Multispot grid-welding machine

Claim 1

A multispot grid-welding machine defining a grid-welding plane and having an electrode-carrier beam, said beam being movable up and down; a plurality of guide rods; a plurality of electrode units mounted on said guide rods for movement on said beam; and pressure-springs biasing said electrode units in a direction towards said grid-welding plane, each electrode unit being movable into a working position and retractable to a position of rest; a plurality of return springs acting on said electrode units, said return springs being considerably weaker than said pressure-springs and acting with a predetermined force to shift said respective electrode units from said working position into said retracted position of rest nearer said electrode-carrier beam; and means for advancing selected ones of said plurality of said electrode units into said working position by overcoming the force of said return springs, the remaining of said plurality of electrode units being kept in said rest position, wherein each of said electrode units is attached to a front end of a respective guide rod, each guide rod being associated with and surrounded by two sleeves, said sleeves being shiftable relative to the guide rod associated therewith, and relative to one another; and including a spring plate, one of said sleeves bearing against said spring plate of the respective pressure-spring and the other of said sleeves bearing against said electrode unit; and a wedge between said sleeves, said wedge surrounding said guide rod, being adjustable between a first position in which said sleeves are a smaller distance apart, and a position in which said sleeves are a greater distance apart.