Lincoln Global, Inc.

The Lincoln Electric Company

Keith Leon Clark

Brian Keith Housour

Christopher Hsu

George Daryl Blankenship

Elliott K Stava

Edward A Enyedy

James P Zucker

Andreu Preston Meckler

Edward Furman

Denis Michael Osowski

Thomas William Matthews

Scott Joseph Schraff

A wire drive system includes a wire feed motor for feeding welding wire in a continuous welding process. The wire drive system further includes a controller connected to the wire feed motor for driving the motor responsive to a command signal. The controller is capable of detecting the source of power from which the wire feed motor is driven wherein a first possible source of power is taken from the welding arc and wherein a second possible source of power is taken from the welding power supply.

Wire feeder with auto-configure power supply

Apparatus, devices, and methods for providing a voltage reduction capability in a welding power source for safety purposes. The resistive load and the output voltage of the welding power source output are monitored and compared to predefined or preselected threshold values to generate a load condition signal and an output voltage condition signal (e.g., logic signals). The load condition signal and the output voltage condition signal serve as inputs to a voltage reduction device control logic which generates control signals to enable and disable the input and output of the welding power source according to the defined control logic. As a result, an extra measure of safety in preventing electrical shock is provided to users of the welding power source during hazardous operating conditions.

Device and method to control a power source

A system and method for wireless communication with a welding system is provided. The system includes a welding system having a WAP client component and a wireless communication component facilitating post second generation mobile communications between the welding system and a WAP gateway component. The welding system can further include a global positioning component and/or a browsing component. The invention further comprises methodologies for facilitating wireless communication with a welding system.

System and method to facilitate wireless wide area communication in a welding environment

A wire feeder including a motor driving a set of feed rolls to force a welding wire from a spool through a welding torch to a welding operation. The wire feeder has an input lead to be connected to the output lead of one of a plurality of remotely located power sources, each having a signal receiver for receiving transmitted signal with a code unique to one of the power sources. The receiver having an output for controlling a parameter or condition of the one power source in accordance with a received signal with the unique code. A transmitter on each of said plurality of power sources for transmitting on its output lead a coded signal specific to the power source. A signal receiver on said wire feeder to receive a unique code from the specific power source actually connected to the wire feeder and a circuit on the wire feeder for transmitting command signals from the wire feeder, which command signals each have the unique code specific to the power source connected to said wire feeder.

Remote wire feeder

A system and method for wireless communication with and among nodes of a welding cell are provided. The system includes a communications device adapted for wireless communication with a welding node provided with a wireless communications interface. The system further includes welding nodes of one welding cell communicating wirelessly with welding nodes of the same welding cell, welding nodes of another welding cell, a customer specific LAN and global factory controls. The invention further comprises methodologies for facilitating wireless communication with and among nodes of a welding cell.

System and method to facilitate wireless communication in a welding environment

A device to control operation of a power source for an electric arc welder comprising an oscillator for inducing a high frequency voltage into a series circuit including the welding gap, a detector tuned to the high frequency for sensing the level of current in the series circuit at the high frequency and an output circuit to create a start signal when the received signal level exceeds a given value representing a resistance in said gap below a given amount.

Device to control power source

A wire feeder for an electric arc welder comprising a set of feed rolls driven by a DC motor with a commutator, first and second opposite polarity leads receiving power to drive the motor, and having a first brush at a given position on the commutator and connected to the first lead, a second brush circumferentially spaced from the first brush a first annular distance around the commutator and connectable to the second lead to cause the motor to rotate at a first speed to drive the rolls at a first speed, a third brush circumferentially spaced from the first brush a second annular distance around the commutator and connectable to the second lead to cause the motor to rotate at a second speed to drive the rolls at a second speed, and a switching circuit with an operative condition to connect the second lead to a selected one of the second and third brushes.

Welding wire feeder and motor therefor

An output choke for a D.C. arc welder comprising a high permeability core with an inductance controlling air gap defined by first and second pole pieces terminating in first and second surfaces facing each other and each having two spaced edges with an intermediate area, said surfaces converging from said intermediate area toward each of said edges to generate a specific cross sectional shape for said gap wherein said choke is large enough to carry at least about 100 amperes of weld current.

Output choke for D.C. welder and method of using same

A wire feeder including a motor driving a set of feed rolls to force a welding wire from a spool through a welding torch to a welding operation. The wire feeder has an input lead to be connected to the output terminal of a remotely located power source having an on condition and an off condition where a welding current is directed to the output terminal only when the source is in the on condition. A weld starting trigger with a weld start position located adjacent the torch closes a switch when the trigger is shifted to the weld position, a circuit senses when the switch is closed, and a transmitter on the wire feeder transmits a start signal to the power source when the trigger switch is closed whereby the power source is shifted to its on condition when the trigger is in the weld position.

A method and system of controlling the output current/voltage characteristic curve of an engine driven alternator welder with a maximum open circuit output voltage, including a rotary engine, a three phase alternator, a rectifier bridge having a number of electronic switching devices for directing current to the output at an operating point determined by the firing angle of the switching devices, a sensor for sensing output current, a sensor for sensing output voltage, and a microprocessor output control device for controlling the firing angles of said switching devices in response to the sensed current and sensed voltage. The method and system comprise a device for creating a desired fixed slope operating current/voltage characteristic curve; an arrangement for sensing the present operating current/voltage point of the welder; and, a control for changing the firing angles of the switching devices to shift the current operating point to a new operating point on the desired, fixed slope current/voltage curve of the welder. Preferably, the switching devices include an SCR for each phase of the alternator.

Growing community of inventors

Concord, OH, United States of America

Keith Leon Clark