IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING BENDING MACHINES
Year: 1886

page_text: I GEORGE NORWOOD, residing at 338, Broad Street, Bridgeport, in the County
of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, in the United States of America, gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING
BENDING MACHINES" and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in spring bending
and forming machines and has for its object to improve on the construction and
increase the efficiency of that class of machines shown and described in my Letters
Patent of Great Britain N° 10738, of July 29, 1884, and with these ends in view
my present invention consists in the details of construction and combination of
elements hereinafter explained and then specifically designated by the claims.
In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may
fully understand its construction and operation; I will proceed to describe the
same in detail referring by letter to the accompanying drawing forming a part
of this specification in which
Fig. 1, is an elevation of my machine showing the position of the several parts
after the spring has been bent and before the return of the bending devices.
Fig. 2 a detail section of the guide jaws attached to a former bar, and
Fig. 3 a view similar. to Fig. 1 but with one of the bending arms held out of
operative position, and one of the auxiliary arms adjusted higher than the other;
for the purpose of shaping a coach or platform spring.
·
Similar letters denote like parts in all the figures of the drawing.
A is the frame, B the carrier, C the shaft and D the rack, all operating as in the
patent above referred to.
E are the presser or bending arms pivoted in the carrier at F and G are springs
bearing against the faces of said arms and adapted to return the latter to their
normal position as set forth in my said patent.
These springs are bolted to the carrier as shown so as to be readily removed
independent of each other for the purpose presently explained.
Hare auxiliary. presser bars pivoted within a cross piece I of the frame by
means of the pins, a, a¹. b are holes within said cross piece within which the
bars may be pivoted so as to be adjustable in a higher or lower horizontal plane as
may be desired.

page_text: J are springs which are secured to the inner faces of the bars H in any ordinary
manner as for instance by a bolt c.
་
These springs I preferably arrange as shown in Fig. 3 on the inside of the bars
so as to be out of the way of the bars E. Instead of springs I can use cords
attached to opposite bars and then passed around pulleys and attached to coil
springs, as shown in Fig. 1, but I prefer the construction shown in Fig. 3.
The method of operation is the same as in my aforesaid patent, but the bars H
have a special function, since when the carrier has descended so that the bars E
are spread as shown at Fig. 1, the bars H will be distended so as to press against
the spring at points between the extremities.
This is a great advantage since it does away with the necessity of clamping
devices to hold the spring as against buckling or irregular contraction when cooled.
My present improvement is especially adapted for making coach platform or half
length springs, and in accomplishing this I proceed as follows:-
Only half of the presser bars N is set up and the former M and spring O are
placed in proper position as shown at Fig. 3, one of the bars H is pivoted in a
higher plane so that it will not extend too far beyond the inner end of the spring
after the carrier has descended.
It will be readily understood that but one of the bars E is utilized and therefore
the spring which retains the other is removed and the latter is simply rested upon
any suitable peg or support d.
Pare guide jaws attached to the extreme ends of a former bar by means of a
right and left handed screw Q; these jaws slightly overlap the upper surface of
the bars as shown at Fig. 2. R. are set screws passed through the lower ends
of the jaws and adapted to bear against the bars. The function of these screws
is to take up any lost motion of the jaws after a spring has been placed between
them. To accommodate springs of different widths, the jaws are caused to spread
or close by the manipulation of the screw Q. The former bars N are open through
their faces as seen at T and provided with a cross piece U which serves as a brace
to strengthen the bar.
At the bottom is a spindle V secured to or formed integral with the bar.
In assembling these bars, I place them side by side within a frame, so that their
open faces will be in contact. The spindles extend downward within the frame
of the machine and coil springs W are placed around the spindles and confined
between the body of the bars and washers X. It will be readily understood that
the bars come in contact with each other only at the outside edges of their faces
and the friction is therefore reduced to a minimum.
The bars are exceedingly sensitive to downward pressure and readily adjust
themselves to the shape of the former M as shown in Fig. 1.
They are strong and durable and exceedingly economical as compared with the
bars shown in my aforesaid patent.
Y is a flexible strip preferably of iron or steel which is interposed between the
presser bars and the spring to be shaped. This strip forms a very important
feature in my machine, since the presser bars are prevented thereby from coming
in contact with the hot spring and scoring or marking it during the process of
bending and shaping.
My invention provides a machine which can bend and shape any style of spring
both full and half length and this in itself is of great importance since the saving
of labor alone is a considerable advantage.
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. In a spring bending and forming machine, the receprocating carrier having
pivoted thereto two pairs of presser bars, one within the other, each pair adapted
to be distended against the action of springs or equivalents by the downward
movement of the carrier substantially as set forth.

page_text: 2. In a spring bending and forming machine, the combination with the carrier
having pivoted thereto, the main presser bars adjustably pivoted to a cross piece
of said carrier substantially as shown and described.
3. The combination of the presser bars pivoted to the carrier, of separate springs
adapted to act independently on each bar whereby one spring may be removed
and the corresponding bar swung out of operative position, substantially as
set forth.
4. In combination with the former bars, the jaws P, secured to said bars by
right and left handed screw Q and set screws R substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
5. In a spring bending and forming machine, the former bars open at the
central portion and having downwardly projecting spindles and coil springs around
said spindles adapted to impart a spring movement to said, bars substantially as
set forth.
6. In a spring bending and forming machine spring actuated former bars
having contact with each other only at the edges of their faces substantially as
described.
7. In a spring bending and forming machine, the former bars having openings
through their faces and provided with means for automatically adjusting said bars
to the pattern, substantially as specified.
8. In a spring bending and forming machine the combination with the former
bars having open bodies and downwardly projecting spindles of coil springs
arranged around said spindles whereby a spring movement is imparted to said
bars and an automatic adjustment to the pattern effected substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
9. In a spring bending and forming machine, a flexible strip of metal or other
suitable material interposed between the forming or bending devices and the
spring to be shaped whereby the said devices have no contact with the spring
itself thereby insuring a perfectly smooth surface to the spring.
10. In a spring bending and forming machine, the method of shaping springs by
means of one or more pairs of presser bars, adapted to be distended and contracted
against the spring and thereby conform it to the shape desired..
Dated thin 19th day of Anvil 1886