Apparatus and method for making a shaped-spring assembly for use in a magnetic head-to-media backer device

A method of making a shaped spring assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

• alternatively providing shaped springs and spacer members on a first section of a base member so as to create a row of the shaped springs with the spacer members located between the shaped springs;
• providing a shaped spring cavity on a second section of the base member;
• and
• pushing a first shaped spring of the row of shaped springs which is furthest from said shaped spring cavity, so as to urge a second shaped spring from the row of shaped springs which is closest to said shaped spring cavity out of the first section of the base member and into the shaped spring cavity so as to form a shaped spring assembly.

A shaped spring magazine arrangement for making a shaped spring assembly, the shaped spring magazine arrangement comprising:

• a base member having a first part adapted to hold at least one shaped spring and a second part adapted to hold a shaped spring cavity;
• a spacer member provided between the at least one shaped spring and a further shaped spring on the first part of the base member;
• and
• a loading member adapted to load the at least one shaped spring into the shaped spring cavity.

A method of making a shaped spring assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

• positioning shaped springs in a row on a first part of a base member;
• placing an empty shaped spring cavity on a second part of the base member;
• loading one of the shaped springs in the row of shaped springs into the empty shaped spring cavity;
• and
• placing spacer members between the shaped springs in the row of shaped spring.