Abstract: A handheld welder is provided for welding together parts of a workpiece. The welder may include a pair of three-part clamps with spring-loading so as to temporarily hold the parts of the workpiece in place before tightening the clamps. A housing can be provided for housing batteries or at least part of a power cord and for structurally supporting a heater element during welding. The housing can include radially-extending screws that are slidably provided within slots of a sleeve to allow the housing to axially move within the sleeve, so that the heater element may be at least partially retracted into the sleeve once the welding operation is completed.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are disclosed for the welding of thermoplastic endless belts (28). Direct current is passed through a ni-chrome wire (27) to produce enough heat such that the thermoplastic melting point of the belt material is reached. The wire is mechanically moved through the abutting thermoplastic belt. The free ends being welded are securely held together with clamping members (2) and (4). In another embodiment a ni-chrome ribbon (54) is embedded in an electrically insulated screen to produce a heated planar surface. The invention is particularly suitable for the welding of polyurethane thermoplastic belts. Because the invention is hand held and it uses battery power, it is especially adapted for welding belts in the food processing industry.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are disclosed for the welding of thermoplastic endless belts (28). Direct current is passed through a ni-chrome wire (27) to produce enough heat such that the thermoplastic melting point of the belt material is reached. The wire is mechanically moved through the abutting thermoplastic belt. The free ends being welded are securely held together with clamping members (2) and (4). In another embodiment a ni-chrome ribbon (54) is embedded in an electrically insulated screen to produce a heated planar surface. The invention is particularly suitable for the welding of polyurethane thermoplastic belts. Because the invention is hand held and it uses battery power, it is especially adapted for welding belts in the food processing industry.