Patent ID: 7334445

Claim:
A method of forming an end lug on a spring member formed of a strand of wire on a spring production machine, following the shaping of the spring member, comprising the steps of: gripping the strand of wire continuing from said spring member between two clamping jaws of a pair of gripping tongs; holding the strand of wire in place between said clamping jaws; subsequently, severing the strand of wire at a predetermined distance from the gripping tongs, thus forming a rear wire segment protruding behind the spring element; wherein one of the two clamping jaws of the gripping tongs comprises a shaping jaw conforming to the shape of the lug, around which the wire segment is bent by a forming pin, which is inserted perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of a wire segment behind the other clamping jaw above the wire segment to form the lug; wherein relative motion between the forming pin and the shaping jaw is generated by program-controlled movements of the gripping tongs, the forming pin or both; and wherein movement of the gripping tongs during shaping of the lug only takes place in parallel to a direction of motion perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wire segment.