Abstract:
A welding rod extender is provided for extending an arc welding rod. The welding rod extender comprises an elongated member having a first end and a second end, the first end being adapted for connection with an electrode holder. A housing is provided having a first connecting end shaped for receiving the second end of the elongated member. The housing includes a tip having an opening shaped for receiving a welding rod. A collet is provided for connecting the receiver and the tip to the welding rod. Turning the tip in a first direction tightens the collet onto the welding rod and turning the tip in a second direction allows removal of the welding rod. The welding rod extender is provided that can easily be manipulated to reach a work piece which may not be easily accessible.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to the field of welding, and in particular to supporting a welding rod during shielded metal arc welding (SMAW). 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     SMAW is a welding method that uses a consumable stick electrode as a welding rod. An arc is struck between the consumable stick electrode and the base metal. A protective gas and a slag layer are generated around the welding zone, protecting the molten weld metal from oxidation such that a sound joint can be formed. Typically, the consumable stick electrode is inserted in an electrode holder which is manipulated by a user. This general structure is shown in FIG. 3, in which a consumable electrode  2  is mounted in an electrode holder  10 . 
     Various problems have arisen in connection with this SMAW technique. The problems include waste of unused electrode material and difficulty of manipulation of the electrode holders. 
     Because of the high heat generated during the SMAW process, the consumable stick electrode can only be consumed such that a substantial distance remains between the electrode holder and the electrode tip. The distance between the user&#39;s hand and the tip of the electrode must be sufficient to protect the user and the electrode holder from the high temperatures generated during the SMAW process. Accordingly, a portion of the welding rod is always wasted, 
     Additionally, when welding must be performed within a small area, manipulation of the electrode holder to arrive at the proper portion of the work piece can become difficult if not impossible. 
     Furthermore, it is often difficult to insert and remove electrodes from the provided holders. 
     Various solutions have been proposed to overcome the aforementioned problems. U.S. Pat. No. 2,324,924 to Hall discloses an electrode holder  10  having a pivotable clamping jaw  18  which enables movement of the electrode  44  to various angular positions. 
     Another proposed method for overcoming difficulties associated with welding in small or not easily accessible area involves securing the electrode holder to an extension member, such as an elongated pole (such as that used in a broomstick), to allow manipulation of the electrode holder from outside the small or inaccessible area. There are several problems associated with this proposed method (or solution). Since there is no standard tool available, the user (i.e., the welder) must spend valuable time locating and attaching the elongated pole to the electrode holder each time a need arises. Extending the entire electrode holder, including the electrode connected to it, provides the welder with an unnecessarily heavy, often bulky, and uncomfortable tool which he now must use in his work. The heavy weight of the resulting tool increases the potential for arcing outside the weld joint and so called “stub-outs”, a condition where the welding rod end shorts out to the material being welded and freezes to that material in the rapidly cooling weld puddle. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,615 provides a carbon rod assembly comprising at least to rods, which include mating internal and external threads in successive rods. When assembled, the connected rods enable a greater portion of the rods to be consumed before reaching the critical distance between the electrode holder and the workpiece. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,252 discloses an electrode extension holder that enables connection of two electrodes extending in opposite directions and further enables angular adjustment of the electrodes. See FIGS. 4 and 5 of the patent. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,107 provides a reusable electrode holder  11  including a collet to provide an easy means for applying and removing electrode tip  12 . The collet  1  includes a plurality of fingers  17  that grip a tip  12  of an electrode  10 . As collet  15  is withdrawn into the interior of sleeve  20 , the lower portion of the sleeve engages the fingers, forcing them to grip the electrode tip  12 . To remove the tip  12 , a shank portion  13  is rotated opposite sleeve  20  so that the sleeve moves upwardly over the collet. 
     These prior art systems suffer from various drawbacks that are addressed by the present invention. First, none of the aforementioned references provides an electrode extension separate and apart from the electrode itself or the combination of the electrode holder and the electrode connected to each other. Instead, many of the prior art references merely provide multiple connected electrodes. Although the prior art systems allow for some angular adjustment, they do not allow such adjustment without the use of manipulation of screws or tools. 
     These and other drawbacks of prior art welding rod extension techniques are overcome by the invention as disclosed herein in conjunction smith the preferred embodiments. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a lightweight electrode extension that allows a welding rod to be easily placed and manipulated in areas that are difficult to reach. 
     If is a further object of the invention to provide a welding rod extension, also referred to herein as “a welding rod extender” or a “welding rod extending assembly”, into which an electrode can be inserted and from which the electrode can be removed without the use of tools. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a welding rod extension that can easily be connected to and disconnected from the welding rod and the electrode holder. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention are achieved by providing a welding rod extender for extending an arc welding rod. The welding rod extender comprises an elongated member including a first end and a second end, the first end being adapted for connection with an electrode holder. The welding rod extender further comprises a receiver having a first connecting end and a second connecting end, the first connecting end shaped for receiving the second end of the elongated member. The welding rod extender further comprises a tip including a first end for connection with the second connecting end of the receiver and an opposite end having an opening shaped for receiving a welding rod. 
     The objects of the present invention are also achieved by a welding rod extender for extending an arc welding rod, the welding, rod extender comprising an elongated member including a first end and a second end, the first end being adapted for connection with an electrode holder. The welding rod extender further comprises a collet for securely holding an end of the welding rod and a housing surrounding the collet. The housing is attached to the elongated member at a first housing end, and it comprises a housing tip at a second end such that the welding rod extends from the housing tip. The housing also comprises a receiver which is attached to the housing tip by the collet. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the preferred embodiments will become apparent when the detailed description of the preferred embodiments is read in conjunction with the drawings attached hereto. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of the specification, illustrate a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
     FIG. 1 is side elevation showing the components of the welding rod extender of an embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 a  is a side elevation showing an embodiment of the receiver and its connection with the wire and collet; 
     FIG. 2 b  is a side elevation showing an embodiment of the tip and the connection between the collet and the welding rod; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a prior art configuration for SMAW; 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the connection between the collet and the welding rod, the receiver, and the tip; 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the movement of the tip and collet upon insertion of the welding rod; 
     FIG. 6 illustrates the movement of the tip and collet upon removal of the welding rod; and 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the operation of an embodiment of the welding rod extender of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The invention of the preferred embodiments pertains to an assembly for extending a welding rod with a particular application to SMAW techniques. 
     Although the invention is described in connection with particularly preferred arrangements of component parts, various alternative configurations are possible within the purview of the preferred embodiments. The following preferred embodiments are illustrative only. Modifications to the preferred embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For convenience, similar elements are designated throughout the drawing figures with the same reference numerals. 
     An embodiment of the welding rod extending assembly  10  is shown in FIG. 1 used in conjunction with a conventional electrode holder  1  and an electrode (or welding rod)  2 . Broadly, the welding rod extending assembly  10  comprises an elongated member  20  and a housing portion  60 . The elongated member  20  connects at a first end  21  with the electrode holder  1  and at a second end  22  with the housing  60 . The elongated member  20  is preferably formed of a lightweight and pliable material so that it can be manipulated to facilitate placement of the welding rod  2  at various angles and positions. Also, the elongated member  20  is preferably made of a material which can be bent and straightened numerous times without breaking it. The bending can be performed manually or with a suitable tool. In a preferred embodiment, the elongated member  20  is a standard #4 solid copper wire of approximately 6 inches to 4 inches in length for standard SMAW applications. The length of the elongated member can be adjusted, depending upon the requirements of the particular application, i.e., the desired distance between the electrode holder  1  and an end  3  of the electrode  2  involved in the welding operation. As shown in FIG. 2 a , insulation  23  is provided along substantially the entire length of elongated member  20  between the electrode holder  1  and the housing  60  to prevent accidental arcing. The insulation  23  may be any nonconductive material such as fiberglass or scrap cable insulation. The insulation  23  electrically insulates the elongated member  20 . Approximately one inch of length of the elongated member  20  that is in contact with the electrode holder  1  may remain uninsulated. A like portion  24  on the opposite end of the elongated member may remain uninsulated as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     Also as shown in FIG. 1, the housing  60  comprises a receiver  70  and a tip  80 . The housing  60  connects at a first end with the elongated member  20  and at a second end with the welding rod  2 . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the entire housing  60  is constructed from brass. 
     A collet  90  is preferably provided within the housing  60  and extends between the receiver  70  and the tip  80  to grip the electrode  2 . Details of the connection between the collet  90 , the receiver  70 , and the tip  80  are provided below in connection with FIGS. 4-7. 
     The details of the receiver  70  are further shown in FIG. 2 a . The receiver  70  is preferably connected to the elongated member  20  with set screws  72   a  and  72   b . The receiver  70  also includes a threaded aperture  76  in which the collet  90  is disposed. The receiver  70  is preferably surrounded by a temperature resistant insulating material  74 , such as a tape, that can be wrapped around the receiver  70 . The insulating material  74  electrically insulates the receiver  70 . 
     FIG. 7 b  shows the tip portion  80  of the housing  60 . The tip portion  80  includes an externally threaded opening  82  for receiving the collet  90  and an internal bore  83  for receiving the welding rod  2 . The tip  80  is preferably surrounded by a temperature resistant insulating material  84 , such as a fiberglass tape or any other nonconductive material, that can be wrapped around the circumference of the tip  80 . The insulating material  84  electrically insulates the tip  80 . 
     The collet  90  may have any suitable construction and may be made of any suitable material. For example, the collet may have the construction described in Klasson, U.S. Pat. 4,194,107, incorporated herein by reference for all purposes to the extent it is not inconsistent with this application or invention. In one embodiment, the collet is made of copper. 
     In one preferred embodiment, substantially the entire outside surface of the receiver  70  and the tip  80  is surrounded by temperature resistant insulating materials  74  and  84 , respectively. The materials  74  and  84  may comprise fiberglass or any other nonconductive material. These materials insulate the apparatus in the event that it may inadvertently contact metal objects. Nonetheless, it is also contemplated that only portions of the receiver and the tip can be surrounded by the temperature resistant insulating materials. Furthermore, temperature resistant insulating materials  74  and  84  may be the same or different. 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the connections between the elongated member  20 , the receiver  70 , the collet  90 , the tip  80 , and the welding rod  2 . In operation, one end of the collet  90  is insertable into a borehole in tip  80  and the other end of the collet  90  is received in the aperture  76  of the receiver  70 . On a first end, the elongated member  20  has an uninsulated end  24  that attaches to the receiver  70  and on a second end the welding rod  2  attaches to the tip  80 . 
     To facilitate the use of the welding rod extender of the invention with standard electrode holders and welding rods, the component sizes are preferably chosen accordingly. The receiver  70  is preferably between about 1 and about 1 ¼ inches in length and in a preferred embodiment it is 1 ⅛ inches in length. The height of the receiver  70  (or diameter, if the receiver is circular in cross-section) is between about {fraction (7/16)} and about ⅝ inches, and in a preferred embodiment it is ½ inches. The tip  80  is preferably between about ½ and about 1 inch in length and in a preferred embodiment it is ⅝ inch in length. The height of the tip  80  (or diameter if the tip is circular in cross-section) is about {fraction (7/16)} to about ⅝ inches, and in a preferred embodiment it is approximately ½ inch, and the internal bore  83  for accommodating the welding rod  2  has a diameter necessary to accommodate the welding rod. In one embodiment, the rod has a diameter of approximately ⅓ inch. The threaded opening  89  is preferably ½ inch in length and ⅛ inch in diameter. The collet  90  is preferably approximately {fraction (13/16)} inch in length, has a ⅛ inch inner diameter and a {fraction (3/16)} inch outer diameter. In a preferred embodiment, ½ inch length of the elongated member  20  is inserted into the receiver  70 , and ½ inch of the length of the collet is inserted into the receiver  70 . 
     In a preferred embodiments each of the housing  60 , the receiver  70  and the tip  80  is circular in cross section. 
     Using the aforementioned preferred dimensions and preferred materials of construction, the weight of the entire assembly is approximately 156 grams or 5.5 ounces. 
     In operation, the welding rod  2  is secured to the welding rod extending assembly  10  through the interaction of collet  90  and tip  80 . FIG. 5 illustrates the movement of the tip  80  and collet  90  upon insertion of the welding rod  2  and FIG. 6 illustrates the movement of the tip  80  and collet  90  upon removal of the welding rod  2 . The collet  90  is inserted into the tip  80 , and the tip  80  with exposed threads is threaded into the receiver  70 . The electrode is inserted into the internal bore  83  as far as possible. As shown in FIG. 5, turning the tip  80  in a first direction causes the collet to tighten around the electrode  2  thereby securing it. As shown in FIG. 6, turning the tip  80  in the opposite direction causes the collet  90  to release its hold on the electrode  2 . 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view shooting the welding rod extender assembly  10  as used in operation. As shown, the welding rod extender assembly  10  is connected with a standard electrode holder  1  to manipulate the welding rod  2 . 
     Variations of the embodiments described above are possible. For example, although the elongated member  20  in a preferred embodiment is made of copper wire, it is contemplated that it can be made of any other suitable materials. Suitable materials must be electrically conductive and bendable and must be able to hold their shape. Similarly, although the housing  60  which includes the receiver  70  and the tip  80  is made from brass in a preferred embodiment, it can be made from any other suitable material, such as copper. While the shape of the receiver, the housing and the tip is circular in cross section in preferred embodiments, any other suitable shape may be utilized. For example, the housing, the receiver and the tip may be rectangular or square in cross section. Similarly, instead of a plurality of set screws  72   a  and  72   b  used to secure the elongated member  20  to the receiver  70 , any other suitable means of connecting these two elements may be used. For example, a single set screw may be utilized or any of the following may be used: soldering; brazing; two threaded parts which are screwed together; or at least one pin coupling the elongated member  20  to the receiver  70 . 
     In all embodiments, the electrode holder  1  may have any suitable construction. 
     Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details in representative devices shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims.