Patent ID: 7309845

Claim:
Welding equipment, comprising: a welding machine including: a base operating machine having a tooling module station; and at least one tooling module sized to be received in said tooling module station and connectable to said base operating machine to enable welding operations using said tooling module under control of said base operating machine; a tooling cart that engages said base operating machine adjacent said tooling module station such that said tooling module can be transferred between said tooling cart and said base operating machine; at least one tooling cart latch that includes a first latch member on said base operating machine and a second latch member on said tooling cart, wherein said tooling cart is latched to said base operating machine by engagement of said latch members when said tooling cart is brought into engagement with said base operating machine at a location adjacent said tooling module station, whereby said tooling cart latch is used to inhibit relative movement between said tooling cart and said base operating machine.