Patent ID: 7427726
Filing Date: 2008-09-23
Classification: B23K

Abstract:
1. A portable wire feeder for providing welding wire and welding current to a welding operation, said wire feeder comprising: an input electrically connected to a power source; an output electrically connected to said input to receive welding current delivered to said input from said power source and to provide said welding current and welding wire to the welding operation through a guide hose; a motorized wire feeding system including a motor and a feed roll driven by said motor to direct said welding wire from a wire supply to said output for provision of said welding wire to the welding operation through said guide hose, wherein power for said motorized wire feeding system is drawn from said welding current passed from said input to said output; and a grounding assembly nonattachably contacting a work piece of said welding operation to electrically ground said power drawn from said welding current directly to the work piece said grounding assembly including a leg member extending from a housing of the wire feeder toward the work piece, said grounding assembly further including a sense lead connected at one end to a conductive portion of said leg member and electrically connected to said power drawn from said welding current for grounding.