Abstract:
An end point spring separator is positioned adjacent a dispensing area of a pneumatic tube having a plurality of coil springs in serial order therethrough. The separator rotates a downstream positioned coil spring while holding stationary an adjacent upstream positioned coil spring to separate potentially entangled ends of each spring passing thereby.

Description:
[0001]    This invention claims priority of provisional application Ser. No. 61/949525 filed Mar. 7, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0002]    This invention relates to a device for separating entangled coil springs and, more particularly, to an end stage spring separator for separating end entangled coil springs that are already positioned in serial, generally axially aligned position. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In order to assemble products that feature the use of springs therein, springs have to be fed from a storage position to a position adjacent an assembly line where they may be either robotically positioned or installed manually by a worker on that assembly line. Applicant has created a spring detangler that is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,079,456 in which clumps of springs received in a container mounted on a pallet are positioned in a hopper and then fed into a rotating chamber where they are separated. Thereafter, the springs are fed to a position remote from the detangler through a feed tube having a cavity therein which is slightly larger diametrically than the springs to be detangled. As a result, the springs are fed serially toward that remote location. It has become apparent that even through the coil springs are originally detangled and positioned in the vacuum tube, they may rotate therein by the vacuum forces so as to be end to end engaged, although it be an amount less entanglement than prior to their being positioned in the detangler. 
         [0004]    A need has developed for a spring separator to act to rotate in line springs fed through a tube, whether from a spring detangler or otherwise, to separate the spring so they can be individually manipulated in a product assembly process. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The invention resides in a spring separator comprising a receiver chamber for receiving a pair of end connected springs in substantial axial alignment therein as part of a plurality of such springs. The receiver chamber includes a reciprocating stop member for engaging an upstream one of the pair of springs and stopping any motion of it. The receiving chamber further includes a rotating member for engaging a downstream one of said pair of springs. The rotating member disconnects the downward spring from said upward spring. The receiving chamber further includes a source of air pressure differentiation or gravity to move each downstream spring outwardly of the separator. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention may best be understood from the following detailed description of a currently preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is an elevational perspective view of the spring separator, constructed in accordance with the present invention, with a motor cover therefor positioned to uncover a drive motor for the spring separator; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a bottom ¾ elevational view of the spring separator of the present invention showing the motor drive and showing a spring in the downstream portion of the separator; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of the spring separator of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is an elevational cross sectional view taken substantially along line  4 - 4  of 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  with the roller shown in unengaged position; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view similar to  FIG. 4  with the roller shown in engaged position and the pivot lever shown in upward and arm of the lever at the same time. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0013]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a spring separator, generally indicated at  10 , constructed in accordance with the present invention, is positioned between an inlet plastic tube  11  and an outlet  12  which would ordinarily have a plastic tube (not shown) attached to it. Spring separator  10  is mounted on its back side on a mounting plate  13  which in turn is mounted, in this embodiment, to a vertical member  14  by fasteners  15  and  16 . The invention includes a housing, generally indicated at  17  which in this embodiment includes inner workings to be discussed in more detail below. 
         [0014]    In this preferred embodiment, an electrically operated motor is generally indicated at  18 . Motor  18  is mounted to the front side of the housing  17  by mounting plate  20 . The motor  18  also has a removable cover  21  to shield the motor and protect same from dust and outside forces. Electric motor  18  includes a rotatable drive sheave or pulley  22  that drives an internal component of the separator by an endless belt  23 , shown in  FIG. 3  that extends through slots  19 - 19   a  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . 
         [0015]    External pneumatic sources that provide positive or negative pressure as desired are attached to the housing at  24  at the upper part of the housing and  41  ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ) lower on the housing. Housing  17  further includes a window  26  through which movement and separation of springs such as  27  through the separator may be seen. The one arm of a triangulated actuator,  28  may be seen to move up and down in the slot  30  at one side of the housing  17 . A sensor  25  detects the passage of each spring  27   a  after separation as it is dispensed. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 , as mentioned previously,  FIG. 3  shows the bottom of the housing  17  and the sheave  22  of the motor drive  18  which is connected by endless belt  23  to a second sheave  31  mounted on a rotating shaft  32  which is pivotally mounted at its bottom end at  33 . A rubber coated cylinder  34  is mounted on the shaft  32 . The exterior of the rubber coated cylinder  34  is positioned in communication with a central passageway  35  through housing  17 . As shown most clearly in  FIG. 4 , cylinder  34  is pivoted at  33  and its outer surface  34   a  is clear of a space that would be filled by a coil spring passing through passageway  35 , most clearly shown in the vertical dotted lines at  36 ,  37  and  38 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 5  shows the outer surface  34   a  of cylinder  34  rocked into a position where it will impinge on the outer surface of a spring, whose outline is shown at  37  passing through the spring passageway  35 . The rocking of the shaft  32  which is pivoted at  33  is accomplished by a metal member  40  which reciprocates from left to right and back as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  and is driven by a pneumatic pressure source through a side connection  41 . A slot  42  in the bottom of reciprocating member  40  is capable of rocking the shaft  32  on its pivot point  33  in order for the reciprocating upper member  40  to contact and hold an upper spring member, denoted by outline  36 . At the same time the rotating member  34  is capable of rotating a lower spring member, denoted by outline  37  to separate the upper spring member  36  from the lower spring member  37 , as it may be entangled in the ends of the respective coil springs  36  and  37 . 
         [0018]    On the opposite side of the housing  17 , the left side as viewed in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 , and the right side as viewed in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a second pneumatic passageway  45  extends substantially vertically through the left hand side of  FIGS. 4 and 5  and includes a sliding member or piston  29  that drives the triangulated pivoting member  28  first described in connection with  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The triangulated pivoting lever  28  is pivoted at  45  in the housing  17  and includes the external arm  28   a  first described in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and a body  46  that includes a distal lever arm  47  which when positioned horizontally is able to capture the end of a lower spring member, denoted by outline  37 . In one aspect of the present invention, a thin elongate bendable arm member  47  extends from the base of the distal end  47  perpendicularly thereto to an angled pointed end  47   a  which runs generally parallel to the distal arm  47  at the top of bendable arm  48 . 
         [0019]    As the triangulated member  28  pivots on its pivot point  45 , distal end  47  is capable of retaining, stopping and holding the bottom end of a lower spring member denoted by outline  37 , at which point the bendable arm  48  is in its upright position and not engaging the outline of the upper spring member  36 . With the reciprocating part  40  positioned inwardly against the upper spring member whose outline is  36 , that upper spring is stopped from rotating. The rubber covered cylindrical member  34  is then engaged as shown in  FIG. 5  with the exterior of the lower spring member whose outline is shown at  37 . When the cylindrical member  34  rotates, it rotates the lower spring member  37  until it is disconnected at its upper end from the lower end of the upper spring  36 . 
         [0020]    After the respective spring members are disengaged, the triangulated pivoting member  28  is rocked such that the distal end  47  rocks out of the way of the bottom spring member  37  while the pointed end  48   a  of the upper bendable member  48  engages the upper spring member between respective coil turns thereof. This allows the lower spring member to drop from its position once the shaft  32  is rocked outwardly as shown in  FIG. 4  with the rubber covered cylinder  34  disengaging the lower spring member  37 . 
         [0021]    The use of gravity or a negative pressure in the lower outlet plastic tube (not shown) draws the lower spring  37  outwardly of the spring separator housing  17 . With the triangulate member  28  again pivoted such that the distal arm  47  extends into the spring passageway, and the arm  48  being vertically out of the spring passageway, the upper spring denoted by outline  36  may drop down into the position of the previously occupied by the lower spring member whose outline is shown at  37 . As springs are serially fed into the housing through the tube  11 , another spring member is drawn into the position shown by the upper spring outline  36 , to repeat the process of spring separation. 
         [0022]    It should be noted that the thickness of the elongate, bendable arm member  48  of the triangulated pivoting member  28  may be varied in thickness (or diameter) to allow the pointed distal end  48   a  to move slightly if it should impinge on the outside of a specific spring coil to allow that slight movement to have the pointed end moved in the interstice or space between the coil turns to retain the upper coil in its vertical position when such retention is desired. It should be noted that the bendability of arm  48  is also dependent upon the size of the springs to be separated, with larger springs allowing a thicker elongate arm  48  to be utilized while smaller springs would necessitate the use of a thinner more bendable arm  48  to prevent deformation of the respective springs. 
         [0023]    Thus, the operation of the spring separator has been shown and described. It should be noted that this spring separator may be utilized by itself if there is a means of feeding individual coils into the upper plastic tube  11 . However, its original purpose is to be utilized in connection with the spring detangler shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,079,456. 
         [0024]    While one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention. It is the intent of the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.