Linear-spring forming apparatus

A linear-spring forming apparatus including:

• a quill for guiding a linear material;
• a rotatable table arranged to rotate about the quill;
• a multiplicity of slide units radially arranged on, and in the circumferential direction of, the rotatable table at substantially equal angular intervals, each of the slide units being slidable in the radial directions of the rotatable table;
• a multiplicity of slide plates arranged outside, and in the circumferential direction of, the rotatable table at equal angular intervals in association with the respective slide units, each slide plate being movable in the radially inward and outward directions when driven by a servo-motor such that a selected one of the slide plates advances one of the associated slide unit towards the axis of the quill at a right angle thereto until a tool mounted on the slide unit abuts against the linear material fed from the leading end of the quill to form a linear spring, the spring forming apparatus characterized in that:
• every two slide plates neighboring in pairs in the circumferential direction of the rotatable table are provided with a servo-motor for selectively advancing and retracting the respective slide plates;
• the servo-motor is arranged between the paired slide plates at substantially right angles with respect to the respective slide plates;
• the servo-motor is provided on an output shaft thereof with a rotary disc having a pair of pins formed at the same distance from the rotational axis of the output shaft and spaced apart through a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction of the disc;
• and
• each of the paired slide plates is provided on the rear end thereof with a notch adapted to selectively engage with one of the paired pins during a forward and a backward half rotation of the output shaft.