Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Anthony Van Bergen Salsich

Edward Gerard Beistle

Brian Lee Ott

Jeremy Daniel Overesch

Joseph Robert Ryan

William Joshua Becker

Bruce Patrick Albrecht

Richard Mark Achtner

James Andrew Byrne

Quinn William Schartner

Paul Verhagen

James Francis Rappl

Andrew David Nelson

Kyle Andrew Pfeifer

Kenneth Austin Stanzel

Jeffrey Robert Thomas

Gregg Donald Prochnow

Joseph Carl Gitter

Markus Michael Dantinne

David Austin Stanzel

Michael William Roth

Brian James Veik

George Harold Baus

Methods and apparatus to communicate via a weld cable are disclosed. An example welding accessory includes a first port to receive input power via a first weld cable, a power converter to convert the input power to output power, a second port to output the input power via a second weld cable, and one or more output switches to selectively divert the input power from the power converter to the second port.

Methods and apparatus to switch a weld power output

A welding wire feeder includes a welding wire feed drive configured to drive welding wire towards a welding application, wire feed control circuitry coupled to and configured to control the welding wire feed drive. The welding wire feeder includes power conversion circuitry configured to receive polarized input power from a welding power source via input connections with defined polarities and to convert the polarized input power to welding output, sensing circuitry configured to detect the polarity of the polarized input power when connected to the input connections, and welding process control circuitry. The welding process control circuitry is coupled to the power conversion circuitry and the sensing circuitry. The welding process control circuitry is configured to provide the polarized input power to the power conversion circuitry only if the polarity of the polarized input power corresponds to the defined polarities of the input connections.

Polarity sensing welding wire feeder system and method

Disclosed example welding or cutting circuits include: an input leg including a capacitor coupled between a high bus and a low bus; a buck converter coupled in parallel with the input leg, the buck converter having a first transistor, a second transistor, and an output electrically coupled to a node between the first transistor and the second transistor, and wherein the buck converter is configured to convert input voltage to current in an inductor coupled to the output of the buck converter; and a steering leg coupled in parallel with the input leg, wherein the steering leg is configured to control a rate at which the current in the inductor decreases, and wherein a current detector provides current level indications to a hysteretic controller, the hysteretic controller providing signals to the first and second transistors that control the first and second transistors to control the voltage applied to the inductor.

Systems and methods for efficient provision of arc welding power source

An example weld training system includes: an orientation device; a mobile device; and a mount configured to attach the mobile device to a welding accessory, wherein the mobile device comprises: one or more sensors including at least a camera; a processor; and a machine readable storage device storing machine readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: recognize identifiers on the orientation device based on images captured via the camera; determine at least one of position information or orientation information for a welding torch with respect to the orientation device based on the recognized identifiers; and display, via a display of the mobile device, a welding operation based on the at least the position information or the orientation information.

Systems and methods for a weld training system

A modular direct current power source is provided. One welding power supply system includes a plurality of hysteretic buck converters coupled in parallel. The hysteretic buck converters are configured to receive a common input and to provide combined output power to a common load based upon the common input.

Modular direct current power source

An example welding or cutting circuit includes: an input leg comprising a capacitor coupled between a high bus and a low bus; a buck converter coupled in parallel with the input leg, wherein the buck converter comprises a first transistor, a first diode, and an output electrically coupled to a node between the first transistor and the first diode, and wherein the buck converter is configured to convert input voltage to current in an inductor coupled to the output of the buck converter; and a steering leg coupled in parallel with the input leg, wherein the steering leg is configured to control a rate at which the current in the inductor decreases, and wherein a current detector is positioned at the output to monitor the current, the current detector providing current level indications to a hysteretic controller, the hysteretic controller providing signals to the first transistor that control the transistor to an on state or an off state to control the voltage applied to the inductor.

A welding system monitors the changes in the power output provided from a power supply to a device to determine the inductance of power cables between the power supply and the device. The device may determine the inductance of the power cables based at least in part on a delay in a threshold change in voltage to the device after a change in the current demand of the device, a delay in the initialization of the change in the current demand of the device after an initialization signal, a rate of change of the current drawn by the device, or a relative comparison of the voltage to the device and the current drawn by the device, or any combination thereof. If the inductance of the power cables is greater than a threshold inductance, the device may signal the user, disable operation of the device, or any combination thereof.

System and method for determining inductance of a power cable

Systems and methods for a weld training system are disclosed. An example weld training system includes: a mobile device configured to be attached to a welding accessory using a mount, the mobile device comprising one or more sensors, wherein the mobile device is configured to: gather, via the one or more sensors of the mobile device, information indicative of dynamic position or orientation of the mobile device during a welding procedure; and display, via a display of the mobile device, a welding environment based on the information.

A method of operating a welding wire feeder includes receiving an input power from a welding power source, actuating a power relay to close and open a first current carrying path for application of the input power, and actuating bypass circuitry coupled in parallel to the power relay to close and open a second current carrying path in coordination with actuating the power relay. The method of operating the welding wire feeder also includes providing a welding wire to a welding torch.

Welding wire feeder power application system and method

A method of operating a welding wire feeder includes receiving an input power signal from a power source and converting the input power signal to a bus power signal on an internal bus at a first time with a boost converter. The method also includes detecting bus voltage and bus current of the bus power signal on the internal bus and converting the bus power signal to a welding output signal at a second time with a buck converter. The welding output signal is suitable for a controlled waveform welding process. The method also includes detecting output voltage and output current of the weld output, and reducing a voltage ripple on the internal bus based at least in part on the detected bus and output current and/or voltages.

Welding wire feeder power control system and method

A welding or cutting device includes a first transistor coupled between a first node and a second node. The first transistor controls current and voltage provided to an inductor during a welding or cutting operation. The welding or cutting device also includes a first diode coupled in series with the first transistor between the second node and a third node, and a second diode coupled in parallel with the first transistor and the first diode between the first node and a fourth node. Additionally, the welding or cutting device includes a second transistor coupled in series with the second diode and in parallel with the first transistor and the first diode between the fourth node and the third node. The second transistor controls a voltage applied to a transistor during a freewheeling operation of the inductor. Further, the welding or cutting device includes the inductor arranged between the second node and the fourth node and coupled to a first terminal of an output and a second terminal of the output coupled to the fourth node. Moreover, the welding or cutting device includes a bus capacitor coupled in parallel with the first transistor and the first diode between the third node and the first node.

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Appleton, WI, United States of America

Anthony Van Bergen Salsich