A welding or additive manufacturing wire drive system includes a first drive roll having a first annular groove, a second drive roll having a second annular groove, a first welding wire located between the drive rolls in the annular grooves, and a second welding wire located between the drive rolls in the annular grooves. A biasing member biases the first drive roll toward the second drive roll to force the first welding wire to contact the second welding wire. The first welding wire contacts each of a first sidewall portion of the first annular groove, a first sidewall portion of the second annular groove, and the second welding wire. The second welding wire contacts each of a second sidewall portion of the first annular groove, a second sidewall portion of the second annular groove, and the first welding wire. The drive rolls rotate in opposite directions thereby moving the welding wires through the wire drive system.

Disclosed is a system for feeding welding wire for welding-type applications. The system includes a welding wire feeder and a separate wire source including a wire source housing. The wire source is connectable to and disconnectable from the wire feeder.

A spool gun having a very unique look, due to its arrangement of internal and external features. The spool gun has its wire spool compartment located below the handle and the user's hand, when the user is gripping the spool gun in an operational position, thus providing a wire path through the handle to the body of the spool gear wherein the wire feed mechanism is located. The wire feed mechanism includes a 90-degree drive system, which can include a worm gear. A gas/power cable is connected to the body of the spool gun forward of the handle.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a retainer ring for welding wire, the retainer ring comprising: a pressure plate which is disposed on a welding wire stack wound and stored in a receiving container so as to press the welding wire stack, and has an opening formed at the center thereof; and a plurality of guide wings which are provided at the outer circumference of the pressure plate to come into contact with the inner wall of the receiving container and each comprise a flexible body that can be changed in shape.

A wire feeding system includes a first feeder provided with a first feeding motor that feeds a wire in a wire feeding direction, a second feeder spaced apart from the first feeder in the wire feeding direction and provided with a second feeding motor that feeds the wire in the wire feeding direction, and a controller that controls the rotation speed of the first feeding motor based on a first speed command and controls the rotation speed of the second feeding motor based on a second speed command. The controller gradually changes the second speed command over time when an amount of change of the second speed command is not within a predetermined range.

Disclosed are systems and methods for feeding welding wire for welding-type applications. The wire-feeder system comprises a base platform, a spool hub, a drive roll assembly, and a wire guide assembly. The spool hub can be mounted to the base platform perpendicular to the base platform and configured to support a wire spool. The drive roll assembly can be mounted to the base platform, and having one or more sets of drive rollers configured to feed wire from the wire spool toward a welding torch. The wire guide assembly can be mounted to the base platform separately from both the wire spool and the drive roll assembly.

A device for imparting a torsional force onto a wire has a base and a support mounted so as to be rotatable with respect to the base around an axis of rotation. The axis of rotation coincides with a wire path extending through the base and the support. Further, a wire clutching device is mounted on the support and adapted to engage at a wire guided along the wire path, and a rotation mechanism is provided which is adapted for rotating the support with respect to the base.

A wire feeder that is powered at least partially by a battery is provided. The wire feeder includes a welding wire spool and a welding wire drive system for receiving welding wire from the spool and feeding the wire through a flexible conduit attached to an enclosure of the wire feeder. A motor of the wire feeder drives the welding wire drive system, powered at least in part by the battery. The wire feeder includes a battery receptacle for receiving the battery. In certain embodiments, the wire feeder may be attached to a body of a user via a harness system.

A wire feeder assembly of the type generally associated with an electric arc welding machine including a driveshaft in rotatable communication with an individually servo motor at one end and a worm gear assembly at the other end is provided. Due to the assembly’s slim design, a series of assemblies can be deployed on a metal plate cladding machine spaced approximate 4 inches apart, which facilitates the construction of previously unattainable welding patterns.

Disclosed is a system for dispensing welding wire for a spool gun type welding torch. In particular, the disclosed system allows conversion of the spool gun type welding torch from a small wire spool (e.g., a one pound spool) to a much larger (e.g., 16 pound spool), enhancing efficiency, reducing set-up time relative to welding.