Abstract: The elongated welding electrode is for plasma arc welding. It has a welding flux material coated on an elongated metal core. Gaps are formed in the flux coating and located at even intervals along the entire length of the electrode. The ratio of the melting points of the flux coating material and the metal core is in the range of 0.9 to 1.05. The ratio of the weights of the flux coating material and the metal core is in the range of 1.1 to 2.5. The electrode may be used with a simple welding gun and a large welding current to produce the plasma effect for welding without having to use an additional supply of gas for shielding the molten weld metal and for cooling the slag.

Abstract: The elongated welding electrode has a flexible welding flux material coated on the outside surface of a flexible welding metal core. The flux material is provided in short equal length segments with slots formed between adjacent segments to expose the metal core therein. The welding current can be applied to the weld through the core in a plurality of the exposed slots so that a large current with relatively no current loss can be used in the welding operation. The slots also serve as means to facilitate the automatic advancement of the electrode through the welding equipment. The welding flux coating over the metal core of the electrode is covered with flexible protective coatings so that it is extremely flexible such that the flux coating will not break off from the metal core during winding on and unwinding from the carrier reel.

Abstract: This continuous welding apparatus has a high welding current efficiency. It includes a single drive belt mechanism having adjustable variable speeds for continuously advancing an elongated welding electrode to a welding location. The welding current is applied simultaneously through multiple contact points in the electrode by contact brushes to provide a high current for the welding operation. The brushes also serves as the carriers for advancing the welding electrode. A continuously formed weld can be made with such high efficiency welding device, and the resulting integrally formed weld is strong in strength and has a smooth surface appearance.

Abstract: The elongated welding electrode made with this continuous manufacturing method is suitable for use in a continuous welding operation and it has a high conduction characteristic for the welding current. In the sequential process, an elongated welding metal wire core is continuously passed through a coating station in which a wet welding flux material is coated onto its surface. The coated wire is then passed through a pre-drying station for removing most of the moisture content from the flux material coating. The mostly dried coated wire is advanced to an abrasion station in which transverse slots are formed at evenly spaced distance along its length to form the interim welding electrode having the flux material coating in equal length segments. The wire core is exposed in the slots between the segments. A selected length of the interim electrode is then wound on a dispensing reel.

Abstract: An elongated welding electrode wound on a dispensing spool and having a plurality of welding current conduction terminals is shown. The electrode has a plurality of transverse grooves formed therein and the grooves are filled with a soft metal substance to form conductive strips. The top plate of the spool has a plurality of arms covering over the conductive strips and has conductive terminals therein contacting the conductive strips in the electrode for supplying the welding current in maximum efficiency to the electrode in the welding operation.