Welding gun means for feeding and holding head-bearing studs or the like

Claim 2

An arc welding gun for securing studs of the type respectively having a head portion adjacent to their weldable ends, said gun comprising a hollow main body housing a member for carrying a welding current, a stud-holding collet for receiving successive studs endwise from within the gun body, the collet comprising a plurality of interlaced sets of circumferential symmetrically spaced stud-engaging fingers defining a passageway for the studs, at least one of the sets of fingers extending axially beyond another set sufficiently to prevent spurting of the stud from the collet, and means for maintaining the fingers in electrically conductive relation to the current carrying member.

Claim 3

A gun for welding studs or the like respectively bearing head portions comprising, a collet having a circular series of stud-restraining fingers defining a passageway for the studs, spaced circumferentially symmetrical sets of the fingers being at least partly axially offset from the remaining fingers, a body for guiding studs into the passageway and for conducting welding current through the collet to a stud therein to be advanced axially through the passageway to a welding position, and mechanism for operatively connecting the collet to the body while holding the exit ends of the fingers in radially expansible relation to accommodate the head portions whereby each stud is restrained from spurting from the passageway and held under the control of the gun during welding.

Claim 4

A gun for welding studs or the like respectively bearing head portions comprising, a collet having a circular series of stud-restraining fingers defining a passageway for the studs, spaced circumferentially symmetrical sets of the fingers being at least partly axially offset from the remaining fingers, a body for guiding studs into the passageway and for conducting welding current through the collet to a stud therein to be advanced axially through the passageway to a welding position, and mechanism for operatively connecting the collet to the body while holding the exit ends of the fingers in radially expansible relation to accommodate the head portions whereby each stud is restrained from spurting from the passageway and held under the control of the gun during welding.

Claim 5

An automatically fed welding gun comprising guide means defining a bore for successive head-bearing studs to be welded, a collet including a plurality of interlaced sets of segmental gripping fingers providing a passageway for the studs coaxial with the guide bore, means in the bore for advancing successive studs endwise therein and through the passageway, one set of the fingers axially extending beyond another sufficiently to prevent spurting of a stud from the collet, the fingers being radially displaceable from the passageway by the head-bearing portions of the respective studs, and mechanism for coupling the collet to the gun.

Claim 6

An automatically fed welding gun comprising guide means defining a bore for successive head-bearing studs to be welded, a collet including a plurality of interlaced sets of segmental gripping fingers providing a passageway for the studs coaxial with the guide bore, means in the bore for advancing successive studs endwise therein and through the passageway, one set of the fingers axially extending beyond another sufficiently to prevent spurting of a stud from the collet, the fingers being radially displaceable from the passageway by the head-bearing portions of the respective studs, and mechanism for coupling the collet to the gun.

Claim 7

In a stud welding gun, a tubular guide having an axial bore provided with a diameter slightly larger than the head portion of head-bearing studs therein to be welded, a reciprocable rod in the bore for feeding the studs, and a segmental collet coaxially mounted for receiving the successive studs endwise from said bore, each of said collet segments being discrete and having an internally tapered surface for collectively defining the reduced diameter portion of the studs, the collet having a spring means for yieldingly limiting radial displacement of its segments upon engagement of each head with the tapered surface, and a plurality of interlaced sets of the collet segments axially extending beyond another set at their exit ends to avoid spurting of a stud therefrom.

Claim 8

In a stud welding gun, a tubular guide having an axial bore provided with a diameter slightly larger than the head portion of head-bearing studs therein to be welded, a reciprocable rod in the bore for feeding the studs, and a segmental collet coaxially mounted for receiving the successive studs endwise from said bore, each of said collet segments being discrete and having an internally tapered surface for collectively defining the reduced diameter portion of the studs, the collet having a spring means for yieldingly limiting radial displacement of its segments upon engagement of each head with the tapered surface, and a plurality of interlaced sets of the collet segments axially extending beyond another set at their exit ends to avoid spurting of a stud therefrom.

Claim 9

A collet for mounting in a welding gun adapted to secure studs and the like to a work piece and respectively having circumferentially enlarged head portions adjacent to their weldable ends, said collet comprising a plurality of cooperative interlaced sets of stud gripping fingers circumferentially arranged to define a passageway for the studs, at least one of the sets axially extending beyond the remaining sets of fingers, means for radially limiting enlargement of an exit portion of said passageway upon internal engagement of the head portions with the fingers during advance of the successive studs toward the work piece, and mechanism for maintaining the fingers connected for operative assembly in the gun.

Claim 10

A collet for mounting in a welding gun adapted to secure studs and the like to a work piece and respectively having circumferentially enlarged head portions adjacent to their weldable ends, said collet comprising a plurality of cooperative interlaced sets of stud gripping fingers circumferentially arranged to define a passageway for the studs, at least one of the sets axially extending beyond the remaining sets of fingers, means for radially limiting enlargement of an exit portion of said passageway upon internal engagement of the head portions with the fingers during advance of the successive studs toward the work piece, and mechanism for maintaining the fingers connected for operative assembly in the gun.

Claim 11

A collet as set forth in claim 5 wherein the means for limiting the exit portion of the passageway comprises a circumferential slot formed on the fingers externally, and a spring-like means nested in the slot.

Claim 12

A collet as set forth in claim 6 wherein the internal walls of the assembled fingers are respectively tapered from a diameter slightly larger than that of the stud head portion to a diameter nearer the exit end of the collet which enables said spring-like means to cause the cooperative sets of fingers successively to release the head portion and then engage the trailing shank portion of the stud.