Welding fume extractor

Claim 2

In a hand-held shielded gas welding gun including an electrical contact member and an associated gun nozzle defining an opening at the forward end thereof through which shielding gas and a weld wire is fed to and contacted with said electrical member to feed electrical current into said wire and produce an arc between the end of said weld wire and a work piece with the shielding gas surrounding the same, and further including a handle forming a part of said gun remote from said nozzle; the improvement comprising a smoke and fume collecting system integral with said gun, said collecting system including a smoke and fume pickup chamber generally concentric with said nozzle and defining at least one orifice spaced apart from, generally concentric to and rearwardly of said nozzle opening; a smoke and fume extraction tube attached to and leading rearwardly coextensively from said pickup chamber to and adjacent said handle, means forming a part of said handle and providing a space surrounding a portion of said tube remote from said nozzle, and vacuum suction means connected to a remote end of said extraction tube and said means forming a space therearound for drawing smoke, and fumes into said tube and ambient air into said space surrounding said tube, respectively, for mixing the same prior to its being introduced into said collecting system.

Claim 3

The welding gun of claim 1 wherein the vacuum suction means further includes means for adjusting the relative amount of ambient air in relation to the smoke and fumes drawn into the collecting system.

Claim 4

The welding gun of claim 2 wherein said vacuum suction means comprises an opening defined by walls of said extraction tube and said means surrounding the same for controlling the admission of ambient air therein.

Claim 5

The welding fun of claim 3 wherein said opening is located within said handle.

Claim 6

The welding gun of claim 3 comprising means for varying the opening to regulate the amounts of ambient air drawn into said means surrounding said extraction tube to mix with the smoke and fumes.

Claim 7

The welding gun of claim 5 wherein said means for varying the openings comprises washers of varying thickness inserted between said ambient air passage and said extraction tube to vary the size of the opening.

Claim 8

In a welding gun of the type wherein weld wire is fed through the body of the gun and out through a gun nozzle to contact a work piece and electrical current is supplied to the gun and from thence to the weld wire to produce an arc between the end of the weld wire and the work piece, and a handle is formed into the body of said gun remote from the gun nozzle; the improvement of a smoke and fume extractor attachment comprising: a smoke and fume pickup chamber generally surrounding the welding gun nozzle and defining an open end generally concentric thereto, a smoke extraction tube opening at one end into said pickup chamber extending rearwardly and co-extensively into and adjacent said handle, means forming a part of said handle and providing a space surrounding said tube remote from said nozzle, a vacuum withdrawal system connected to the other end of said smoke extraction tube and said means surrounding the same tube remote from said gun for drawing smoke and fumes into said tube and ambient air into said space surrounding said tube, respectively for mixing the same upon their being introduced into said collecting system.

Claim 9

In a welding gun of the type wherein weld wire is fed through the body of the gun and out through a gun nozzle to contact a work piece and electrical current is supplied to the gun and from thence to the weld wire to produce an arc between the end of the weld wire and the work piece, and a handle is formed into the body of said gun remote from the gun nozzle; the improvement of a smoke and fume extractor attachment comprising: a smoke and fume pickup chamber generally surrounding the welding gun nozzle and defining an open end generally concentric thereto, a smoke extraction tube opening at one end into said pickup chamber extending rearwardly and co-extensively into and adjacent said handle, means forming a part of said handle and providing a space surrounding said tube remote from said nozzle, a vacuum withdrawal system connected to the other end of said smoke extraction tube and said means surrounding the same tube remote from said gun for drawing smoke and fumes into said tube and ambient air into said space surrounding said tube, respectively for mixing the same upon their being introduced into said collecting system.

Claim 10

The welding gun of claim 7 wherein the vacuum suction means further includes means for adjusting the relative amount of ambient air in relation to the smoke and fumes drawn into the collecting system.

Claim 11

The welding gun of claim 8 wherein said means for adjusting comprises an opening defined by walls of said extraction tube and said means surrounding the same for controlling the admission of ambient air therein.

Claim 12

The welding gun of claim 9 wherein said opening is located within said handle.

Claim 13

The welding gun of claim 9 wherein said means for adjusting comprises means for varying the opening to regulate the amounts of ambient air drawn into said means surrounding said extraction tube to mix with the smoke and fumes.

Claim 14

The welding gun of claim 11 wherein said means for varying the opening comprises washers of varying thickness inserted between said ambient air passage and said extraction tube to vary the size of the opening.

Claim 15

In a hand-held light-weight welding gun for use in a welding operation during which smoke and fumes are created, and including an electrical contact member and an associated gun nozzle defining an opening at the forward end thereof through which a shielding gas passes and a weld wire is fed to and contacted with said electrical member to feed electrical current into said wire and produce an arc between the end of said weld wire and a workpiece with the shielding gas surrounding the same, and further including a thermally conductive handle forming a part of said gun remote from said nozzle and being connected to the nozzle by an arcuately curved gooseneck portion; the improvement comprising: means for cooling the handle and simultaneously collecting smoke, fumes, and shielding gas; said means comprising a collecting system including a member having a forward end adjacent to said nozzle opening defining an annular pickup chamber concentric with said nozzle and outwardly-facing orifice means spaced apart from and located rearwardly of said nozzle opening, said member including a rearward end disposed in radially offset relation to said nozzle and providing an exhaust outlet from said chamber; an extraction tube attached to said rearward end of the member in communicating relation with said exhaust outlet leading rearwardly from said pickup chamber; said extraction tube being coextensive with said gun in generally conforming relation to the arcuate underside of said gooseneck portion of the nozzle and at least a portion thereof integral with said handle and in thermal contact therewith; and vacuum suction means operatively connected to said extraction tube and having a capacity considerably greater than the volume of smoke and fumes created by the welding for also drawing ambient air into said collecting system to cool the handle, thereby drawing smoke, fumes, shielding gas and ambient air into said collecting system and simultaneously cooling the handle.

Claim 16

In a hand-held light-weight welding gun for use in a welding operation during which smoke and fumes are created, and including an electrical contact member and an associated gun nozzle defining an opening at the forward end thereof through which a shielding gas passes and a weld wire is fed to and contacted with said electrical member to feed electrical current into said wire and produce an arc between the end of said weld wire and a workpiece with the shielding gas surrounding the same, and further including a thermally conductive handle forming a part of said gun remote from said nozzle and being connected to the nozzle by an arcuately curved gooseneck portion; the improvement comprising: means for cooling the handle and simultaneously collecting smoke, fumes, and shielding gas; said means comprising a collecting system including a member having a forward end adjacent to said nozzle opening defining an annular pickup chamber concentric with said nozzle and outwardly-facing orifice means spaced apart from and located rearwardly of said nozzle opening, said member including a rearward end disposed in radially offset relation to said nozzle and providing an exhaust outlet from said chamber; an extraction tube attached to said rearward end of the member in communicating relation with said exhaust outlet leading rearwardly from said pickup chamber; said extraction tube being coextensive with said gun in generally conforming relation to the arcuate underside of said gooseneck portion of the nozzle and at least a portion thereof integral with said handle and in thermal contact therewith; and vacuum suction means operatively connected to said extraction tube and having a capacity considerably greater than the volume of smoke and fumes created by the welding for also drawing ambient air into said collecting system to cool the handle, thereby drawing smoke, fumes, shielding gas and ambient air into said collecting system and simultaneously cooling the handle.

Claim 17

Apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein the vacuum suction means is arranged for drawing a total volume about one-fourth of which is smoke and fumes.

Claim 18

A welding gun for use in a welding operation during which smoke and fumes are created, and including: an elongated handle having front and rear ends, a nozzle disposed forwardly of the front end of the handle and having a distal end, means interconnecting the handle and nozzle, the nozzle having an axial opening at its distal end through which a weld wire is fed, and an electrical contact member associated with the nozzle and in contact with the weld wire, the improvement comprising: a member surrounding the nozzle and spaced radially therefrom along said axis to define an annular pickup chamber concentric with the nozzle and into which smoke and fumes may be drawn; the member having a distal end spaced rearwardly from the distal end of the nozzle along said axis; the nozzle having an exterior work facing surface which extends divergingly upwardly outwardly between its distal end and the distal end of the member to define an outwardly-facing inlet opening to the pickup chamber spaced outwardly from and concentric to the nozzle and located rearwardly of said axial opening of the nozzle; a longitudinal passageway formed in the handle and coextensive therewith for conducting ambient air through the handle to cool the same; a tube communicating with the annular pickup chamber and extending therefrom to the front end of handle where it communicates with said longitudinal passageway; and vacuum suction means operatively connected to the rear end of the longitudinal passageway and having a capacity in excess of the volume of smoke and fumes created by the welding operation for drawing ambient air along with said smoke and fumes through the longitudinal passageway in the handle thereby collecting the smoke and fumes and simultaneously cooling the handle.

Claim 19

A welding gun for use in a welding operation during which smoke and fumes are created, and including: an elongated handle having front and rear ends, a nozzle disposed forwardly of the front end of the handle and having a distal end, means interconnecting the handle and nozzle, the nozzle having an axial opening at its distal end through which a weld wire is fed, and an electrical contact member associated with the nozzle and in contact with the weld wire, the improvement comprising: a member surrounding the nozzle and spaced radially therefrom along said axis to define an annular pickup chamber concentric with the nozzle and into which smoke and fumes may be drawn; the member having a distal end spaced rearwardly from the distal end of the nozzle along said axis; the nozzle having an exterior work facing surface which extends divergingly upwardly outwardly between its distal end and the distal end of the member to define an outwardly-facing inlet opening to the pickup chamber spaced outwardly from and concentric to the nozzle and located rearwardly of said axial opening of the nozzle; a longitudinal passageway formed in the handle and coextensive therewith for conducting ambient air through the handle to cool the same; a tube communicating with the annular pickup chamber and extending therefrom to the front end of handle where it communicates with said longitudinal passageway; and vacuum suction means operatively connected to the rear end of the longitudinal passageway and having a capacity in excess of the volume of smoke and fumes created by the welding operation for drawing ambient air along with said smoke and fumes through the longitudinal passageway in the handle thereby collecting the smoke and fumes and simultaneously cooling the handle.