near the torch. 
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising disposing the at least one stepper motor along a wire path from the source to a welding torch, and adjacent the torch. 
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 37  wherein driving the wire includes moving the wire to and from an arc end of the torch. 
   
   
       41 . A method of providing wire from a source to a weld in a welding system comprising driving the wire with a pair of motors disposed on opposite sides of the wire. 
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein driving includes moving the wire to and from an arc end of a torch. 
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising a driving the wire with a wire feed motor disposed closer to the source than to the torch. 
   
   
       44 . A method of providing wire from a source to a weld in a welding system comprising driving the wire to a torch with at least one gearless motor. 
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising driving the wire with a wire feed motor disposed along a wire path from the source to a welding torch, closer to the source than to the torch. 
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein driving the wire includes moving the wire to and from an arc end of the torch. 
   
   
       47 . A method of providing wire from a source to a weld in a welding system comprising driving the wire to an arc end of a torch with at least one servo motor. 
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 47  further comprising driving the wire with a wire feed motor disposed along a wire path, closer to the source than to the torch. 
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 48  wherein driving the wire includes moving the wire to and from the arc end of the torch. 
   
   
       50 . A method of providing wire from a source to a weld in a welding system comprising driving the wire to an arc end of a torch with at least one zero backlash motor. 
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising driving the wire with a wire feed motor disposed along a wire path, closer to the source than to the torch. 
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein driving the wire includes moving the wire to and from the arc end of the torch. 
   
   
       53 . A method of providing wire from a source to a weld in a welding system comprising:
 driving a wire to a torch using a wire feed motor;   driving the wire from an arc end of a torch with at least one linear actuator.   
   
   
       54 . A method of providing wire from a source to a weld in a welding system comprising:
 driving the wire to, or pulling a wire from an arc end of a torch; and   reversing directions within one process cycle.   
   
   
       55 . A wire feeder for feeding wire from a source of wire in a welding system comprising:
 means for feeding wire from the source to a weld; and   means for driving the wire to or pulling a wire from an arc end of a torch and for reversing direction within one process cycle.   
   
   
       56 . The system of  claim 55 , wherein the means for driving includes at least one stepper motor and a wire feed motor. 
   
   
       57 . The system of  claim 55 , wherein the means for driving includes at least one servo motor. 
   
   
       58 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the means for driving includes at least one planetary drive. 
   
   
       59 . The system of  claim 58 , wherein the means for driving includes at least one linear actuator. 
   
   
       60 . A wire feeder for feeding wire from a source of wire in a welding system comprising:
 means for feeding wire from the source to a weld; and   means for driving the wire with a pair of motors disposed on opposite sides of the wire.   
   
   
       61 . The system of  claim 60  wherein the means for driving includes means for moving the wire to and from an arc end of a torch.