Patent ID: 8091398

Claim:
Coil formation apparatus for manufacturing spring coils from continuous wire, the coils being arranged to be of alternating left and right-handed coils along the wire, the apparatus comprising a coil forming device and means for feeding the wire to the device, the device comprising a pivotally disposed body providing support for a coil radius forming roller against which the wire bears to form an arcuate shape and a guide member defining an opening from which the coiled wire emerges, the guide member being pivotally disposed relative to the body such that it can pivot between a first position where the opening is aligned with the wire emerging from the roller so that it passes therethrough without further deformation and at least one second position where it is misaligned and bears against the wire thus imparting deformation to the wire that gives the coil its axial pitch, an angle of pivotal movement of the guide member being controlled by an adjustable drive mechanism that comprises a rotary drive shaft driven by a servomotor in response to instructions sent by a controller, the drive shaft being connected to the guide member by a transmission linkage that converts rotary movement of the drive shaft into translational movement of a link member and converts the translational movement of the link member to pivotal movement of the guide member as the body is pivoted, the link member comprising a connecting rod connected to a radius arm of the drive shaft by means of an adjustable connection.