Abstract: A spacer plate construction for use in selective spacing between the head end and tail end of strips to be welded end-to-end by a welding machine.Sensors in the form of spring biased pivotal (or otherwise moveable) elements are mounted in longitudinally spaced cavities in the spacer plate to assure that the strip ends are held flush against the spacer plate before clamping for subsequent flash or butt welding. It is only when the sensor elements are moved inwardly to the sides of the spacer plate sufficiently to actuate a proximity switch mounted within the sensor plate that a circuit for initiating clamping of the head end and tail end of the strips can be initiated for subsequent welding.

Abstract: A flash welding machine which comprises two pairs of current-carrying welding electrodes, one pair movable and the other, stationary. A double cut guillotine shear is normally positioned forwardly and alongside the welder at a "stand-by" position, remote from the welding position to avoid splattering from welding sparks. When it is desired to shear and weld, carriage means move the shear longitudinally alongside the machine and then laterally into a gap formed by moving the movable pair of welding electrodes from the stationary pair. Depending upon the selected gauge bar of a ladder-like gauge bar construction mounted on each side of the shear when in the "stand-by" position, such selected gauge bars are clamped between the lower current-carrying dies and the lower blades of the shear so as to provide back-up support for such blades as well as to tightly clamp the selected gauge bars for accurate gauging of the projection of strip desired beyond the welding dies after shearing.