Electrode wire feeder for welding machine - where oscillating twist is superimposed on axial motion of wire to overcome any resistance to travel of wire to burner

摘要

The wire is uncoiled from a drum or spool, and travels, between a pair of feed rollers, at least one of which is driven. After leaving the feed rollers, the wire is provided with an oscillating rotary motion, superimposed on its axial motion by a rotating chuck in frictional contact with the wire. The chuck pref. contains two rollers which can be moved radially towards the wire by adjusting screws fitted with springs pressing the rollers against the wire. The rollers twist the wire by frictional contact until the torsion created in the wire restores the wire to its initial, untwisted position; this cycle is then repeated. From the feeder, the wire travels through a relatively long flexible hose which contains pipes, supply cables etc., so an appreciable resistance to the travel of the wire is created. The invention overcomes this resistance by simple, inexpensive means, so the wire travels to the burner without difficulty.