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A drive assembly is provided for driving welding wire through a welding wire feeder. The drive assembly comprises an insulating base and a conductive base secured to one another. Both bases have features that allow for mounting in the wire feeder and for mounting various drive components. The conduc

A drive assembly is provided for driving welding wire through a welding wire feeder. The drive assembly comprises an insulating base and a conductive base secured to one another. Both bases have features that allow for mounting in the wire feeder and for mounting various drive components. The conductive base is energized during operation, and the isolative base insulates the conductive base from components of the wire feeder enclosure. Features of the assembly improve operation and facilitate assembly.

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1. A welding wire drive comprising: a conductive base plate configured to remain at a welding power potential during operation and to support drive components to draw welding wire from a spool and to advance the welding wire towards a welding torch, the conductive base plate transferring power to a

1. A welding wire drive comprising: a conductive base plate configured to remain at a welding power potential during operation and to support drive components to draw welding wire from a spool and to advance the welding wire towards a welding torch, the conductive base plate transferring power to a torch cable during operation; andan insulating base secured to the conductive base plate and insulating the conductive base plate from an enclosure in which the drive components are disposed, the insulating base having at least one extension integrally formed with the insulating base to prevent foreign objects from entering into contact with the enclosure and the conductive base plate, wherein the at least one extension comprises a recess defined by a non-linear profile, a first conductive portion of the conductive base plate is disposed within the recess, and the non-linear profile is contoured to conform to a surface of the first conductive portion of the conductive base plate disposed within the recess, and wherein the first conductive portion is configured to remain at the welding power potential during operation. 2. The welding wire drive of claim 1, wherein the at least one extension of the insulating base is disposed near a lower extremity of the insulating base. 3. The welding wire drive of claim 1, comprising a motor and gear reducer assembly supported on a side of the insulating base opposite the conductive base plate. 4. The welding wire drive of claim 3, wherein the motor and gear reducer assembly is supported by fasteners extending through a first set of apertures in the insulating base and a second set of apertures in the conductive base plate, wherein the apertures are disposed to permit the motor and gear reducer assembly to be mounted in anyone of a plurality of angular orientations. 5. The welding wire drive of claim 4, wherein the first set of apertures includes fewer apertures than the second set of apertures. 6. The welding wire drive of claim 5, wherein the insulating base comprises extensions that enter into apertures of the conductive base plate through which fasteners are not installed. 7. The welding wire drive of claim 1, comprising a drive roll and an idler roll disposed to compress and drive the welding wire, the idler roll being supported on a lever, and wherein a tension adjustment assembly allows for adjusting forces exerted by the idler roll. 8. The welding wire drive of claim 7, wherein the lever comprises a slot for receiving a shaft of the tension adjustment assembly and a contoured surface at least partially surrounding the slot, and wherein the tension adjustment assembly comprises a compression component having a lower surface contoured to conform to the contoured surface of the lever. 9. The welding wire drive of claim 7, wherein the lever is pivotally mounted on a shoulder screw received in the conductive base plate. 10. The welding wire drive of claim 1, wherein the conductive base plate comprises a terminal having a peripheral ridge that limits rotation of a power conductor when secured to the conductive base plate. 11. A welding wire drive comprising: a conductive base plate configured to remain at a welding power potential during operation and to support drive components to draw welding wire from a spool and to advance the welding wire towards a welding torch, the conductive base plate transferring power to a torch cable during operation;an insulating base secured to the conductive base plate and insulating the conductive base plate from an enclosure in which the drive components are disposed via an integral insulating extension, wherein the integral insulating extension comprises a recess defined by a non-linear profile, a first conductive portion of the conductive base plate is disposed within the recess, and the non-linear profile is contoured to conform to a surface of the first conductive portion of the conductive base plate disposed within the recess, and wherein the first conductive portion is configured to remain at the welding power potential during operation; anda motor and gear reducer assembly supported on a side of the insulating base opposite the conductive base plate;wherein the motor and gear reducer assembly is supported by fasteners extending through a first set of apertures in the insulating base and a second set of apertures in the conductive base plate, wherein the apertures are disposed to permit the motor and gear reducer assembly to be mounted in anyone of a plurality of angular orientations. 12. The welding wire drive of claim 11, wherein the integral insulating extension is configured to prevent foreign objects from entering into contact with the enclosure and the conductive base plate. 13. The welding wire drive of claim 11, wherein the integral insulating extension of the insulating base is disposed near a lower extremity of the insulating base. 14. The welding wire drive of claim 11, wherein the first set of apertures includes fewer apertures than the second set of apertures. 15. The welding wire drive of claim 14, wherein the insulating base comprises extensions that enter into apertures of the conductive base plate through which fasteners are not installed. 16. A welding wire drive comprising: a conductive base plate configured to remain at a welding power potential during operation and to support drive components to draw welding wire from a spool and to advance the welding wire towards a welding torch, the conductive base plate transferring power to a torch cable during operation;an insulating base secured to the conductive base plate and insulating the conductive base plate from an enclosure in which the drive components are disposed, the insulating base having at least one extension integrally formed with the insulating base, wherein the at least one extension comprises a recess defined by a non-linear profile, and a first conductive portion of the conductive base plate is disposed within the recess, wherein the first conductive portion is configured to remain at the welding power potential during operation; anda motor and gear reducer assembly supported on a side of the insulating base opposite the conductive base plate;a drive roll, an idler roll and a tension adjustment assembly disposed to compress and drive the welding wire, the idler roll being supported on a lever, the tension adjustment assembly allowing for adjusting forces exerted by the idler roll, the lever comprising a slot for receiving a shaft of the tension adjustment assembly and a continuous curved contoured surface surrounding at least half of the slot, and the tension adjustment assembly comprising a compression component having a curved lower surface with a first contour that is similar to a second contour of the continuous curved contoured surface of the lever. 17. The welding wire drive of claim 16, wherein the at least one extension is an insulating extension and is configured to prevent foreign objects from entering into contact with the enclosure and the conductive base plate. 18. The welding wire drive of claim 17, wherein the at least one extension of the insulating base is disposed near a lower extremity of the insulating base. 19. The welding wire drive of claim 16, wherein the motor and gear reducer assembly is supported by fasteners extending through a first set of apertures in the insulating base and a second set of apertures in the conductive base plate, wherein the apertures are disposed to permit the motor and gear reducer assembly to be mounted in anyone of a plurality of angular orientations. 20. The welding wire drive of claim 19, wherein the first set of apertures includes fewer apertures than the second set of apertures.