Patent ID: 8569653

Claim:
A wire feeder for conveying associated welding wire, comprising: a wire feeder housing having an apertured feed plate longitudinally disposed therein; a welding gun operatively connected to the wire feeder for conveying associated welding wire used in arc welding; one or more drive rollers with an inwardly-projecting hub rotatably connected to the apertured feed plate for engaging the associated welding wire, the one or more drive rollers being adapted to drive the associated welding wire to the welding gun; at least a first driver motor operatively connected to deliver power for rotating the one or more drive rollers; and, one or more bearings positioned between one or more drive rollers and a periphery of said inwardly-projecting hub of said one or more drive rollers and the feed plate for reducing rolling friction, said one or more bearings coaxial with each of said one or more drive rollers, wherein each of the one or more bearings is electrically non-conducting for preventing the discharge of electrical energy across the one or more bearings, and further wherein the one or more bearings comprise: an inner bearing race spaced apart from an outer bearing race, at least one of said one or more driver rollers adjacent thereto; and, a plurality of rolling elements, wherein the rolling elements are positioned between the inner race and the outer race; and, wherein the plurality of rolling elements are covered with an electrically non-conducting material.