US3481177A - Wire bending assembly - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 2, 1969 J. E. JOYCE 3,481,177

' WIRE BENDING ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 29, 1967 INVENTOR.

.ziu/wgm ATTORNEYS MW 5% Z United States Patent Int. Cl. B21f 1/00 U.S. Cl. 72-404 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A wire bending assembly including first and second pairs of bending means adapted to receive a plurality of wires for bending the wires generally about horizontal axes. Each bending means includes an anvil means and a bending head which is movable relative to the anvil means for engaging and bending the wire about the anvil means. The bending means are horizontally spaced and disposed in line with one another with the second pair of bending means being disposed between the first pair of bending means. A control means is included to sequence the bending means for placing two outboard bends in the wire with the first pair of bending means and thereafter placing two additional inboard bends in the wire with the second bending means to form an enclosed wire frame. The anvil means of the respective bending means are sequentially retracted to allow the wire to pass thereby so that when the wire is formed into the wire-like frame the anvil means of the second pair of bending means are retracted to allow the wire frame to fall under the force of gravity. A pair of spaced inclined rails are disposed between the second pair of bending means so that the wire frame falls under the force of gravity onto the rails and then slides down the rails to a stop means on the lower end where the wire frames may be conveniently removed.

The instant invention relates to a wire bending apparatus of the type for bending a straight length of wire into a generally rectangular configuration having rounded corners. Such wire frames are utilized as border wires in mattresses, box springs and similar spring assemblies. These wire frames are, therefore, frequently quite large. For example, such Wireframes may be in the order of six feet in length and over four feet in width.

Heretofore, such wire frames have been formed from straight lengths of wire by bending the wire about vertical axes so that the finished wire frame is disposed in a substantially horizontal plane. Normally the assembly includes a large planar table over which the wire slides as the bends are placed therein. Such tables require a very large amount of space and it is necessary for the wire frames to be manually removed from the bending table.

Accordingly, it is an object and feature of this invention to provide a novel wire bending assembly for bending a straight length of wire into a substantially rectangular wire frame and which occupies a minimum of space and eliminates the necessity for manually removing the wire frames from the bending apparatus.

Another object and feature of this invention is to provide a novel wire bending assembly including first and second pairs of horizontally disposed bending means which sequentially place bends in one or more wires for forming substantially vertically disposed wire frames.

In correlation with the foregoing objects and features another object and feature of this invention is to provide a wire bending assembly which is operable to allow the vertically disposed wire frames to drop onto a receiving means under the force of gravity.

Other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view disclosing a preferred embodiment of the instant invention in the initial or pre-bending position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevational View of the preferred embodiment showing the first pair of bending means having formed spaced bends in the wire;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the preferred embodiment showing the second pair of bending means having formed the second pair of bends in the wire to form a wire frame; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 44 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a preferred embodiment of the wire bending assembly of the instant invention is generally shown at 10.

The wire bending assembly includes a first pair of bending means 12 and a second pair of bending means 14 which are adapted to receive a plurality of Wires 16 for bending the individual wires 16 about generally horizontal axes, one of which is shown at 18 in FIGURE 4. The bending means 12 and 14 are horizontally spaced and disposed in line with one another and the second pair of bending means 14 are disposed between the first pair of bending means 12. There is also included control means generally shown at 18 to sequence the bending means 12 and 14 for placing two bends in the wire 16 with the first pair of bending means 12 as illustrated in FIGURE 2 and thereafter placing two additional bends in the wire with the second pair of bending means 14 to form an enclosed wire frame as illustrated in FIGURE 3.

A pair of V-shaped notches 20 are placed in the wires 16 before the wires 16 are disposed in the assembly as illustrated in FIGURE. 1. As illustrated in FIGURE 3, when the wires 16 are bent into substantially rectangular frames, the V-shaped notches 20 engage one another. After the wires 16 have been formed into a frame as illustrated in FIGURE 3, a clip or the like is disposed about the overlapping ends adjacent or on the V-shaped notches 20 and the V-shaped notches 20 prevent relative sliding movement between the overlapping ends.

The assembly includes a support means comprising the plate 22. Each of the bending means 12 and 14 comprises an anvil means 24 and a bending head 26 which is movable relative to the anvil means for engaging and bending the wire 16 about the anvil means 24. Each bending head 26 is supported on a shaft 28 which extends through the plate 22. Each shaft 28 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 30.

Each anvil means 24, as illustrated, comprises a cylindrical member slidably supported in a sleeve 32. There is included first and second actuation means comprising the hydraulic cylinders 34 (only one shown) for retracting the anvil means 24 of the first pair of bending means 12 to allow the wire 16 to move therepast after the first bends are placed in the wires 16 as illustrated in FIG- URE 2. In clarification, a hydraulic cylinder 34 is associated with each anvil means 24, the second pair of hydraulic cylinders 34 comprise second actuation means for retracting the anvil means 24 of the second pair of bending means 14 to allow the wire frame 16 to drop therefrom under the force of gravity. The control means also includes first means comprising a pair of racks 36 and pinions 38 (only one shown) for moving the bending heads 26 of the first pair of bending means 12 to bend the wire about the anvil means 24 thereof as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Again in clarification, a rack 36 and pinion 38 is associated with each bending head 26. The control means further includes a second means comprising the second pair of racks and pinions 36 and 38 for moving the bending heads 26 of the second pair of bending means 14 to bend the wire about the anvil means 24 thereof as illustrated in FIGURE 3.

There is also included a receiving means comprising the spaced parallel rails 40 disposed below the second pair of bending means 14 for engaging and supporting the wire frames after they drop from the second pair of bending means 14. The rails 40 are attached to the plate 22 and provide surfaces which are inclined downwardly away from a position below the second pair of bending means 14. There is also included stop means comprising the upwardly extending member 42 disposed at the lower ends of the rails 40.

In operation, one or more wires 16 are disposed upon the anvil means 24 of the respective bending means 12 and 14 as illustrated in FIGURE 1. The racks 36 are then moved as by an electric motor or a hydraulic cylinder to rotate the pinion 38 which in turn rotates the shaft 28 to rotate the bending heads 26 of the bending means 12 to place outboard bends in the wires 16 as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Thereafter, two of the hydraulic cylinders 34 are actuated to retract the anvil means 24 of the bending means 12. Thereafter the second pair of racks 36 are moved to rotate the bending heads 26 of the second pair of bending means 14. As the Wires 16 are bent about the anvil means 24 of the second pair of bending means 14 the wires 16 move past the retracted anvil means 24 of the outboard or first pair of bending means 12. After the wires 16 have been bent into a substantially rectangular frame as illustrated in FIGURE 3, the second pair of hydraulic cylinders 34 are actuated to retract the anvil means 24 of the second pair of bending means 14. Once the anvil means 24 of the second pair of bending means 14 have been retracted the Wire frames drop under the force of gravity and onto the rails 40. After the frames have fallen onto the rails 40 they slide downwardly to the position illustrated in FIGURE 4 against the stops 42 Where they may be easily removed.

The instant invention, therefore, provides a novel method of forming a plurality of substantially rectangular wire frames from a plurality of straight lengths of wire by first bending the wire about two spaced horizontal axes, which as illustrated are the axes of the anvil means 24 of the first pair of bending means 12, and thereafter bending the wire about two spaced substantially horizontal axes which are disposed in line with and between the first mentioned axes to form a substantially rectangular wire frame which is disposed in a substantially vertical plane, the latter two axes being the axes of anvil means 24 of the second pair of bending means 14 as illustrated. In addition, the novel method includes the step of dropping the wire frame onto an inclined surface, or allowing the wire frame to drop under the force of gravity and onto an inclined surface.

The invention has been described in an illustrative manner and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that Within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Apparatus for forming bent wire articles comprising: support means, at least one pair of horizontally spaced anvils mounted on the support means and normally extending horizontally therefrom to support a length of wire to be bent, a pair of bending heads movably mounted on the support means and selectively engageable with the anvils to bend the Wire around the anvils, actuation means for simultaneously displacing the anvils relative to the support means to drop the bent wire, and receiving means mounted on the support means between and vertically beneath the anvils to catch the wire dropped from the anvils, the receiving means including at least one rail angled downwardly and outwardly from the support means and a stop adjacent the terminal end of the rail whereby a plurality of the bent wire articles may be dropped to the receiving means and stored for later removal.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the receiving means includes two parallel and horizontally spaced rails angled downwardly and outwardly from the support means and having upturned terminal ends to form stops thereby to hold a plurality of the bent wires thereon for later removal.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the bending heads is pivotally mounted on the support means for rotation about a horizontal axis, and control means for rotating the bending heads into engagement with the anvils.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the control means includes, for each of the bending heads, a shaft disposed along said horizontal axis and having one end connected to the bending head, a pinion mounted on the other end of the shaft, and means engaging the pinion for imparting rotational motion thereto.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the actuation means includes, for each of the anvils, a sleeve mounted on the support means opposite the bending heads and a hydraulic cylinder for retracting the anvil into the sleeve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,869,591 1/1959 Larkin 72-404 RONALD D. GREFE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 72-426

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