Welder

Claim 1

A PULSE ARC WELDER FOR PRODUCING AN ELECTRICAL ARC DISCHARGE ACROSS AN AIR GAP BETWEEN A PAIR OF WORKPIECES, SAID WELDER COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF: ENERGY STORAGE MEANS FOR ACCUMULATING AN ELECTRICAL CHARGE OF ENERGY CONTAINING THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY REQUIRED TO BE DISSIPATED IN SAID ARC, A FIRST DISCHARGE PATH HAVING A HIGH RESONANT FREQUENCY AND INCLUDING SAID AIR GAP, A SECOND DISCHARGE PATH COUPLED DIRECTLY TO SAID FIRST DISCHARGE PATH AND INCLUDING SAID AIR GAP FOR BLOCKING ANY CURRENT FLOW FROM SAID STORAGE MEANS THROUGH SAID SECOND DISCHARGE PATH AS LONG AS NO ARC IS STRUCK ACROSS THAT GAP, AND CONTROL MEANS HAVING A FIRST OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP EFFECTIVE TO PREVENT THE DISCHARGE OF SAID CHARGE OF ENERGY FROM SAID STORAGE MEANS AND HAVING A SECOND OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP FOR CONNECTING SAID FIRST DISCHARGE PATH TO SAID STORAGE MEANS FOR OBTAINING A DISCHARGE OF AN INITIAL PORTION OF SAID CHARGE THROUGH SAID FIRST PATH TO CREATE BETWEEN SAID WORKPIECES A HIGH VOLTAGE PULSE HAVING SAID HIGH FREQUENCY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN INITIAL ARC BETWEEN SAID WORKPIECES SO THAT THE REST OF SAID ENERGY DISCHARGES THROUGH SAID SECOND PATH AND SUCH INITIAL ARC TO FORM A CONTINUATION OF SAID INITIAL ARC AT A HIGH ENERGY LEVEL.