GB1069783A - Improvements in or relating to spring clenching apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1,069,783. Deforming helical coils; shearing. WOODFIELD ENGINEERING CO. Ltd. March 26, 1964 [March 28, 1963], No. 12269/63. Headings B3E and B3W. Spring clenching apparatus 13 comprises a spindle 15 arranged to receive at one end a removable, axially projecting element 17 and a head 18 adapted to be secured on the spindle to lock the element against axial movement relative thereto, the element projecting through the head so as to co-operate with a projection 21 on the head during rotary movement thereof to clench a spring. The spindle 15 is rotated by a pinion 23 and a reciprocating rack and is biased in a lower position by a spring 25, a pneumatic cylinder means 27 serving to lift the spindle into the operative position. A combined cutting and clenching unit (14), Fig. 4 (not shown), is similar in construction to the clenching unit but the spindle thereof is maintained in its upper operative position by adjustable screw means (28), and the projection (21) is provided with cutting edges which co-operate with a fixed cutter (29). In operation a helically coiled lacing spring 10 is fed through a helically grooved guide (9), and between the pin (17) and projection (21) of the unit (14) before passing through a number of hour-glass shaped springs to lace them together and between the pin and projection of the unit 13 which is in its raised position. The leading end of the spring then trips a pivoted lever 11 to operate a microswitch which actuates the pneumaticallyoperated racks of both devices to rotate the spindle 15 of the device 13 which causes the projection 21 to bend the free end of the spring about the pin 17 against a fixed jaw whilst the projection (21) on the spindle of the device 14 severs the spring and forms the severed end about the other pin (17). The rack trips a micro-switch to effect retraction of the clenching unit 13 spindle and the reverse rotation of both spindles.