Abstract An in-place inert gas tube welder is disclosed which includes a head portion and a handle portion. The head portion includes a clamping means having an overcenter toggle for clamping the tubes to be welded. A sectored ring carries a nonconsumable tungsten electrode along a path adjacent the junction of the tubes to be welded. Inert gas is supplied to the welding chamber around the full 360* of the joint. A one-way clutch permits manual rotation of the sectored ring. The handle portion includes a drive motor for rotating the sectored ring, a means for supplying inert gas to the welding chamber, and a means for supplying electrical power to the electrode. An attachment means releasably secures the handle portion to the head portion. A supply cable is releasably connected to the handle portion for releasably connecting an inert gas source to the means for supplying inert gas to the welding chamber and for releasably connecting an electrical power source to the means for supplying electrical power to the electrode.
An inert gas welder comprising a body portion, a welding chamber, an electrode, a rotatable carrier means for carrying said electrode along a path, a clamping means for clamping a workpiece to be welded adjacent said path, an electric drive motor, a power transmission means including a spring clutch means for transmitting torque from said drive motor to said carrier means to rotate said carrier means, a manual rotation means for manually rotating said carrier means, and said spring clutch means interrupting transmission of torque from said manual rotation means to said electric drive motor when said carrier means is rotated by said manual rotation means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
106 words
An inert gas welder comprising a body portion, a welding chamber, an electrode, a rotatable carrier means for carrying said electrode along a path, a clamping means for clamping a workpiece to be welded adjacent said path, an electric drive motor, a power transmission means including a spring clutch means for transmitting torque from said drive motor to said carrier means to rotate said carrier means, a manual rotation means for manually rotating said carrier means, and said spring clutch means interrupting transmission of torque from said manual rotation means to said electric drive motor when said carrier means is rotated by said manual rotation means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
95 words
An inert gas welder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spring clutch means includes first gear means operatively connected to said electric motor, second gear means operatively connected to said carrier means, drive shaft means operatively connected to one of said gear means, and coil spring means extending around said drive shaft means and operatively connected to the other of said gear means for transmitting torque from said first gear means to said second gear means only in one direction, and said manual rotation means being operatively connected to said drive shaft means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
An inert gas welder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said power transmission means includes torque increasing means between said electric motor and said spring clutch means for increasing the torque from said electric motor applied to said carrier means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
An inert gas welder as set forth in claim 1 including sensing means for rendering said power means inoperative when said electrode is at a predetermined location along said path.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
An inert gas welder as set forth in claim 4 wherein said sensing means includes switch means for terminating electrical power supplied to said electric motor and means carried by said carrier means for actuating said switch means when said electrode is at said predetermined location.