Spring spreader and method of fabrication and assembly

A leaf spring spreader assembly comprising;

• a tubular frame (20) having legs (22) extending in opposite directions to spaced ends,
• a screw (32) having acme threads about a longitudinal axis and having an inner end disposed in telescoping relationship with and extending axially out of said spaced end of each of said legs (22) to a claw end for engaging the end curl (34) of a leaf spring,
• a nut (36) threadedly engaging each of said screws (32) and reacting with said spaced end of each of said legs (22) for moving the associated screw (32) into and out of said leg (22) associated therewith in response to rotation of said nut (36),
• a bearing (40) disposed about said screw (32) and engaging each of said spaced ends for transmitting thrust loads from and facilitating rotation of said nut (36) associated therewith,
• a plate (42) secured to each of said claw ends and disposed at an angle relative to said axis of said screw (32) associated therewith and extending above said screw (32) associated therewith to an upper-outer corner (44),
• each of said legs (22) having a slot (48) extending along its axis,
• a pin (50) extending radially from each of said screws (32) and into said slot (48) of said leg (22) associated therewith for sliding movement along said slot (48) as said screw (32) moves axially relative to said leg (22), and characterized by
• said tubular frame (20) having a V-shape with said legs (22) extending from an apex (24),
• a cross beam (26) extending across said V-shape and interconnecting said legs (22) for stabilizing said legs (22),
• said cross beam (26) having right angled cross section with each end thereof cradling one of said legs (22) of said frame,
• truss members (28) diverging from one another and interconnecting said cross beam (26) and said legs (22),
• a collar 30) welded to each of said spaced ends of said legs (22),
• each of said bearings (40) engaging one of said collars (30) for transmitting the thrust loads,
• each of said screws (32) having acme threads about said longitudinal axis thereof,
• each of said nuts (36) reacting with said collar (30) at said spaced end of each of said legs (22),
• each of said nuts (36) having cylindrical holes (38) extending radially for receiving a shaft-tool for rotating said nuts (36),
• said angle of said plate (42) relative to said axis being forty degrees,
• each of said plates (42) having a chisel edge between said upper-outer corners (44) to define a guide for engaging the side edges of the end curl (34) of the leaf spring,
• a threaded hole (38) disposed at each of said inner ends of said screws (32), and
• a tension spring (54) with male threaded ends interconnecting said threaded holes (38) of said screws (32) to retain said nuts (36) in engagement with said bearings (40) at said spaced ends of said legs (22) and to allow said screws (32) to be moved axially along into and out of said legs (22).

A method of fabricating a leaf spring spreader assembly of the type including a tubular frame (20) having legs (22) extending in opposite directions to spaced ends, a screw (32) having threads about a longitudinal axis and having an inner end disposed in telescoping relationship with and extending axially out of the spaced end of each of the legs (22) to a claw end for engaging the end curl (34) of a leaf spring, and a nut (36) threadedly engaging each of the screws (32) and reacting with the spaced end of each of the legs (22) for moving the associated screw (32) into and out of the leg (22) associated therewith in response to rotation of the nut (36), and characterized by the steps of;

• connecting the first end of a tension spring (52) to a first screw (32),
• attaching the first end of a string to the second end of the tension spring (52),
• attaching a weight to the second end of the string,
• dropping the weight through the first end of the tubular frame (20) through and beyond the second end of the tubular frame (20),
• inserting the first screw (32) into the first end of the tubular frame (20),
• pulling and holding the string and second end of the male threaded end and second end of the tension spring (52) beyond the second end of the tubular frame (20),
• gripping the second end of the tension spring (52) to hold it beyond the second end of the tubular frame (20),
• removing the string from the second end of the tension spring (52),
• connecting the second end of the tension spring (52) to the second screw (32),
• releasing the gripping and holding of the tension spring (52) out beyond the second end of the tubular frame (20), and
• allowing the second screw (32) to insert into the second end of the tubular frame (20) with the inner ends of both screws (32) biased toward the apex (24) of the tubular frame (20) by the tension spring (52).

A method of fabricating a leaf spring spreader assembly comprising the steps of;

• bending a pipe into a tubular frame (20) having a V-shape with legs (22) extending in opposite directions from an apex (24) to spaced ends,
• welding a cross beam (26) extending across the V-shape and interconnecting the legs (22) for stabilizing the legs (22),
• welding truss members (28) to the cross beam (26) and the legs (22) to diverge from one another,
• welding a collar (30) to each of the spaced ends of the legs (22),
• producing a slot (48) extending axially along each of said legs (22),
• threadedly engaging a nut (36) on each of two screws (32) each having acme threads about a longitudinal axis,
• disposing a bearing (40) about each screw (32) for engaging each of the collars (30),
• welding a plate (42) to a claw end of each of the screws (32) at an angle of forty degrees relative to the axis of the screw (32) associated therewith so as to extend above the screw (32) welded thereto and having a chisel edge (46) between upper-outer corners (44),
• attaching the first end of a tension spring (52) to the inner end of a first of the screws (32),
• attaching an adapter to a first end of a string,
• attaching the adapter to the second end of spring,
• attaching a weight to the second end of the string,
• dropping the weight through the tubular frame (20),
• inserting the first screw (32) into a first leg (22) of the tubular frame (20) to retain the nut (36) thereon in engagement with the bearings (40) thereon and in engagement with the collar (30) at the end of the first leg (22),
• pulling the second end of the tension spring (52) out of the second leg (22),
• gripping the first end of the tension spring (52) to hold the first end of the tension spring (52) out of the second leg (22),
• removing the adapter and string from the first end of the tension spring (52),
• attaching the second end of the tension spring (52) to the second screw (32),
• inserting the second screw (32) into the second leg (22) of the tubular frame (20) to retain the nut (36) thereon in engagement with the bearing (40) thereon in engagement with the collar (30) at the end of the second leg (22) whereby the screws (32) may be pulled axially along into and out of the legs (22) against the biasing of the tension spring (52), and
• securing a pin (50) into a cross hole (38) in each of the screws (32) to extend radially from and into the slot (48) of the surrounding leg (22) for sliding movement along the slot (48) as the screws (32) move axially relative to the legs (22).