Patent 7374074 was granted and assigned to Illinois Tool Works on May, 2008 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A wire guide (16), for a drive assembly (56) of a wire feeding assembly (16), of a welding system (10), has an elongate body with an outer surface, a length, and first (296A) and second (296B) ends. An elongate bore (255) extends along the length of, and through, the elongate body. An aperture (265) extends through the elongate body, generally transverse to, and intersecting, the elongate bore (255). In preferred embodiments, at least one generally arcuate depression (260, 262) extends into the outer surface of the elongate body, communicating with the aperture (265) which extends through the elongate body, in a direction transverse to the elongate bore (255).