IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR FITTING ELLIPTICAL, SPRINGS
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, JOHN SEAMAN PESSENGER of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR FITTING ELLIPTICAL, SPRINGS," and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
This invention relates to that class of machines which set or fit elliptic springs,
that is to say which give the requisite curvature to the leaves. More particularly
does my invention relate to machines made with an adjustable bed, reciprocating
beneath a series of hammers or weights, which are displaced by the upward motion
of said bed.
Now my invention consists principally in the construction of the bed or former,
by which I am enabled to readily adjust the same to any contour which may be
desired. To this effect the former is composed of a series of vertical pieces or
fingers, which are held against an anvil block by an eccentric lever. The invention
also consists in the various elements of construction hereinafter more fully
pointed out.
In the accompanying drawing fig. 1, is a front elevation of my improved spring
setting machine.
Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line x x fig. 1.
Fig. 3, a horizontal section on the line y y fig. 1.
Fig. 4 a vertical transverse section on the line z z fig. 3.
Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are detail views of the adjustable fingers and their
attachments.
The letters A, A, represent the two uprights of the machine connected by suitable
cross pieces. These uprights are grooved on their inner faces, to form vertical
ways for the bed or former (fig. 3). This former consists essentially of an anvil
block a fitting with its two ends into said grooves and made preferably with a
smooth front, flat top, and enlarged base as shown in fig. 4.
c c are a
b is the piston of a hydraulic or other engine, or any other motor, which is
connected to the anvil block, and serves to raise and lower the same.
series of fingers placed side by side and constituting the former proper.
fingers are shaped with the horizontal bar on top and overlapping the top of the
anvil block a.
These

page_text: The shanks of the fingers rest against the front of the anvil block as seen in
fig. 1.
In order to raise each of the fingers c, and clamp it in its raised position, and
thus obtain any desired outline of the working bed of the machine, I have devised
the following construction :-
The shank of each finger c is slotted longitudinally and through this slot pass
two screw bolts de tapped into the anvil block a. The bolt d is provided at its
front with a head f while the bolt e is provided with an eye to receive a pin that
connects the bolt with an eccentric lever g (figs. 4 and 5). The rear end of the
bolt e is encircled by a jam nut.
In order to adjust a finger c the bolt & is first loosened and the lever g swung
up. This releases the finger and the same is moved up or down the desired
distance. Then the lever g is swung down, and the finger is thus rapidly locked
into position. Finally the bolt d is tightened up. Washers shown in fig. 4 may
be interposed between the front of the fingers c and the heads f and levers g.
h, (figs. 7 and 8) represents a shoe with a concave or other top and with a
bottom corresponding to the top of finger c. This shoe is provided with a down-
wardly extending pin fitting into a hole in the top of finger c so as to hold it
in place. The purport of shoe h is to alter the working face of either of the
fingers.
iii are a number of independent weights or hammers arranged in the upper
part of the frame directly over the former. These hammers are adapted to be
raised by the former or the work placed thereon, and to fall down as the former is
lowered.
It will be observed that with the machine as thus far described, the weights will
first come into contact with the raised portions of the work and then with the
lower portions or valleys.
This would be apt to take too much metal out of the valleys. To avoid this
I have devised the following means by which those weights or hammers which are
situated above the raised ends of the work may be made to come into contact
with the work later than the weights which are located above the valleys.
jj are lugs projecting forward from the machine and supporting one or more
horizontal bars . Upon the bars slide two or more crabs or hooks l, the lower
biting ends of which project inwardly and are of sufficient width preferably to
grasp three or more hammers i. The hammers i have a shoulder in front which is
engaged by the crabs l.
In use, a small filling piece is placed upon the right and left side of the former
beneath the end hammers. The crabs are so placed as to grasp such end hammers.
As the work is raised, the end hammers will be held in a slightly raised position.
Next the former is lowered and the filling pieces are removed.
As the machine is now put into active operation, the end hammers will come
into contact with the work subsequent to the hammers above the valleys.
m, is a stationary upright gage plate, affixed to the frame of the machine,
between the former and the hammers.
The machine is operated as follows:-A templet is first placed upon the bed,
and the fingers c are then adjusted vertically one after the other, so that their
upper or working faces receive the requisite elevation. After each of the fingers
is placed, it is locked by the eccentric lever g, and finally by the bolt d, as already
described. The work is placed upon the former, resting with its rear edge against
the gage plate m. As the former is raised, the work is compressed between it and
the weights i and thus it is properly set.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination in a spring setting machine of a series of weights i, with
ih l
☐
1
t of which numinat shoes

page_text: 2. The combination of block a, with fingers c, and with mechanism for clamping
said fingers separately against such block, substantially as specified.
3. The combination of block a with fingers c, bolts e, and eccentric levers g
adapted to clamp the fingers against the block, substantially as specified.
4. The combination of block a, with fingers c, slotted longitudinally and with
bolts d, e, and eccentrics g, substantially as specified.
5. The combination of block a with L shaped fingers c adapted to be clamped
to the same and with the shoes h having downwardly extending pins which fit
into holes in the working faces of the fingers, substantially as specified.
6. The combination of hammers with laterally adjustable crabs l adapted to
engage shoulders on said hammers, substantially as specified.
7. The combination in a spring setting machine of the following elements:
Block a, fingers c, eccentrics g, gage plate m, hammers i, and crabs 1, substantially
as shown and described.