System and method for adjusting feed roll position in a welding torch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9463524-B2
Application number	US-201213523577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2012
Priority date	Jun 14, 2012
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

A welding system includes a welding torch assembly including a body, a first feed roll, a second feed roll, and a lever. The first and second feed rolls are both configured to rotate with respect to the body, and the first and second feed rolls are disposed opposite from one another about a welding wire feed region. The lever is configured to pivot at a first end of the lever about a lever joint of the body, and the second feed roll is movable between a first position and a second position in response to movement of a second end of the lever. The second feed roll is adjacent to the first feed roll in the first position, the second feed roll is not adjacent to the first feed roll in the second position, and the lever is configured to maintain the feed roll in the second position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A welding torch assembly, comprising:
a body;
a first feed roll coupled to the body;
a second feed roll configured to rotate with respect to the body, wherein the second feed roll is coupled to an arm, and the second feed roll is movable relative to the first feed roll between a feed position and an open position; and
a lever configured to move between a closed position and an opened position to move the second feed roll between the feed position and the open position, the lever having a first end rotatably coupled to the body and a second end extending from the first end, wherein the second feed roll is adjacent to the first feed roll in the feed position, and the second feed roll is not adjacent to the first feed roll in the open position, the lever comprises a rounded surface for engaging the arm, rotation of the lever with respect to the body and the arm urges a first end of the arm coupled to the second feed roll toward or away from the first feed roll, and a force of the arm on the lever when the lever is in the opened position biases the lever toward the opened position.

2. The welding torch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the arm is rotatably coupled to the body via a pin, and the arm is coupled to a spring at a second end of the arm opposite the first end of the arm.

3. The welding torch assembly of claim 2 , wherein the spring biases the second feed roll toward the first feed roll, and the spring maintains the second feed roll in the feed position when the lever is positioned in a first orientation relative to the body.

4. The welding torch assembly of claim 3 , wherein the lever is configured to maintain the second feed roll in the open position when the lever is positioned in a second orientation relative to the body, the second orientation being offset from the first orientation by approximately 90-115 degrees along a plane.

5. The welding torch assembly of claim 1 , comprising a housing formed about the body, the housing having an opening formed by a door that rotates open to expose at least one of the lever, the first feed roll, and the second feed roll.

6. The welding torch assembly of claim 5 , wherein the lever blocks the door from closing when the second feed roll is in the open position.

7. The welding torch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second feed rolls are configured to feed welding wire through the welding torch assembly and toward a welding application when the second feed roll is in the feed position.

Assignees

• Garvey Paul William
• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Garvey Paul William

Classifications

• B23K9/1336 Primary

  Driving means · CPC title

• B23K9/295

  using consumable wire electrodes · CPC title

• B23K9/32

  Accessories · CPC title