Rotatable arc welding torch

Claim 1

A WELDING TORCH FOR WELDING A TUBULAR WORKPIECE TO A PLATE WORKPIECE WHILE SUPPLYING FILLER WIRE TO THE WELD, COMPRISING: A HOUSING; A SHAFT ASSEMBLY MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID HOUSING, SAID SHAFT ASSEMBLY MEANS INCLUDING AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE SLEEVE MEANS EXTENDING AT ONE END OF SAID SHAFT ASSEMBLY MEANS AND BEING ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED, SAID ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE SLEEVE MEANS HAVING AN INSIDE END AND AN OUTSIDE END; DRIVE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING AND INCLUDING AN ELECTRIC ROTATIONAL DRIVE MOTOR FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT ASSEMBLY MEANS ABOUT IT LONGITUDINAL AXIS; AN ELECTRODE HOLDER RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON THE OUTSIDE END OF SAID ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE SLEEVE MEANS; AN ELETRODE SUPPORTED BY SAID ELECTRODE HOLDER LATERALLY OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE SHAFT ASSEMBLY MEANS, SAID ELECTRODE HAVING A TIP FOR ARCING IN A CIRCUMFERENTIAL PATH AS THE SHAFT ASSEMBLY MEANS IS ROTATED TO FORM A WELD BETWEEN A TUBE WORKPIECE AND A PLATE WORKPIECE; A FILTER WIRE GUIDE MEANS INCLUDING AN ARCUATELY-SHAPED CONDUIT ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED FROM BUT RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON THE LOWER END OF SAID ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE SLEEVE ADJACENT SAID ELECTRODE HOLDER; MEANS FOR SUPPLYING ELECTRICAL POWER TO SAID ELECTRODE THROUGH SAID ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE SLEEVE; A WIRE STORAGE MEMBER RIGIDLY MOUNTED ABOUT SAID ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE SLEEVE MEANS ADJACENT AND ABOVE SAID ELECTRODE HOLDER, SAID WIRE STORAGE MEMBER BEING A CYLINDER OF ELECTRICAL INSULATING MATERIAL AND WITH A THREAD OUTER SURFACE; A RING MEANS HAVING A THREADED INNER SURFACE ENGAGING THE THREADED OUTER SURFACE OF SAID ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, SAID RING MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE PROTRUSION WHICH EXTENDS RADIALLY THEREFROM, THE FILLER WIRE BEING COILED ABOUT SAID WIRE STORAGE MEMBER WITH ONE END CONNECTED TO SAID RING MEANS AND WITH THE OTHER END WITHIN SAID GUIDE MEANS; A CUP ASSEMBLY MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ABOUT THE INSIDE END OF SAID ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE SLEEVE MEANS AND INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL PORTION WHICH SURROUNDS THE COILED FILLER WIRE, SAID CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF SAID CUP ASSEMBLY MEANS HAVING AT LEAST ONE LONGITUDINAL GROOVE ON ITS INNER SURFACE, SAID PROTRUSION ON SAID RING MEANS EXTENDING INTO SAID LONGITUDINAL GROOVE TO PREVENT ROTATION OF SAID RING MEANS WHILE PERMITTING LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID RING MEANS; A CLAMPING ASSEMBLY MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID CUP ASSEMBLY MEANS TO PREVENT ROTATION OF SAID CUP ASSEMBLY MEANS DURING THE ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT ASSEMBLY MEANS THEREBY PREVENTING THE ROTATION OF SAID RING MEANS WHICH IS SCREWED OUTWARDLY TOWARD THE FILLER WIRE GUIDE MEANS BY THE ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT ASSEMBLY MEANS FORCING THE FILLER WIRE THROUGH SAID FILLER WIRE GUIDE MEANS; AND MEANS FOR CONVERYING A SHIELDING GAS INTO SAID CUP ASSEMBLY MEANS.