US1869501A - Apparatus for and method of manufacturing springs - Google Patents

Description

c. H.. PETERSON.- 1,869,501

. APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SPRINGS Aug. 2, 1932.

Filed March 14, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet Inventor: CA /Q1. PETERSON,

M fi/ #flO/ 'neys.

Aug. 2, 1932. c. H. PETERSON 1,869,501

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SPRINGS Filed March 14, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 bwenior:

Aug. 2, 1932. cJH. PETERSON 1,869,501

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SPRINGS Filed March 14, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 lnuenfo CHE/- H PETEEESOA/J Patented Aug. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL H. PETERSON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN STEEL AND WIRE COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SPRINGS Application filed March 14,

This invention relates to apparatus for and method of manufacturing springs, and more particularly to anapparatus for and method of forming hook ends on coiled springs, and has for one of its objects the provision of apparatus capable of being attached to substantially all of the ordinary universal coiling machines now in general use.

Another object is to provide anapparatus and method by which the hook ends may be automatically formed on coiled springs while said springsare bein formed on the universal coilers, thereby eliminating the separate operation which has been generally employed in formed such ends.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a coil forming machine having my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figures 3 to 6, inclusive, show the successive steps of forming the hook end on the coiled spring.

Figure 7 shows the completed spring. Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates the portion of the frame of a standard universal coiling machine, which machine is provided with the usual mandrel 3 and feed rolls 4 by which the wire from which the spring is formed is fed to the forming mandrel 3. The coiling machine is provided with a shaft 5 on which are mounted a plurality of cams 6, 7 and 8. The shaft 5 is adapted to be operated through suitable drive connections (not shown), and

is interlocked with the main machine drive gagement with the cam 6 by a spring 16. As

the high point of the cam 6 engages the roller 15 the lever 13 will be rocked about the shaft 14, thereby rocking the lever 10 through the 1932. Serial No. 598,746.

link connection 12 and moving the cutting tool or die 8 upwardly into engagement with .the preformed spring on the mandral 3 so 19 is adapted to move down and engage the half coil which is free of the die 18 and force said half coil downwardly into engagement with a die face 20 on the die 18, thereby forming a hook portion from the half coil which is positioned substantially on a line parallel with the longitudinal axis of the spring.

The die 18 is carried by a reciprocating bar member 21 mounted in a guide block 22. The bar 21 is provided with a pin 23 pro-' jecting through a slot 24in the guide 22 which serves toprevent displacement of the bar 21 from the guide 22 and to limit the reciprocatory movement of the bar. "A rocking lever 25is pivotally mounted on the frame 2 of-the machine, and carries an anti-friction roller 26 intermediate its. ends which is adapted to be engaged by the cam 7 to force the lower end of the bar 25 into engagement with the bar 21, and thereby moves the bar 21 and its die 18 upwardly into engagement with the completed coils of the preformed length of spring. An adjusting screw member 27 is mounted in the lower end of the lever 25 and is adapted to beadjusted toward and away from the bar 21 to vary the length of stroke of the bar 21 relative to the mandrel 3.

The die 19 is carried in of a bar 29 which is mounted forreciprocatory movement in a guide 30 on the frame 2 of the machine. The bar 29 is adapted to be moved toward and away from the mandrel 3 by means of a crank lever 31 mounted in a suitable bearing 32, and having one end provided with a head portion 33 the head end 28' die member 18 next moves upwardly so as to.

lever 38 by a spring 36, an

.machine having a which is engaged in a recess 34in the bar 29 and the other end of which is connected by an adjustable link member 35 to a rocking lever 36 pivotally mounted on the shaft 14. The lever 36 is provided with a vertically adjustable pin member 37 which is adapted to be engaged by a second rocking lever 38 pivotally connected to the frame 2 of the "machine. The lever 38 is provided with an anti-friction roller 39 adapted to beengaged by the cam member 8. The pin member 37 is adapted to be adjusted verti- Cally in the lever 36 so as to be engaged by varlous points in the length of the lever 38 and thus var the stroke of the lever 36 and the die mem er 19.

The lever 36 is normally ur ed toward the the lever 38 is normally urged toward the cam member 8 bly means of a spring 38.

11 carrying out the method of this invention with the apparatus above described, a length of spring is first coiled on the mandrel 3. The cutting die is then operated to cut off the short length of preformed spring, leaving approximately two and one-half coils of completed spring on the mandrel. The

grip the two complete coils of preformed spring, leaving the one-half coil free, the die 19 then moves downwardl and forces the half coil over the end of t e mandrel 3 and into engagement with the die face 20 of the die 18, thus positioning the half coil in the form pf ahook substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the spring. After the hook has thus been, formed the dies 18 and 19 return to their normal or neutral position and the coiling mechanism continues to operate to form the length of spring desired plus approximately two and one-half coils to be used on the next succeeding spring, after which the coiling mechanism is momentarily stopped while the cutting off tool again operates to shearoff a completed spring and complete the cycle of operations.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto since various modifications may be made without departin from the scope of my invention, as define in the appended claims.-

I claim:

1. The combination with a spring coiling forming mandrel, of means for cutting off. short lengths of the spring as formed, said 'means being positioned and operated so as to leave approximately two and one-half coils of preformed s ring on the mandrel, a die member mova le toward said 1gfiandrel and adapted to clamp the comple drel, and a second movable toward said mandrel and cooper g with a said first coils against said manfor cutting off short' lengths of the spring as formed, said means being positioned andoperated so as to leave at least one and onehalf coils of preformed spring on the mandrel, a diemember movable toward said mandrel and adapted to clamp the complete coil against said mandrel, and a second die member movable toward said mandrel and coop; erating with said first named die to bend the preformed half coil down into a position substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the spring to form a hook, and cam operated means for automatically operating said cutting ofi means and said die members.

3. The combination witha spring coiling machine having a forming mandrel, of a reciprocable cutting off tool for cutting off short lengthsof the spring as it is formed on said mandrel, said tool being positioned and timed in its operation to leave at least one and one-half coils of preformed spring on said mandrel, a reciprocating die member movable toward said mandrel and provided with a clamping surface adapted to clamp the complete coil of the spring against said mandrel, and adie face portion, a second reciprocating die member movable toward said mandrel and provided with a die face adapted to engage and force the half coil from said mandrel and into engagement with the die face of said first named dic member to form a hook portion.

.4. The combination with a spring coiling machine having a forming mandrel, of a reciprocable cutting off tool for cuttingofl short lengths ofthe spring as it is formed on said mandrel, said tool being positioned and timed in its operation. to leave at least one and one-half coils of preformed spring on said mandrel, a. reciprocating die member movable toward said mandrel and rovided with a clamping surface adapte to clamp the complete coil of the spring agalnst said'mandrel and a die'face portion, a second reciprocating die member movable toward said mandrel and provided with a die face adapted to en age and force the half coil from said manfrel and into engagement with the die face of said first named die member to form a hook portion, and camoperated lever and link mechanism for automatically operating said cutting off tool and said die members 5. The method of forming coiled springs having an integral hook on one end thereof which consists in coiling a portion of the spring, gripping said preformed portion of sprmg, en 1 the endmost coil of the spring down into as ng approximately one-half of my hand.

- spring,

position approximately parallel with the longitudinal axis of the sprin continuing to coil the spring to a greater ingththan that desired for the finished spring, and then cutting off the preformed spring.

6. The method of forming coileds rings having an integral hook on one end t ereof which consists in coiling a portion of the gripping said preformed portion of" spring, ending approximately one-half of the endmost coil of the spring down into a 1; position approximately parallel with the longitudinal axis of the spring, continuing to coil the spring to a greater length than that desired for 'the finished spring, and then cutting oil the preformed spring, leaving a short length of preformed spring from which the hook end of the next spring is to be formed. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set CARL H. PETERSON.

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