US1656204A

US1656204A - Apparatus and process for fabricating spring assemblies

Info

Publication number: US1656204A
Application number: US138742A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles D Karr
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1926-09-30
Filing date: 1926-09-30
Publication date: 1928-01-17
Anticipated expiration: 1945-01-17

Description

Jan. 17, 192,8.

c. ELKARR` APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR FABRICATING SPRING ASSEMBLIES s sheets-sheet 1 Filed Sept. @l N+ Xi vl wir@ 3 Sheets-Sheet .2.

S www Nm 'NE Jari. 17, 1928.

C. D. KARR APPARATUS yAND PROCESS FOR FABRICATING SPRING ASSEMBLIES Filed Sept. 30. 1926 Jan. 17, 1928.

` 1,656,204 C. D. KARR APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR FABRICATING SPRING ASSEMBLIES Filed Sept.v 30. 1926 im 2z? 11 14 25 2125 Patented Jan. 17,

UNITED STATES u CHARLES D. KAB, F HOLLAND, MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR FABBICATIN G SPRING ABSEHDLIES.

Application fed September 30, 1928. Serial No. 188,742.

This invention relates to the process and apparatus for fabricating spring assemblies.

-One of the objectsof the invention isv the provision of a new and improved method of weaving or fabricating spring assemblies.

Another object of the invention is the provision of anew and improved mechanism for assembling springs to form cushion and mattress sprin assemblies and the like.

A further o ject of the invention is the provision of a new and improved apparatus for connecting an assembly of spiral springs together by weaving, ythreading .or interlocking helical springs therewith.

Another object of the Vinvention is the provision of new and improved lmeans for fabricating spring assemblies, thatis simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, easily assembled,l eiiicient in operation, composed of few moving parts, and that is not likely to become broken or get out of order.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the. accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan View of the device with `parts broken away; j

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the lin 2 2 of Fig. i;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 11-4 of Fig. 1 with parts broken away;

Fig. 5 isa plan view ofv a portion of the spring retaining platform or member 'with a spring assembly in position thereon; y

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the c onsti'uction shown in Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the spacing members.

In the form of the device selected to illustrate one embodiment ot the invention, the

numeral 10 ydesignates the base or support-v ing frame on which the operating mechanism is mount-ed. The operating mechanism comprises a spring retaining plate, bed or platform l1 for'holding ythe springs in position during the operation, a spring feeding device 12 and the weaving mechanism designated generally by the reference chai'- acter 13.

The spring retaining plate 11, which it desired may be integral with the lateral extension 14 of the base 1() but is shown as being mounted thereon, is provided with suitable means for holding the spiral springs portions 21fof the opposite spring in i 15 in position while the assembly is being fabricated. Any suitable means may be emplo ed for this purpose'. The form shown is y Way of example only and comprises projections 16 arranged in rows transversely to t e weaving mechanism`13.

The form or shape of these projections will depend on the form of the terminal loops of-the spiral springs that are being operated upon. In the form shown, the terminal loops or coils are angular. Consevquently the spring retaining lugs or projections lare angular and the side walls of these lu `are undercut as shown at 17 whereby w en the terminal coils are eX- panded to engage said lugs, the coils will be retained in upright position.

The arrangement of the lugs or projections will also be determined more or less by the form or shape of the spiral springs employed in fabricating the assembly. They must, of course, be arranged in rows transversely to the weavingmechanism in order that the helical springs 20 may be woven about the end or terminal coils 18 of the spiral springs l5, as will presently appear.

In the form of the spiral springs disclosed, the terminal coils 18 are angular and each 1s provided with an odset straight portion 19 and with an angular straight portion 21 at the opposite side of the coil whereby in assembling the springs the angular portion 21 of one spring will be arranged opposite the offset portion of an adjacent spring so that the

straight portions

22 and 23 at each side of the offset 19 of eachspring (see Fig. 5) will be in alinement lwith the straight jacent row for receiving the helical spring 20.' The lugs or projections 16 are cut away to provide suiiicient space to accommodate the helical coils 2O about the straight portions 21 of the springs 15. The use of springs of this type, therefore, requires that the spring holding or retaining means or lugs be also arranged in rows extending longitudinally of said weaving mechanism.

Grooves 25 may also be provided between the transversely extending rows for guiding the helical springs 20 during the weaving operation. The depth of these grooves or their elimination entirely,` will depend on the height at which the springs are supported by the retaining means.

Suitable means are provided for weaving or threading the helical springs 20 about the ad- A the terminal coils of the springs 15. One form of mechanism for accomplishing this function will now be described. The mechanism comprises essentially an endless belt which is adapted to frictionally engage the helical springs to cause the same to rotate and be threaded or woven onto those portions of the springs supported in the path of the helicals.V

As shown, the base10 vis provided at each end with supporting arms250, within which areirotat'ably' mounted the

rollers

26 and 27 about which is-trained an endless belt 429. The belt 29 isoperated by any suitable mechanism as'by the pulley 30 on shaft 40 of the roller`27. The upper and lower runs of the beltf29 are held in parallel relation adjacent to each other by apair of rollers 31 and 32 adjacent to the roller 26 and a pair of rollers 33 and 34, adjacent to the roller 27. Suitable means may, ifO desired, be provided for adjusting the rollers of each pair toward and fromeach other as may be necessary or desirable.

The upper and lower runs of the belt are hel-d in spaced relation by suitable spacer members. As shown, the spacer members or

fingers

35 and 36 are rigidly secured to a body portion 39 which is offset downwardly from said fingers and is rigidly secured to the lateral extension 41 of the supporting frame 10, see Fig. 2. These spacer members or fingers are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the helical springs 20 and their thickness is slightly less than the diameter of said helical springs whereby the belt will engage the helical springs at each side of said-spacers for rotating the same as will presently appear. The outer fingers 36 yare shown as being very narrow. If desired, a plurality of narrow fingers may be employed instead of the wide intermediate ones. The attached ends of the spacers are tapered as at 42, that is, thickened at their inner or supporting ends to cause the upper and lower runs of the belt to flare outwardly )for forming funnel shaped openings for receiving the ends of the helical springs from the feeding mechanism. The inner or supporting ends of the fingers also have their adjacent edges bevelled as shown at 28 as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 7 for guiding the helical springs to the spaces 51 between the fingers as will presently appear. The number of spacers employed will depend on the number of helical springs necessary for fabricating the spring assembly.

Means are provided for feeding or delivering the helical springsv to the weaving mechanism. Preferably this device comprises a box like member 43 which is adapted to be slid to and fromthe weaving mechanism on the guides 44. The member 43 preferably comprises a lower section 45 .and

an upper section 46, see Fig. 4, which is hinged to the lower section at one-side b hinges 47. The lower section is provided with grooves 48, one for each helical to be used. Each groove is provided with a pin 49 arranged across the groove at the angle of the i engagement with the helical springs. As

shown, a roller 50 is mounted'at each side of the space between the fingers and a roller at each side of this space below the belt for holding both runs of the belt against the corresponding spring.

rlhe rollers

31, 32, 33 and 34 at each end of the belt are sutiiciently close to the end springs as to permit the

end rollers

50 and 60 to be dispensed with. pered at their ends adjacent to the thickencd ends of the belt edges to flare outwardly as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Their outer ends are journaled in

suitable plates

62 and 63 and their inner ends are journaled, the lower rollers in the vertical connecting portion of the spacer support and the upper rollers in lugs 64 on the fingers 35.

In the operation of the device, the helicals are placed in the grooves 48 with their ends extending inwardly or forwardly beyond the forward end of the boX member, the weaving mechanism is started, and the box member 43 is pushed forwardly to insert the ends of the helicals between the flaring sides of the belt 29. As soon as the ends of the helicals come in contact with either or both runs of the belt, they will-be rotated by the movement of said belt and the engagement of the coils of the helical with the pins 49 will cause the-helicals to advance across the belt into the alined grooves 25 in the spring holding device 11 for engaging the

straight portions

23, 21 and 22 of said springs.

The belt 29 lmay be of any suitable width but its width must be less than the length of the helicals in order that they may reach from the pins 49 into engagement with the spirals, otherwise there would be no means for advancing said helicals. As` soon as the helicals engage the terminal coils of the spirals, they will be advanced along the grooves 25 and be woven about the straight The

rollers

50 and 60 are tathe lingers as at 61 to permit

portions

23, 21 and 22 of said spirals until helicals arey woven about the terminal coilsv of the spirals 15 simultaneously. Should any helical become ainmed or blocked temporaris ly, it will not interfere with the movements of the: remaining ones. After the cause has been removed, it may be woven linto position.

After-the helicals have been applied to oney acted by the tendency to move the same in the opposite direction by the other i'un of the belt, hence in this formof the construction it is not necessary to provide the weaving.v

mechanism with means for guiding the helicals.

It is preferable, however, to provide guides such asy the spaces between the lingers 25,

. 26 in order that the helicals may be properly guided, whether they be engaged by one or both rims of the belt. f,

While in the form of the device shown on the drawing the helicals are `advanced between the runs of the belt, it is understood that the' construction may be otherwise, it being only necessary that one or both runs of the belt engage the he'licals for rotating the saine. Y

While the apparatus is disclosed as being employed for connecting spiral springs by weaving helicals about straight portions of the same, it is understood that the form of the springs and the shape of the connecting portions are immaterial as springs or wire units of any type may be assembled by arranging the springs or wire units in such a mannerthat portions of the saine may be held in the paths of the advancing helicals.

y It is thought from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings that the construction and operation of my device will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that various changes in size, shape, proportion and detai'ls of construction may' be made without departing vfrom the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A method of fabricating spring structures which consists in arranging a plurality of spiral springs in rows and connecting said rows together by simultaneously weaving helical lsprings into said spiral springs.

2. A method of fabricating spring assemblies which consists in arranging spiral springs in rows, weaving a plurality of helical springs about the lower end portions of the springs of each row, reversing said spiral springs and weaving a plurality of heli- -cal springs about the end portions of said 'spiral springs opposite to mechanism adapted to direct helicals into the space between said spacers l"i0 said first named end portions.

3. A method of fabricating spring assemblies, which consists in arranging spiral springs in adjacent yparallel rows and weavmg av helical spring about end portions of the spiral springs of adjacent rows by a continuous rotary movementof said helical spring 4. In a device semblies comprising a platform, spring retaining members thereon, a feeding device for containing helical springs 'and means for 'continuously rotating said helical springs for advancing the same between rowsV of said retaining members.

5. In an apparatus for fabricating wire assemblies, means for supporting wire units in rows, with portions of said units adjacent cach other, a feeding device for holding a helical, means for rotating and advancing said helical to cause the same to encircle the said portions of said units adjacent to each other.

6. In an apparatus for fabricating spring 7. In an apparatus for fabricating springl assemblies, an endless belt, means for operating said belt, a plurality of spacer members between the runs of said belt, feeding and into frictional engagement with said belt and means on said feeding mechanism for advancing said helicals when the same are rotated by said belt.

8. In an apparatus for fabricatingspring assemblies, a feeding device comprising a box likevmember provided with a plurality of parallel grooves for receiving helicals and a projection extending inwardly from the wall of each of said the coils of said helicals for advancing the helicals when the same are rotated.

9. In an apparatus for fabricating spring assemblies, a belt spacing device comprising a plurality of spacer members adapted to be inserted between the runs of an endless belt, said spacers being provided with oppositely inclined surfaces-:adjacent one end for Haring the edges of said belt at one side thereof.

10. In an apparatus for fabricating spring assemblies, means for rotating a helical comprising an endless belt, a support for said helical and means for holding said belt in engagement with operation of said belt, said means comprising a roller vhaving a tapered end.

11. Ari apparatus for fabricating spring assemblies comprising a support, means on said support for holding spiral springs, 130

for fabricating spring as- 75 a plurality ofl 4 grooves for engaging 1m said helical during the weaving mechanism for weaving helieals about portions of said springs and means for rotatin said helicals, said means comprising a mem r moving in one direction and in contact 'with one side of each of said helicals.

1'2. In an apparatus for yfabricating spring assemblies, means for holding-a plurality of spiral springs in. rows, a fee ing devicecontaining a plurality of helicals, weaving mechanism comprising an endless belt, spacer members between the runs of said belt and spaced apart to receive said helieals, said inner edges of the belt flared spond with the .in said device spacer members being increased in thickness and inclined at their inner ends to hold the outwardly, a plurality of rollers above and below the upper and lower runs of said belt, respectively, said rollers being ta red to correlare of said elt, and means for advancing said helicals when the same are advanced.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

vClIARLEs D. KARR.