US 12,285,827 B2
Contact tip rotary lock of a welding torch
Thomas Roger Jaeger, Tilbury (CA); and Bradley Eugene Whipple, Windsor (CA)
Assigned to ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC., Glenview, IL (US)
Filed by ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC., Glenview, IL (US)
Filed on Oct. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/975,084.
Application 16/740,943 is a division of application No. 15/253,291, filed on Aug. 31, 2016, granted, now 10,583,514, issued on Mar. 10, 2020.
Application 17/975,084 is a continuation of application No. 16/740,943, filed on Jan. 13, 2020, granted, now 11,491,574.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/220,671, filed on Sep. 18, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2023/0049194 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. B23K 9/29 (2006.01); B23K 9/12 (2006.01); B23K 9/173 (2006.01); B23P 19/00 (2006.01)
CPC B23K 9/291 (2013.01) [B23K 9/123 (2013.01); B23K 9/173 (2013.01); B23P 19/00 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A contact tip of a welding torch, comprising:
an elongated body comprising:
an electrically conductive material,
an inner surface, and
an outer surface encircling the inner surface, the elongated body being centered about a tip axis, and the outer surface comprising:
a front portion, at least part of the front portion encircling a front opening,
a rear portion, the rear portion being frustoconical, and at least part of the rear portion encircling a rear opening, and
a middle portion positioned between the front and rear portions, the middle portion being cylindrical;
a bore extending through the elongated body from the front opening to the rear opening; and
a locking element comprising a wall extending radially outward from an intersection of the middle portion and the rear portion of the outer surface of the elongated body in an axis perpendicular plane that is perpendicular to the tip axis, wherein an outer diameter of the contact tip is larger at the locking element than at the middle portion of the elongated body, and the outer diameter of the contact tip varies around the outer surface of the elongated body in the axis perpendicular plane.