Abstract: A thermal plasma generating electrode assembly of the type having a central, water-cooled electrode and an outer sheath defining therewith a path for gas is provided. The sheath is made as a non-water cooled sheath of a high melting, electrically conductive material to avoid damage to the electrode as a result of stray arcing by attracting such stray arcing to the sheath rather than the electrode. In addition the electrode can be retractable within the sheath to enable the latter to be employed for making initial electrical contact with the co-operating electrode of opposite polarity for the purposes of "striking" or initiating the arc upon start-up.

Abstract: An automatic web splice control system for a web splicer apparatus including a running web roll and a ready web roll and a splice mechanism for splicing the expiring end of the running web to the leading end of the ready web. The system provides successive measurements of the length of web unwound from the running web roll per revolution of the roll. The length of web unwound per revolution of the roll is compared to a first pre-selected length. When the length unwound per revolution of the roll falls below the first pre-selected length, the system determines the length of web unwound from the roll per a pre-selected number of revolutions of the roll. When the length of web unwound per the pre-selected number of revolutions of the roll reaches a second pre-selected length, a warning signal is generated. Thereafter, the measurement of length of web unwound per revolution of the roll is dynamically incremented.