# Patent

## Title
Computer controlled welding robot

## Abstract

It is a method of making spring washers by means of a laser beam and a spring coil; the laser beam is focused perpendicularly at the spring coil in a 1/3 depth from the surface of the spring coil; a relative movement between the laser beam and the spring coil is made during cutting the spring coil.

## Background
The spring washers have widely been used in mechanical parts, and have become indispensable parts in the mechanical field. According to the conventional method of making spring washers, a steel wire is first wound into a spring coil, and then the spring coil is cut, with a punching machine, into a plurality of spring washers; however, the conventional method of making spring washer results in a considerable noise, which would badly affect the working efficiency of washer. Moreover, since the working speed of a punching machine is limited, the production efficiency would be bottlenecked thereby, and the quality of the products cannot easily be controlled at a given level.

This invention relates to a method of using laser to cut a spring coil into a plurality of spring washers.

The prime object of the present invention is to provide a laser processing method to replace the punching method of making spring washer with a view of improving the product quality and the efficiency of production.

The major feature of the present invention is to use a laser beam to aim at the axis of a spring coil perpendicularly, and the laser beam is focused to a point about 1/3 in depth from the surface of the coil. During cutting operation, the spring coil moves axially and relatively to the laser beam.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the processing tools according to the method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1 according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a spring wash made according to the method of the present invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of the processing tools according to the method of the present invention; the laser beam 1 is jetted out of the nozzle 2, and is focused at a point F for cutting the spring washer 3 already formed. The spring coil 3 is fixed in place by means of a clamp (not shown), and the axis 30 of the spring coil 3 is perpendiculor to the laser beam 1. The spring coil 3 moves, relative to the nozzle 2, along the axis 4 thereof during cutting operation. The strength and the moving speed are to be adjusted adequately so as to cut only the part which is close to the nozzle 2 without damaging the other part of the spring coil.

Referring to FIG. 2, it is a side view of FIG. 1, showing the focus F of the laser beam 1 is felt at the 1/3 diameter point under the coil surface 35. Since the spring coil 3 is moving relatively to the nozzle 2, every spring washer will be cut from it with an open gap 31, as shown in FIG. 3.

## Claims

1. A method of making a spring washer comprising the steps of: stock from which a plurality of individual spring washers are to be cut, said spring coil further including a central axis; intersecting with said spring coil central axis; diameter of said spring coil; and said spring coil into a plurality of individual spring washers.