Importance

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Abstract

A capstan drive assembly for electric arc welding receives filler wire which can have an undetermined cast to the wire. The assembly provides for self feeding of the wire from the inlet completely through to a welding torch. No portion of the assembly must be opened or disassembled to feed the filler wire. The wire is captured in a groove on the periphery of a capstan and held in place by spaced apart pressure rollers which serve to impart a predetermined cast to the filler wire. The predetermined cast overcomes any previous cast which was present in the wire. After the wire has received this cast, it is directed between opposite sides of wire straightening rollers which serve to bend the wire in the opposite direction of the predetermined cast and apply sufficient force to counteract the set cast. This apparatus and procedure results in producing a filler wire which is substantially straight.

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First Claim