Patent ID: 8809725

Claim:
A welding electrode assembly, comprising: a tip member for contacting a work piece surface; and a coupling member for connecting the tip member to a drive member, the coupling member is configured as a self-aligning joint and includes a housing, a plunger, and a biasing element; the housing is fixedly attached to the drive member to prevent relative axial movement therebetween and includes an opening with an internal seating surface; the plunger is fixedly attached to the tip member and includes a shoulder portion with an external seating surface that mates with the internal seating surface of the opening; and the biasing element is disposed within the coupling member between the housing and the plunger; wherein the external seating surface of the plunger is in contact with the internal seating surface of the opening when the welding electrode assembly is in a non-welding position, and the external seating surface of the plunger is spaced from the internal seating surface of the opening when the welding electrode assembly is in a welding position.