US3026914A - Spring unit lacing machine - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1962 A. TURLEY SPRING UNIT LACING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 5, 1959 March 27, 1962 A. TURLEY SPRING UNIT LACING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1959 /NV5NTOE PTTOEN V March 27, 1962 A. TURLEY 3,026,914

SPRING UNIT LACING MACHINE Filed Oct. 5, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ame/v58.

United States Patent 3,026,914 SPRING UNIT LACING MACHINE Alfred Turley, Bushbury, Wolverhampton, England, as-

signor to Vono Limited, Tipton, England, a company of Great Britain Filed Oct. 5, 1959, Ser. No. 844,448 4 Claims. (Cl. 140-925) This invention relates to a machine for lacing together coil springs to make up a spring unit, such as the spring interior for a mattress, cushion or the like, wherein parallel rows of springs are laced together at top and bottom by longitudinally extending wire helices which serve to connect together the coils of opposed springs in adjacent rows at top and bottom.

The present invention is concerned with improvements to a known type of machine hereinafter called the type referred to for carrying out the above operation and which comprises an elongated lower frame and an elongated upper frame each carrying a plurality of clamping jaw assemblies which are adapted to be adjusted longitudinally along their respective frames. Both frames, at one end have mechanism for forming and advancing a wire helix for the purpose of lacing together coil springs clamped in position by the clamping jaws of the upper and lower frames.

In this machine solenoids control automatically the stopping of the wire helices advancing and the opening of the jaw assemblies when each helix has completed its travel and, in operating the machine, two rows of coil springs are inserted under compression between the jaws and the jaws are fully closed whereupon the wire helices start advancing through the clamping jaws to lace the two rows of springs together. Upon completion of the lacing the wire helices are cut off and at this stage the operator has to manipulate the laced rows of springs to push them back a distance of one row whereupon a fresh row of springs is inserted in the jaws and the operation is repeated.

The object of the present invention is to provide improvements to this type of machine which will simplify the operation of the machine and make it more completely automatic.

According to the present invention I provide a machine of the type above referred to wherein there is provided mechanism for engaging a row of springs held in the jaw assemblies after a lacing operation has been performed and for moving said row of springs rearwardly a distance of one row to allow a fresh row of springs to be inserted.

With the earlier machine above referred to, it was 'necessary to halt between each lacing operation to allow the operator to insert the fresh row of springs; in accordance with a further aspect to the present invention, such halting may be rendered unnecessary.

According to this further aspect of the invention, I provide a machine of the type above referred to wherein the jaw assemblies are formed or provided with means for holding in position in the jaws a fresh row of springs whilst a previously positioned row is being laced to another row and there being provided means, adapted to move into operation after the lacing has finished, to move the already laced row back by a distance of one row and to advance the fresh row of springs into position in the jaws ready for a further lacing operation.

Each jaw assembly in the upper and lower frames may be provided on the entry side with an extended platform so that a fresh spring can be positioned under compression in between an upper and lower platform with its top and bottom coils engaged over shoulders provided on such platforms inwardly from the outermost edge thereof.

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To move the already laced rows of springs rearwardly and to move the fresh row of springs into position, each jaw assembly may be provided with a rotatable transporter member which may be in the form of an arcuate shaped finger pivoted about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame and movable from a retracted position into a position to which it engages the end coils of the springs and moves them forwardly into the required position for the next operation.

Each jaw assembly may also include a slidable ejector member adapted to operate to move the already laced spring coils out from between the jaws at the same time as the transporter member operates.

The various operations of closing and opening the jaws, moving the transporter members and ejector members and the feeding and cutting off of the wire helices may be controlled by suitable clutches which may be governed by solenoids and switches forming part of a fully automatic electric control circuit. Means may also be provided for allowing manual operation of the various controlling solenoids and also for allowing manual operation of the clutches.

In order to illustrate the principal features of the invention the following more detailed description is given of one form of jaw assembly and associated members which has been constructed to carry out the invention. A complete description of all the machine is not considered necessary here as the other working parts of the machine as susceptible of various changes and forms without affecting the parts with which the invention is concerned. This example of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional end view through one set of upper and lower jaw assemblies showing two springs in position for lacing together.

FIGURE 2 is a detail perspective view of the jaws removed from the machine.

FIGURES 3 and 4 are similar views of the lower jaw assembly showing stages in the operation of the machine.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view on FIGURE 4 showing two lower jaw assemblies.

FIGURE 6 is an end view of the complete machine.

The machine may he basically similar to the machine described in British specification No. 653,021.

The upper jaw assemblies are similar to the lower ones so only the latter are described in detail as it will be appreciated that the upper jaw assemblies occupy an inverted position as compared with the lower ones. FIG- URE 1 shows part of one end frame 10 of the machine and an upper and lower jaw assembly indicated generally at 11 and 12 respectively.

Each lower jaw assembly comprises a main jaw body 13 which is mounted upon two spaced parallel shafts extending longitudinally between the end frame of the machine, the one shaft 1 4 which is adjacent the entry side of the jaws being fixed in the end frames of the machine and the other shaft 15 which is on the discharge side being journa'lled in bearings in the end frames.

In between the shafts 14 and 15 the jaw body has a recess 16 in which is mounted the jaws (17, 18), one being fixed (see 17) and the other being slidable (see 18) and spring urged away from the fixed jaw, the two jaws being located by a pair of dowel pins 19 extending between them. The slidable jaw 18 has a screw 20 extending from its rear and passing through a plate 21 fixed in the jaw body and having a spring 22 acting between the head of the screw and the plate 21 and urging the jaw 18 into the open position. Means (not shown) act on the head of screw 20 to move jaw 18 into the closed position (FIGURE 1) in timed relationship with the operator of the machine.

A third longitudinal shaft 23 is disposed between said two shafts 14 and 15 and the transporter member for moving the springs is fixed upon this shaft 23. Such transporter member comprises a radial arm 24 fixed at one end to the shaft 23 and having fixed to its other end a transporter finger 25 which is part of a ring (being about of a semi-circle) so that the movement of the finger 25 is in a circular path about the axis of the third shaft 23 and is guided by a curved face 26 formed internally on the jaw body.

An ejector slide 27 is mounted in the jaw body for vertical sliding movement into and out of the gap between the jaws 17, 18 (when open) and this slide has a transverse hole 28 in which engages one end of a pin 29 the other end of this pin being mounted in a collar 30 which is fixed upon the shaft 15 by a key 31.

The upper face of the jaw body, on the entry side, is formed as a platform 32 which slopes outwardly and downwardly and its inner edge terminates in a vertical face 33 which descends to a ledge 34 (see FIGURE 4) on the jaw body; from this ledge 34 up to the recess 16 in which the jaws are mounted the upper face of the jaw body is in the form of an upwardly convex curved surface (i.e. the surface 26). The upper jaw body has the same form but, as will be seen, this is upside down as compared with the lower jaw body.

The two platforms 32 (upper and lower) thus form an inwardly converging throat so that a coil spring 35 can be pushed under compression into the throat until its top and bottom coils 36 spring over the vertical faces 33 on the jaw bodies andcome to rest upon the ledges 34 where they will be adjacent the top and bottom coils 37 of a previous spring 38 which is being held between the jaw assemblies with one side of each top and bottom coil 37 actually between the jaws and the other side of each top and bottom coil resting on the aforesaid ledges 34. There will also be a third spring 39 in'between the jaw assemblies, this third spring having its top and bottom coils 40 also between the jaws and being over on the discharge side.

Hence, while the two springs 38 and 39 which are actually in between the jaws are being laced together the fresh spring 35 can be pushed into the throat and this can be done along the whole row of jaw assemblies so that when lacing is completed there is a complete fresh row of springs 35 ready in between the jaw assemblies.

When this position is reached the automatic operation of the machine can continue with the movement of the transporter fingers 25, operation of the ejector slides 27 and severing of the wire helices.

Referring now to FIGURE 6, at one end of the machine the shafts 23 and 15 have fixed thereon quadrant gears 40 and 41 respectively. The lower quadrant gear 40 which meshes with the upper one is oscillated by a link 42 connected to the rod 43 which is connected to a crank 44 on a driving shaft 45. The Lower quadrant gear 41 is oscillated by a bell crank 46 connected to link 47 which is connected to a driving disc 48.

The means for moving the sliding jaws 18 into the closed position comprises upper and lower shafts 49 to which are fixed arms 50 acted upon by one arm 51 of a double-armed lever pivoted at 52 the other arms 53 of this lever having a roller 54 which engages a cam 55 or cam shaft 56. The arms 50 are held positively in the jaw-closed position by means of releasable trip arms mounted upon shafts 57.

The members 45, 48, 56 and 57 are operated in timed relationship together with the operation of the mechanism (not here shown) for forming and advancing the wire helices 58 (see FIGURES 3-5) which lace the rows of springs together when held in the jaws.

It the position shown in FIGURE 1, the jaws are closed and the two springs 38 and 39 are being laced together by the helices 58. Two rows of springs which have already been laced are resting on the discharge table 59 and a fresh row of springs 35 has been inserted between the platforms 32.

After the lacing has been completed angular rotation of the shafts 23 commences and moves the free ends of the fingers 25 which engage with the spring coils 36, 37 resting on the ledges 34 of the jaw bodies commence to push these coils toward the openings between the jaws (see FIGURE 3). Shortly after commencement of this movement the ejector elevating mechanism 48 is brought into operation and the ejector slides 27 operate to move the already laced coils out from between the jaws (FIGURE 3) which have also been opened at this time by release of the trip arms on shafts 57 Continued movement of the fingers 25 (FIGURE 4) results in the fresh springs 35 being brought in between the jaws whilst a row of laced springs is pushed out of the discharge side of the jaw assemblies, whereupon the jaws close and the cycle of operations can be repeated with another fresh row of springs being placed in position for the next succeeding operation.

What I claim then is:

1. In a spring unit lacing machine for lacing together coil springs into a spring unit comprising an elongated lower frame and an elongated upper frame each carrying a plurality of clamping jaw assemblies for clamping together the end coils of two rows of springs held between the upper and lower jaw assemblies, each jaw assembly comprising a fixed jaw and a slidable jaw movable towards and away from the fixed jaw to respectively close and open the jaws each frame having at one end mechanism for forming and advancing a wire helix for lacing together the end coils of the springs, means for opening and closing the jaw assemblies and means for severing the wire helices after a completed lacing operation, the improvement comprising an outwardly extending platform on the entry side of each upper and lower jaw assembly, said platforms forming inclined surfaces mutually converging inwardly towards the centre of the jaw assemblies so that a spring is compressed when inserted between said platforms, a substantially vertically extending shoulder at the inner end of each such platform, said shoulders being engageable within the end coils of a fresh row of springs to hold in position between the upper and lower frames a fresh row of springs simultaneously with the lacing together of two rows of springs already positioned in and clamped between the jaws of the clamping jaw assemblies, a rotatable transporter means in the form of an arcu ate-shaped finger associated with each clamping jaw assembly, pivoted about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axes of the frames, and means operable at the finish of a lacing operation, to move said transporter means to engage the end coils of the springs in said fresh row and also the end coils of the adjacent row of springs so as to advance the two laced rows of springs forward by a distance of one row and bring the fresh row of springs into position between the jaws of the clamping jaw assemblies.

2. In a spring unit lacing machine for lacing together coil springs into a spring unit comprising an elongated lower frame and an elongated upper frame each carrying a plurality of clamping jaw assemblies for clamping together the end coils of two rows of springs held between the upper and lower jaw assemblies, each jaw assembly comprising a fixed jaw and a slidable jaw movable towards and away from the fixed jaw to respectively close and open the jaws, each frame having at one end mechanism for forming and advancing a wire helix for lacing together the end coils of the springs, means for opening and closing the jaw assemblies and means for severing the wire helices after a completed lacing operation, the improvements comprising an outwardly extending platform on the entry side of each upper and lower jaw as sembly, said platforms forming inclined surfaces mutually converging inwardly towards the centre of the jaw assemblies so that a spring is compressed when inserted between said platforms, a substantially vertically extending shoulder at the inner end of each such platform, said shoulders being engageable within the end coils of a fresh row of springs to hold in position between the upper and lower frames a fresh row of springs simultaneously with the lacing together of two rows of springs already positioned in and clamped between the jaws of the clamping jaw assemblies, a rotatable transporter means in the form of an arcuate-shaped finger associated with each clamping jaw assembly, pivoted about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axes of the frames, and means operable at the finish of a lacing operation, to move said transporter means to engage the end coils of the Springs in said fresh row and also the end coils of the adjacent row of springs so as to advance the two laced rows of springs forward by a distance of one row and bring the fresh row of springs into position between the jaws of the clamping jaw assemblies, a vertically slidable ejector member in each jaw assembly and means for advancing said ejector members inwardly to displace the laced end coils of the springs out from between the jaws of each jaw assembly simultaneously with the operation of the transporter means.

3. The improvement in a lacing machine according to claim 1, wherein the arcuate-shaped finger of each transporter means is fixed to the outer end of a radial arm mounted upon a shaft extending parallel to the axes of the frames, there being two such shafts, one for the upper jaw assemblies and one for the lower jaw assemblies, each jaw assembly having a ledge at the outer end of its substantially vertical shoulder and a curved surface extending inwardly from said ledge and being convex towards the space between the jaw assemblies, the end coils of said fresh row of springs being positioned to rest upon said ledges and to be held in position by said shoulders, and each said curved surface forming a guide for the movement of its associated arcuate-shaped finger. 4. The improvement in a lacing machine according to claim 2 wherein each ejector member is operated by an arm extending radially from a shaft and engaging in an aperture in the ejector member which is guided for vertical sliding movement between the jaws of its jaw assembly, there being two shafts, one for the upper jaw assemblies and one for the lower jaw assemblies.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,275,209 Turgeon Mar. 3, 1942 2,286,326 Zimmerman et a1. June 16, 1942 2,470,812 Gauci et a1. May 24, 1949 2,925,099 Bergstrom Feb. 16, 1960

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