Arc welding torch

Abstract

An arc welding torch includes a current conducting mounting block which provided with an open-ended socket for receiving the mounting end of a current conducting removable and rotatable barrel having a welding tip at the free end thereof. Welding wire, inert gas and coolant are supplied to the welding tip via passageways in the block and barrel. A current carrying split collar is slidable along the barrel and adapted to be wedged between the barrel and the inner surface of the socket adjacent the open end thereof via a nut which engages threads on the block to maintain the barrel in a seated and fixed position in the socket.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A welding torch apparatus comprising: a) a mounting block assembly of current conducting material having a cylindrical open-ended receiving socket portion terminating at the front end thereof in a collet, the mounting block assembly being provided with passageways opening into the socket portion which are connectable with gas, water, and welding wire sources, the mounting block assembly being connected to a welding current source;   b) an elongated torch barrel of current conducting material mounting a welding tip at one end thereof and being provided at its other end with a mounting end adapted for endwise axial insertion into a seated position in said socket to establish operative connections with the gas, water and welding wire sources;   c) a current conducting cone-shaped collar carried by and slidable along the torch barrel adjacent the mounting end thereof for insertion into a seated position in the collet and for extraction from the collet to an unseated position, the collar carrying current to the barrel and preventing relative movement between the barrel and the mounting block assembly when in a seated position and for allowing relative movement between the barrel and the mounting block assembly when in an unseated position; and   d) manually operable means for seating and unseating the collar in the collet.   
     
     
       2. The welding torch apparatus of claim 1 wherein the manually operable means includes an externally threaded portion on the collet and a nut rotatable on the barrel and coupled to the collar, the nut having internal threads for engaging the threaded portion of the collet. 
     
     
       3. The welding torch apparatus of claim 2 wherein the coupling between the nut and the collar causes the collar to be inserted into its seated position in the collet when the nut is turned in one direction and causes the collar to be unseated when the nut is turned in the other direction. 
     
     
       4. The welding torch apparatus of claim 3 wherein the collar is split. 
     
     
       5. The welding torch apparatus of claim 4 wherein the coupling between the collar and nut comprises a pair of spaced rings carried by the collar and an inwardly depending flange on the nut disposed between the rings. 
     
     
       6. A welding torch apparatus comprising: a) a mounting block assembly of current conducting material having a cylindrical-open-ended-receiving socket therein, the socket having a proximal end adjacent the opening and a distal interior section, the block being connected to a source of welding current and having passageways opening into the distal section of the socket which are connectable with gas.[., water.]. and welding wire sources;   b) an elongated torch barrel of current conducting material mounting a welding tip at one end thereof and being provided at its other end with a mounting end adapted for axial insertion into a seated position in the socket of the mounting block to establish operative connections with the gas.[., water.]. and welding wire sources; and   c) a current conducting split collar slidable along the outer surface of the torch barrel mounting end for insertion into and extraction from a seated position in the proximal end of the socket, the collar in its seated position engaging the outer surface of the barrel and the inner surface of the proximal end of the socket for carrying current between the mounting block and barrel and preventing relative movement between the barrel and the mounting block and in its unseated position allowing relative movement between the barrel and mounting block whereby the barrel can be rotated relative to the mounting block or removed therefrom.   
     
     
       7. The torch apparatus of claim 6 wherein one of the engaging surfaces of the collar and the socket proximal end is tapered. 
     
     
       8. The torch apparatus of claim 7 wherein the engaging surface of the collar is tapered. 
     
     
       9. The torch apparatus of claim 8 wherein the engaging surface of the proximal end of the socket is also tapered. 
     
     
       10. The torch apparatus of claim 7 further including manually operable means carried by the mounting block assembly or the barrel for selectively seating and unseating the collar with respect to the proximal end of the mounting block socket. 
     
     
       11. The torch apparatus of claim 10 wherein the proximal end of the socket includes a collet and wherein the manually operable means includes an externally threaded portion of collet and a nut coupled to the collar with internal threads for engaging the threads on the collet. 
     
     
       12. The torch apparatus of claim 11 wherein the nut seats the collar in the collet when turned in one direction and unseats the collar when turned in the opposite direction. 
     
     
       13. The torch apparatus of claim 12 wherein the collar has externally tapered surface which matches the internal taper of the collet. .Iadd. 
     
     
       14.  A welding torch apparatus comprising: a) a mounting block assembly of current conducting material having a cylindrical open-ended receiving socket portion terminating at the front end thereof in a collet, the collet having an inner frusto-conical seating surface which tapers outwardly and a threaded portion at the forward end thereof, the mounting block assembly being provided with passageways opening into the socket portion which are connectable with gas and welding wire sources, the mounting block assembly being connected to a welding current source;   b) a torch barrel structure including an elongated torch barrel of current conducting material mounting a welding tip at one end thereof and being provided at its other end with a mounting end adapted for endwise axial insertion into a seated position in said socket to establish operative connections with the current, gas and welding wire sources;   c) the torch barrel structure having an outwardly projecting flange at the mounting end and a frusto-conically shaped seating portion extending rearwardly of the flange for insertion into a seated position in the frusto conical seating surface of the collet and for extraction from the collet to an unseated position; and   d) a nut carried by the torch barrel adjacent the mounting end thereof, the nut having threads for engaging the threaded portion of the collet and an inwardly extending portion for engaging the flange on the torch barrel to seat and secure the torch barrel structure within the collet and prevent relative movement between the barrel and the mounting block assembly when the nut is tightened on the threaded portion of the collet and to allow the torch barrel to be rotated relative to the mounting block assembly when the nut is loosened from the threaded portion..Iaddend..Iadd.   
     
     
       15.  The welding torch of claim 14 wherein the threaded portion of the collet comprises external threads, the threads on the nut comprise internal threads and the nut is slidably mounted on the torch barrel..Iaddend..Iadd.16. The welding torch of claim 14 wherein the outwardly projecting flange and frusto-conically shaped seating portion comprises a current conducting cone-shaped collar carried by and slidable along the torch barrel adjacent the mounting end thereof for insertion into a seated position in the collet and for extraction from the collet to an unseated position, the collar carrying current to the barrel and preventing relative movement between the barrel and the mounting block assembly when in a seated position and for allowing relative movement between the barrel and the mounting block assembly when in an unseated position..Iaddend..Iadd.17. The welding torch apparatus of claim 16 wherein the nut is coupled to the collar and causes the collar to be inserted into its seated position in the collet when the nut is turned in one direction and causes the collar to be unseated when the nut is turned in the other direction..Iaddend..Iadd.18. The welding torch apparatus of claim 17 wherein the collar is split..Iaddend..Iadd.19. The welding torch apparatus of claim 18 wherein the coupling between the collar and nut comprises a pair of spaced rings carried by the collar and an inwardly depending flange on the nut disposed between the rings..Iaddend..Iadd.20. A welding torch apparatus comprising: a mounting block assembly of current conducting material having a cylindrical-open-ended-receiving socket therein at the distal end, a frusto-conical proximal end adjacent the opening, and a threaded portion adjacent the opening, the mounting block being connected to a source of welding current and having passageways opening into the distal section of the socket which are connectable with gas and welding wire sources;   an elongated torch barrel of current conducting material mounting a welding tip at one end thereof and being provided at its other end with a mounting end adapted for axial insertion into a seated position in the socket of the mounting block to establish operative connections with the gas and welding wire sources, the elongated torch barrel having an outwardly projecting flange and a tapered outer surface portion extending rearwardly of the flange at the torch barrel mounting end, the torch barrel carrying a slidable nut having threads adapted to cooperate with the threads on the mounting block and an inwardly extending shoulder for engaging the flange to insert the tapered outer surface portion into a seated position in the frusto-conical proximal end of the socket when the nut is tightened on the threaded portion of the mounting block, the tapered portion in its seated position engaging the inner surface of the proximal end of the socket for carrying current between the mounting block and barrel and preventing relative movement between the barrel and the mounting block, the torch barrel being arranged to be moved relative to the mounting block when the nut is loosened from the threaded portion of the mounting block whereby the barrel can be rotated relative to the mounting block, the torch barrel being arranged to be removed from the mounting block when the nut is removed from the threaded portion of the mounting block..Iaddend..Iadd.21. The torch apparatus of claim 20 wherein the threads on the mounting block and torch barrel are external and internal, respectively..Iaddend..Iadd.22. The torch apparatus of claim 21 wherein the engaging surface of the torch barrel is tapered at an angle within a range of about 1 to 5 degrees..Iaddend..Iadd.23. The torch apparatus of claim 21 wherein the outwardly projecting flange and the tapered outer surface portion of the torch barrel comprise a cone shaped collar, the frusto-conical end of the socket is in the form of a collet and the collar has externally tapered surface which matches the internal taper of the collet..Iaddend..Iadd.24. The torch apparatus of claim 21 wherein the tapered portion of the torch barrel is a current conducting split collar slidable along the outer surface of the torch barrel for insertion into the frusto-conical end of the socket..Iaddend.