Electrode for a contact start plasma arc torch and contact start plasma arc torch employing such electrodes

1. A component for a plasma arc torch, the component comprising:

a hollow body defining a longitudinal axis; and

an interior surface of the body, the surface comprising one or more of a contour, step, or flange at least a portion of which extends toward the axis, the contour, step, or flange defining a shaped opening capable of slideably receiving along the axis a complementary-shaped portion of an electrode body, wherein the shaped opening is defined in a plane orthogonal to the axis and has a first length in the plane along a first direction and a second length in the plane along a second direction, the second length being greater than the first length.

2. The component of claim 1 , further comprising a swirl ring portion defining an exterior portion, an interior portion and one or more holes passing from the exterior portion to the interior portion for imparting a swirling motion to a fluid.

3. The component of claim 2 , wherein the swirl ring portion is formed integrally with the hollow body.

4. The component of claim 1 , wherein the contour, step, or flange contacts a corresponding surface of a resilient element to hinder removal of the resilient element from the torch.

5. The component of claim 4 , wherein the shaped opening permits at least a portion of the complementary-shaped portion of the electrode body to contact the resilient element for passage of a pilot-arc current therebetween.

6. The component of claim 1 , wherein the hollow body comprises a swirl ring portion.

7. An assembly for a plasma arc torch, the assembly comprising:

a hollow body defining a longitudinal axis and comprising:

an interior surface,

an exterior surface, and a swirl ring portion that includes one or more holes passing from the exterior surface to the interior surface towards the axis for imparting a swirling motion to a fluid, the interior surface of the hollow body comprising one or more of a contour, step, or flange at least a portion of which extends inward toward the axis, the contour, step, or flange defining a shaped opening in a plane orthogonal to the axis, the shaped opening having a first length in the plane along a first direction and a second length in the plane along a second direction, the second length being greater than the first length; and

an electrode body including a complementary-shaped proximal portion that slides through the plane along the longitudinal axis.

8. The assembly of claim 7 further comprising a resilient element, the resilient element accessible to the complementary-shaped portion of the electrode body via the shaped opening of the hollow body, the resilient element capable of passing a pilot-arc current between a power supply and the electrode body.

9. A method of contact starting a plasma arc torch, the method comprising:

providing a component for the plasma arc torch, the component comprising:

a hollow body defining a longitudinal axis; and

an interior surface of the body, the interior surface comprising one or more of a contour, step, or flange with at least a portion of which extends toward the axis, the contour, step, or flange defining a shaped opening capable of slideably receiving along the axis a complementary-shaped portion of an electrode body, wherein the shaped opening is defined in a plane orthogonal to the axis and has a first length in the plane along a first direction and a second length in the plane along a second direction, the second length being greater than the first length, the shaped opening allowing the electrode body to access a resilient element;

passing a pilot arc current between a power supply and the electrode body via the resilient element; and

supplying a fluid to the torch body to move the electrode body along the axis such that the complementary-shaped portion of the electrode body passes through the shaped opening.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

imparting a swirling motion to the fluid by passing the fluid over one or more holes from an exterior surface to the interior surface of the component.

11. A method of using a swirl ring component in a contact start plasma arc torch, the method comprising:

contacting a resilient element with a contour, step, or flange of the swirl ring component that defines a shaped opening about a longitudinal axis extending therethrough;

permitting a complementary-shaped portion of an electrode body to contact the resilient element via the shaped opening;

passing a pilot arc current between a power supply and the electrode body through the resilient element; and

slideably receiving along the axis the complementary-shaped portion of the electrode body via the shaped opening in response to a supply of fluid to a torch body moving the electrode body through the shaped opening along the axis.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

imparting a swirling motion to the fluid by passing the fluid over one or more holes in the swirl ring component that extends from an exterior surface of the component to an interior surface of the swirl ring component.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein:

a diameter of the shaped opening that is smaller than an outer diameter of the resilient element and larger than an inner diameter of the resilient element hinders removal of the resilient element from the torch.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

maintaining the resilient element within the torch by the one or more of the contour, step, or flange.