Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Richard A Duba

Ronald W Colling

Michael Allen Sammons

An insulative grip for a TIG torch is held in a person's fingers like a pen or pencil. The grip has an external contour that has multiple gripping areas. The size and shape of the gripping areas conform to the person's thumb and first two fingers when he holds the grip. The gripping areas reduce the tendency for the torch to move in the person's hand. The gripping areas also provide an indication of the orientation in space of the torch electrode when the person holds the torch. The torch may be either water-cooled or air-cooled.

Ergonomic TIG torch

A spark gap assembly for a welding power supply includes at least one pair of spark gap points and a housing base including at least one base groove for axially aligning the spark gap points. Point stops are disposed to retain some of the spark gap points in the spark gap assembly. Insulating walls and insulating channels are disposed to reduce the possibility of shorts occurring between various spark gap assembly components or between spark gap assembly components and other power supply components.

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Appleton, WI, United States of America

Richard A Duba