An electrode-supporting assembly for a contact-start plasma arc torch has an insulator that partially houses an electrode, and employs a spring-loaded plunger to bias the electrode to a forward position. The spring is engaged between the plunger and a contact element attached to the insulator, and may conduct electrical current to the electrode. The plunger, spring, and contact element are retained in the insulator when the torch is opened to replace the electrode, which is a consumable part. The electrode and the plunger have axially-engagable mating surfaces to assure good thermal and electrical conductivity therebetween. Conductivity can be further enhanced by forming the plunger of silver or a silver-bearing alloy. In some embodiments, a passage through the insulator is partitioned into forward and rear chambers, with the plunger, spring, and contact element trapped in the rear chamber.

A concept for reliable and simple connection of a heat-resistant end piece (17) to a hose body (18) is described, and particularly a multiple lumen hose body (18). The connection technique is simple and reliable and leads to high quality probes having a long lifetime.

Cutting or welding torch component comprising a ridge (8) forming a thread for connecting the component to other parts of the cutting or welding torch, the thread having a pressure flank (81, 91), a clearance flank (82, 92), a root flat (84, 94) and a crest flat (83, 93), wherein—the angle included by the pressure flank (81, 91) and clearance flank (82, 92) is 60° or less, —the angle α included by the pressure flank (81, 91) and a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (10, 20, 30) of the thread is 40° to 50°, —the angle β included by the clearance flank (82, 92) and a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (10, 20, 30) of the thread is 0° to 20°, and—the height (VZ) of the ridge (8) is 0.4 times the pitch of the thread or less.

The invention relates to a method and a device for strengthening the surface of workpieces, in particular of metal ones, by mechanical effects accompanying the impact of small projectiles or by mechanical effects accompanied by the impact of a shockwave induced by plasma created by electric evaporation of a metal foil. The device comprises a polymer strip with a metal foil on the surface of the side diverted from the surface of the workpiece in which foil bridges are formed to form projectiles, further comprising two electrodes and adjacent to the metal foil located on the polymer strip, wherein bridges are formed between the contact surface areas of the metal foil, and the electrodes and between which the plasma is formed, are mounted in a support body, through which flat conductors and are connected to a switch for switching large currents and high voltages with a high-voltage source. The polymer strip with the metal foil tightly abuts the support body with the electrodes and the electrodes and protrude above the upper surface of the support body to provide electric contact with the contact surface areas of the applied metal foil. The method of strengthening the surface of workpieces by means of the device according to the invention consists in that one cycle of strengthening the surface of workpieces involves the action of an electric current pulse supplied from a high voltage source after closing the switch by conductors to electrodes between which a high voltage is applied, thereby shorting the circuit on the metal foil at the location of the bridges to form a plasma expanding and by a compressive force acting on the polymer strip part of which hits as a projectile the surface of the workpiece. The plasma is generated by the electric current pulse, in addition to the expansion pressure, is also accelerated by the electromagnetic Lorentz force caused by the passage of electric current, through this plasma in the generated magnetic field.

A consumables holder assembly for a plasma arc torch having a torch head, the consumables holder assembly comprising a main body, a shielding cup which engages to the main body, a connection means which engages the main body to the torch head and consumable components including an electrode, a nozzle, a plasma gas distributor, a shielding gas distributor which are all positioned inside the shielding cup, wherein that the consumable holder assembly can be detached from the torch head together with the consumable components and the shielding cup as one unit, wherein the connection means comprises a mechanical attachment mechanism which is engageable with the torch head.

A consumables holder assembly for a plasma arc torch having a torch head, the consumables holder assembly comprising a main body, a shielding cup which engages to the main body, a connection means which engages the main body to the torch head, wherein the consumable components including an electrode, a nozzle, a plasma gas distributor, a shielding gas distributor which are all positioned inside the shielding cup, wherein the consumable holder assembly can be detached from the torch head together with the consumable components and the shielding cup as one unit, wherein the nozzle comprises two focus gas passageways which lead a focus gas out of the nozzle through at least two focus holes, wherein external visual features are provided on both connection means and the torch head which are aligned to each other showing the location of the focus holes.

An electrode for a consumable cartridge of a plasma arc torch is provided. The electrode comprises a substantially hollow body defining a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween. The electrode also includes a plurality of flanges, including a proximal flange and a distal flange, disposed circumferentially about an external surface of the hollow body and extending radially outward. Each flange defines one or more holes configured to conduct a gas flow therethrough along the external surface of the hollow body. The one or more holes on the proximal flange define a first combined cross-sectional flow area that is different from a second combined cross-sectional flow area defined by the one or more holes on the distal flange.

An inductively coupled plasma (ICP) torch is described that includes an injector protector to shield an injector end. A system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a tubular sample injector configured to receive an aerosolized sample in an interior defined by walls of the tubular sample injector; an injector protector surrounding at least a portion of the tubular sample injector; an inner tube surrounding at least a portion of the injector protector to form a first annular space between the inner tube and the injector protector, the inner tube defining at least one inlet port for introduction of an auxiliary gas into the first annular space; and an outer tube surrounding at least a portion of the inner tube to form a second annular space, the outer tube defining at least one inlet port for introduction of a cooling gas into the second annular space.

A torch head for a liquid-cooled plasma arc torch is provided. The torch head includes a torch body and a torch insulator, coupled to the torch body, having a substantially non-conductive insulator body. The torch insulator includes (i) a first liquid coolant channel, disposed within the insulator body, configured to conduct a fluid flow from the torch head into a consumable cartridge along a first preexisting flow path, (ii) a first liquid return channel, disposed within the insulator body, configured to return at least a portion of the fluid flow from the cartridge to the torch head along the first preexisting flow path, and (iii) a gas channel, disposed within the insulator body, configured to conduct a first gas flow from the torch head to the cartridge along a second preexisting flow path. The first and second preexisting flow paths are fluidly isolated from each other.

A plasma generator that detects whether a connector of a head is electrically connected to a power cable. The plasma generator includes the head including the connector with a terminal to supply electricity to electrodes that generate plasma by electrical discharge, and a first terminal and a second terminal that are connected to each other; a power cable to supply electricity to the terminal; a cable to transmit a signal to the first terminal; a first ground cable to ground the second terminal; and a detector to detect a signal current that flows in a path from the cable to the first ground cable in accordance with transmission of the signal.