Patent ID: 8321986

Claim:
A nozzle cleaner for removing sputter attached to at least an inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical welding nozzle for gas arc welding, comprising: a cutter including a blade provided at a leading end of the cutter, the blade being inserted toward the inner peripheral surface of the welding nozzle as the welding nozzle moves to a sputter removing position in a direction corresponding to a tip of the welding nozzle along an axial direction of the welding nozzle, and then peeling off the sputter attached to the inner peripheral surface of the welding nozzle as the cutter rotates; a driving mechanism to rotate the cutter; and a guide mechanism to center the welding nozzle with respect to a rotational central axis of the cutter when the welding nozzle moves to the sputter removing position, to enable the blade of the cutter to be inserted toward the inner peripheral surface of the welding nozzle; wherein the guide mechanism comprises an insertion-side roller unit and a cutter-side roller unit arranged adjacent to each other along the rotational central axis of the cutter; the insertion-side roller unit is positioned in a region where the welding nozzle is inserted; and the cutter-side roller unit is positioned in a region where the cutter is arranged, and a leading portion of the inserted welding nozzle is positioned.