Systems and methods of manufacturing flexible spring members for gas spring assemblies
AssigneeFirestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
InventorJames C. Piotrowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems include a creel assembly supporting a plurality of spools containing at least one cord having an indeterminate length such that a plurality of cords are supported on the creel assembly. A tensioner assembly operative to tension approximately equal predetermined lengths of the plurality of cords received from the creel assembly. A building mandrel supported for rotation and translation. A head assembly supported in fixed relation to the building mandrel. The head assembly is positioned co-axially such that the building mandrel can pass through an opening in the head assembly during translation. Methods of manufacture are included, as are flexible spring members and gas spring assemblies.
Claims20
A system for manufacturing a flexible spring member dimensioned for forming an associated gas spring assembly, said system comprising:
- a creel assembly supporting a plurality of spools containing at least one cord having an indeterminate length such that a plurality of cords is supported on said creel assembly, said creel assembly including a brake system operatively engaging at least one of said plurality of spools to generate rotational drag thereon, said brake system including a ferrous metal plate supported in a fixed position on said creel assembly adjacent said at least one of said plurality of spools and a magnetic brake element operatively engaged with said at least one of said plurality of spools, said magnetic brake element magnetically coupled with said ferrous metal plate such that rotation of said at least one of said plurality of spools generates frictional drag between said magnetic brake element and said ferrous metal plate;
- a tensioner assembly spaced apart from said creel assembly and operative to tension approximately equal predetermined length of said plurality of cords received from said creel assembly;
- a building mandrel disposed in spaced relation to said tensioner assembly, said building mandrel supported for rotation about a longitudinal axis and translation along said longitudinal axis;
- and,
- a head assembly including an opening extending therethrough and positioned co-axially relative to said building mandrel such that said building mandrel passes through said opening in said head assembly during translation along said longitudinal axis, said head assembly operative to position and redirect said plurality of cords onto said building mandrel during translation and rotation thereof relative to said head assembly.
A system for manufacturing a flexible spring member dimensioned for forming an associated gas spring assembly, said system comprising:
- a creel assembly supporting a plurality of spools containing at least one cord having an indeterminate length such that a plurality of cords is supported on said creel assembly;
- a tensioner assembly spaced apart from said creel assembly and operative to tension approximately equal predetermined length of said plurality of cords received from said creel assembly, said tensioner assembly including an entrance wrap bar, an exit wrap bar and at least one dancer roll tensioning said plurality of cords between said entrance wrap bar and said exit wrap bar;
- a building mandrel disposed in spaced relation to said tensioner assembly, said building mandrel supported for rotation about a longitudinal axis and translation along said longitudinal axis;
- and,
- a head assembly including an opening extending therethrough and positioned co-axially relative to said building mandrel such that said building mandrel passes through said opening in said head assembly during translation along said longitudinal axis, said head assembly operative to position and redirect said plurality of cords onto said building mandrel during translation and rotation thereof relative to said head assembly.
A system for manufacturing a flexible spring member dimensioned for forming an associated gas spring assembly, said system comprising:
- a creel assembly supporting a plurality of spools containing at least one cord having an indeterminate length such that a plurality of cords are supported on said creel assembly;
- a tensioner assembly spaced apart from said creel assembly and operative to tension approximately equal predetermined length of said plurality of cords received from said creel assembly;
- a building mandrel disposed in spaced relation to said tensioner assembly, said building mandrel supported for rotation about a longitudinal axis and translation along said longitudinal axis;
- and,
- a head assembly including an opening extending therethrough and positioned co-axially relative to said building mandrel such that said building mandrel passes through said opening in said head assembly during translation along said longitudinal axis, said head assembly operative to position and redirect said plurality of cords onto said building mandrel during translation and rotation thereof relative to said head assembly, said head assembly including a first head ring assembly and a second head ring assembly supported in axially spaced relation to one another such that a cord head throat is formed therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.