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US 4,571,973 AGranted
Method and apparatus for forming a pig tail end on a coil spring
AssigneeMorita Iron Works Co., Ltd.
InventorMotoo Morita
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for producing a barrel-shaped coil spring, by forming a coil spring having a first pig tail at one end, with a second pig tail at the other end. The method comprises providing a winding jig having a spiral stepped portion suited for forming a desired second pit tail; inserting the winding jig into the other end of the coil spring; and providing a rotary spindle for modifying the other end of the coil spring axially and radially relative to the winding jig, thereby winding the other end of the coil spring around the winding jig to form the desired second pig tail. Apparatus for performing the method is disclosed which comprises a winding jig and a cooperative rotary spindle to provide the second pig tail on the coil spring.
Claims22
A method of forming a second pig tail at a second end of a coil spring having a first pig tail at a first end thereof and a cylindrical body portion extending therefrom toward said second end thereof, comprising the steps of:
- orienting said coil spring such that its longitudinal axis is disposed horizontally;
- providing a support which is angularly pivotable, about an axis disposed parallel to said longitudinal axis of said coil spring, between a first inoperative position and a second operative position;
- mounting a winding jig having a spiral stepped portion suited for forming said second pig tail of said coil spring upon said pivotable support;
- moving said pivotable support from said first inoperative position to said second operative position so as to dispose said winding jig at a predetermined position within said cylindrical portion of said coil spring;
- providing a first clamping means upon said pivotable support for cooperation with said winding jig;
- actuating said first clamping means so as to clamp a predetermined portion of said cylindrical portion of said coil spring between said first clamping means and said winding jig and thereby define an initial position from which said second pig tail can be formed;
- providing an elevating pedestal for movement within a vertical direction;
- providing a bed which is movable upon said elevating pedestal in a horizontal direction parallel to said longitudinal axis of said coil spring;
- providing a table which is movable upon said bed in a horizontal direction perpendicular to said directional movement of said bed;
- providing a spindle upon said table which is rotatable about an axis disposed parallel to said longitudinal axis of said coil spring;
- providing a second clamping means upon said spindle for grasping said second end of said coil spring upon which said second pig tail is to be formed;
- actuating said second clamping means so as to clamp said second end of said coil spring;
- and
- controlling said elevating pedestal, said bed, and said table, for in turn controlling said spindle and said second clamping means in rotational, axial, and radial directions relative to said longitudinal axis of said coil spring, so as to wind said second end of said coil spring about said winding jig and thereby form a second pig tail upon said coil spring.
11 more elements
In a coil spring having a first pig tail at one end and a cylindrical portion extending therefrom toward the other end, said coil spring being heated to a predetermined suitable temperature, a method of forming a second pig tail at the other end with said coil spring hot, comprising the steps of:
- placing said coil spring horizontally while directing said other end forward for forming a desired second pig tail;
- providing a winding jig having a spiral stepped portion suited for forming the desired second pig tail;
- inserting said winding jig into a predetermined position within said cylindrical portion of said coil spring;
- providing a first clamping means;
- holding said coil spring at an initial position for forming the desired second pig tail by use of said first clamping means;
- providing a second clamping means which is rotatable and movable in both the axial and radial directions of said coil spring for forming the desired second pig tail;
- clamping said coil spring at said other end by use of said second clamping means;
- controlling said second clamping means to provide as a whole a spiral forming movement including rotational, axial and radial movements;
- providing a flattening means;
- disengaging and retracting said second clamping means from said other end of said coil spring;
- inserting said flattening means into the space between said second clamping means and said other end of said coil spring;
- and
- pressing and flattening the last turn of the second pig tail formed on said other end of said coil spring by use of said flattening means while said coil spring is retained by said first clamping means, thereby modifying said last turn of said second pig tail to a plane surface perpendicular to the central axis of said coil spring.
10 more elements
Apparatus for forming a second pig tail at a second end of a coil spring having a first pig tail at a first end thereof and a cylindrical portion extending therefrom toward said second end thereof, comprising:
- a base;
- frame means mounted upon said base for holding said coil spring such that its longitudinal axis is disposed horizontally;
- holding means mounted upon one end of said frame means for engaging said first pig tail end of said coil spring so as to axially position said coil spring;
- means pivotally mounted upon said frame means about an axis disposed parallel to said longitudinal axis of said coil spring;
- a winding jig carried upon said pivotable means in a cantilevered fashion for insertion into and removal from a space defined between successive coils of said cylindrical portion of said coil spring, said winding jig having a spiral stepped portion suitable for forming a predetermined second pig tail upon said second end of said coil spring;
- first clamping means mounted upon said pivotable means for holding said coil spring at an initial position when forming said predetermined second pig tail;
- an elevating pedestal mounted upon said base at an axial position downstream of said second end of said coil spring as one proceeds in the direction from said first end of said coil spring to said second end of said coil spring, said elevating pedestal being vertically movable relative to said longitudinal axis of said coil spring;
- a bed mounted horizontally upon said elevating pedestal and movable longitudinally in the axial direction of said coil spring;
- a table mounted horizontally upon said bed and movable in the direction perpendicular to the directional movement of said bed so as to be freely slideable transversely relative to said longitudinal axis of said coil spring;
- a rotary spindle rotatably mounted upon said table and longitudinally movable in the axial direction of said coil spring so as to be freely movable in a radially inward direction relative to said coil spring due to the combined movements of said elevating pedestal, said bed, and said table;
- and
- second clamping means mounted upon one end of said rotary spindle for retaining the free extremity of said second end of said coil spring.
9 more elements
Apparatus for forming a second pig tail at a second end of a coil spring having a first pig tail at a first end thereof and a cylindrical portion extending therefrom toward said second end thereof, comprising:
- a base;
- frame means mounted upon said base for holding said coil spring such that its longitudinal axis is disposed horizontally;
- holding means mounted upon one end of said frame means for engaging said first pig tail end of said coil spring so as to axially position said coil spring;
- means pivotably mounted upon said frame means about an axis disposed parallel to said longitudinal axis of said coil spring;
- a winding jig carried upon said pivotable means in a cantilevered fashion for insertion into and removal from a space defined between successive coils of said cylindrical portion of said coil spring, said winding jig having a spiral stepped portion suitable for forming a predetermined second pig tail upon said second end of said coil spring;
- first clamping means mounted upon said pivotable means for holding said coil spring at an initial position when forming said predetermined second pig tail;
- an elevating pedestal mounted upon said base at an axial position downstream of said second end of said coil spring as one proceeds in the direction from said end of said coil spring to said second end of said coil spring, said elevating pedestal being vertically movable relative to said longitudinal axis of said coil spring;
- a bed mounted horizontally upon said elevating pedestal and movable longitudinally in the axial direction of said coil spring;
- a table mounted horizontally upon said bed and movable in a direction perpendicular to the directional movement of said bed so as to be freely slideable transversely relative to said longitudinal axis of said coil spring;
- a rotary spindle rotatably mounted upon said table and longitudinally movable in the axial direction of said coil spring so as to be freely movable in a radially inward direction relative to said coil spring due to the combined movements of said elevating pedestal, said bed, and said table;
- second clamping means mounted upon one end of said rotary spindle for retaining the free extremity of said second end of said coil spring;
- and
- flattening means having a pressing member operatively connected to an actuating cylinder mounted upon said bed for actuating said pressing member in timed relationship with the retraction of said rotary spindle and said second clamping means for interposing said pressing member between said second clamping means and said second pig tail formed upon said second end of said coil spring and then moving said pressing member in timed relationship with the movement of said bed in the axial direction of said coil spring so as to thereby press and modify the last turn of said second pig tail to lie in a common plane.
10 more elements
A method of forming a second pig tail at a second end of a coil spring having a first pig tail at a first end thereof and a cylindrical body portion extending therefrom toward said second end thereof, comprising the steps of:
- orienting said coil spring such that its longitudinal axis is disposed horizontally;
- inserting a winding jig, having a predetermined spiral stepped portion for forming a predetermined second pig tail of said coil spring upon said second end of said coil spring, between a space defined between successive coils of said cylindrical body portion of said coil spring;
- clamping a predetermined portion of said cylindrical portion of said coil spring so as to define an initial position from which said predetermined second pig tail of said coil spring can be formed;
- providing a rotary spindle, having clamping means thereon for grasping said second end of said coil spring upon which said second pig tail is to be formed, for wrapping said second end of said coil spring about said predetermined spiral stepped portion of said winding jig;
- mounting said rotary spindle upon support means which is capable of movement within three, mutually orthogonal directions relative to said longitudinal axis of said coil spring;
- and
- controlling said rotary spindle, and its clamping means, in the rotary direction while simultaneously controlling said rotary spindle support means in said three, mutually orthogonal directions, so as to achieve said formation of said second pig tail upon said second end of said coil spring.
4 more elements
Apparatus for forming a second pig tail upon a second end of a coil spring which is provided with a first pig tail upon a first end thereof, and a cylindrical body portion extending from said first pig tail portion of said spring to said second end thereof, comprising:
- means for supporting said coil spring such that its longitudinal axis is disposed horizontally;
- means mounting a winding jig, having a predetermined spiral stepped portion for forming a predetermined second pig tail of said coil spring upon said second end of said coil spring, for insertion between successive coils of said cylindrical body portion of said coil spring;
- first clamping means for clamping a predetermined portion of said cylindrical portion of said coil spring so as to define an initial position from which said predetermined second pig tail of said coil spring can be formed;
- second clamping means for grasping said second end of said coil spring upon which said second pig tail is to be formed;
- a rotary spindle, upon which said second clamping means is mounted, for wrapping said second end of said coil spring about said predetermined spiral stepped portion of said winding jig;
- and
- means mounting said rotary spindle for translational movement along three mutually orthogonal axes relative to said longitudinal axis of said coil spring.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.