Patent ID: 7022934

Claim:
An adapter for connecting a weld electrode to a tip holder of a welding device, comprising: a conductive body of some length having a first end and a second end; a threaded portion located on said first end of said conductive body and adapted to releasably engage a like-threaded receiving cavity in said tip holder; a taper located on said second end of said conductive body, said taper increasing in the direction of said first end and adapted to receive a weld electrode; a flange located between said first end and said second end, said flange extending outward from said conductive body and adapted to seat against a mating surface of said tip holder when said threaded portion of said first end is properly engaged with said receiving cavity in said tip holder; a longitudinally oriented passageway through said conductive body, said passageway for transporting cooling fluid; an o-ring grove oriented substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of said conductive body and extending around the perimeter thereof, said o-ring groove located between said threaded portion and said flange; an o-ring located in said o-ring groove, said o-ring for engaging a groove in said receiving cavity of said tip holder, thereby providing for sealable engagement therewith; and a means for allowing rotational manipulation of said conductive body.