Wire gripper for a drive unit of a wire feeder

Patent 7026574 Issued on April 11, 2006. Estimated Expiration Date:

July 22, 2023. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Inventors

Assignee

Lincoln Global, Inc.

Application

No. 10623963 filed on 07/22/2003

US Classes:

219/137.7, Rate control226/187, Roll axis resiliently urged267/168, Plural, one within another219/64, Container (e.g., cans)242/372, Plural springs219/83, Methods226/177Infinitesimally variable

Examiners

Primary: Kerns, Kevin P.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Fay, Sharpe, Fagan, Minnich & McKee, LLP

Foreign Patent References

1 057 751 EP 12/01/2000
62-111872 JP 05/01/1987
WO 88/10230 WO 12/01/1988
WO94/19258 WO 09/01/1994

International Classes

B23K 9/12
B65H 20/00
F16F 3/00

Abstract

A gripping device for a set of pinch rollers used in a wire feeder that supplies a welding operation with a consumable welding wire. The welding wire passes between the pinch rollers whereby the pinch rollers engage the wire with a gripping force and incrementally rotate to control the outflow of the wire to the welding operation. The gripping device has a first member which is displaceable relative to a second member and a spring mechanism extending between the first and second members which has at least a first and a second spring modulus. The spring mechanism produces the gripping force as the first and the second members are displaced toward one another. The gripper urges one roller of the set of pinch rollers toward the other roller of the set to engage the wire and to apply the gripping force. By including a spring with a first and second spring modulus, the gripper can apply a first range of gripping forces with the force produced by the first spring modulus and a second range of gripping forces with the force produced by the second spring modulus.