Abstract:
A wire coiling machine having a pair of spring coiling assemblies which are disposed in coaxial relation and include rotatable heads mounted on coaxial shafts drawn by racks connected to a pair of piston and cylinder units for rotation at different or the same speeds in the same or opposite directions to form a pair of coaxial coils on a single length of wire, the coiling assemblies being axially movable in opposed directions by cam elements and return springs.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This application is a further development of a machine for forming or coiling springs, which is disclosed in a copending application Ser. No. 586,210, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,732. A feature included in the copending application is an arrangement utilizing a pair of wire coiling assemblies. A modification of these wire coiling assemblies is the subject matter of the present application. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention is directed to a spring coiling machine and is summarized in the following objects: 
     First, to provide a wire coiling machine which is particularly adapted to receive a U-shaped wire blank and form simultaneously a pair of coils, and which, by adjustment or by substitution of appropriate forming elements, may be arranged to form pairs of coils of different diameters, or lengths, as well as to form coils of the same or opposite pitch. 
     Second, to provide a wire coiling machine which utilize a pair of novelly arranged coaxially disposed coiling assemblies, the assemblies being rotatable about a common axis and driven by rack and gear means, which are readily changed as to rate and direction of rotation as well as adjusted as to the number of coils formed. 
     Third, to provide a wire coiling machine which includes a simple readily changed means for moving the coiling assemblies axially into and out of operating positions. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the wire coiling machine. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken in the plane at 2--2 of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged transfer sectional view taken through 3--3 of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken through 4--4 of FIG. 3. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken through 5--5 of FIG. 1, showing the wire coiling blank retainer assembly with the coiling heads in spaced relation thereto. 
     FIG. 6 is a similar fragmentary sectional view showing the coiling heads in initial engagement with the retainer assembly. 
     FIG. 7 is a similar view showing the retainer assembly and coiling heads as they appear on completion of the coil winding operation. 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the wire retainer assembly and a coiling head with the coiling head turned 90 degrees from its normal position for purposes of illustration. 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 indicate diagrammatically various forms of the product capable of being formed by the wire coiling machine. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The wire coiling machine is supported on a mounting plate 1, one end of which is provided with a flat bed 2. Mounted on the bed is a pair of guide or track flanges 3 under which is mounted a pair of base plates 4 for sliding movement to and from each other. 
     The confronting edges 5 of the base plates 4 are provided with a pair of confronting rollers 6, which engage opposite sides of a spreader cam 7, having angular related cam faces 8 and 9 as shown best in FIG. 2. A cover plate 10 is secured to one of the base plates 4 and overlies the other base plate so that the spreader cam 7 is maintained between the rollers 6. 
     The spreader cam 7 is joined by a coupling 11 to a drive rod or shaft 12 which extends through a cylinder 13. The drive rod is provided with stop clamps 14 and 15 for limiting the degree of travel of the drive rod 12. 
     Confronting the remote edges of the base plates 4, is a pair of backing plates 16. Springs 17 are positioned between the base plates 4 and the backing plates 16 so as to urge the base plates 4 toward each other and to maintain the rollers 6 in engagement with the spreader cam 7. 
     Mounted on each base plate 4 is a housing 18 which supports a horizontally extending drive rack 19, one end of which is retained in position by a guide sleeve 20, the other end of which is joined to a coupling 21 attached to a drive rod 22 which extends through a cylinder 23 and is provided with stop clamps 24 and 25 to limit the axial movement of the drive rack 19. The housing 18 supports the cantilever beam 26 from which is suspended the cylinder 23. A bracket 27 extends between the cylinder and the mounting plate 1. 
     Each housing 18 is provided with a cross-shaft 28 supported by bearings 29. Each cross shaft is provided with a pinion gear 30 which engages the corresponding rack 19. The shaft 29 is also provided with intermediate gear 31. 
     Each housing slidably and rotatably supports a coiling assembly 32. Each assembly includes a sleeve 33 having an axially elongated integral pinion 34 which engages the intermediate gear 31. One end of the sleeve 33 receives a coiling head 35. Fitted within the sleeve is a mandrel 36, which extends through the coiling head 35. The end of the sleeve 33, remote from the coiling head 35, is received in an end cap 37 and is urged by a spring 38 in a direction of the coiling head 35. The mandrel 36 is adjustably secured in the extremity of the end cap 37. 
     The two housings 18 are mounted so that the coiling heads 35 and mandrels 36 are in confronting coaxial relation and are moved toward each other by the springs 17 and retracted by the spreader cam 7 through the rollers 6. The housings 18 are located near one end of the mounting plate 1 which constitutes the front end of the machine, thus the cylinders 13 and 23 are disposed at the back portion of the machine. 
     Mounted between the coiling heads 35 is a wire blank retainer assembly 39 which includes an upright mounting 40 secured to the mounting plate 1, a rearward support 41 secured to the rearward end of the mounting plate 40 and an upper support 42 mounted above the plate 40. 
     The upper support 42 extends between the coiling heads 35 and mandrels 36 and is provided with a transverse bore 43 in alignment with the mandrels 36 to receive the ends thereof, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. The opposite sides and forward end of the support 42 is provided with wire blank retainer channel 44. The upper end of the rearward support 41 is provided with an upwardly exposed notch or groove 45. 
     The wire coiling machine as illustrated is intended to receive a wire blank 46 which is essentially U-shaped and includes a cross portion 47 and essentially straight arms 48 in which it is intended to form a pair of wire coils. The cross portion 47 and adjacent portions of the arms 48 are received in the channel 44 whereas extremities of the arms 48 extend rearwardly and are received in the notch or grooves 45. 
     Each coiling head 35 is provided with a tapered end 49 terminating in a surface 50 which is flat except for a boss 51 disposed at one side and forming a shoulder spaced from the mandrel a distance approximating the thickness of the wire 47. Each wire blank retainer channel 44 terminates tangentially to the bore 43, and a cam face portion 52 is provided. 
     Operation of the wire coiling machine is as follows: 
     The cam 7 is initially in its forward position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, placing the coiling heads 35 in spaced relation to the retainer assembly as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. The wire blank 46 is fitted in the retainer channel 44 with its extremities retained in the notch 45 so that the arms 48 are held yieldably against the opposite sides of the forward support 42. A switch 53 is mounted for engagement by one of the housings 18 to stop the operating cycle for insertion of the wire blank. 
     After the wire blank 44 is positioned the operator presses the starter button, not shown, to retract the cam 7, causing the coiling heads 35 to engage opposite sides of the forward support 42, and the tips of the mandrels to enter the opposite ends of the bore 43, as shown in FIG. 6. 
     The two racks 19 are thrust forward causing the coiling assemblies to rotate. As the coiling heads 35 rotate about the cam faces 52, the bosses 51 engage the extended portions of the wire arms 48, withdrawing the extremities of the arms 48 from the notch 45, and coiling the arms 48 about the mandrels 36 to form coiled portions 54. 
     When the coils 54, reach the desired axial lengths, determined by axial travel of the racks 19, appropriate switches, not shown, may be engaged by one of the stops 24 or 25 to stop further travel of the racks; whereupon, the cam 7 is thrust forward to spread the coiling heads 35 and withdraw the mandrels 36 to permit removal of the coiled wire member. 
     By substituting different forward supports 41, and coiling heads, wires of different diameter may be coiled; or, by changing the coiling assemblies, coils of different diameter may be formed. Also, either or both coils may be wound in opposite direction, or only one coiling assembly need be operated. Still further, the length of either or both wire coils may be varied by controlling the travel of the racks. Also, two sets of coils may be formed by subsequent operation on one or both arms. By offsetting the axes of the coiling assemblies, the axes of a pair of coils may be offset. these various possibilities are suggested in solid and broken lines in FIGS. 9 and 10. 
     Having fully described my invention it is to be understood that I am not to be limited to the details herein set forth, but that my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.