US2983301A - Device for making flexible strips consisting of a continuous metal wire so wound as to form a plane helical spring - Google Patents

Description

May 9, 1961 J. LECLABART 2,983,301

DEVICE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE STRIPS CONSISTING OF A CONTINUOUS METAL WIRE SO WOUND AS TO FORM A PLANE HELICAL SPRING Filed June 29, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

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y 1951 J. LECLABART 2,983,301

DEVICE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE STRIPS CONSISTING OF A CQNTINUOUS METAL WIRE SO WOUND AS TO FORM A PLANE I-IELICAL spam;

Filed June 29, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1961 J. LECLABART 2,983,301

DEVICE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE STRIPS CONSISTING OF A CONTINUOUS METAL WIRE SO WOUND AS TO FORM A PLANE HELICAL s am:

Filed June 29, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent .DEVICE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE STRIPS CON- SISTING' OF A CONTINUOUS METAL WIRE SO AS TO FORM A PLANE HELICAL Jean Leclabart, 53 Ave. Raymond Poincare, Paris, France Filed June 29, 1959, Ser. No. 823,552

Claims priority, application France Mar. 9, 1959 6 Claims. (Cl. 153-65) for wire initially bent by passage tangentially into the cylinder, around the cylinder and tangentially therefrom, and a guide movable between a first position defining with the outlet a path for partially straightening wire emerging from the cylinder and a second position setting emerging wire to the form required between adjacent turns of the helix.

A method of embodiment of a device according to the invention, and the way in which the device works, are illustrated in very diagrammatic fashion in the appended drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustratm an elevation of the device, sectioned along II in Figure 2;

Figure 2 is partially cut away plan view, sectioned along H-H in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view extracted from Figure 2, showing how the control cams are arranged;

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are working diagrams showing operational cycle of the device;

Figure 7 is an overall perspective view of the device;

Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the spindle and the cup therein as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the metal wire 1, introduced through a fixed guide 2, is inserted between two drums 3 and 4. v

The drum 3 is rotationally fast with a vertical spindle 5 which is rotationally driven by means of a crank 6 fitted to the lower end of the spindle 5. Rotation of the drum 3 is transmitted to the drum 4 by way of two spur pinions 7 and 8, which are respectively fast with the two drums, and have pitch diameters equal to the diameters of the drums. The drum 4 is mounted on a vertical shaft 9 carried by a lever 10, which is articulated about a fixed spindle 11 and acted on by a spring 12 in such a direction as to cause the drum 4 to bear against the drum 3, thus providing the grip required to'drive the wire 1.

After passing between the two drums 3 and 4, the wire 1 is guided in a groove 13 in a support 14 attached to a vertical spindle 15. At the top of this spindle there is a cylindrical cup 16, of diameter d, and of a depth slightly greater than twice the diameter of the wire 1. As shown in Figures 2 and 8, the cup 16 is tangential to the direction of the wire 1, which, upon leaving the groove 13, is guided into a rectilinear groove 17 in the spindle 15; the wire 1, after having formed the helical turn forced by the cup 16, emerges from the latter via a flared aperture 18 in the spindle 15. A plate 19, preferably made of transparent material, and detachably fixed to the spindle the 15 and the support 14, prevents the wire 1 from escaping upwards.

A sleeve 20 is centred on the spindle 15, and has attached to it, by means of screws 21, an arm 22 which carries at its free end two co-axial rollers 23 and 24 mounted on a common spindle 25, above and below the arm 22 respectively.

The rollers 23 and 24 co-operate respectively with two cams 26 and 27 which are locked to the shaft 5.

Each of the two cams comprises a cylindrical profile of radius R and a cylindrical profile of radius r, the two cylindrical profiles of one and the same cam being connected by two straight profiles F and f extending substantially along radii of the cylindrical profiles, and including an angle a between them. The respective angular settings of the two cams cause there to be an angle [3 between the profile f of one of the cams and the profile F of the other cam (Figure 3).

The sleeve 20, which is acted on by a spring 28 in such a direction as to cause the rollers 23 and 24 to bear against the earns 26 and 27, carries a vertical finger 29 against which the wire 1 bears after emerging from the aperture 18.

Operation of the device is diagramatical-ly illustrated in Figures 4 to 6, wherein the only cam profile illustrated, for the sake of greater simplicity, is that produced by definite angular setting of the two earns 26 and 27.

In the phase illustrated in Figure 4, the angular direction of the sleeve 20, and consequently of the guide finger 29, is defined by the rollers 23, 24 bearing against the profile R of the cams 26, 27. A diameter D of the helical turn corresponds to this position of the sleeve 20, and is that assumed by the wire 1 after it has been initially bent to the diameter d in the cup 16, and then straightened to a definite extent by passing in front of the finger 29.

Formation of a helical turn of diameter D continues until the instant at which the cam has reached the position illustrated in Figure 5. As soon as the roller clears the end of the profile R, the action of the spring causes the sleeve 20 to rotate about the spindle 15 as far as an angular position defined by the roller bearing against the profile r of the cam. In this angular position of the sleeve 20, which is maintained until the instant at which the profile F of the cam causes the roller to move back up to the profile R (Figure 6), the finger 29 acts on the wire 1 in the direction of additional straightening, which defines an arc of a turn of radius A downstream of the finger 29.

Finally, after the roller has moved back up to the profile R, the wire 1 will form a new turn of diameter D.

The pitch between two helical turns of diameter D may be altered by adjusting the angular displacement between the two cams 26 and 27, and the corresponding variation in the angle 5 defines the straightening period corresponding to the arc of radius A; moreover, adjustment of the angular setting of the arm 22 with respect to the finger 29, which is allowed by the oblong holes in the flanges of the arm 22 through which the screws 21 pass, enables the two angular positions of the finger 29 with respect to the centre of the cup 16 to be simultaneously varied, with a consequent variation in the amplitude of straightening obtained.

The device which has just been described could natwrally be modified in detail, or supplemented by any useful accessory, without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for producing a helix from wire, wire feeding means, a cylinder receiving wire from said feeding means, an outlet from said cylinder for wire initially bent by passage tangentially into said cylinder, then circumferentially around said cylinder and then tangentially out of said cylinder, and a guide for the wire movable between a first position in line with the axis of said outlet for partially straightening wire emerging from said cylinder and a second position setting emerging wire into successive'helicoidal turns having their centers displaced from one turn to the next.

, 2. In a device for producing a helix from wire, a pair of wire feed rollers, means for mechanically driving said rollers, means for resiliently biasing said rollers toward one another, a cylinder receiving wire from said rollers, an outlet from said cylinder for Wire initially bent by passage tangentially into said cylinder, then circumferentially around said cylinder and then tangentially out'of said cylinder, and a guide for the wire movable between a first position in line with the axis of said'outlet for partially straightening wire emerging from said cylinder and a second position setting emerging wire in successive between a first position in line with the axis of said outlet for partially straightening wire emerging from said cylinder and a second position setting emerging Wire in successive helicoidal turns having their centers displaced linearly from one turn to the next.

4. In a device for producing a helix from wire, a pair of wire feeding rollers, means for mechanically driving said rollers, means for resiliently biasing said rollers towards one another, a cylinder for receiving wire from said rollers, an outlet from said cylinder for wire initially bent by passage tangentially into said cylinder, then circumferentially around said cylinder and then tangentially out of said cylinder, and a finger guide angularly movable relative to the axis of said cylinder between a first position in line with the axis of said outlet for partially'straightening wire emerging from said cylinder and a second position setting emerging wire in successive helicoidal turns having their centers displaced from one turn to the next.

5. In a device for producing a helix from wire, wire feeding means, a cylinder for receiving wire from said feeding means, an outlet from said cylinder for wire initially bent by passage tangentially into said cylinder, then circumferentially around said cylinder and then tangentially out of said cylinder, and a guide movable between a first position in line with the axis of said outlet for partially straightening wireemerging from said cylinder and a second position setting emerging Wire in successive helicoidal turns having their centers displaced from one turn to the next, said means for moving said guide comprising a cam rotated by said wire feeding means and two circular profiles'of difierent diameters on said cam successively operating said guide for each revolution of said cam, each profile corresponding to one of the two positions of saidguide.

6. In a device f r producing a helix from wire, wire feeding means, a cylinder for receiving wire from said feeding means, an outlet from said cylinder for wire initially bent by passage tangentially into said cylinder, then circumferentially around said cylinder and then tangentially'out of said cylinder, and a guide movable between a first position in line with the axis of said outlet for partially straightening wire emerging from saidzcylinder and a second position setting emerging wire in successsive helicoidal turns having their centers displaced from one turn to thenext, said means for'moving said guide comprising two cams, a single cam follower and twocircular profiles for each of said cams, said two profiles on each of said cams corresponding to the two positions of said guide, said cams being movable angularly relative to one another to vary the profile presented to said follower.

References Cited in the file of :this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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