IMPROVEMENTS IN "SPRING BENDING AND FORMING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I GEORGE NORWOOD of Bridgeport in the County of Fairfield and State of
Connecticut, one of the United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN "SPRING BENDING AND FORMING
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 machines for
bending and forming springs, and has for its object to provide such a machine in
which the former bars are readily adjusted to the desired contour or shape of the
spring, while at the same time the spring itself is bent into the required shape
gradually and more after the manner of springs formed by hand and not by a quick
blow as in the case of the ordinary plunger; also to so arrange the former bars that
any pressure on their upper extremities will tend to bind them more closely together,
and with these ends in view, my Invention consists in the details of construction
and combination of elements hereinafter fully and in detail explained and then
specifically designated by the claims.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a spring bending and forming machine embodying
my improvements.
Fig. 2 a central vertical section taken at the line x x of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 a detail side elevation of the clip in position, and
Fig. 4 a central longitudinal section of the spring strip.
Similar letters denote like parts in the several Figures of the Drawing.
A is the frame of the machine and B C platforms secured to the frame or cast
integral therowith. These platforms are provided with elongated slots or
perforations to allow the free passage of the water used in cooling.
J are the former bars which are arranged between the platforms B, C with their
lower extremities resting upon a cross-bar K.
These bars are so constructed that the centre one only is in a plane at right
angles to the cross bars while the others have a certain incline or pitch which is the
greator the further off they are from the centro bar, the sides of the bars being
so constructed that adjacent bars are contiguous throughout their whole length;
this practically makes the centro bar the key and therefore it is important that it
should be held as against any movement except in a vertical plane.
For this purpose I slot the central bar longitudinally as shown at L, and drive a
pin M through the lower portions of the platforms B C in such manner that it
will extend through said alot and keep this bar in a vertical position.

page_text: I make the former bars in two sections, namely a lower and upper portion, the
upper extremities of the latter being adapted to conform to the contour of the
spring.
The upper portions O have a pin projection P which fits into a recess in the
lower section and abuts against a coil spring Qin said recess so that it will be
readily understood that the former bars have a spring movement in the direction
of their length which greatly facilitates their adjustment.
Rare set screws passed through the lower sections of the bars ngainst the pins P
and by means of which the upper portion of the bars may be held in any desired
adjustment as will be hereinafter fully explained.
S are clamping screws by means of which the bars are all held firmly together as
against any lateral displacement.
The inside upper portion of the frame A is adapted to receive a sliding carrier T
which is racked at its inner side as soen at U.
Pinions V arranged on the driving shaft W journaled at the sides of the frame,
mesh with the racks U and impart motion to the carrier in a vertical plane.
On one extremity of this shaft is arranged a driving pulley X, which may be
connected by belt to any reversing mechanism, such as double clutch or friction
pulleys, for the purpose of raising and lowering the carrier.
Pivoted to the upper part of the carrier halfway between the ends thereof are
the presser bars Z constructed after the manner of a pair of compasses: within the
lower extremities of said bars are journaled rolls A¹.
B are springs attached to the carrier at one end and with their free ends
bearing against the outer faces of the presser bars.
These springs merely serve to bring said bars together when no force is exerted
to force them apart.
C is a strip of thin spring metal connected at its extremities to the carrier
framo in any suitable manner by means of coil springs D¹.
This spring in its normal or assembled position extends immediately without the
presser bars as shown and in the same vertical plane therewith.
In all machines of this description where the spring is acted upon directly by
rolls or other similar shaping devices, a slight track or mark is usually left on the
surface of the spring, and it becomes necessary to remove this defect either by
grinding polishing or plaiting; but in my construction by placing the intermediate
spring strip between the operating rolls and the spring proper I am enabled to
overcome this defect and to provide a spring with a very desirable finish.
As the carrier descends the strip C¹ yields readily to the action of the rolls on
the presser bars and the spring itself is thereby acted upon throughout its entira
length, both at the outer and inner movement of said bars.
The coil-springs D¹ not only form connection between the strip and carrier frame
but they also keep said strip in constant contact with the rolls so that there is no
wabbling of the strip or any liability of its displacement.
E' are jaws adapted to be attached to the extreme ends of the former bars by
means of a bolt F' passed through said jaws and bars. These jaws slightly overlap
the upper surface of the bars as shown at Fig. 2.
G¹ is a washer made of rubber or other suitable yielding material which is placed
over the bolt and next to one of the jaws, and His a nut running on said bolt
against said washer and operates to clamp the jaws against the former bars.
I' are set screws which extend through the lower extremities of the jaws and
bear against the bars.
The function of the elastic washer is to allow the jaws to yield in order to
accommodate springs of only slightly varying widths.
In order to clamp springs of narrow gunge the screws I¹ aro set back and the
nuts H¹ run forward thereby bringing the jaws against the spring: the screws I'
are then set forward in order to take up any lost motion of the upper extremities
of the jaws
✓

page_text: J', is a clip formed with a forked projection K', L₁, the former of which is
adapted to be inserted within the bars and the latter of which is of a spring nature,
and capable of exerting a downward pressure against the spring proper which will
be readily understood by reference to Fig. 3.
These clips are designed to be placed at the extreme ends of the spring in order
to hold the same securely at these points while it is being bent and formed.
The strip C is constructed with perforations M¹ extending longitudinally and
centrally thereof and a channel N' is formed in the under side of said strip and in
the same longitudinal vertical plane with the perforations M¹.
In my improvement the cooling of the spring is begun immediately after the
prosser bars have boen distended against the spring and before their return
movement, by introducing a stream of water within the perforations throughout
their whole length.
The water flows into the channel N' and thereby cools the spring from the centre
for the obvious purpose of effecting a uniform contraction of the spring.
The presser bars are preferably drawn together during the cooling of the spring,
thereby counteracting any possible irregularities in the contraction which might
otherwise take place owing to imperfections in the homogeneity of the metal of
which the spring is composed.
The operation of my improvement is as follows:
The set screws R are loosened to permit the former bars to spring up as far as
possible; a former is then placed over and upon said bars and pressed down against
the same until they adapt themselves to the contour of said former; the screws R
are now tightened and the bars secured in this position.
The set screws S are now operated to bind the bars so that they will not
become displaced laterally.
The spring is now placed upon the former and the carrier T caused to descend.
As the presser bars Z with rolls A¹ come in contact with the spring strip said rolls
will press down the latter; as the carrier continues to descend the presser bars will
spread and this spreading movement being a force directly opposite to that exerted
by the springs it follows that great pressure is maintained against the spring strip
and consequently on the spring proper.
When the carrier has descended so that the rolls have traversed the entire
length of the strip the movement is reversed and the carrier ascends; the presser
bars are drawn together by the action of the springs and the pressure exerted by
said rolls on the strip is the same as when said bars were spread apart.
A great advantage in my improvement is that the spring is worked as it were
into the required shape which is very similar to the manner of making springs by
hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declaro that
what I claim is :-
1. In a spring bending and forming machine, the former bars, constructed
narrower at the bottom than at the top, and clamped together, substantially as set
forth.
2. In a spring bending and forming machine, the former bars provided with
detachably spring bottom sections and means for securing the bars at the desired
end, substantially as described.
3. In a spring bending and forming machine a reciprocating carrier having
pivoted thereto presser bars adapted to be distended by the downward movement
of the carrier and thereby forced against the strip and spring, in combination with
means for causing said bars to automatically act on the strip and spring during
the upward movement of said carrier, substantially as set forth.
4. The bars J having detachable bottom pieces O adjustable by means of screws R
bearing against the pins P, in combination with the former, pivoted presser bars Z
provided with rolls A¹, reciprocating carrier T, and springs B' bearing against the
outer edges of said presser bars, substantially as described.

page_text: 5. The racked carrier in combination with the pinions V on the driving shaft W,
presser bars Z, springs B' bearing against the outer edges of said bars, tho former
and former bars, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. In a spring bending and forming machine, the central former bars secured as
against any movement except in a vertical plane, in combination with former bars
arranged on each side thereof and inclined towards the bottom and means for
clamping said bars in proper position, substantially as set forth.
7. In a spring bending and forming machine, a spring strip having a yielding
connection at its oxtremities with a vertically reciprocating carrier frame and
held in constant contact with the presser bars whereby the latter may operate to
bend and form the spring without immediate contact with the same, substantially
as shown and described.
8. In a spring bending and forming machine, jaws overlapping the former bars
and secured thereto by means of a bolt passing through said jaws and bars, said
bolt being provided with an elastic washer and a nut as described, in combination
with set scrows passed through the lower extremities of said jaws and bearing
against the bars, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
9. In a spring bending and forming machine, the clips having fork like
projections adapted to be inserted through the former bars and bear directly down
upon the spring, substantially as set forth.
10. In a spring bending and forming machine the intermediate elastic strip of
metal provided with perforations extending centrally throughout its length and a
channel in its under surface into which said perforations lead, substantially as
hereinbefore shown and described.
11. The combination of the jaws E¹ secured to the former bars by bolt F',
elastic washer G¹, nut H, and set screws I', substantially as shown and set forth.
Dated the 2nd day of July, 1904