Abstract: A spring coiling machine with an auxiliary drive and control has a feed roll driving clutch with inputs from both a main machine drive and from the auxiliary drive. The main drive is set to rotate feed rolls to advance a length of wire an increment less than that required for a coil spring of a predetermined configuration and dimension. The final increment of wire feed is then accomplished by the auxiliary drive, the clutch acting to render the latter effective as main drive rotational velocity drops off. An optical sensor responsive to the position of a leading end portion of the wire in the spring being coiled thereafter signals the auxiliary drive control to terminate wire feed. A fast response servo motor is employed as an auxiliary drive and a precise termination of wire feed is thus achieved to provide for precise end positioning. The clutch employed is unidirectional and termination of auxiliary feed may be accomplished by terminating forward drive or by reversing the servo motor.

Abstract: An electro-mechanical drive for use between mechanically independent master and slave rotary elements, as for example the cam shaft and spring winding spindle of a spring winding machine of the type commonly known as a torsion spring winder. A harmonically cut cam on the cam shaft operates a follower which in turn drives adjustably interconnected first and second slides respectively driving a rack and an associated pinion and an oscillable lever. The lever in turn imparts axial movements to the winding spindle as may be required for pitching torsion springs wound thereon. The pinion operated by the rack in turn drives a direct current tachometer generator which provides a variable voltage signal having a cyclically repetitive wave form with sloped leading and trailing edges and, more particularly, a voltage at least approximately in the form of a sine wave.

Abstract: A spring winding machine comprising a rotary cam shaft, a cam mounted on the shaft and rotatable therewith, and a follower on a lever intermediate its ends and engaged and driven in one and an opposite direction by the cam during each cam rotation. The lever is pivotally supported at one end and an opposite end drives a first slide in one and an opposite direction. A rack on the slide rotates a pinion on one and an opposite direction which in turn drives an electrical spindle drive means. The drive means includes a direct current tachometer generator and a fast response servo controller and motor which rotates the spindle in one and an opposite direction to wind springs thereon. A manually adjustable potentiometer predetermines the number of spindle turns for each cam rotation and thus establishes the number of spring coils. A second slide movable in one and an opposite direction is driven from the first slide by means of an angularly adjustable guideway on the first slide and a follower on the second slide.

Abstract: A wire coiling machine having a pair of spring coiling assemblies which are disposed in coaxial relation and include rotatable heads mounted on coaxial shafts drawn by racks connected to a pair of piston and cylinder units for rotation at different or the same speeds in the same or opposite directions to form a pair of coaxial coils on a single length of wire, the coiling assemblies being axially movable in opposed directions by cam elements and return springs.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for coiling long lengths of substantially rigid pipe. Sections of pipe can be welded into a length several thousand feet long which is then bent to form a continuous spiral. Preferably, the pipe is stored in a vertical coil, with the weight being carried solely by the lowermost coil.

Abstract: A plurality of groups of mandrels are arranged for movement successively through a plurality of workstations with each group being worked on at a station while other groups are being worked on simultaneously at other stations to produce continuously automatically groups of retractile cords. Cordage is fed from a supply into clamping engagement with each of the mandrels in the group in a cord-loading position and then wound in a plurality of spaced-apart convolutions on each of the mandrels of that group after which the wound cords are severed from the cordage supplies. The wound cords are advanced incrementally through a heating zone, wherein the cords are exposed to radiant heating supplemented by preheating of the mandrels while cordage is being wound on the next successive groups of mandrels.