US Patent Issued to Illinois Tool Works on Feb. 25 for "Methods and apparatus to communicate via a welding arc" (Wisconsin Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 26 -- United States Patent no. 12,233,489, issued on Feb. 25, was assigned to Illinois Tool Works Inc. (Glenview, Ill.).

"Methods and apparatus to communicate via a welding arc" was invented by Craig Steven Knoener (Appleton, Wis.), Milad Pashapour Nikou (Appleton, Wis.) and Andrew James Thielke (Kaukauna, Wis.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Methods and apparatus to communicate via a welding arc are disclosed. An example welding-type power supply includes a power converter, a weld monitor, and an arc modulator. The power converter outputs welding power to sustain a welding-type arc at a welding-type torch. The weld monitor monitors one or more aspects of a weld performed...