Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21F—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE
  • B21F33/00—Tools or devices specially designed for handling or processing wire fabrics or the like
  • B21F33/04—Connecting ends of helical springs for mattresses

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the formation and assembly of coil spring
• arrays of springs are usually assembled as a plurality of vertically oriented helical coil
• springs often having hour-glass shapes, arranged horizontally in a grid that lies in a
• each coiler mav use the time required for two of the assembler machine cycles to produce one row of
• a primary objective of the present invention is to provide a spring interior
• the present invention to provide a spring interior forming method and apparatus in
• Still a further objective of the present invention is to provide a method and
• heads of the springs may be crimped, knotted or otherwise reformed, and to present
• the heads may be crimped, knotted or otherwise reformed in accordance with
• the outfeeds of the coilers are synchronized with
• stiffness or type in accordance with one of several predetermined specifications.
• Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a spring coil making and spring
• Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a knotted coil of a type formed on the machine of
• Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a spring coil making and spring
• Fig. 4 is a diagram representing a sample row of differently configured coil
• Fig. 5 is a timing diagram illustrating a sequence of operation of the apparatus
• Fig. 6 is a table illustrating the station locations of different coil spring types
• machine 10 includes a coil forming station 11 at which a length of wire is continuously
• the machine 10 also includes two
• knotting stations 12 and 13 at which knots are successively formed at the ends of each
• treating or tempering station 14 which may also include an indentation or crimping
• the machine 10 is provided with a transfer
• the machine 10 is provided with an indexing mechanism 17 which includes a
• Fig. 2 illustrates a typical hour glass type coil spring 20 of the type formed in the
• the spring 20 includes a coil portion 21 formed at the coiler 11 from a
• a knot 22 is formed in one end of the coil 20. While the knot 22 is being formed,
• another coil portion 21 may be in the process of being formed at the coiler station 11.
• the transfer mechanism 17 transfers the once
• unknotted coil may be simultaneously transferred from the coiler station 11 to the first
• a crimp 24 may also be formed in one or both heads of
• a once knotted coil may be simultaneously transferred from the first knotting station 12
• formed and unknotted coil may be simultaneously transferred from the coiler station 11
• mechanism 17 transfers the coil 20 from the treating station 14 to the transfer station 15
• a twice knotted coil may be simultaneously transferred from
• Fig. 3 illustrates a spring forming and assembly machine 30 according to one
• the machine 30 includes a first coil
• the coil 20 formed at the station 31 is typically restricted in type to that which
• the station 31 is configured to form. In any event, the station 31 will typically have fed
• the coil 20 produced at the station 31 will thus be of a particular size, type and
• the machine 30 is also provided with one or more second coil forming station 32
• station 32 is also typically restricted in type to that which the station 32 is configured
• composition from a single wire supply The coil 20 produced at the station 32 will also be of a second particular size, type and stiffness.
• the machine 30 also includes two knotting stations 33 and 34, which may be
• knots are successively formed at the ends of each coil produced at
• tempering station 35 which may be similar to the heat treating station 14 of the
• the machine 30 is provided with a
• the machine 30 is also provided with an indexing mechanism 40, which may be
• mechanism 10 includes a plurality of spoked arms 41 and an indexing drive 49 that may be of a type similar to a Geneva mechanism or may be in the form of a servo or
• the transfer arms 41 are fixed to and
• the arms 41 are
• the machine 30 may also be provided with one or more other stations 44 and
• the machine 30 is provided with a controller 50, which controls the operation of
• coilers 31 and 32 and to arrange them in different configurations in an array at the
• the controller 50 is to also be a coil from the coiler 31, such a coil is formed and
• next coil in the program in the controller 50 is to be a different type of coil
• the transfer mechanism 40 may rotate until the previously made coil is, for example,
• the transfer mechanism 40 transfers the once
• unknotted coil of a different size, type or stiffness may be simultaneously transferred
• treating station 35 at which an electrical current is applied to the coil to quickly heat
• a crimp 24 may also be formed in one or
• a once knotted coil may be simultaneously transferred from the first
• mechanism 40 transfers the coil 20 from the treating station 35 to the transfer station 36
• tempered coil from station 35 to station 36 a twice knotted coil may be simultaneously
• one of the transfer arms 41 while a once knotted coil may also be simultaneously
• Fig. 4 diagrammatically illustrates a row 60 of coil springs 20 that are of two
• Springs 20 of the configuration designated A are. for example, suffer
• springs of heavier wire and of fewer turns while springs 20 of the configuration
• B are, for example, less stiff springs of lighter wire and of more turns.
• row 60 of springs 20 includes a sample sequence of the two configurations of coils 20
• Fig. 5 illustrates a timing diagram of the control signals 31a-36a and 38a (and 44a
• FIG. 6 illustrates the configuration of spring, A or
• Each of these sub-cycles is separated by a signal 70 from the controller 50 to
• an indexing pulse 70 causes the indexing
• an indexing pulse 70 causes the indexing mechanism to move this A type spring from
• Another indexing pulse 70 is then sent by the controller 50 to the drive 49, causing the A type coil from station 32 to be moved to the first knotting
• an indexing pulse indexes the indexing
• the first coil is knotted at station 34, while a coil spring of the B configuration is coiled
• row 60 is positioned at the coiling station 31, where, in the example illustrated,
• intervals of the next cycle particularly intervals 62a-62g, of the machine when coil
• trigger signal 71 to the conveyor 37 and assembler 38 causes the transfer of the row 60

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Wire Processing (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=25437367

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (4)

Citations (3)

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• 1997
  • 1997-08-22 US US08/916,493 patent/US5934339A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1998
  • 1998-08-20 EP EP98942156A patent/EP1053067A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-08-20 AU AU90271/98A patent/AU9027198A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-08-20 WO PCT/US1998/017257 patent/WO1999010117A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1998-08-20 JP JP2000507489A patent/JP2001513448A/ja not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (3)

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