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US 5,479,683 AGranted
Three-dimensional eyewinder apparatus
AssigneeBausch & Lomb Incorporated
InventorsRory L. C. Flemmer, David L. Byron
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An eyewinder system 10 has stations 100-108 for straightening, bending, measuring and transporting a wire 11 to form an eyewire 109. A controller 120 controls each station. Using information from tension and length measuring stations 104, 105, the controller 120 can accurately operate the second bending station 107. The eyewire 109 is inspected for accurate bends by an inspection system 140 that compares the bends in the eyewire 109 to predetermined radii of curvature.
Claims18
An eyewinder comprising:
- a first transport station for transporting a wire;
- a first bending station for bending a wire in a first direction;
- a second bending station spaced from said first bending station for bending the wire in a second direction;
- a monitoring station disposed between the first and second bending stations for monitoring physical characteristics of the wire and generating monitor signals representative of said physical characteristics;
- a shearing station for shearing a portion of the wire having first and second bends from the rest of the wire;
- a controller coupled to the stations for receiving the monitoring signals from the monitor station and for operating the stations in accordance with the predetermined program and with the monitor signals.
3 more elements
An eyewinder comprising:
- a first transport station for transporting a wire;
- first and second bending stations for bending a wire in first and second directions, respectively;
- a length measurement station disposed between said first and second bending stations for measuring the length of bent wire between the first and second bending stations;
- a shearing station for shearing a portion of the wire having first and second bends from the rest of the wire;
- a controller coupled to the stations for operating the stations in accordance with a predetermined program and for bending the wire at the second station in accordance with measurements made at said length measurement station.
2 more elements
An eyewinder comprising:
- first and second bending stations for bending a wire in first and second directions, respectively;
- first and second transport stations for respectively transporting a wire to first and second bending stations;
- a tension measuring station for measuring the tension of the wire between the first bending station and the second bending station;
- a shearing station for shearing a portion of the wire having first and second bends from the rest of the wire;
- a controller coupled to the stations for operating the stations in accordance with a predetermined program and for operating said transport stations in accordance with measurements made at said tension measurement station.
2 more elements
An eyewinder comprising:
- first and second bending stations for bending a wire in first and second directions, respectively;
- first and second transport stations for respectively transporting a wire to first and second bending stations;
- a length measurement station disposed between said first and second bending stations for measuring the length of bent wire between the first and second bending stations;
- a shearing station for shearing a portion of the wire having first and second bends from the rest of the wire;
- a controller coupled to the stations for operating the stations in accordance with a predetermined program and for operating said transport stations, second bending station and shearing station in accordance with measurements made at said length measurement station to feed a portion of the wire having only a first bend into said shearing station.
2 more elements
An eyewinder comprising:
- first and second bending stations for bending a wire in first and second directions, respectively;
- first and second transport stations for respectively transporting a wire to first and second bending stations, said bending stations comprising at least one transport station having a plurality of pairs of drive rollers for receiving a wire between each pair of drive rollers and an endless drive belt travelling between each of said pair of drive rollers for engaging said rollers and turning said rollers as said belt travel between said rollers;
- a tension measuring station for measuring the tension of the wire between the first bending station and the second bending station;
- a shearing station for shearing a portion of the wire having first and second bends from the rest of the wire;
- a controller coupled to the stations for operating the stations in accordance with a predetermined program and for operating said transport stations in accordance with measurements made at said tension measurement station.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.