Welding apparatus and method

Claim 1

A METHOD OF ELECTRICALLY WELDING A FINE-GAUGE INSULATED CONDUCTIVE WIRE TO A BASE CONDUCTOR WITHOUT SEPARATE STRIPPING OF INSULATION FROM THE WIRE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING AS STEPS: BRINGING THE INSULATED WIRE AND BASE CONDUCTOR INTO LONGITUDINAL JUXTAPOSITION IN A PATH BETWEEN A SET OF WELDING ELECTRODES WITH INSULATION ON THE WIRE SEPARATING THE WIRE FROM THE BASE CONDUCTOR AND FROM ONE OF THE ELECTRODES AND ADVANCING AT LEAST ONE OF THE ELECTRODES TOWARD THE OTHER WITH SAID WIRE AND BASE THEREBETWEEN TO PRESS THE INSULATION ON SAID WIRE FIRMLY AGAINST SAID BASE CONDUCTOR AND AGAINST ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES; APPLYING ACROSS THE ELECTRODES A HIGH-VOLTAGE HIGH-FREQUENCY A.C. POTENTIAL SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE IONIZATION OF MATERIAL AND DEGRADATION OF INSULATION ALONG THE SAID PATH BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES; THEREAFTER DURING CONTINUED IONIZATION OF MATERIAL ALONG SAID PATH, APPLYING FORCE TENDING TO CLOSE SAID ELECTRODES AND CONCURRENTLY PASSING A FIRST PULSE OF DIRECT CURRENT BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES ALONG SAID PATH, WHEREBY TO SUFFICIENTLY DEGRADE THE INSULATION THAT THE ELECTRODES BRING THE WIRE INTO METALLIC CONTACT WITH THE BASE CONDUCTOR, SAID THEREAFTER PASSING A SECOND PULSE OF CURRENT BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES AND THROUGH THE CONTACTING WIRE AND BASE CONDUCTOR IN SAID PATH WHEREBY THE MELT PORTIONS OF THE WIRE AND CONDUCTOR AND CAUSE FUSION-UNION THEREOF IN SAID PATH.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF ELECTRICALLY WELDING A FINE-GAUGE INSULATED CONDUCTIVE WIRE TO A BASE CONDUCTOR WITHOUT SEPARATE STRIPPING OF INSULATION FROM THE WIRE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING AS STEPS: BRINGING THE INSULATED WIRE AND BASE CONDUCTOR INTO LONGITUDINAL JUXTAPOSITION IN A PATH BETWEEN A SET OF WELDING ELECTRODES WITH INSULATION ON THE WIRE SEPARATING THE WIRE FROM THE BASE CONDUCTOR AND FROM ONE OF THE ELECTRODES AND ADVANCING AT LEAST ONE OF THE ELECTRODES TOWARD THE OTHER WITH SAID WIRE AND BASE THEREBETWEEN TO PRESS THE INSULATION ON SAID WIRE FIRMLY AGAINST SAID BASE CONDUCTOR AND AGAINST ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES; APPLYING ACROSS THE ELECTRODES A HIGH-VOLTAGE HIGH-FREQUENCY A.C. POTENTIAL SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE IONIZATION OF MATERIAL AND DEGRADATION OF INSULATION ALONG THE SAID PATH BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES; THEREAFTER DURING CONTINUED IONIZATION OF MATERIAL ALONG SAID PATH, APPLYING FORCE TENDING TO CLOSE SAID ELECTRODES AND CONCURRENTLY PASSING A FIRST PULSE OF DIRECT CURRENT BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES ALONG SAID PATH, WHEREBY TO SUFFICIENTLY DEGRADE THE INSULATION THAT THE ELECTRODES BRING THE WIRE INTO METALLIC CONTACT WITH THE BASE CONDUCTOR, SAID THEREAFTER PASSING A SECOND PULSE OF CURRENT BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES AND THROUGH THE CONTACTING WIRE AND BASE CONDUCTOR IN SAID PATH WHEREBY THE MELT PORTIONS OF THE WIRE AND CONDUCTOR AND CAUSE FUSION-UNION THEREOF IN SAID PATH.