Welding electrode tip cracking apparatus and method

Abstract

A welding electrode tip cracking apparatus includes a main housing having spaced front and rear walls defining a cavity therebetween. The front wall has an entry passage for receiving an electrode therethrough having a tip end in which a cruciform-shaped crack is to be formed. A gauge member is adjustably mounted to the rear wall and has a stop element spaced from and disposed in alignment with the front wall entry passage. The stop element is engageable by the electrode tip end to block further movement of the electrode tip toward the rear wall. A die assembly has a support frame fitted within the cavity between the main housing front and rear walls and defining a guide channel. A pair of upper and lower crimping dies are disposed within the support frame guide channel. An elongated thrust shaft is rotatably mounted to the support frame and coupled to the dies such that rotation of the shaft causes movement of the dies toward and away from each other along the guide channel and thereby toward and away from the electrode for crimping the electrode therebetween which, in turn, causes propagation of a split in the electrode tip. A travel stop element is disposed between the dies for limiting how close the dies can be moved toward each other so as to prevent over-crimping of the electrode by the dies.