Gas shielded arc welding apparatus

Claim 1

IN ARC WELDING APPARATUS INCLUDING A CONVENTIONAL JAW-TYPE MANUALLY OPERATED TORCH FOR GAS SHIELDED ARC WELDING WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY NON-CONSUMABLE ELECTRODE APPLIED TO A WORKPIECE TO FORM AN ARC THEREBETWEEN, A SUPPORT FOR HOLDING THE ELECTRODE AND SUPPLYING GAS AND ELECTRIC CURRENT THERETO, THE SUPPORT BEING ADAPTED FOR USE WITH SAID CONVENTIONAL TORCH AND COMPRISING AN ELONGATED ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING BODY HAVING CURRENT CONDUCTING CONNECTION WITH SAID TORCH AND PROVIDING AN AXIAL PASSAGEWAY EXTENDED THERETHROUGH; A FLEXIBLE GAS SUPPLYING HOSE OF DIELECTRIC MATERIAL SECURED TO ONE END OF THE BODY IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PASSAGEWAY; A RADIALLY PROJECTING COLLAR CARRIED ON THE OTHER END OF THE BODY AND PROVIDED WITH AN INTERNALLY THREADED BORE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE OUTER AXIAL EXTREMITY, SAID BORE TERMINATING IN A RADIAL FACE LOCATED INWARDLY OF THE EXTREMITY AND BEING PROVIDED WITH A COUNTERBORE OF REDUCED DIAMETER AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PASSAGEWAY; A CLUTCH MEMBER RECEIVED WITHIN THE COLLAR IN ABUTMENT WITH SAID FACE AND HAVING A PILOT PORTION PROJECTING INTO THE COUNTERBORE, THE CLUTCH HAVING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED SLOTS AT EACH END TO PROVIDE GAS CONDUCTING PASSAGEWAYS THERETHROUGH AND HAVING A FRUSTOCONICAL PERIPHERY AT THE OUTER END OPPOSITE FROM SAID PILOT PORTION; A TUBULAR NUT HAVING EXTERNALLY THREADED ENDS ONE OF WHICH IS SCREW-THREADABLY CONNECTED WITH THE COLLAR AND PROVIDED WITH AN AXIAL PASSAGEWAY EXTENDED THERETHROUGH IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE SLOTS OF THE CLUTCH, THE NUT HAVING AN ANNULAR PRESSURE SURFACE ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH THE FRUSTO-CONICAL SURFACE OF THE CLUTCH; GRIPPING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID NUT AND EXTENDED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE ELECTRODE SUPPORT BODY FOR POSITIONING THE NUT INWARDLY OF THE COLLAR TO COMPRESS THE SLOTTED PORTIONS OF THE CLUTCH RADIALLY INWARDLY; A CERAMIC NOZZLE SCREW-THREADABLY CONNECTED AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE NUT; AND A REFRACTORY TYPE ELECTRODE RECEIVED WITHIN THE SUPPORT AND ADJUSTABLY SECURED BY THE CLUTCH.