Figures 17 and 18 show two sizes of another welding torch. Still another type is shown in Figure 19 with four interchangeable tips, the function of each being as follows:
No. 1. For heavy castings.
No. 2. Light castings and heavy sheet metal.
No. 3. Light sheet metal.
No. 4. Very light sheet metal and wire.
At the side of the shut off cock away from the torch handle the gas tubes end in standard forms of hose nozzles, to which the rubber hose from the gas supply tanks or generators can be attached. The tubes from the handle to the head may be entirely separate from each other, or one may be contained within the other. As a general rule the upper one of two separate tubes carries the oxygen, while this gas is carried in the inside tube when they are concentric with each other.
In the welding head is the mixing chamber designed to produce an intimate mixture of the two gases before they issue from the nozzle to the flame. The nozzle, or welding tip, of a suitable size are design for the work to be handled and the pressure of gases being used, is attached to the welding head and consists essentially of the passage at the outer end of which the flame appears.
The torch body and tubes are usually made of brass, although copper is sometimes used. The joint must be very strong, and are usually threaded and soldered with silver solder. The nozzle proper is made from copper, because it withstands the heat of the flame better than other less suitable metals. The torch must be built in such a way that it is not at all liable to come apart under the influence of high temperatures.
All torches are constructed in such a way that it is impossible for the gases to mix by any possible chance before they reach the head, and the amount of gas contained in the head and tip after being mixed is made as small as possible. In order to prevent the return of the flame through the acetylene tube under the influence of the high pressure oxygen some form of back flash preventer is usually incorporated in the torch at or near the point at which the acetylene enters. This preventer takes the form of some porous and heat absorbing material, such as aluminum shavings, contained in a small cavity through which the gas passes on its way to the head.
High Pressure Torches.--Torches are divided into the same classes as are the generators; that is, high pressure, medium pressure and low pressure. As mentioned before, the medium pressure is usually called the high pressure, because there are very few true high pressure systems in use, and comparatively speaking the medium pressure type is one of high pressure.