Definitions

• This invention relates to coil spring assembly machines and, more particularly, to a lacing mechanism for securing rows of coils of a spring core together in a coil spring assembly machine.
• coil springs of adjacent spring rows are connected together by helical lacing wires
• lower spiral lacing wire is initially formed by one of a pair of forming heads of a
• lacing wire forming apparatus and is thereafter caused to wind or travel or lace its
• mattress spring assembly wherein the assembly is posturized or zoned throughout
• lacing wires of differing physical characteristics as, for example, differing gauge wire, it is possible to form zones of differing firmness
• Still another objective of this invention has been to provide a variable
• the invention of this application comprises a coil spring assembly machine for lacing coil springs together to form an
• clamping jaws include dies which cooperate with the end
• the resulting coil spring assembly has a surface in that top or
• the central portion or zone will be of greater firmness than the end zones.
• Figure 1 is a top plan view of a prior art coil spring assembly
• Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the lacing wire forming portion of the prior art machine of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a top plan view of the coil spring assembly machine of this
• Figure 4 is a perspective front elevational view of the lacing wire
• Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the lacing wire forming portion of the machine of this invention.
• Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the encircled portion 6-6 of Figure
• Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the encircled portion 7-7 of Figure
• Figure 8 is a diagram of a portion of the control system of the
• assembly machine 10 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is operable to assemble an
• innerspring unit 20 made from continuous bands 22 of springs which extend -5- longjtudinally of the innerspring unit 20. These continuous bands 22 of springs are
• clamping dies 26 at least one end of the lacing wire is turned back upon itself to prevent the lacing wire from unwinding from the laced springs. The dies 26 are then
• a cutter mechanism is operative to cut the
• innerspring assembly 20 ready for supply to a border rod application machine or a
• appropriate gauge wire is supplied from pay-off reels 30, 32 to a helical wire forming mechanism 40.
• This mechanism 40 is operative to accept substantially straight wire 34, 36 from the pay-off reels 30, 32 and to form that wire
• wire 28 is fed from the forming heads 42, 44 of the forming mechanism 40 into top
• the formed wire has been fed into the tubes, the helical wire is cut to length by a cutter
• the cut to length helical wire 28 is then stored in the delivery tubes 46, 48 until the assembly machine has clamped the adjacent rows of undamped coil springs 14.
• FIGS 3, 4 and 5 have many components which are the same or substantially the
• Figures 3-5 as were given to the machine of Figures 1 and 2, but followed by a prime (') sign in Figures 3-5.
• the spring unit or spring core 20' is separated into a plurality of regions or zones,
• each region or zone being of differing firmness due to different physical
• the springs 16 or rows of springs 14 which make up the spring core are the springs 16 or rows of springs 14 which make up the spring core.
• Each spring 16 has an upper face in an upper plane and a lower face in a lower plane with a plurality of helical turns or revolutions between
• the springs 16 may be conventional
• the springs 16 are arranged in side-by-side rows and columns. Adjacent rows 14 of
• springs 16 are connected together by helical lacing wires 28', 28a in both the upper
• wires 28', 28a of the spring core 20' are of differing characteristics within the
• the helical lacing wires 28a in selected longitudinally extending regions or zones of the mattress
• spring core 20' are of a heavier gauge wire (see Figure 7) as may be seen most
• gauge helical lacing wires 28a are of greater firmness or rigidity than the
• the spring core 20' can be divided up into any number of longitudinally extending zones or regions. However, the helical lacing wires in a particular longitudinally extending zone are identical so that the longitudinally extending zone has uniform firmness or rigidity within that zone. Any number of
• zone may be constructed with helical lacing wires 28a of a heavier gauge wire than
• light gauge wire 36' is operative to form light gauge wire 36', such as 17 Vi gauge in one preferred
• both light gauge wire 34', 36' and two pay-out reels 56, 58 for supplying heavy gauge wire 60, 61 to the four forming heads 42', 44', 62 and 64 of the machine.
• the two forming heads 44', 64 form the light gauge wire 36' and
• delivery tube 46' for alternatively delivering both light gauge and heavy gauge helical
• lacing wire 34' is supplied from the pay-out roll 30' to the helical former 42' where
• the relatively straight wire is formed into a helical configuration 28'. This helically
• formed wire 28' is then fed into the helical delivery tube 46'.
• heavy gauge wire 61 may be paid from the pay-out reel 60 to the
• forming head 62 and converted by that forming head to a helical configuration 28a and supplied to the helical delivery tube 46' or 48'.
• the helical delivery tube 46' is mounted for pivotal oscillatory movement about an axis 66 between a first position whereat the input end 68 of delivery tube 46' is aligned with the discharge end of the forming head 64 and
• This cylinder is operative to move the slide 69 and thus the input end 68 of the delivery tube 46' between these two
• this delivery tube 46' is spring-biased by a
• cylinder 76 are operative to move the input end 71 of the second or lower delivery
• lower delivery tube 48' accepts helical lacing wire 60 from a heavy gauge lacing wire
• the machine 10' includes a programmable controller 90 as illustrated
• the controller 90 includes an operator interface 91,
• the controller 90 has a plurality of
• the controller 90 also includes at least one output signal line 92a, or preferably on
• double acting solenoid controlled valve 93 which controls the double acting cylinders 70, 76 to move the delivery tubes 46', 48' between the two positions for
• the controller 90 also has a plurality of input lines 94 that connect
• controller 90 with information of the status of various machine components on
• the controller 90 also includes signal
• tubes 46', 48' are in positions for delivery of the heavy gauge lacing wire.
• the controller 90 conditions signals generated on output line 97a to the light wire forming heads 42', 62 on
• the controller 90 stores settings that are set by an operator
• the sizes of the lacing wire may be specified in any one of
• One contemplated way is for an operator to scroll down a list
• control logic can be employed for more than two types of
• control valve 93 or some other control technique, would be used to positively switch among the plurality of positions.
• the helical wire forming mechanism 40' includes cut ⁇
• the transfer and assembly machine 10' includes a twister
• a helical lacing wire 28' or 28a stored in the delivery tube 46' or 48' is fed from the -14- tubes into the hehcal path defined by the clamping dies. This feed of the helical lacing wire into this path is affected by the auxiliary helical feed mechanism 50'.
• tubes 46', 48' are shifted from the solid line position illustrated in Figure 3 to the
• the heavy gauge lacing wire 28a is fed by the auxiliary
• valve 93 With the valve 93 in its normal position, preferably with a
• signal line 92b is de-
• the controller 90 In response to the actuation of switches 96a, 96b, the controller 90 enables the heavy gauge wire forming and feeding components by way of signals on
• the controller 90 counting the rows, de-energizes signal line 92a and energizes
• the pay-out rolls could deliver wire of the same

Landscapes

• Wire Processing (AREA)
• Manufacture Of Motors, Generators (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=22266821

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

• 1998
  • 1998-04-09 JP JP51209299A patent/JP4115540B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-04-09 AU AU71107/98A patent/AU7110798A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-04-09 EP EP98918123A patent/EP1124657A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events