Patent ID: 7336466

Claim:
An electromechanical contactor device in a wire feeder for an electric arc welder having a power source and a gun with a contact tip through which welding wire is fed and a weld cycle start trigger switch having a closed condition to initiate and hold a weld cycle and an open condition, said contactor device comprising: a power inlet lead connected to said power source; an output lead connected to said contactor tip; one or more current branches between said input lead and said output lead with a mechanical contactor having an open condition and closed condition for opening and closing each of said branches, respectively; and a solenoid operating said contactor based upon the condition of said trigger switch, with a first position to close said contactor when said trigger switch is shifted from said open condition to said closed condition and to hold said contactor closed when said trigger switch is in said closed condition, wherein the contactor includes electrical contacts formed from a non-hazardous silver alloy.