Portable welding wire feeder

Abstract

The utility model relates to a portable welding wire feeder which comprises a shell with a base and a cover, a welding wire feeding mechanism arranged in the shell, a welding wire reel, a groove used for installing and fastening a welding gun, a belt supporting piece located on the shell and used for fastening a belt, a welding wire feeding mechanism opening motor, a speed reducer, a driving roller and a clamping roller. The shaft of the motor is perpendicular to the reel rod, the inner space of the shell is provided with illumination, the shell is divided into a compartment used for installing the welding wire reel and a compartment used for penetrating the welding wire into the roller pulling mechanism and feeding the welding wire into a channel of a welding area, and the roller pulling mechanism is provided with a roller. Each compartment is provided with a separate cover made of transparent shockproof plastic, and the covers of the compartments used for installing the welding wire reels are additionally fixed through special screws. The technical result of the utility model is that the technical performance of semi-automatic, argon arc, plasma and laser welding equipment is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to an arc welding device which uses non-consumable and consumable electrodes in a protective gas environment and has a built-in wire feeding device, and can be used in a confined space or at a height during the installation of a welding structure, where it is impossible to use a similar fixed unit. Background Art

[0002] There are some known portable wire feeders [US 6225596, B23K 9 / 10, B23K 9 / 11 33, published on May 10, 2001, and US 6705563, B23K 6 / 10, B23K 9 / 133, published on March 16, 2004]. Disadvantages of the known units with integrated automatic wire feeding include their weight and considerable size, which do not allow them to be operated for long periods of time, and to be used in confined spaces and in different spatial positions, such as horizontal, vertical, overhead or orbital welding, where the welder's hands are below, level with or above the welder's body, and the device itself cannot be placed on the welder's body.

[0003] The closest technical solution with the same purpose as the claimed utility model is a portable welding wire feeder, comprising a housing with a base and a cover, a wire feeding mechanism placed in the housing, a wire reel, a slot for mounting and fastening a welding gun, and a belt support located on the housing for fastening a belt, wherein the wire feeding mechanism activates an electric motor, a reducer, a drive roller and a clamping roller to pull the welding wire, wherein the housing and the cover are made of shockproof plastic, a belt-sealed slot is provided at the junction of the cover and the housing, and the interior space of the housing is illuminated, wherein the belt support is located on the side of the housing opposite the slot for mounting and fastening the welding gun. (Patents for utility models RU 202866, B23K9 / 133, B23K 9 / 32, published on March 11, 2021). The disadvantages of the known devices are as follows:

[0004] - a plain, opaque cover for the compartment housing the spool with the welding wire and the roller mechanism, since when the cover is closed or in operation, the welder cannot visually control the feeding process of the welding wire onto the spool and its quantity;

[0005] - Protruding controls (switches, potentiometers) that collide with various obstacles, causing setup failures and sometimes even damage;

[0006] -No digital display for setting and monitoring wire feed rate;

[0007] - It is not possible to connect different types of connectors of devices for feeding filler and welding wire during TIG welding or MIG / MAG welding to the wire feeder without special adapters. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The technical achievement of the utility model is to improve the technical performance of semi-automatic, argon arc, plasma and laser welding equipment.

[0009] The reason for achieving the specified technical results is a portable welding wire feeder, comprising a housing with a base and a cover, a welding wire feeding mechanism placed in the housing, a welding wire reel, a slot for mounting and fastening a welding gun, and a belt support located on the housing for fastening a belt, the feeding mechanism turning on the motor, the reducer, the driving roller and the clamping roller for pulling the welding wire are arranged coaxially with the axis of the motor, wherein the axis of the motor is perpendicular to the reel rod, and the interior space of the housing is illuminated, wherein the housing is divided into a compartment for mounting the welding wire reel and a compartment for passing the welding wire into the roller pulling mechanism and the channel for feeding the welding wire into the welding zone, each compartment has a separate cover made of transparent shockproof plastic for mounting the welding wire The cover of the wire spool compartment is additionally fixed with special screws. The following components are built into the device housing: a compact control board covered with protective varnish for the wire feed rate and other functions, a digital push-button regulator for the wire feed rate, a digital display indicating the wire feed rate value, an ON / OFF switch for the lighting. The front of these components is covered with a special protective foil film. The main body of the device includes a special electronic protection device to protect the control board and other electronic components from high voltage during TIG welding. The connector for mounting and tightening the welding gun is made into a threaded coupling of the feed mechanism, and a union nut for connecting the welding gun and additional devices for feeding filler wire.

[0010] While the wire feeder itself does not require ventilation for operation, moisture, dust, debris, and foreign matter are not permitted during operation due to the 3-24 volt DC voltage. Therefore, the compartment for mounting the wire spool and the compartment for feeding the wire into the roller mechanism and into the welding zone are separated and securely sealed with separate covers. Furthermore, the compact control panel is covered with a special protective varnish to protect against moisture and dust. These features generally ensure safe operation even in harsh working conditions. To further protect the control panel from dust and moisture, a special weather-resistant protective foil is applied to the front of the control panel, the wire feed rate digital pushbutton adjuster, the digital display indicating the wire feed rate value, and the illuminated on / off switch. To visually monitor the amount of wire being welded and control the feed and operation of the roller mechanism, the compartment opening covers are made of transparent, shock-resistant plastic. In addition to visual control, digital control of the wire feed is ensured by high-voltage protection of the electronic components. The slot for mounting and fastening the welding gun in the form of a threaded coupling for the feed mechanism and a union nut for connection ensures quick connection of various wire feed devices for TIG or MIG / MAG welding and allows the device to be used with all known TIG and MIG / MAG welding equipment as well as other types of welding equipment, regardless of manufacturer and country of origin, where automatic and uniform feeding of the welding wire is required.

[0011] In order to make the replacement of the welding wire spool easier, for example, when working in dark periods, poorly lit rooms or spaces, the housing is constructed with two LEDs that simultaneously illuminate the interior space of the compartment for mounting the welding wire spool and the compartment for threading the welding wire into the roller pulling mechanism and the passage for feeding the welding wire into the welding zone. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] This utility model is described by illustrative materials:

[0013] Figure 1 - Front view of the portable welding wire feeder;

[0014] Figure 2 -Top view of the portable welding wire feeder;

[0015] Figure 3-1 An option to use a portable wire feeder in TIG welding, where the filler wire is fed externally using a special holder mounted on a standard welding gun;

[0016] Figure 4-1 An option for external feeding using a portable wire feeder in TIG and other types of welding where external automatic feeding is required using special feed pens with the following names:

[0017] 1-housing;

[0018] 2-pressure rod;

[0019] 3- Transparent cover of the compartment for feeding the welding wire into the roller-drawing mechanism and the passage for feeding the welding wire to the welding zone;

[0020] 4-Screw clamp for the drive roller that pulls the welding wire;

[0021] 5- Clamping roller for pulling welding wire;

[0022] 6- driving roller for pulling welding wire;

[0023] 7-roller compression force regulator;

[0024] 8-Guide funnel with mounting rod;

[0025] 9- filler / welding wire;

[0026] 10-LED lighting of the compartment for mounting the wire reels;

[0027] 11-Belt support for attaching the device to a waist belt or using a shoulder strap;

[0028] 12-Hinges of the transparent cover of the compartment for mounting the wire reels;

[0029] 13-Scroll;

[0030] 14-metal ring;

[0031] 15- reel rod;

[0032] 16-digit display;

[0033] 17-Compact control board for welding / filler wire feed rate and other functions;

[0034] 18-24V DC motor;

[0035] 19-Accelerator button for welding / filler wire feed rate;

[0036] 20-Deceleration button for welding / filler wire feed rate;

[0037] 21- Lighting on / off and digital value 180° reversal button;

[0038] 22-shielded switch cable connector;

[0039] 23-Wire feed ON / OFF control cable connector;

[0040] 24- reducer;

[0041] 25-Threaded connector for installing and fixing the filler wire supply hose;

[0042] 26-guide channel;

[0043] 27-Screw for securing the reel rod base to the device housing;

[0044] 28-fastening screw;

[0045] 29 - Transparent plastic cover of the compartment for mounting the welding wire spool;

[0046] 30-LED lighting;

[0047] 31-Union nut;

[0048] 32-shielded switching cable with connector;

[0049] 33-Filling wire feeding hose;

[0050] 34-Welding and wire feed start / stop button;

[0051] 35-Power supply welding hose for TIG welding gun, can be connected to any TIG welding machine;

[0052] 36-TIG welding gun handle;

[0053] 37-Filler wire feed tip;

[0054] 38-shielding gas feed regulating valve;

[0055] 39- filler wire;

[0056] 40-ceramic nozzle;

[0057] 41- non-consumable tungsten electrode;

[0058] 42-Teflon guide channel;

[0059] 43-Wire feeder mounting bracket;

[0060] 44-bar;

[0061] 45-Brass tube (tip holder);

[0062] 46 - Filler wire feed ON / OFF control cable connector (used when connecting the control cable from button 49 using a feed pen, and when connecting a welding gun for semi-automatic MIG / MAG welding);

[0063] 47 - Filler wire feed ON / OFF control cable (used when connecting the control cable from button 49 using a feed pen, and when connecting a welding gun for semi-automatic MIG / MAG welding);

[0064] 48-feed pen handle;

[0065] 49-Filler wire feed ON / OFF button. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] Let's review the operation of a portable wire feeder that allows TIG welding with the option of external wire feeding of the filler wire using a special holder that is mounted on a standard welding gun for TIG welding ( Figure 3 This option is ideal for welding long, straight seams, as there's plenty of room for the welding head and support. The advantages of this feed method are higher-quality, denser, and more even welds, while the process itself is similar to semi-automatic MIG / MAG welding. With this method, one of the welder's hands remains free.

[0067] The operation of the device is as follows.

[0068] First, connect a standard TIG welding gun to any external TIG welding power source via a standard connector (not shown). Connect the cable from the start / stop welding and wire feed button 34 to the power supply / control unit (not shown). Connect the cable for turning on the welding mode (not shown) from the power supply / control unit to the connector located on the front of the indicated external TIG welding power source (not shown). Similarly, connect the power supply welding hose 35, which can be connected to any TIG welding machine's TIG welding gun, to the shielding gas line (not shown). Set up the designated external TIG welding power source based on the type of welding work, the brand and thickness of the material being welded, the operating current range of 10 to 350A, and the required shielding gas pressure (argon).

[0069] The wire feeder mounting bracket 43 is mounted on the welding head of a standard TIG welding gun. Using the lever 44, the extension and angle of the filler wire feed tip 37 of the brass tube 45 are adjusted so that the filler wire 9 is positioned 2-4 mm from the tip of the non-consumable tungsten electrode 41 and fed directly into the weld pool.

[0070] The portable device for feeding welding wire is connected to a power supply / control unit (not shown) via a shielded switch cable 32 with a connector via a shielded switch cable connector 22. A filler wire feed hose 33 is connected to the device using a union nut 31. A metal ring 14 and a belt support 11, located on the portable device's housing 1 for fastening the unit to a belt or shoulder strap, allow it to be hung from the welder's belt using a quick-release clip in any convenient working position. The transparent plastic cover 29 of the compartment for mounting the welding wire spool is folded to the right on its rotating hinge 12, and a spool 13 containing 0.6-1.2 mm filler / welding wire 9 is inserted. In poor lighting conditions, pressing the lighting ON / OFF and digital 180° reversal button 21 turns on the LED lighting 10 and LED lighting 30 of the compartment for mounting the welding wire spool. The filler wire 9, along with the mounting rod, is inserted into the guide funnel 8 and, after opening the transparent cover 3 of the compartment for threading the wire into the roller-pulling mechanism and the passageway for feeding the wire into the welding zone, is pulled into the roller-pulling mechanism and guide passage 26. Next, the wire-pulling drive roller 6, with the required notch for the filler wire 9 diameter of 0.6-1.2 mm, is installed and secured using the screw clamp 4. The clamping force of the wire-pulling clamp roller 5, which is attached by a pressure rod 2, is fixed and adjusted using a locking lever and roller compression force adjuster 7. The transparent plastic cover 29 of the compartment for mounting the wire spool is tightly closed and secured with screws 28. The transparent cover 3 of the compartment for threading the wire into the roller-pulling mechanism and the passageway for feeding the wire into the welding zone is also securely latched. By pressing the welding and wire feeding start / stop button 34, the filler wire 39 is fed and advanced along the Teflon guide channel 42 together with the filler wire feeding tip 37 to the tip holder 45, with the filler wire feeding hose 33 previously straightened as evenly as possible. Then, the extension of the filler wire 39 from the filler wire feeding tip 37 and the extension of the non-consumable tungsten electrode 41 from the gas ceramic nozzle 40 are adjusted.

[0071] Depending on the type of welding job, brand, and thickness of the material being welded, the required feed delay time for the filler / wire 9 is set to 0 to 10 seconds using the control buttons on the power supply / control unit (not shown). If necessary, the pulse feed mode for the filler / wire 9 is enabled in the power supply / control unit (not shown), and the feed and pause times for the filler / wire 9 are set in fractions of a second. Then, at the end of welding (wire retraction), the required reverse feed time for the filler / wire 9 is set on the power supply / control unit (not shown). If necessary, the power supply / control unit (not shown) enables 2T or 4T mode during long seam welding. Depending on the selected welding current and weld location, the feed rate of the filler / wire 9 is set using the power supply / control unit (not shown) or the welding / filler wire feed rate acceleration button 19 and the welding / filler wire feed rate deceleration button 20, which are located on the housing 1 and connected to the compact control board 17 for welding / filler wire feed rate and other functions. During darkness, pressing the lighting ON / OFF and digital 180° reversal button 21 in the compartment for mounting the wire spool and the compartment for inserting the wire into the roller pull mechanism and the passage for feeding the wire into the welding zone illuminates the LED lighting 10 and LED lighting 30 in the compartment for mounting the wire spool. Pressing and holding the lighting ON / OFF and digital 180° reversal button 21 reverses the numerical value of the wire feed rate by 180° and displays it on the digital display 16.

[0072] When a single weld and wire feed start / stop button 34 is used to control both the weld mode and the filler wire feed, a control cable (not shown) from the weld and wire feed start / stop button 34 on a standard TIG welding gun is connected to a power supply / control unit (not shown), and a weld start / stop switch cable from the power supply / control unit (not shown) is connected directly to the TIG welder. Thus, a single weld and wire feed start / stop button 34 is responsible for turning on both the weld and filler wire feed modes. The portable wire feeder is now ready for operation. The welding process is started by turning the weld and wire feed start / stop button 34 on the TIG welding gun handle 36 to the "Start" position, where it remains in this fixed position throughout the current welding cycle (2T mode).

[0073] Non-contact energization of the arc occurs between the TIG welding gun's non-consumable tungsten electrode 41 and the metal to be welded, accompanied by a simultaneous or preliminary supply of argon gas, regulated by a shielding gas feed rate control valve 38, via an internal line in the ceramic nozzle 40. Then, after the parent metal is sufficiently melted and the weld pool is ready for welding, after a desired time delay, filler wire 39 is fed from the filler wire feed tip 37 according to a preset feed rate profile and, if necessary, the type of feed pulse setting required for filler wire 39. With the weld and wire feed start / stop button 34 in the "Start" position, after the delay period has expired, power is supplied to a 24V direct current (DC) motor 18, whose axis is perpendicular to the spool rod 15 and secured by screws 27 that secure the spool rod base to the device housing. The rotational motion is then transmitted to the axis of the drive roller 6, which pulls the welding wire, via a speed reducer 24. The wire-pulling drive roller 6 rotates clockwise, while the wire-pulling pinch roller 5 rotates counterclockwise. This ensures a pulling motion from the spool 13 and a pushing motion into the filler wire feed hose 33, while smoothly feeding the filler wire 39 into the weld zone via the filler wire feed tip 37. During operation, as needed, for example, when moving to a thin-walled portion of the welded product or the root of a weld seam, an acceleration button 19 for the welding / filler wire feed rate and a deceleration button 20 for the welding / filler wire feed rate adjust the speed of the 24V direct current (DC) motor 18, thereby adjusting the wire-pulling drive roller 6 and the wire-pulling pinch roller 5, thereby allowing the feed rate of the filler wire 39 to be smoothly varied. The feed rate value of the filler wire 39 is displayed on the digital display 16. If necessary, a power supply / control unit (not shown) can be turned on and off, and various pulse feed modes for the filler wire 39 can be set. After the welding cycle is completed, the welding and wire feed start / stop button 34 is released, thereby cutting off the power to the 24V DC motor 18, stopping the feed of the filler wire 39 and pulling it back closer to the filler wire feed tip 37. Simultaneously, as the welding current decreases, a crater is formed at the end of the weld, after which the welding current and argon gas supply are stopped. After welding, the portable wire feeder is removed from the welding machine belt.

[0074] For external feeding of filler wire using the wire feeder mounting bracket 43 mounted on the welding head of a standard TIG welding gun, an additional method of switching the welding gun, feed pen handle 48, wire feeder device and power supply / control unit is provided, which greatly facilitates the welder's work and allows less qualified professionals to participate in the work.

[0075] Furthermore, to change the filler wire feed mode, a foot pedal with the claimed device can be used and a standard TIG welding gun with two separate buttons for turning on the welding mode and feeding the filler wire, which are connected using the wire feed ON / OFF control cable connector 23.

[0076] Option to use a portable wire feeder for external wire feeding in TIG and other types of welding that require a special feed pen for external automatic wire feeding ( Figure 4 ). In this case, the welder holds the welding gun in his right hand and the feed pen handle 48 in his left hand, and controls the start and stop of the feed of the filler wire 39, as well as the movement of the feed pen handle 48 along the weld seam, by pressing the filler wire feed ON / OFF button 49. This feeding method is more suitable for welding locations where it is difficult to accommodate a welding gun with a stand in the welding area. In this case, since the welder uses the filler wire feed ON / OFF button 49 located on the main body of the feed pen handle 48 to independently control the feed mode of the filler wire 39 through the brass tube 45, settings and functions such as delay and reverse are generally not used. The filler wire feed ON / OFF control cable 47 from the filler wire feed ON / OFF button 49 is connected to the wire feed ON / OFF control cable connector 23 using the filler wire feed ON / OFF control cable connector 46.

[0077] When using the portable wire feeder for semi-automatic welding (MIG / MAG), a special power cable with built-in gas line and a standard MIG / MAG welding gun is connected to it using a union nut 31 and a threaded connector 25 for mounting and fixing the filler wire feed hose. The threaded connector is in the form of a threaded connection between the feed mechanism and a shortened welding hose of approximately 1 m. The filler wire feed ON / OFF control cable 47 is connected in the same way as when using the feed pen handle 48. The length of the power cable with gas line can be quite long, depending on the cross-section of the welding cable: the longer the cable, the larger the cable cross-section. Welding current 160-180 A, cross-section 50 mm 2 The 0.8 mm welding wire can be used with a power cord length of up to 30 m. This allows welding and repair work to be carried out at a great distance from the welding current source, for example, various types of tack welding on hull elements in shipbuilding.

Claims

1. A portable welding wire feeder comprising a housing having a base and a cover, a welding wire feeding mechanism including a welding wire spool, a slot for mounting and fastening a welding gun, and a belt support member located on the housing for fastening a belt, the welding wire feeding mechanism being placed in the housing and opening a motor, a speed reducer, a driving roller and a clamping roller to be arranged coaxially with an axis of the motor perpendicular to a spool rod to pull the welding wire, wherein the interior space of the housing is illuminated, characterized in that The housing is divided into a compartment for installing the welding wire spool and a compartment for feeding the welding wire into the roller-pulling mechanism and the channel for feeding the welding wire into the welding zone. Each compartment has a separate cover made of transparent shock-proof plastic. The cover of the compartment for installing the welding wire spool is additionally fixed with screws. The following components are built into the device housing: a control panel for the welding wire feed rate covered with protective varnish, a digital push-button regulator for the welding wire feed rate, a digital display indicating the value of the welding wire feed rate, an ON / OFF switch for the lighting. These components are covered with a protective foil film on the front side of the housing. A special electronic protection device is installed in the device housing to prevent high voltage during TIG welding. The connector for installing and tightening the welding gun is made of a threaded coupling head of the feed mechanism and a union nut.

2. The portable welding wire feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that The lighting of the interior space is carried out in the form of two LEDs simultaneously in the two compartments.

Images