Electric welding torch

Claim 1

AN ELECTRIC WELDING TORCH COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A TORCH BODY HAVING AN END-TO-END BORE, AN ANNULAR CHAMBER WITHIN SAID BODY AND SURROUNDING SAID BORE, ONE END OF SAID BORE BEING RECESSED TO PROVIDE A BORE PORTION OF GRADUALLY INCREASING DIAMETER, A TUBULAR SHUCK MEMBER RECEIVED IN SAID BORE AND HAVING AT ONE END AN ENLARGED PORTION THE OUTER SURFACE OF WHICH IS IN FACETO-FACE CONTACT WITH SAID RECESSED PORTION OF SAID BORE SAID CHUCK MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY-SPACED LONGITUDINAL SLOTS AT SAID ONE END AND DEFINING A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY-RESILIENT CHUCK JAWS, MEANS AT THE OTHER END OF SAID CHUCK MEMBER FOR DRAWING SAID ONE END THEREOF INWARDLY OF SAID BORE FOR ACTUATING SAID CHUCK JAWS, AND MEANS FOR CIRCULATING A COOLANT THROUGH SAID CHAMBER FOR COOLING SAID TORCH BODY, SAID SLOTS OF SAID TUBULAR CHUCK MEMBER, WHERE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID RECESSES PORTION AT SAID ONE END THEREOF, BEING OF INCREASED WIDTH AT RADIALLY-OUTWARDLY-EXTENDING END PORTIONS THEREOF, AND MEANS FOR DIRECTING THE FLOW OF AN INERT GAS THROUGH SAID TORCH BODY BORE AND THROUGH SAID CHUCK MEMBER SLOTS FOR ENVELOPING AN ARC FORMED AT THE TIP OF AN ELECTRODE SECURED IN SAID CHUCK MEMBER.