Electric heating – Metal heating – By arc
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-17
2003-07-22
Elve, M. Alexandra (Department: 1725)
Electric heating
Metal heating
By arc
C219S136000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06596972
ABSTRACT:
This invention pertains to welding machines, and more particularly to an arrangement or system for conveniently attaching to and/or integrating one or more welding accessories with a welder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A wide variety of welding machines are used to perform a variety of welding functions in the workplace. Typically, a welding machine includes a welder housing which encases a welding circuit. On the welding housing there is typically a series of control switches to control the output of the welder. The welder housing also includes a connector for a welding gun or torch. Depending on the type of welder and/or the magnitude of the current generated by the welder, various types of accessories are connected to the welder or used in association with the welder. The accessories can include welding gases, shielding gases, cooling fluids, consumable electrodes, and the like. In addition to the various accessories associated with a particular welding operation, the welder requires tools to facilitate in the maintenance and operation of the welder. Such tools can include wrenches, screw drivers, wire cutters, welding tips, tape, clamps, etc. The use of these various accessories and tools require a welding operator to carry a tool chest for the various tools used with the welder, and to also separately transport the welding gas and/or shielding gases, the cooling fluid, welding cable, welding gun or torch, and/or electrodes. As a result, the initial set up of a welder in a particular location and/or the movement of the welder to various locations is both difficult and time consuming. In addition, there sometimes is difficulty finding a suitable location for all the accessories used with the welder. Commonly, welding operations take place in small locations and/or on unlevel ground. As a result, it is sometimes difficult to find a suitable location to position the welder and the various accessories about the welder so that a welding operation can proceed.
Many welders include a welding cable which attaches the welding gun or torch to the welder. This welding cable is typically several feet long. When a welding operation is terminated and/or the welder is to be moved to another location, typically, the welding cable is bunched up into a pile about the welder and/or placed on top of the welder. Bunching up the welding cable can result in damage to the fluid tubes and/or electrical connections inside the cable. In addition, laying the welding gun or torch on the ground and/or placing the welding gun or torch on the top of a welder can result in damage to the welding gun or torch if the welding gun or torch is inadvertently stepped on and/or falls off the top of the welder. During the transport of the welder to various locations, the welding cable typically must be disconnected from the welder and separately transported, since there is no convenient manner of transporting the welding gun or torch and welding cable with the welder without exposing the welding cable and welding gun or torch to damage.
In view of the present state of the art of welders, there is a need for a welder or welding assembly which can easily and conveniently transport one or more welding accessories associated with the welder to reduce the burden and time of set-up and the time necessary to transport the welder to a new location.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a welder, and more particularly to a welder which utilizes shielding gases and cooling fluids during the welding operation; however, the invention is not limited to such welders and can be used with many different types of welders and welding systems.
In accordance with a principal aspect of the present invention, a welder is provided which includes a housing for the internal components of the welder, such as a welding circuit. Typically, the welding circuit can be used with a TIG welder, plasma arc welder, MIG welder, STT welder, MAG welder, and the like; however, the welding circuit can be used with other types of welders. Typically, the welding circuit in the housing controls the amount of current, voltage, power, and/or wave form of the current directed to the welding tip of a gun or torch of the welder. The welding circuit may also control the amount and/or type of shielding gas directed to the welder, the consumable electrode feed rate, the type and/or amount of cooling fluid directed into the welding gun or torch, the arc start-up sequence, the storage of various welding parameters during the welding process, and/or the like.
A welding gun or torch is used in association with the welder. The welding gun or torch is attached to the welder by a welding cable. The welding cable is designed to transport an electrical current generated by the welding circuit in the welder to the welding gun or torch. The welding cable may also include other components used to transport shielding gases and/or cooling fluid, fiber optic cables, a channel for a consumable electrode, and/or electrical cables to monitor one or more parameters of the welding operation. The welding gun or torch attached to the welding cable can be any standard or custom welding gun or torch which includes a welding body and a welding head. One end of the welding cable is connected to the body of the welding gun or torch and the other end of the welding cable is connected to the connectors on the welder. In one aspect of the present invention, a cable holster is connected to the housing of the welder. The cable holster is designed to either partially or fully support the welding cable so that the Welding cable can be conveniently transported with the welder and/or the welding cable can be neatly positioned near the welder during storage and/or operation of the welder. In one embodiment, the cable holster is connected to one side of the housing of the welder. As can be appreciated, the welding holster can be attached to other regions of the housing such as the rear, top, front, or other side of the welder housing. In another embodiment, at least two cable holsters are positioned on the welder housing. In still another embodiment, at least one cable holster is typically attached to one side of the welder housing and the other cable holster is connected to the other side of the welder housing, the rear of the welder housing, the front of the welder housing, and/or the top of the welder housing. In yet another embodiment, the cable holster includes a cable landing to support at least a portion of the cable thereon. In one aspect of this embodiment, the cable landing is designed to enable the cable to be wrapped about the cable holster such that only a portion of the cable is supported on the cable landing. In another aspect of this embodiment, the cable landing has an arcuate shape to facilitate in the wrapping of a portion of the cable about the cable holster. In still yet another embodiment, the cable holster includes a retaining flange designed to retain at least a portion of the cable on the cable landing. In one aspect of this embodiment, the flange is connected to the outer edge of the cable landing and extends at least partially upwardly from the outer edge of the cable landing. In such a design, the retaining flange at least partially entraps the welding cable between the welder housing and the retaining flange to maintain the welding cable on the cable landing.
In another aspect of the present invention, a gun holder is provided on the housing. The gun holder is designed to at least partially support the welding gun or torch on the welder and to provide a convenient location to store the welding gun or torch while the welder is not in use and/or when transporting the welding gun or torch with the welder to various locations. In one embodiment, the gun holder is connected to the side of the welder housing. However, it can be appreciated that the gun holder can be connected to various other locations on the welder housing. In another embodiment, two gun holders are provided on the welder housing to provide multiple locations to support a welding gun or torc
Di Novo Ignatius L.
Hohman Don
Samodell Ralph
Elve M. Alexandra
Fay Sharpe Fagan Minnich & McKee
Kerns Kevin P.
Lincoln Global Inc.
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