Abstract: Method for forming a tubular metal member of a shape and length having an opened end and a closed end into an element which is formed of a different shape and length by forcing and thereby flowing the metal of the tubular member from one mold cavity to another. The method utilizes a form mold having an entrance cavity of a shape and length generally corresponding to the tubular member and in which the entire tubular member is initially located and an exit cavity of a different shape and length in which the flowing metal of the tubular metal member is forced to form the element having the shape and length of the exit cavity. The form mold has an entrance opening in a side wall thereof which is connected to the entrance cavity. The tubular metal is initially located entirely within the entrance cavity of the form mold, with the closed end thereof located adjacent the exit cavity and the opened end of the tubular metal member being located at the entrance opening to the entrance cavity.

Abstract: A wire-formed hinge assembly for a pivotable rain gutter including a pair of wire-formed members. The first member, having an "L" shape, is stationary having a first leg mounted to a structure and a second leg extending outwardly from the structure. The second leg has a "U" shaped end remote from the structure, the end having a stud therein. The second member is substantially "U" shaped and is fitted around the gutter. The second member has a pair of upstanding legs which retain the gutter therebetween. A bight portion of the second member, connects the legs thereof. The legs terminate in hooks which engage the upper lips of the respective side walls of the gutter. The second member has a loop thereon in which is received the stud of the remote end of the second leg of the first member. The second member holding the gutter may pivot about the stud received in the loop. An optional "C" shaped retaining member is provided.

Abstract: A shaft is cold-forged to have a shaped portion at one end of the shaft and a flange portion at a middle of the shaft. A taper portion is provided at a root of the flange portion on the opposite side thereof to the shaped portion. The shaped portion is formed by forward extrusion of a bar material, and the flange portion is formed by upsetting. The taper portion is formed by extruding the root of the flange portion to provide a gently inclined continuous connection between the flange portion and an adjacent portion of the shaft. The apparatus for manufacturing the shaft has at least a first set of dies, at least a second set of dies, and a conveyance system for transferring the shaft between the die sets.

Abstract: An improved variable geometry tooling die is disclosed employing die segments 12 for use in die-press bending of materials. A forming die 10 is constructed of a plurality of segmented portions 12 which are radially adjustable for bends of different radii. Interchangeable inserts 20 in the segmented dies 12 allows for bending materials with various outside diameters and shapes.

Abstract: A mechanism for opening and closing an openable apparatus has a body consisting of a first body portion and a second body portion. The first body portion is rotated about a pivotal axis between the closed position and the fully opened position. An arcuated gear portion having a center falling on the pivotal axis is provided. A one-way damper mechanism is connected to the gear portion directly or via a transmission gear and comprises a rotary gear rotated in cooperation with the opening and closing movements of the first body portion and a rotational speed control device for controlling the rotational speed of the first body portion when the first body portion is closed. In cooperation with the movement of the first body portion between the closed position and the fully opened position, the rotary member is rotatable about the pivotal axis between a first position at which the first body portion is closed and a second position at which the first body portion is fully opened.

Abstract: An automatic manufacturing machine puts a washer on a bolt which thereby forms a sub-assembly that can be used to further manufacture other things, for example. A vibrating bowl orients the washers so that one side of the washer is up and the other side is down relative to said bolt. These oriented washers are then delivered to a washer transporting dial having a plurality of equispaced pockets around the periphery thereof. Each pocket receives and carries one of the oriented washers to eventually receive the bolt. A sensor detects whether the washer is correctly positioned in the pocket and stops the vibrating bowl until an improperly washer is correctly positioned in a pocket. Jets of air are directed onto the surface of the dial to dislodge incorrectly positioned washers. This invention is important when the opposite sides of the washer are different, as when it is conical, covered on one side by rubber, plastic, or the like.

Abstract: An apparatus for bending hollow profile strips (1) into spacer frames for insulating glass planes includes a clamp for the hollow profile strip, which clamp can be brought into contact with the lateral surfaces of the hollow profile strip (1), an abutment (20), about which the hollow profile strip (1) is bent, and a pivotable bending lever (50). The abutment (20) is exchangeably attached to a support (21) and can be moved into and out of its operative position by pivoting the support (21) about an axis perpendicular to the plane of symmetry of the clamp (2) and by shifting the support (21) perpendicularly to the plane of symmetry of the clamp (2).

Abstract: A fastener which includes a threaded pin having a notched helical thread to receive a threaded collar which, after being set to a torque, is deformed to move material into some notches on the thread to form a lock to prevent unthreading. The notched thread can be formed by a three-section roll die, the first section of which forms the thread, the second of which notches the thread, and the third section of which smoothes the thread. The invention comprehends the die, the die forming method, the pin, the pin and collar, and a joint formed with the pin and collar.

Abstract: A system for controlling the feeding of wire to a workstation for the formation of a coil spring by means of at least one moveable work tool that is disposed at the workstation and that is selectively operated to move to different positions in the formation of a particular spring. The system includes a feed mechanism for feeding wire to the workstation and computer control means for controlling the feed mechanism to optimize the rate of spring making. The computer control means includes an entry means for setting predetermined characteristics regarding wire feed and work tool motion in constructing the particular spring. Work tool motion intervals are defined and the velocity of wire feed is maintained in a predetermined velocity range during the work tool motion interval, increasing in the velocity feed to a velocity greater than the predetermined velocity range outside of this work tool motion interval.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for aligning the leads of electronic devices having a body portion and plurality of leads extending from the body portion having pads at the free terminal ends comprising means for positioning the electronic device at a lead straightening station. A pair of lead straightening heads comprised of a plurality of fingers engages between the leads on opposite sides of the electronic device. The lead straightening heads are actuated relative to the electronic device through a straightening cycle including a first phase where the fingers engage between leads of the electronic device while in a floating condition and a second phase after the electronic device is clamped in place on a support surface to pivot the leads on either side of a plane extending transversely to the body portion and thereby align each of the leads relative to this plane. Coplanarity means is provided for positioning the pads of the leads so that they all lie in a common plane.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming an electric resistance heating coil of desired resistance that involves forming a straight helical coil and centering the formed coil for transfer to a first folding station for holding the straight helical coil into a U-shaped helical coil.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hinged fluid passage assembly having seal members which allow fluid to flow from a first component to a second component hinged thereto through a passage between seal members extending from the components and the hinge.

Abstract: According to the invention, there is provided a door hinge comprising a spring that plays the role of both a torsion spring and a compression spring, wherein its resilient force is used for axially pressing a movable cam against a matching fixed cam it comprises and thereby facilitating the opening and closing motion of the door with which it is used by giving said cams such specific configurations that the spring accelerates the opening motion of the door from a given angular position of the door and locks the door at a particular open position and at a closed position.

Abstract: An opening/closing mechanism is used in apparatus such as personal computers, word processors and liquid-crystal televisions, some of these apparatus.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for forming box-shaped sheet metal ducts with Pittsburgh-type seams. The improved method is a continuous process in which the sheet metal is fed from an uncoiler, and after straightening and notching, the leading edge is fed into a single apparatus that performs all of the remaining forming functions. In this single apparatus, the leading edge of the material is formed into the male portion of the Pittsburgh seam, after which the box is formed and then the female portion of the Pittsburgh seam is formed and the material sheared to complete the box section. Using this improved method eliminates the moving of separate parts from one station to another, thereby improving the efficiency of the forming operation and the quality of the resulting box section.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for the forming of wire, namely a leg or spiral spring winding and bending machine.It is an object of the present invention to reduce the expenditure for the production of the apparatus and to universalize the forming operations which can be carried out with each tool.The apparatus including a plurality of tools (86, 88, 90, 92 or 142; 162, 190, 192) on a tool holder (74; 160) which is fixed at the free end of a longitudinally displaceable shaft (12) resembling the known winding spindle and is replaceable. Every existing tool can be brought into the pathway of the wire and hence into operation by positioning the shaft by rotation and longitudinal displacement by means of a drive which is known from the conventional winding spindle but differently controlled.The advantage of this apparatus is that it is of simplified construction and enables the same tools to be used for producing different forms of springs.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming and slitting spirally formed pipe, particularly spiral pipes having a diameter of approximately one inch or less, is disclosed. The pipe forming apparatus includes an enclosed forming head and a mandrel. A continuous strip of metal is driven around the mandrel and inside a lateral bore in the forming head in a helical manner. First and second rollers mounted in the forming head partially form a spiral lockseam. A third roller mounted in the upper portion of the forming head closes the spiral lockseam. The mandrel is both rotatable and pivotable. The device for slitting the spiral pipe into sections includes a first knife that is positioned inside the spiral pipe. This knife is mounted at the endd of a rotatable boom, that extends through the mandrel and is positioned inside of the spiral pipe. A second rotatable knife is positioned outside of the pipe. A rotatable support roller is also positioned outside of the pipe, and opposite the outer knife.

Abstract: Multiple coil springs, particularly springs of alternating right and left hand coils, are formed from a continuous wire, interconnected by spring heads formed of straight lengths of the wire, by a coiler having a stationary forming head which with a pair forming rollers which bend the wire to one side or the other, with the formed coils extending in the same direction from the forming head, thus producing a partially formed step-shaped spring. The partially formed spring is passed through a spin tube which damps out the alternating twists resulting from the coiling procedure. Downstream from the coiler, the partially formed spring is folded by imposing opposite 180.degree. twists to consecutive pairs of the interconnecting heads to reverse the direction of alternate ones of the coils.

Abstract: A combination dedimpler and deburring apparatus is provided in which tubes are serially introduced into a dedimpler machine which removes constrictions or dimples from the tube wall at the cut ends thereof to form cylindrically true ends, and then the tubes are automatically transferred to a deburring machine for the removal of burrs from such cut ends. In the dedimpler machine, the tubes are advanced to a dedimpler station where a pair of dedimpler plugs are moved by a cam arrangement into opposite ends of the tube in a precisely timed, synchronized motion to force the tube wall against cooperating press rollers and thus remove constrictions or dimples from the tube ends. The dedimpled tubes are then automatically conveyed to the deburring machine having laterally spaced brush heads which carry deburring brushes operative to remove burrs from the tube ends.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the determination of the force imposed on a terminal being crimped onto a wire. The crimping mechanism includes a cantilevered member which is deflected an amount that is proportional to the crimping force imposed on the terminal by the crimping bar. The amount of this deflection is sensed by four strain gages which are coupled to the cantilevered member and are electrically interconnected to form a Wheatstone bridge. The output of the Wheatstone bridge is then translated into actual force being imposed upon the terminal.