US157927A - Improvement in machines for rolling springs - Google Patents

Description

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v510157,927; Patented Dec.22,874.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

EDWARD POWELL, .OF NEW YORK, AND ALFRED S. MUN GER, OF WILLIAMS- BURG, N. Y.; SAID MUNGER ASSIGNOR TO SAID POWELL.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR ROLLING SPRINGS.

VSpecification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157,927, datcd December 22, 1374; application filed April 7, 1874.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD POWELL, of the city, county, and State of New York, and ALFRED S. MUNGER, of Williamsburg, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine and Process for Rolling Springs Automatically; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and' to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

This invention is a machine for forming spiral springs of irregular form; and the invention consists of a mechanism for guiding the wire in Vcoiling it, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, Figure l represents a plan or top view of our machine; Fig. 2, a side elevation of same Fig. 3, a side view of a series of springs made on our machine.

Similarletters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.

A represents the base or bed plate of our machine, affixed to which in any secure manner are pillow blocks or bearings B B1 B2 B3. Properly secured to, and resting within, the hearings of the pillow-blocks B are two shafts, b b. On one end of each of the shafts b are secured small gear-wheels c, so that gears of one wheel will mesh with the gears of the other. At the other ends of the shafts b are aiiixed feed-rolls C. These feed-rolls have a groove or channel, c1, formed around them. Resting within a bearing, d, is a roller, c, with a prolongation, f, secured toit. Attached to the bearing d and a supporting-block, g, is a guide, h. rllhe shank li of this guide is secured to the bearingcl and supporting-block gby set-screws k, which pass through slots m. The guide h is immediately over the roller c, and is inclined slightly upward, (see Fig. 2,) and its front edge is angular, and ithas its outer end formed with a slot or hook, a. Immediately under the hook a of the guide h is a roller, D. This roller is supported in a bearing, o, which forms part of a sliding shaft, E, this shaft working ina suitable bearing in the supporting-block 12.

Supported in suitable bearings formed in the pillow-blocks B2 B3 is a shaft, r. To one end of the shaft r is secured a gear-wheel, s, the gears of which mesh into the gears of an intermediate wheel, t, the gears of the wheel t meshing into the gears of one of the wheels c on the' shafts b. To the .other end of the shaft r is affixed an eccentric, F, and a cam, G, the cam Gr having a depression, lv, formed on its side. Extending from the cam G to the shank c' of the guide h is a lever, H, supported by a supporting-block, w, to which it is secured by a pivotal bolt, y. One end of the lever H engages with the shank i of the guide 7L by entering in a small notch therein. Immediately under the roller c is a guide-block, J. Secured to the shank of the guide h and the supporting-block g is a spring, l; and attached to the bearing o or sliding rod E, and to the pillowblock B3, is a spring', j.

Having now described the construction of our machine, its operation is as follows: Rotary motion being imparted to the shafts b by belt around the driving-wheel K or otherwise, the same motion is imparted to the other shaft b by means of the gear-wheels c, and motion is also imparted to the gear-wheel t, and through it to the gear-wheel s, causing the shaft r to revolve. As the shafts b revolve the feed-wheels G revolve also, so that when a wire, L, is inserted between the feed-wheels C, and into the grooves c. of the same, the wire is drawn forward by the action of the rolls c, and forced between the roll c and guide-block J, under the base of the guide h, and diagonallyacross its inclined edge into the hook or slot n of the same. As the wire is thus drawn in, the eccentric F, revolving with the sh aft if, is forced vagainst the end of the sliding shaft E, and forces the periphery of the wheel D against the wire as it passes upward across the edge of the guide h, forcing the wire nearer to or farther from the roll c; or, in other words, shortening the curve of the wire as it passes between the roll c, guide-block J, and edge of the guide h, as the eccentric opposes its greatest leverage to the end of the sliding shaft E, andas the eccentric opposes its least leverage to the end of said sliding shaft, the shaft, with Q, rames@ the wheel D thereon, is drawn bach by the recoil action of the spring j, so that the wheel D is alternately forced against and from the wire.

As the shaft r revolves, the cain G revolves also, and as the depression o of the same comes in contact with the end of the lever H, the end of the lever is forced inward to be again forced outward, as it is brought in contact with the other bearing-surface of the cam, causing the lever to oscillate slightly around the pivotal pin y. The lever H oscillatingin this way, the end thereof which engages in the shank z' of the guide h, imparts to said guide a horizontal reciprocating motion, by allowing the shank i to move or slide by reason of the slots m and the bolts k. This reciprocatin g motion of the shank i is facilitated by the action of the spring Z, which alternately expands and contracts. This reciprocating motion of the guide h alternately draws in and forces out the wire L as it passes upward, confining the coils of wire at a greater or less distance apart, so that, as the wire is fed through the rolls and guide in the manner just described, it is necessarilyr forced from a straight line to a curve, and from one curve to a succession of curves, by the guide h, the slotted or hooked point of which confines the wire, and causes it to recurve, and at each recurve the reciprocating motion of the guide causes the wire alternately to curve in different planes, forming a spiral. And as the wheel D is inoved against and from the wire by thel action of the eccentric F, the curves are len gthened or shortened alternately, so that, as for instance, when the wire is first introduced between the rolls, and tothe action of the guide, the eccentric opposes little or no pressure against the sliding shaft E, and consequently the wheel D is at its farthest point from the wheel e. The wire then, as :it passes upward, has given to it curves of the largest radius, (forming one end of the spring,) and, as the eccentric F gradually bears with increased force against the sliding shaft E, the wheel D is moved gradually nearer to the wheel e, so that the curves or coils of wire are gradually shortened until the wheel D is forced to its nearest approach to the wheel e, when the curve of the wire will be at its least radius, (forming the center of the spring,) and from this point, as the eccentric revolves, the sliding shaft E with the wheel D thereon, is gradually drawn backward from the Wheel e, and in this way gradually permitting the curves of the wire to be increased until they have again assumed their largest diameter, (forming the other end of the spring,) and completing it. In this way the coils of wire are alternately increased and decreased as the wire is fed to the machine7 forming a connected series of springs, as shown in Fig. 3. The springs may then be afterward cut apart, or a cutting device may be attached to separate each spring automatically as it is formed. To the roller e is secured aY support, f, as before stated. This support is of the same diameter as the roller e, and in fact a prolongation of it, and is designed to support the first coil or spring as itis formed, as shown in Fig. l, the support revolving freely ou the roller e, as the spring is supported by it. After several of the springs are formed, they may be supported by a trough extending in line with the roller e.'

Instead of the springs j and l, the reciprocating motion may be imparted to the sliding shaft E by eocentrics or cams, or in any other desirable way.

It is obvious that if the roller e is dispensed with, allowing the wheell) to impinge against the wire L, as soon as it shall have left the guide-rolls G on its way to the guide h, that the spirals may be formed with very nearly the sanie facility as with or by the use of the roller e.

Having thus described the construction and operation of our machine, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. Areciprocating guide, h, having thehookshaped end for the purpose of regulating the coiling of the wire, substantially in the manner shown and described.

2. The guide h, in combination with lever H and cam G, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

EDWARD POWELL. ALFRED S. MUNGER. Witnesses:

M. LovELL, H. L. WATTENBERG.

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