US2134469A - Spring forming device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 25, 1938. c. R. BERGEVIN SPRING FORMING DEVICE Filed Oct. 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J 2 MAG Oct. 25, 1938. c R. BERGEVIN 2,134,469

F1 a ir I :1

Patented Oct. 25,1938

, j UNITED STATES PATEN -OFFI SPRING FORMING 7 Charles R. Bergvin,

Y ,Torrington,

. Application October Torrington, Conn, assignor to The Torrington Manufacturing' Company,

Conn, a corporation of Connecticut 26, 1937, Serial No. 171,120

10 Claims. (01.140402) 7 H bolts 4 passing through slots '5 in the arms 2,

The present invention relates to a device for forming or bending "wound-springs or the typecommonly'known astorsionspringsi. e., springs having 'coiled bodies of different lengths and diameters, with their projecting' ends formed or bent to suit various purposes forywhich the springs may be used. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved device of the above indicated character; which, by its op-' eration, is adapted to form bends of diiferent degrees at any desired angle to the axis of the coiled body of a ent invention is particularly characterized by an angularly adjustable head carrying a number of forming tools, independently controllable from a central drivingelementwithin the head,

so as to perform bending operations on the end of a spring, in any 'desiredseduence. -These forming tools operate at an angle to the axis of the wire portion being formed, thereby making it possible to form complicated bends without interference between the working portions of the tools. .The above and other advantageous features of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear from the following descriptionjconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in whichza Fig. 1 is; a-view in front elevation, of 'a'forming device embodying the invention-.-

Fig. 2 is a view partially i-n'horizontal section, and partially in plan, of "the device ofFig. 1. Fig. '3 is a vertical sectionalview along the line 3-3 ofFig. 2, looking inthedirectio'n of:

the arrows. Y 1

Figs; 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views, illustrating the functioning of one pair of forming tools. .Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic View of a'further step in the forming operation, as viewed from the front of the device. a

Figs. '7 and 8 are diagrammatic views, illustrating the functioning of the tools shownin Fig. 6, as viewed in plan. Fig.9 is a'view, in

perspective, of a completed formed by the device of Fig. 10 is a fragmentary View of a tool slide actuator.-

; Like reference characters refer. to like parts in the different figures.

. Referring firstto: Figs. rand 2', the forming device consists of a base I, providing upwardly extending arms 2, between which a bracketyi isI-mounted. The bracket 3 is securedtoz the arms 2 by bolts! threadedinto the bracket,the

adjusting the vertical spring' The device of the prescarrying the head H] the tube 28,

whereby the bracket 3 may be clamped in. different positions. Studs E threaded through lugs 1 provided by the bracket 3, bear on the upper surfaces of the arms 2 and provide means for closely position of the bracket 3 when the bolts 4 are loosened.

The bracket '3 provides a cylindrical'opening 8, in which is received a drum 9 carrying a forming. toolhead i0, whichprojebts beyond the opening 8, and is securedto the front end of the drum 9 by screws H, see Fig. l. V The drum 9 and other associated parts, hereinafter described, is angularly adjustable Within the bracket 3 about the axis of the opening8. In order to clamp the drum Qand" the head-:10 in any desired angular position, the bracket 3 provides a' set screw l2, accessible from the top. of the bracket, the end of which is received in 'a groove l3 extending around the periphery of the drum9.

The drum 9 provides a central opening M, in which: is received asleeve I5, extending rearwardlythrough the bracket 3, and carrying bearings IS, on which is rotatably mounted a sleeve I! carrying a number of cams l8, I9, and 2!, as best shown in Fig.2. A pinion 22 is also mounted on the sleeve [1, and is in mesh with a'gear 23 mounted on a stud 24 carried by an arm 25 securedto the base lat 26, so that the stud 24'is'fixed with respect to the rotatable cam sleeve IT. The gear 23 is adapted tobe driven from any suitable source of power, not shown, so as to rotate all of. the cams l8, I9, 29

' and 2| in. unison.

The central drum sleeve l5 provides an opening l5a, in which is received a wire guide 21 and a cutting tube 28, which extends into the tool head It) and terminates in a conical nose 28a. Wire 29 extends through the guide 2! and and is adapted to be wound into a spring S in any suitable manner, as by means of a rotatably driven winding arbor 30, see Fig. 4. When'a spring S has been wound, asshowr; in Fig. 2,a straight portion S extends between the coiled body of the spring and the cutting nose 28a, and it is the function of the device of the present invention to sever the spring S from, the wire 21, and :to suitably form its end portion S.

For this purpose, the head l0 carries group of forming tools 3|, 32,

tool is adjustably mounted in a'slide 35, movable on the head ID by mechanism, shown in Fig. 2, with relation to the particular cam |8 which operates the slide 35 carrying the tool 34. It is obvious, however, that each tool slide 35 is driven in the same manner by its associated cam, so that it is unnecessary to describe in detail the mechanism for driving each individual tool slide.

Each tool slide 35 is movable between radial ways 36 provided by the head I0, and a spring 31 serves to yieldingly maintain a lug 38, provided by the slide, in engagement with a ball 39'" carried at the offset end of a crank arm '40, forming part of a shaft 4|, as shown in Fig. .10. The shaft 4| is rotatably mounted in an opening 42, extending through the drum 9, and the opposite, end of the shaft 4| carries an arm 43 carrying a roller 44 in engagement with the cam l8. It is. obvious from a consideration of Fig. 3, that rotation of the cam sleeve II will cause the projection |8a of the cam l8 to turn-the shaft 4|, and thereby cause the ball 39 at the end of the crank arm to move the tool slide 35 in the direction of the end portion S of the spring S. In considering such movement of the tool slide 35, it should be noted that the projecting face of the head I0 is conical in form, sothat the ways 36 are parallel to the surface of the cutting nose 28c, and consequently each tool travels in a line, makingan acute angle to the axis of the wire 29. This angularity of the tools is an important factor in the facility with which the end of a spring may be bent into different forms by a sequence of operation of the tools, as will now be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive.

Referring first to Fig. 4, the tools 3| and 32 are shown in the positions which they occupy with reference to the tube 28 at the start of the sequence of tool operations, which results in forming or bending the straight portion S of the previously wound spring S. Rotation of the cam sleeve starting from the position of Fig. 3, first causes the cam projection lBa to move the tool 3| to the dotted line position, where it remains for an appreciable period, during which the other tools function. Cam projection 2|a then causes the tool 32 to move in the direction of the arrow, thereby severing the wire 29 at the nose 28a, the then stationary tool 3| serving to support the wire beyond the nose, as the cutting takes place. Continued rotation of the cam sleeve then causes the tool 32 to move into the position of Fig. 5, with the tool 3| remaining in its position, in engagement with the wire, thereby imparting a bend to the free end of the coil portion S. While the portion S is shown as having had a substantially bend imparted thereto by operation of the tools 3| and 32, obviously, the degree of bend can be varied to be more or less than 90 by altering the inclination of the tool faces. In determining the angle of bend,'-the fact that the tool slides 35 move at an angle to the axis of the wire, makes it possible to bend the wire at either an acute or an obtuse anglefas desired, a result impossible of accomplishment were the tools to be moved only at right angles to the wire axisj Following the formation of the bend shown in Fig. 5, the cutting and forming tool 32 is retracted, as shown in Fig. 6, while the tool 3| remains in the position shown. The cam projection |8a then causes the tool 34 to engage the spring portion S at an appreciable distance from the bend,

which movement is accompanied by movement of the tool 33 in the direction of the arrow, so that its end will engage the spring portion S in the tool 34, to impart a second bend in a plane at right angles to the first bend. The completed spring then appears as shown in Fig. 9.

While, as shown in Figs. 5 and 8, the bends formed in the spring portion S lie in substantially vertical and horizontal planes with respect to the horizontally extending portion S, the planes of these bends can be readily changed without changing the several tools. As previously pointed out, the cylindrical drum 9 is adjustable angularly within the opening 8 of the bracket 3, upon loosening the clamping screw l2, and so by rotating the entire tool assembly with the drum 9, the planes of the bends can be altered as desired. Furthermore, each tool 3| to 34, inclusive, is adjustable within its slide 35, by means of a screw 45 threaded into the slide 35 and received in a slot 46 provided in the tool. Upon loosening the screw, small adjustments of a tool can be made to suit the diameter of the wire 29, the final position of the tool being determined by a backing stud 4'| threaded into a portion of the slide 35. When it is desired to line up the wire guide 21 and cutting tube 28 with the arbor 30 of a spring winding machine, vertical adjustment. of the wire axis can be obtained without disturbing the setting of the tools by means of the adjusting studs 6, with the bracket 3 being finally clamped in adjusting position by the bolts 4.

I claim,

1. In a device of the class described, means for supporting a wire, a head surrounding said wire supporting means, a plurality of tools mounted on said head for movement at different angles with respect to said wire, and means symmetrically arranged about the wire axis and carried by said head for separately actuating said tools and performing a sequence of bending operations on said wire.

2. In a device of the class described, means for supporting a wire,'a head surrounding said wire supporting means, a plurality of tools mounted on said headfor movement at different angles with respect to said Wire, and means symmetrically arranged about the wire axis and carried by said head for separately actuating said tools and causing them to first cut and then perform a succession of bending operations on said Wire.

3. In a device of the class described, means for supporting a wire, a head surrounding said wire supporting means, a plurality of tools mounted on said head for movement at different angles with respect to said wire, and means symmetrically arranged about the wire axis and carried by said head for separately actuating said tools and performing a sequence of bending operations on said wire, said head, tools and actuating means being adjustable about the axis of said wire to vary in unison the angular relation of all of said tools with respect to said wire.

4. In a device of the class described, means for supporting a length of wire, a head providing guideways radiating from the axis of said wire, tools mounted in said guideways, and means carried by said head for successively imparting movetend between said cams ment to. said tools for engaging and bending said wire, said head being adjustable about the axis of said wire to simultaneously shift all of said guideways and tools about the wire axis.

5. In a device of the class described, a wire guide, a head surrounding said guide providing guideways radiating from the axis of a wire in said guide, tools movable in said guideways, a member rotatable on said headabout the wire axis and means carried by said head and symmetrically arranged above the wire axis to be operated from said member for actuating said tools in sequence to perform successive bending operations on said wire.

6. In a device of the class described, awire guide, a head surrounding said guide providing guideways radiating from the axis of a wire in said guide, tools movable in saidguideways, a member rotatable on said head about the wire axis, a series of cams mounted on said member and connections carried by said head and emmetrically arranged about the wire axis to exand said tools for causing said tools to perform a series of bending operations on said wire.

7. In a device of the class described, a wire guide, a head surrounding said guide providing guideways radiating 'from the axis of a wire in said guide, tools movable in said guideways, a member rotatable on said head about the wire axis and means operated from said member for justable as a unit about supporting a wire,

actuating said tools in sequence to perform successive bending operations on said wire, said head, tools and tool actuating mechanism being adthe wire axis.

8. In a device of the class described, a wire guide, a head surrounding said guide providing guideways radiating from the axis of a wire in said guide, tools movable in said guideways, a member rotatable on said head about the wire axis, a series of cams mounted on said member and connections between said cams and said tools for causing said tools to perform a series of bending operations on said wire, said head, tools, cams and driving connections being adjustable as a unit about the wire axis.

9. In a device of the class described, means for supporting a wire, a head providing guideways radiating from said wire at an acute angle to the axis of said wire, tools in said guideways and means for causing said tools to perform a succession of operations on said wire.

10. In a device of the class described, means for a head providing guideways radiating from said wire at an acute angle to the axis of said wire, tools in said guideways and means carried by said head and symmetrically arranged about the wire axis for causing said tools to perform a succession of bending operations on said wire, with said tools engaging said wire at an acute angle to its axis.

CHARLES R. BERGEVIN.

I CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. I Patent No. 2,151+,h69. October 25, 1958.

I CHARLES R. v BERGEVIN It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows; Page 5 first eolilinn, line 11, claim 5, for the word "above" read about; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office. I

" Signed and sealed this 29th day of November, A. D. 19.58

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) I Acting Commissioner, of Patents.

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