Remote control for an arc welding machine

Claim 1

Remote-control mechanism for an electric welding torch, comprising: an axially elongated body including a forward torch mounting portion and a handle forming portion, sized to be held in a user's hand, said body being longitudinally split into two parts which together define an inner cavity; a linear potentiometer within said inner cavity, said linear potentiometer including an elongated housing including opposite side parts and a top wall which includes a longitudinal slot, and a sliding control member for said linear potentiometer movable between longitudinal end positions, including a control arm which projects outwardly through said slot; said body parts including side recess means which are sized to snugly receive and hold said opposite side portions of said potentiometer housing when the two body parts are assembled about said potentiometer; and are positioned to orient the slot in the top wall of the potentiometer housing and the longitudinal path of travel of the control arm generally within the separation plane of the body parts; said body parts including means defining an elongated slot generally at the separation plane of the body parts and forwardly of the location of the linear potentiometer; a sliding external control member mounted on said body for movement longitudinally of said slot; an elongated internal control link interconnected between said external control member and the control arm of the linear potentiometer, for moving the linear potentiometer between its longitudinal end portions in response to the external control member being moved between its end positions by the user's hand; and an off-on switch carried within said body at one end of the path of travel of the control arm, said switch including a movable contact, and said control arm carrying an actuating means positioned to contact and move said movable contact, to actuate the switch when the control arm is at said one end of its path of travel.