Method and apparatus for separating helical springs closed by knots at their winding ends

Abstract

A method and apparatus for separating helical springs with knots at their coil ends, for mattress spring frames, in which the springs are moved upright and entangled in sliding guides by a conveyor belt against a stop. The lower coil end of the springs touching the stop is grasped by a gripping member. The stop is moved to an inactive position and the gripping member pulls the grasped coil end from the sliding guide by an amount equivalent to spring wire thickness. Then the stop returns to its active position and the gripping member pivots the spring by 90.degree. into a lying position where the far end of the coil is grasped by a spring turning member. The gripping member releases the spring and returns to the starting position. Then the spring turning member rotates the spring until the knot touches a stop. After release, the spring is grasped by another gripping member and passed on to the spring frame assembly machine. The gripping member has a hook beam shiftable on a holder by an actuating member which are jointly pivotal by about 90.degree.. The stop strip is fastened to a rocking lever and can be pivoted with the latter to an inactive position. Two rollers engage the outside of the coil end and another roller engages the inside of the coil end.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.