Abstract: A method of determining the impedance, inductance, and resistance of the network connecting an electrical power supply to an electric arc welding station including an electrode and a workpiece, wherein the method comprises: shorting the electrode to the workpiece; creating at least one waveform including a first state operating the power supply at constant current of a selected value and a second state operating the power supply at a low value of current or open circuit voltage whereby the current decays from the selected value along a decay path indicative of di/dt; obtaining the average current Iavg and average resistance Ravg during the first state; selecting a portion of the decay path; sampling the instantaneous current for a number of times on the path during the second state to read the rate of the decay; and, using the average current and the average resistance with the rate of decay to obtain the inductance of the network.

Abstract: A welding wire for use in electric arc welding and method of making same, wherein the wire has an effective outer diameter and comprises a length of solid metal formed into a series of distinct segments each having a selected volume and having an indented and non-indented region with the cross sectional area of the solid metal at said non-indented region being greater than the cross sectional area of the solid metal at the indented region.

Abstract: A welding wire for use in electric arc welding and method of making same, wherein the wire has an effective outer diameter and comprises a length of solid metal formed into a series of distinct segments each having a selected volume and joined together by interconnecting bridging elements with the cross sectional area of the solid metal at said segments being greater than the cross sectional area of the solid metal at the bridging elements.

Abstract: A method of determining the impedance, inductance, and resistance of the network connecting an electrical power supply to an electric arc welding station including an electrode and a workpiece, wherein the method-comprises: shorting the electrode to the workpiece; creating at least one waveform including a first state operating the power supply at constant current of a selected value and a second state operating the power supply at a low value of current or open circuit voltage whereby the current decays from the selected value along a decay path indicative of di/dt; obtaining the average current Iavg and average resistance Ravg during the first state; selecting a portion of the decay path; sampling the instantaneous current for a number of times on the path during the second state to read the rate of the decay; and, using the average current and the average resistance with the rate of decay to obtain the inductance of the network.

Abstract: An electric arc welder powered by a plurality of liquid organic fuel cells. The fuel cells use a methanol/water mixture as the organic feed. The fuel cells produce carbon dioxide as a reactive product which is used an a shielding gas during the arc welding process. The fuel cells are stacked together to produce the desired arc voltage and current between an electrode and the workpiece. The arc welder includes a welding current to control the current wave shape through the electrode and to control or increase the voltage through the electrode.

Abstract: An electric arc welder powered by a plurality of liquid organic fuel cells. The fuel cells use a methanol/water mixture as the organic feed. The fuel cells produce carbon dioxide as a reactive product which is used an a shielding gas during the arc welding process. The fuel cells are stacked together to produce the desired arc voltage and current between an electrode and the workpiece. The arc welder includes a welding current to control the current wave shape through the electrode and to control or increase the voltage through the electrode.

Abstract: Information pertaining to characteristics of metal welding electrode wire and which characteristics are useful in connection with adjusting welding parameters in an arc welding process and/or selecting between operating modes in a welding system are encoded on welding wire and/or on other memory components such as bar code labels and tags, RFID cards and tags, IC cards, and Touch Memory buttons, and the memory device is scanned prior to and/or at the point of use of the welding wire for enabling tracking of product distribution, manual and/or automatic selection of an operating mode for the welding system, manual and/or automatic adjustment of welding parameters in a given operating mode, consumables inventory, and the like.

Abstract: Information pertaining to characteristics of metal welding electrode wire and which characteristics are useful in connection with adjusting welding parameters in an arc welding process and/or selecting between operating modes in a welding system are encoded on welding wire and/or on other memory components such as bar code labels and tags, RFID cards and tags, IC cards, and Touch Memory buttons, and the memory device is scanned prior to and/or at the point of use of the welding wire for enabling tracking of product distribution, manual and/or automatic selection of an operating mode for the welding system, manual and/or automatic adjustment of welding parameters in a given operating mode, consumables inventory, and the like.

Abstract: Information pertaining to characteristics of metal welding electrode wire and which characteristics are useful in connection with adjusting welding parameters in an arc welding process and/or selecting between operating modes in a welding system are encoded on welding wire and/or on other memory components such as bar code labels and tags, RFID cards and tags, IC cards, and Touch Memory buttons, and the memory device is scanned prior to and/or at the point of use of the welding wire for enabling tracking of product distribution, manual and/or automatic selection of an operating mode for the welding system, manual and/or automatic adjustment of welding parameters in a given operating mode, consumables inventory, and the like.

Abstract: A method of generating a real time control signal for use in an electric arc welding process having welding voltage and welding current, said method comprising: measuring the welding voltage and welding current at a first time, momentarily changing either the welding voltage or welding current by less than about 10%, then measuring the welding voltage and the welding current after the change at a second time, determining the welding voltage difference between the first time and the second time, determining the welding current difference between the first time and the second time, producing a derivative value representing the desired control signal by dividing the welding voltage difference between the first and second times by the welding current difference between the first and second times and generating the control signal by the derivative value.

Abstract: A welding wire for use in electric arc welding and method of making same, wherein the wire has an effective outer diameter and comprises a length of solid metal formed into a series of distinct segments each having a selected volume and having an indented and non-indented region with the cross sectional area of the solid metal at said non-indented region being greater than the cross sectional area of the solid metal at the indented region.

Abstract: A welding wire for use in electric arc welding and method of making same, wherein the wire has an effective outer diameter and comprises a length of solid metal formed into a series of distinct segments each having a selected volume and having a narrow region and non-narrow region with the cross sectional area of the solid metal at said non-narrow region being greater than the cross sectional area of the solid metal at the narrow region.

Abstract: A single phase power supply for electric arc welders comprising: a full wave rectifier forming the input of said power supply; a valley fill power factor correcting circuit for controlling input current flow to the rectifier and creating an high crest factor intermediate voltage; a converter forming the output of the power supply for converting the intermediate voltage into a generally ripple free DC voltage; and, switching means in the converter for controlling the output voltage of the converter to a level in the general range of 20-100 volts for welding.

Abstract: A unique torch assembly having specific characteristics determinative of the desired operating parameters of the torch assembly wherein the torch assembly has a connector plug for selectively connecting the torch assembly onto a universal control station for providing electrical power and gas to said torch assembly, which power and gas flow are to match said operating parameters of the torch assembly. The assembly is provided with an identification circuit for identifying unique torch assemblies with the identification circuit having an electrical property unique to said specific characteristics of unique torch assembly and is also provided with an arrangement to interrogate the identification circuit to sense said electrical property of the circuit. In this manner, the torch assembly can be positively identified.

Abstract: A high frequency power supply for supplying a welding current through a choke to a welding station including an electrode element and a workpiece element. The power supply includes a first transformer with a first core and means for receiving on said first core a first secondary winding with the first core being magnetized in a first flux direction upon creation of first current pulse and a second transformer with a second core and means for receiving on said second core a second secondary winding with said second core being magnetized in a second flux direction upon creation of a second current pulse in the direction opposite to the first pulse. The first transformer is operated by a first capacitor means for applying a first voltage to the first transformer upon operation of a first switch means and the second transformer is operated by a second capacitor means for applying second voltage to the second transformer upon operation of a second switch means.

Abstract: A high frequency power supply for supplying a yielding current through a choke to a welding station including an electrode element and a workpiece element, wherein the power supply includes a transformer means for creating a first current pulse in a first secondary winding and a second current pulse in a second secondary winding and means for connecting said secondary windings to pass said current pulses through said choke and across said elements.

Abstract: An improvement in an A.C. TIG welder for passing a current across an arc gap between a workpiece and a non-consumable electrode alternating between a first direction of arc current flow with the electrode negative and a second direction of arc current flow with the electrode positive. This type of welder comprises a transformer with a load voltage creating secondary winding in series with the arc gap and with a squaring circuit. The improvement involves a current control circuit connected in parallel with the arc gap wherein the control circuit has an energy storing capacitor, charging means for allowing the capacitor to charge rapidly according to the voltage across the arc gap tending to cause current flow across the gap in the second direction and a discharge means for controlling discharge of the capacitor across the gap in the second direction when the arc is created across the arc gap for current flow in the second direction.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling a welding cycle of an arc welder comprising: a number of digital programs stored in a digital memory device, with each of the programs including a plurality of digitally coded welding parameters indicative of selected functions of a specific welding cycle; a weld controller for converting the selected functions of a digital program into welding parameters at the output of the welder; a display panel having a group of switches located in a given pattern and a decoder network at a selected position for creating a decoded signal indicative of the activation pattern of the decoder network; means responsive to the decoded signal for activating said switches in either a first condition where the switches activate means for modifying a selected one of said digital programs or a second condition where said switches activate means for creating a program select signal corresponding to a given digital program; means responsive to a program select signal for selecting one of the progra

Abstract: A mounting assembly for a plurality of bipolar electrical components connected between two generally parallel electrical supports, each bipolar electrical component having a lower base terminal fixedly mounted to the first electrical support and a generally flat upper terminal having a random angular orientation about the central axis of the electrical components, an electrically conducting coupler which telescopically receives the upper terminal of the component to form a rigid electrical connection between the coupler and an electrical component at one end of the coupler and the other end of the coupler is electrically connected to the second electrical support.

Abstract: A plasma torch and the method of cooling the torch wherein specified heated surfaces and in particular the heated tip portion of an electrode within the torch have a low volume of liquid coolant directed thereagainst. The volume of the liquid coolant is controlled so that the liquid coolant evaporates into vapor as it contacts the specified heated surfaces.