Illinois Tool Works Inc.

William R Giese

Erik Miller

Dustin Carter Wagner

Rick Hutchison

Todd Earl Holverson

James Lee Uecker

Kenneth S Dobson

Shuang Liu

Jeremy L Jansma

Robert Lloyd Warning

Kirk Stema

Douglas W Krebs

Richard W Beeson

Thomas Don Lahti

Robert A Brown

Robert Brown

A welding or cladding apparatus in which one or more energy beam emitters are used to generate a wide beam spot transverse to a welding or cladding path, and one or more wide feeders feed wire to the spot to create a wide welding or cladding puddle.

Wide path welding, cladding, additive manufacturing

A method and apparatus for monitoring weld cell and related activity is disclosed. The activity is sensed using a variety of sensors, and reported to the controller, or to a remote location.

Method and apparatus for monitoring weld cell

A method for controlling a start of a metalworking operation. The method includes detecting an initial contact between a wire being fed from a welding apparatus and a workpiece and, in response to the detection, halting feeding of the wire from the welding apparatus. The method further includes activating a high energy heat source configured to heat a tip of the wire and resuming the feeding of the wire from the welding apparatus when the tip of the wire is heated by the high energy heat source to a plastic state. The feeding of the wire is resumed by measuring a force feedback from the wire contacting the workpiece. An apparatus for implementing the method is also disclosed.

Metalworking system with force controlled wire feed start operation

A wire conveying mechanism, preferably for a welding, cladding or additive manufacturing apparatus, with a slip clutch mechanism connectable to a motor. Such a wire conveying mechanism may include a wire feeder for feeding an electrode wire in a welding system having a drive roller assembly comprising a plurality of drive rollers to grip the electrode wire and to pull the electrode wire from an electrode wire source toward a conduit and a torque-managing device operatively coupled between a motor and the drive roller assembly, wherein the torque-managing device receives the rotational force from the first motor and regulates the first torque to output a second torque to the drive roller assembly.

Wire feeder for welding

A welding gun adapted to secure a contact tip within the welding gun without threading the contact tip and without the use of tools. The contact tip may be adapted to abut a surface of a first member disposed within the welding gun. The surface may be a surface of a gas diffuser. The surface may be adapted to abut the contact tip. The contact tip also may be adapted for abutment with a second member to urge the contact tip toward the first member. The second member may be a portion of a nozzle adapted to abut the contact tip to urge the contact tip toward the surface of the first member. A method of assembling a welding gun also is provided. The method may include disposing a contact tip between a first and a second member and capturing the contact tip between the first and second members.

Welding gun having non-threading contact tip

A wire conveying mechanism, preferably for a welding, cladding or additive manufacturing apparatus, with a slip clutch mechanism connectable to a motor.

Wire feed limiter

An enclosure for a laser in which on side of the enclosure includes a rotatable positioner and a vertically slidable door movable between open and closed positions. With the door in the open position, the positioner is free to rotate, thereby enabling an workstation to rotate into and out of the enclosure.

Laser enclosure

A method for controlling a metalworking operation. The method includes measuring a force feedback from a wire being fed from a feeder, the wire contacting a workpiece, determining a change in the force of the force feedback, and adjusting either a heating of the wire or a feed rate of the wire based at least in part on the change in the force of the force feedback. Also disclosed are apparatus for effecting the foregoing.

Metalworking wire feeder system with force control operation

A welding gun includes a control switch combined with a trigger. The control switch features a slide movable to at least first and second positions. In an operating mode, the control switch switches between two differing sets of welding parameters in the first and second positions. In another operating mode, the control switch operates a safety lock-out, allowing activation of the welding gun by the trigger in one position and preventing activation in the other position. For operator convenience, the control switch may be positioned to slide transversely relative to the wire passageway of the weld gun with which the trigger is generally aligned.

Growing community of inventors

Beecher, IL, United States of America

William R Giese