Progressive Tool and Industries Company

Ronald R Hendricks

Velibor Kilabarda

Fred A Mannix

Richard F Suzio

Michael S McFadden

A weld gun for performing a welding operation on a workpiece includes a pair of opposing arms, at least one arm movable relative to the opposing arm to apply pressure to the workpiece during a welding operation. A pair of identical or mirror image side plates support components of the weld gun to establish critical dimensions of the components relative to one another, while preventing tolerance buildup of critical dimensions at critical points. A guide block is connected to one of the opposing arms. The guide block has a non-circular aperture formed therein. An electrode adapter has a non-cylindrical rod portion slidably received in the non-circular aperture formed in the guide block for preventing rotation of the electrode adapter. A hose fitting is attachable directly to a rear end of the electrode adapter for communicating with an inlet water port and an outlet water port formed in the electrode adapter for providing a routing of coolant directly through the electrode adapter only.

Weld gun assembly

A pair of tongs position the first and second electrodes with respect to the workpiece while the tongs rotate with respect to one another about a pivot axis. A counterbalancing mechanism balances the first and second electrodes when in or in close proximity to, the welding position, where the electrodes compressively engage opposite sides of the workpiece during the welding operation. The counterbalancing mechanism is disposed with respect to the pivot axis for biasing one of the tongs in a rotational direction with respect to the pivot axis, such that the weld gun apparatus including the pair of tongs and tong actuator are balanced about the pivot axis when in the closed position. The counterbalance mechanism may include a torsion spring connected to the pivot pin defining the pivot axis. The biasing force of the torsion spring may be adjusted to achieve the desired counterbalancing force to balance the weight of the weld gun assembly about the pivot pin.

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Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Ronald R Hendricks