US2692424A

US2692424A - Assembling machine

Info

Publication number: US2692424A
Application number: US153070A
Authority: US
Inventors: Habel Carl
Original assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Current assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date: 1950-03-31
Filing date: 1950-03-31
Publication date: 1954-10-26
Anticipated expiration: 1971-10-26

Description

Oat. 1954 c. HABEL 2,692,424

' ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed March 31, 1950 7 Shee'ts-Sheet l AB; AQEL- f I ,mrfl/ AITTOENE Y6 Oct. 26, 1954 c, HABEL ASSEMBLING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 31 -1950 /NVENTOE Ciel.

6 4 BEL M4 %.4/ ro e/vs Y5 Oct. 26, 1954 c. HABEL ASSEMBLING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 31 1950 cABL bAsE-L %2/47-Toe5/EY-s Get. 26, B954 c. HABEL ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed March 51, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Oct. 26, 1954 c. HABEL ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed March 31, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 a /47- Teen 5Y6 Oct. 26, 1954 C. HABEL ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed March 51 195O 73 /77 3/ /Z L u a bYZ/i V 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 '/A/VENTOE CAB H4554.

Oct. 26, 1954 c. HABEL ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed March 31,. 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 CneL MBE-L Patented Oct. 26, 1954 NITD STAT OFFIQE ASSEMBLING MACHINE Carl Habel, Warren, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware 6 Claims.

This invention relates to lamp sockets and terminal assemblies and its object is to provide a machine for facilitating the assembly of a lamp socket, a wire providing a terminal contact for engagement with a contact of the lamp base received by the socket, a spring which urges the terminal contact into engagement with the lamp base contact and a bushing for insulating the spring from the terminal contact.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine.

Figs. 2 and 3 together provide a side view partly in section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in the opposite direction of arrow 4 of Fig. 3.

Fi 5 is a view in the direction of arrow 5 of Fig. 1 and shows a hopper feed for the lamp sockets.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line B5 of Fig. 5 and is drawn to a larger scale.

Fig. '7 is a plan view of a part I30 of the hopper feed shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

Fig. 8 is a view of part I30 in the direction of arrow 8 of Fig. 7.

Figs. 9 and 10 are plan and side views, respectively, of a part I35 of the socket hopper feed shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

Figs. 11 and 12 are plan and edge views, respectively, of a part I3? of the socket hopper feed shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

Figs. 13 and 14 are plan and edge views, respectively, of the part I 36 of the socket hopper feed shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 15 and 16 are plan and edge views, respectively, of a part I38 of the socket hopper feed shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

Figs. 17, 18, 19 and 20 show sectional views of the parts in various stages of assembly upon a workholder provided by a dial Hill.

Fig. 21 shows a side view of the completed assembly, the arrows a indicating the manner in which the completed assembly is rejected from a supporting dial I00.

Fig. 22 is an enlargement of the portion of the sectional view shown in the upper left part of Fig. 2.

Fig. 23 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and shows different positions of certain parts shown in Fig. 22.

Fig. 24 is a view of a part I95 in the direction of arrow 24 of Fig. 22.

Fig. 25 is a fragmentary, sectional view on line 25-45 of Fig. 22.

Fig. 26 is a sectional view on line iii-23 of Fig. 22.

Fig. 27 is a sectional view on line 2i of Fig. 2.

Fig. 28 is an enlarged sectional view on line 23-23 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 29 is a view in the direction of arrow 23 of Fig. 28.

Figs. 30 and 31 are enlarged fragmentary, sectional views taken, respectively, on line 33-33 of Fig. 28 and line 3I--3I of Fig- 29.

Fig. 32 is a fragmentary view in the direction of arrow 32 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 33 is an enlarged edge view of one of the workholders.

Fig. 34 is an enlarged plan View on line 3 l3 i of Fig. 33, the plate I04 being partly broken away.

Fig. 35 is a sectional view on line 3335 of Fig. 34.

Figs. 36, 37 and 38 are fragmentary, sectional views on an enlarged scale taken, respectively, on lines 35-43, 31-3! and 38-33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a plate it is supported above the floor by a boxlike frame having horizontal members 4| supported by vertical members 42 attached at their lower ends to a structure 43 which rests on the floor. Plate ll] supports a plate 44 to which tubes and 33 are welded and a plate 47 to which a tube 23 is welded.

Tubes

45, 45 and 43 support, respectively, bearings 43, 50 and 5! for

shafts

52, 53 and 5 3, respectively. Shaft 5d supports bearings 55 and 56 for a shaft 51. Referring to Fig. 28, plate 40 supports a plate 53 to which a tube Si is welded. Tube 3i supports bearings 62 for a shaft 53.

Plate 43 (Fig. 32) supports a plate 64 which is welded to a tube 35 which supports bearings 66 for a shaft 6? connected with a sprocket 5G connected by chain 59 with a sprocket if: (Fig. 2) attached to shaft 51. Shaft 5? is connected with a sprocket ll connected by a chain 72 with a sprocket 73 attached to shaft 52. A sprocket i i attached to shaft 52 is connected by a chain "it with a sprocket it (Fig.23) attached to shaft 33.

Shaft 52 (Fig. 2) is connected with a gear as which meshes with a gear 31 connected with shaft 53. Shaft 53 (Fig. 27) has an arm 32 carrying a stud 33 providing a pivot for a roller t l adapted to be received successively by notches of a Geneva gear disc 86 attached to shaft 52. Shaft 53 provides a cylindrical surface 32 for successive engagement with cylindrical surfaces 88 of notches provided for in plate 06. When motion is not being transmitted to disc 80 by the roller 84, a surface 83 is engaged by the surface 01' to prevent rotation of shaft 54.

Shaft 52 is connected by a coupling 90 with a shaft SI of a speed reducer in a housing 92. The input shaft 93 of the speed reducer is connected by groove pulley 94, belt 95 and a grooved pulley 96 with the shaft 9! of an electric motor 98.

Shaft 54 supports and drives a dial I which constitutes a rotary conveyor and is attached to a ring I0! which is Welded to shaft 54. Referring to Fig. 1, dial I00 is provided with equi-angularly spaced notches I02 and recess I03. Referring to Figs. 33, 34 and 35, each recess I03 receives a plate I04 retained by screws I05. Plate I04 provides a recess I06 which receives work-retaining levers I01 pivoted on pins I08 attached to the dial I00. ceived in a recess provided by plate I04 around a stud IIO attached to dial I00. Spring I09 is retained by plate I04 and the ends III of the spring press against the levers I01 so as to urge the one which is upper in Fig. 34 clockwise and the one which is lower, counterclockwise, these movements of the levers being stopped by engagement of the levers with surfaces I I2 provided by plate I04. The wider portion of each notch I02 receives a lamp socket LS as shown in Fig. 1'7. The socket is moved sidewise in between the levers I01 by a feeding device to be described. As the lamp socket LS moves into the notch I02, it engages levers I01 and cams them apart. When the lamp socket LS has been pushed as far as it will go into the notch, the levers I01 are caused by the spring I09 to retain the lamp socket upon the dial.

The lamp sockets LS are contained in a hopper feed device I20 (Figs. 1 and which is operated by an electric motor I2I. This hopper feed is the one which is available on the market and it causes the lamp sockets to be discharged by the hopper into a chute I22 shown in large scale in Fig. 6. This chute I22 comprises bars I23 connected by plate I24 and having grooves I25 for receiving the flanges f for the lamp sockets. Flanges f are retained by plates I26 of the chute. The chute I22 directs the lamp socket into a member I30 (Figs. 7 and 8) which serves as a chute extension; and it is supported above the plate 40 by a bracket I31. Member I30 provides a groove I32 into which the lamp sockets LS descend from the chute I22 as indicated in Fig. 7. As the lamp sockets descend into this groove, their flanges ,f engage upon groove surfaces I33 and I34 provided, respectively, by plates I35 (Fig. 9) and I35 (Fig. 13). These groove surfaces I33 and I34 are continuations of the grooves I25 (Fig. 6) of bars I23. The flanges f of the lamp sockets are retained upon the surfaces I33 and I34 by plate I31 (Fig. 11) and plate I38 (Fig. said plates being extensions of plates I in Fig. 6.

The lowermost lamp socket LS received by member I30 stops on a surface I320. of the groove I32 which, as shown in Fig. 7, extends obliquely and then vertically seen in this view. The outlet I322) of groove I32 will be in close proximity to a notch I02 of the dial I00 after the dial has been indexed as shown in Fig. 1. The lamp socket nearest the dial at the exit I321) of the groove I32 is moved from member I30 into the workholder by a bar I40 which is shown in Fig. 32 in the position for completing movement of a lamp socket into the notch of the dial. The bracket I3I supports a rod I4I providing a pivot for a A helical spring I09 has its turns re' lever I42 carrying a roller I43 which follows a cam I44 driven by shaft 81, that roller being urged against the cam by a spring I45 connected with the lever I42 and the bracket I3I. A rod I41 provides a pivot for a lever I40 which a spring I41 connecting levers I42 and I40, and operating to urge lever I40 counterclockwise against a stop disc 140 having an eccentric shank I49 extending within the lever I42. This shank I49 receives a screw (not shown) which, after the shank I49 has been turned to adjust the position of disc I48, is tightened. Lever I46 has a notch I50 for receiving a pin or roller I5I attached to bar I40. Movement of lever I42 counterclockwise is transmitted by spring I41 to lever I46 to cause the bar I40 to push the lamp socket LS into a notch I02 of dial I00. I

As shown in Fig. 18, the next operation of the machie is to assemble with the lamp socket a spring 8. The springs s are contained in a feeder I60 (Fig. 3) known as a vibrating bowl feeder, there being an electrically operated device which vibrates it. Feeder I60 is mounted upon horizontal angle bars IfiI (Figs. 1 and 2) which are supported above the plate 20 by vertical angle bars I62. The bars IBI and IE2 tend to absorb the vibrations of the feeder. The function of the device I00 is to cause the springs to jiggle endwise into a tube I04 through which they gravitate to the lower end of tube IE4 shown in Figs. 23 and 29. These springs are successively received in a bore I65 01" a block I30 attached to aplate I67 attached to a pad I03 welded to tube BI. The lowermost spring 8 is received upon a gate plate I69 having an opening I500. for admission of the spring when released by left movement of plate I59. Plate I39 is attached to a bar I20 carrying a roller I'II received by a cam race I12 of a cam I13 driven by shaft 03. When cam I13 moves bar II0 left (Figs. 30 and 31), it forces a spring I74 left to effect left movement of a rod I15 carrying a fiber bar I10 so that the next to the lowest spring s will be pressed by spring I14 against the side of the bore I65 of block I06. Therefore, at the time plate I09 is moved to allow spring s to drop through opening I691, the spring s is retained in block I06.

As shown in Fig. 30, spring I14 is confined between a shoulder I of rod I75 and an arm IBI of bar III) (to which plate I59 is attached), the smaller portion I82 of said rod I15. passing through a hole in arm I8I and being attached by a pin I83 to a retaining collar I84. Spring s gravitates into the lamp socket as shown in Fig. 18.

The next operation performed by the machine is to assemble a non-conducting bushing 22 upon the spring 8 as shown in Fig. 1 The bushings b are contained in a second vibratory bowl feeder I supported upon bars ISI. The function of this feeder is to cause the bushings b to move into the upper end of a chute I9! (Fig. 3) which provides a groove I92 (Fig. 25) which receives the flange of the bushing, the bushing portion of smaller diameter being received in the space between plates I93 attached to the chute I9I. The feeder I90 causes the bushings to move upwardly on an inclined plate I94 (Fig. 3) and then to enter the chute I9I with the flange of each bushing received by groove I92. Therefore the shank of the bushing extends to the right (Fig. 3) and then extends downwardly at the lower end of the chute (Fig. 22). As shown in Fig. 22, the lowermost bushing 1). moves, by the pressure of bushings further up in the chute, a ainst a plate I94 of a bracket I95 supported by plate I96 attached to mounting pad I91 welded to the tube 45. Bracket I95 is secured to plate I96 in the desired position of adjustment by screws I98 passing through horizontal slots I99 of the bracket I95. By adjustment of plate I95, the lowermost bushing 12 is caused to align with a pilot pin 299 on the end of a bar 21H attached to a slide 292 (Fig. 25) and guided by a bracket 293 attached to plate I96. The slide 292 supports a roller 204 received by a cam groove 205 in a cam 206 driven by shaft 92. Rotation of shaft 52 causes movement of the pilot pin 299 and bar 261i from the position shown in Fig. 22 to that shown in Fig. 23. This movement takes plates concurrently with a movement of chute I9I from the position shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 22 to the position shown in Fig. 23. For this purpose, the chute I9I is provided with a support provided by pivot screw 2H3 (Fig. 3) supported by a bracket 2II attached to the feeder I99. Screw 2I9 provides a bearing for a plate 2I2 attached to the chute I9I. A spring 2I3 connected to the bracket 2H and the chute I9I urges the chute clockwise so that a roller 2I4 supported by a lug 2I5 attached to the chute is urged against a cam 2I'I supported by cam 296 and retained in desired position thereon by a ring 2I8 which screws 2I9 attach to cam 295. The timing between cams 296 and 2I'I is such to cause the pilot 209 to be received by the hole in the bushing b which is against the plate I99 as the lower end of the chute I9! begins moving toward the position shown in Fig. 23 so that the lower end of the chute will clear the lower end of bar 20L Concurrently with this movement, the bushing b next to be discharged is caused to be retained upon the chute by a lever 220 pivoted on a pin 22I supported by ears 222 attached to the chute and urged counterclockwise by a spring 223 connecting the lever with the chute, said movement being permitted as a stop portion 224 of lever 229 moves away from a stop plate 225 attached to the bracket 203. Thus the lowermost bushing 11 in the chute is caused to gravitate into assembly with the spring s as shown in Fig. 19, while the next bushing b is retained upon the chute.

The stations of the dial I99 are indicated by radial dot-dash lines marked, respectively, I (the lamp socket loading station), II (for the spring assembly station), III (for the bushing assembling station), IV (for the wire assembly station) and V (for the ejecting station).

While a workholder at station I is receiving a lamp socket, a lamp socket at station II is receiving a spring, a bushing b is being assembled at station III, the parts in a workholder at station IV are under a funnel-like guide comprised of half shell members 239, one of which is shown in Fig. 20. These members, when brought together, provide a guide for the insertion of the conducor conducting an insulating wire w, the core wire of which has been attached to a contact button 0. When together, the members 239 receive a wire w, moved downwardly by an operator, and guide the lower end of the wire into the bushing b. When the members 239 are separated, the wire gravitates into the position shown in Fig. 20 with the contact 0 supported by the bushing.

As shown in Fig. 2, the upper end of shaft 51 extends through the inner race of a ball bearing 23I, the outer race of which is retained by a bracket 232 which, as shown in Fig. 1, is attached to the horizontal portion 233 of a rod 234 which 6 extends vertically from a ring 235 attached to plate 49. Shaft 5! drives a cam 23'! (Fig. 36) which cooperates with a roller 238 pivotally supported by rod 239 guided by a bore 240 of a plate 24I attached to bracket 232. The roller 238 is urged against cam 23? by a spring 242. A smaller rod 243 attached to rod 239 extends through a tube 249 and has a threaded portion 245 receiving a nut 245, the tightening of which secures the tube 244 to the rod 239. Tube 244 provides rack teeth 24? engaging a gear segment 248 journaled on a stud 249 supported by bracket 232 and retained by a resilient wire snap ring 2490. received by groove 259 of the stud 249. Gear segment M8 meshes with a gear segment 25I journaled in the same manner as gear segment 248. The two gear segments 249 and 25I have arms, each of which support a member 230. After indexing is completed the members 230 are moved together to provide a guide for the wire w. Before indexing begins the members 239 are separated so that the wire is free to gravitate through the bushing to the position shown in Fig. 20.

After the assembly is complete, it is caused to be ejected from the dial I99 by movement of the lamp socket LS to the position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 21. For this purpose, there is associated with each workholder an ejector bar 269 (Figs. 2 and 35). Bar 2% is received by part 32a of notch I92 and is attached to a rod 29! which, as shown in Fig. 2, has a portion of larger diameter guided by a block 262 attached to the dial and carrying a roller 299 engageable with a fixed cam 294 attached to tube :39 in the desired position of adjustment by set screw 295. A spring 259 surrounding the smaller portion of the rod 29! and confined between the larger portion thereof and the right end of block 262 urges the roller 263 into engagement with the cam 26 i. Whenever a workholder arrives at ejection station V, a high lobe of the cam receives the roller 293 and effects the right movement of the bar 259 which presses upon the flange f of the lamp socket LS to eject the assembly.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Apparatus for automatically assembling a metal socket, a helical spring within the socket and a non-conducting bushing upon the spring and for guiding a conductor wire adapted to be inserted through the bushing after assembly in the socket, said apparatus comprising a conveyor, a plurality of socket receiving work-holders in said conveyor, each of which is moved by the conveyor successively into a plurality of assembling stations, namely, a socket assembling station, a spring assembling station and a bushing assembling station, means effecting movement of a socket to a position adjacent the conveyor, means operating to move a socket laterally into a work holder from its position adjacent the conveyor when the work holder is positioned at the socket assembling station, means effecting movement of a spring to a position in axial align ment with a socket when the latter is positioned at the spring assembling station, means effecting movement of a spring axially into the socket from its position in alignment with said socket, means effecting movement of a bushing to a position in axial alignment with a socket when said socket is at the bushing assembling station and means operating to move said bushing into the socket after the spring ha been assembled therein in order to position the bushing so that it extends into said spring, wire guiding means and means intermittently moving the conveyor to move the work-holders successively to the several assembling station and means holding the conveyor stationary during the movement of the socket into a work-holder and during the assembling of a spring and bushing in the socket.

2. Apparatus for automatically assembling a metal socket, a helical spring within the socket and a non-conducting bushing upon the spring and for guiding a conductor wire adapted to be manually inserted through the bushing after assembly in the socket, said apparatus comprising a conveyor, a plurality of socket receiving workholders in said conveyor, each of which is moved by the conveyor successively into a plurality of assembling stations, namely, a socket assembling station, a spring assembling station, a bushing assembling station and a wire assembling station, means effecting movement of a socket to a position adjacent the conveyor, means operating to move a socket laterally into a workholder from its position adjacent the conveyor when the workholder is positioned at the socket assembling station, means effecting movement of a spring to a position in axial alignment with a socket when the latter is positioned at the spring assembling tation, means effecting movement of a spring axially into the socket from its position in alignment with said socket, means eiiecting movement of a bushing into a position in axial alignment with a socket when said socket is at the bushing assembling station and mean operating to move said bushing axially into the socket after the spring has been assembled therein in order to position the bushing so that it extends into said spring, a wire guide at the wire assembling station comprising two members movable toward each other to form a wire guiding passage in axial alignment with a socket when the latter is moved to the Wire assembling station and separable to permit the wire to be moved to the proper position in the socket, means automatically moving said members toward each other and separating them, means intermittently moving the conveyor so as to move the work-holders successively to the several assembling stations and means holding the conveyor stationary during the movement of the socket into the work-holder and during the assembling of the various parts within the socket.

3. Apparatus forautomatically assembling a metal socket, a helical spring within the socket and a non-conducting bushing upon the spring and for guiding a conductor wire adapted to be manually inserted through the bushing after assembly in the socket, said apparatus comprising a conveyor, a plurality of socket receiving work-holders in said conveyor, each of which is moved by the conveyor successively into a plurality of assembling stations, namely, a socket assembling station, a spring assembling station, a bushing assembling station and a wire assembling station, means effecting movement of a socket to a position adjacent the conveyor, means operating to move a socket laterally into a workholder from its position adjacent the conveyor when the work-holder is positioned at the ocket assembling station,.means efiecting movement of a spring to a position in axial alignment with a socket when the latter is positioned at the spring assembling station, means effecting movement of a spring axially into the socket from its position in alignment with said socket, means enacting movement of a bushing into a posi-' tion in axial alignment with a socket when said socket is at the bushing assembling station and means operating to move said bushing axially into the socket after the spring has been as sembledtherein in order to position the bushing so that it extends into said spring, a wire guide at the wire assemblingstation comprising two members movable toward each other to form a vn're guiding passage in axial alignment with a socket when the latter is moved to the wire assembling station and separable to permit the wire to be moved to theproper position in the socket, means automatically moving said mombers toward-each other and separating them, means intermittently moving the conveyor so as to move the work-holders successively to the several assembling stations, means holding the conveyor stationary during the movement of the socket into the work-holder and during the assembling of the variou parts within the ocket, said means for moving the members of the Wire guiding means toward and away from each other being operable while the conveyor is stationary.

4. Apparatus for automatically assembling a metal socket, a helical spring within the socket and a non-conducting bushing upon the spring and for guiding a conductor wire adapted to be manually inserted through the bushing after assembly in the socket, said apparatus comprising a conveyor, a plurality of socket receiving Work-holders in said conveyor, each of which is moved by the conveyor successively into a plurality of assembling stations, namely, a socket assembling station, a spring assembling station, a bushing assembling station and a wire assembling station, each of said work-holders having a notch adapted to receive the socket, and means for yieldingly retaining the socket in said notch, means operating to move a socket laterally into a socket receiving notch,-means moving the conveyor intermittently so as to bring the workholders successively to the several assembling stations, apparatus at the spring and bushing assembling stations for moving a bushing and spring axially into a socket when the socket is positioned at the spring and bushing assembling stations, wire guiding means and means automatically operating said socket moving means and the means for moving the spring and bushing axially into said socket while the conveyor is stationary.

5. Apparatu for automatically assembling a metal socket, a helical spring within the socket and a non-conducting bushing upon the spring and for guiding" a conductor wire adapted to be manually inserted through the bushing after assembly in the socket, said apparatus comprising a conveyor, a plurality of socket receiving Work-holders in said conveyor, each of which is moved by the conveyor successively into a plurality of assembling stations, namely, a socket assembling station, a spring assembling station, a bushing assembling station and a wire assembling station, means effecting movement of a socket to a position adjacent the conveyor, means operating to move a socket laterally in one directioninto a work-holder from its position adjacent the conveyor when the work-holder is positioned at the socket assembling station, means effecting movement of a spring to a position in axial alignment with a socket when the latter is positioned at the spring assembling station, means efiecting movement of a spring axially into the socket from its position in alignment with said socket, means efiecting movement of a bushing into a position in axial alignment with a socket when said socket is at the bushing assembling station and means operating to move said bushing axially into the socket after the spring has been assembled therein in order to position the bushing so that it extends into said spring, a wire guide at the wire assembling station comprising two members movable toward each other to form a wire guiding passage in axial alignment with a socket when the latter is moved to the wire assembling station and separable to permit the wire to be moved to the proper position in the socket, means automatically operating to move said members toward each other and separating them, means intermittently moving the conveyor so as to move the work-holders successively to the several assembling stations, means holding the conveyor stationary during the movement of the socket into the work-holder and during the assembling of the various parts within the socket, said conveyor being also movable to carry the sockets to an unloading station, and means operable at the unloading station and while the conveyor is stationary for moving the socket laterally in the reverse direction to eject said socket and assembled parts from the conveyor.

6. Apparatus for automatically assembling a metal socket, a helical spring within the socket and a non-conducting bushing upon the spring and for guiding a conductor Wire adapted to be manually inserted through the bushing after assembly in the socket, said apparatus comprising a conveyor, a plurality of socket receiving workholders in said conveyor, each of which is moved 10 by the conveyor successively into a plurality of assembling stations, namely, a socket assembling stations, a spring assembling station, a bushing assembling station and a wire assembling station, each of said work-holders having a notch adapted to receive the socket, and means yieldingly retaining the socket in said notch, means operating to move a socket laterally in one direction into a socket receiving notch, means moving the conveyor intermittently so as to bring the work-holders successively to the several assembling stations, apparatus at the spring and bushing assembling stations for moving a bushing and spring axially into a socket when the socket is positioned at the spring and bushing assembling stations, means operating said socket moving means and the means for moving the spring and bushing axially into said socket while the conveyor is stationary, said conveyor being also movable to carry the sockets to an unloading station, wire guiding means and means operable at the unloading station and while the conveyor is stationary for moving the socket laterally in the reverse direction to eject said socket and assembled parts from the conveyor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 666,905 Packer Jan. 29, 1901 821,946 Marshall May 29, 1906 1,884,198 Phelps Oct. 25, 1932 1,948,466 Broeckler Feb. 20, 1934 2,052,356 Long Aug. 25, 1936 2,120,877 Uber June 14, 1938 2,155,958 Schmidt Apr. 25, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 299,774 Great Britain Nov. 21, 1929