Patent ID: 7723650

Claim:
A portable wire feeder for providing welding wire and welding current to a welding operation, said wire feeder comprising: an input electrically connectable to a power source; an output selectively electrically connectable to said input to receive welding current delivered to said input from said power source and to provide said welding current and welding wire to the welding operation through a guide hose; a contactor for selectively electrically connecting said input to said output, said contactor including a contactor housing, a first electrical terminal removably connected to said contactor housing and electrically connected to said input, a second electrical terminal removably connected to said contactor housing and electrically connected to said output, and a conductive bridge member movable between a first position in which said bridge member electrically connects said first electrical terminal to said second electrical terminal and a second position wherein said bridge member is separated from at least one of said first and second electrical terminals to electrically isolate said terminals from one another, at least one of said first electrical terminal and said second electrical terminal including a noncylindrical portion for limiting rotation relative to said contactor housing; and a motorized wire feeding system including a motor and a feed roll driven by said motor to direct said welding wire from a wire supply to said output for provision of said welding wire to the welding operation through said guide hose.