Coil spring forming machine

Details Coil spring forming machine Coil spring forming machine

2001-06-20

2004-07-06

Geotz, John (Department: 3725)

Metal deforming

By deflecting successively-presented portions of work during...

To form helical coil or tube

C072S135000, C072S140000, C072S143000, C140S0030CA

Reexamination Certificate

active

06758079

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to machines for forming coil springs, and more particularly to coil spring forming machines that are capable of varying the diameter and pitch between consecutively produced coil springs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Demand for posturized spring coil assemblies has grown over recent years. Posturized coil spring assemblies are assemblies that are constructed with a plurality of different coil springs strategically positioned within the assembly. Unlike homogenous coil spring assemblies that have substantially uniform characteristics across the entire assembly, posturized coil spring assemblies offer the ability to change the characteristics of the coil spring assembly to more comfortably support the end user.
The ability to rapidly and efficiently produce posturized coil spring assemblies has resulted in improvements to coil forming machines. Prior to the demand for posturized assemblies, coil forming machines were designed to rapidly produce a single make of coil spring. Typically, the diameter and pitch of the coil spring were controlled mechanically using respective diameter control and pitch control cam/follower arrangements. During operation of the forming machine, the cam/follower arrangements limited the output to a single coil spring design. Only by replacing the cams between production runs could the coil spring design be varied. Replacing the cams was a time-consuming task. As such, these coil spring forming machines were not well-suited for the rapid production of the different coil springs used in posturized coil spring assemblies.
Servo-motors provided the means necessary to design coil forming machines capable of producing different coil springs during a single production run. The servo-motors replaced the cam/follower arrangements and provided the ability to quickly and accurately adjust the diameter control and pitch control mechanisms so that the forming machine could produce different coil springs throughout a single production run. Along with the sevo-motors came the need for new control systems that enabled the rapid production of different coil springs. Examples of coil forming machines using servo-motors, and thereby being capable of producing multiple coil spring designs in a single production run, are found in the following U.S. Patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,473 (Andrea et al.) issued Sep. 14, 1999
U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,115 (Knoepfel et al.) issued Feb. 3, 1998
U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,721 (Takase et al.) issued Sep. 12, 1978
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
While servo-motors were the logical choice for providing the variability required of the forming machines, they have also proven to be somewhat problematic. First, the servo-motors are relatively expensive and add to the cost of manufacturing the forming machine. Second, the elaborate control systems required to drive the servo-motors are also expensive to implement. Additionally, the added control systems further complicate the already complex coil forming machine and present yet another opportunity for timing errors, breakdowns, or failures.
The present invention eliminates the above-identified problems by providing a coil forming machine that is capable of varying the design of the coil springs during a production run without the use of servo-motors. The coil forming machine of the present invention utilizes a mechanical cam/follower arrangement having two or more cam surfaces for variably and selectively controlling the diameter control and/or the pitch control functions of the forming machine. By using the improved cam/follower arrangement, the forming machine of the present invention is less expensive to manufacture and assemble than prior art servo-driven forming machines, and provides a more robust system that decreases the number of timing errors, breakdowns, and unscheduled maintenance operations occurring over the operating life of the machine.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims, and drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2077243 (1937-04-01), Leal
patent: 3342052 (1967-09-01), Boy
patent: 3740984 (1973-06-01), Bergevin
patent: 3888479 (1975-06-01), Eder et al.
patent: 4509352 (1985-04-01), Frei
patent: 6584823 (2003-07-01), Hresc et al.

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