Internal tube welding torch

Claim 1

A WELDING TORCH ASSEMBLY FOR INTERNALLY BUTT WELDING A TUBULAR MEMBER TO A MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING ARRANGED COEXTENSIVE TO SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A HOUSING, A DISTRIBUTOR DISPOSED AND SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION WITHIN SAID HOUSING, MEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING TO ROTATE SAID DISTRIBUTOR, AN ELECTRODE HOLDER SUPPORTED BY AND CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID DISTRIBUTOR AND EXTENDING FROM SAID HOUSING, AN ELECTRODE HAVING A TIP END PORTION AND SECURED TO AND ADJACENT THE DISTAL END OF SAID ELECTRODE HOLDER; SAID HOUSING HAVING A PROJECTING MEMBER DIMENSIONED FOR INSERTION IN ONE END OF THE OPENING IN SAID MEMBER TO BE WELDED TO SUPPORT THE WELDING TORCH ASSEMBLY WITH THE ELECTRODE POSITIONED ADJACENT THE POINT OF WELD, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DISTRIBUTOR SO THAT THE ELECTRODE HOLDER IS ROTATED ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND THE ELECTRODE TIP END PORTION SCRIBES A CIRCULAR PATH CONCENTRIC TO THE TUBULAR MEMBER TO BE WELDED, A CONTACT MEMBER DISPOSED TO ENGAGE SAID DISTRIBUTOR FOR SUPPLYING ELECTRICAL CURRENT TO THE LATTER AS THE DISTRIBUTOR ROTATES, MEANS FOR FLOWING COOLING FLUID THROUGH SAID WELDING TORCH ASSEMBLY DURING OPERATION OF THE TORCH, AND MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY INSULATING THE ELECTRODE HOLDER AND DISTRIBUTOR FROM THE HOUSING AND THE MEMBERS TO BE WELDED TOGETHER EXCEPT FOR THE TIP END PORTION OF THE ELECTRODE.