Avco Corporation

Roman T Kowalski

Jack W Lee

John L Fritz

A welding head 10 for coupling a welding electrode 12 to a source of electrical current. The welding head includes a housing 30 and an electrically conductive shaft 18 rotatably mounted with the housing. The shaft has a substantially circular cylindrical shape having a first end surface for mounting a welding electrode thereto and a second, substantially flat, opposing end surface 20. The welding head further includes an electrical coupler in contact with the second substantially flat end surface of the shaft for coupling electrical current into the shaft. The electrical coupler includes an electrical conductor having a first end coupled to a source of welding power and an electrically conductive contact plate 22 having a substantially flat surface in contact with the second substantially flat end surface of the shaft. In one embodiment of the invention the shaft rotates against the plate upon the second end opposing surface while in another embodiment of the invention the contact plate is rigidly coupled to the shaft end. In the embodiment wherein the shaft rotates agains the contact plate an input lubricant flow coupler and an output lubricant flow orifice provide lubrication to the rotating electrical contact surface. An input cooling flow coupler and an output cooling flow coupler are also included for providing for a flow of a cooling medium for cooling the contact plate during the operation thereof.

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Gilford, CT, United States of America

Roman T Kowalski