Method and apparatus for manufacturing split retaining rings and the like

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 further including the step of visually gaging the closing of said riNg gaps by aligning said gaps with horizontally extending markings on said rod.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 wherein the minimum time of heating is at least 5 seconds.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 further including the steps of transferring said stack on said suspended bar to a second station and cooling said stack at said second station.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 further including the steps of moving said stack to a third station on said rod; wrapping said stack in a protective coating; and removing said stack from said rod.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5 further including the step of removing selective rings from said stack and gaging same at said third station.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 wherein said rod is of a generally polygonal cross section and said upwardly extending inverted ''''V'''' shaped projection is an upwardly extending corner of said cross-sectionally polygonal rod.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7 wherein said rod is of generally rectangular cross section.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 wherein said rod is of generally triangular cross section and said upwardly extending invented ''''V'''' shaped projection is an upwardly extending apex of said triangle.

Claim 11

Apparatus for stress relieving a plurality of split retaining rings and the like formed from spring wire, said rings being placed vertically side by side to form a horizontally extending ring stack of predetermined length with the gaps in said rings being oriented towards the top of said stack, said apparatus comprising: a horizontally extending, suspended rod of non-conductive material having a uniform, horizontally and upwardly extending generally inverted V-shaped projection for receiving a stack of rings suspended on said rod in predetermined orientation with said gaps receiving said projection therein so that the gaps between opposed ends of each ring is aligned with one another; a conductive coil encircling said rod and said stack of rings in predetermined spaced relation, said conductive coil defined by a plurality of turns formed in a helix and of length at least equal to the length of said stack; and motor generator means for applying alternating current of predetermined frequencies to said coil for heating said stack of rings to a predetermined temperature.

Claim 12

Apparatus for stress relieving a plurality of split retaining rings and the like formed from spring wire, said rings being placed vertically side by side to form a horizontally extending ring stack of predetermined length with the gaps in said rings being oriented towards the top of said stack, said apparatus comprising: a horizontally extending, suspended rod of non-conductive material having a uniform, horizontally and upwardly extending generally inverted V-shaped projection for receiving a stack of rings suspended on said rod in predetermined orientation with said gaps receiving said projection therein so that the gaps between opposed ends of each ring is aligned with one another; a conductive coil encircling said rod and said stack of rings in predetermined spaced relation, said conductive coil defined by a plurality of turns formed in a helix and of length at least equal to the length of said stack; and motor generator means for applying alternating current of predetermined frequencies to said coil for heating said stack of rings to a predetermined temperature.

Claim 13

Stress relieving apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein the ring gap portion of said stack is positioned further away from the interior of said coil than the ring portion diametrically opposed to said gap portion.

Claim 14

Stress relieving apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein said rod has a plurality of longitudinally-extending scribed lines over selective surfaces thereof for visually gaging the closing of said ring gap during heating.

Claim 15

Stress relieving apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein; said suspended rod is rectangular in cross section, said projection is an upwardly extending corner of said cross-sectionally rectangular rod, and said rod has a centrally located bore at each axial end face; and indexing means including a trunnion thereon press-fitted into each bore for rotating said rod in 90* increments.

Claim 16

Stress relieving apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein intersecting exterior surfaces of said rod define rod apexes and the included angle of said apex being predetermined so that said apex extends beyond said ring gap.

Claim 17

Apparatus for forming split-retaining rings and the like from spring wire comprising: forming means for bending and shearing said spring wire into the shape of said split ring, each split ring having a gap between opposed sheared ends greater than that desired for a finished ring; a longitudinally extending suspended rod having a stress relief station positioned thereon, said rod having an uniform, longitudinally and upwardly extending apex for receiving said gaps in aligned relation; said stress relief station defined by said rod having a non-conductive portion extending there along, a pluralitY of said rings placed side by side with gap openings aligned positioned on said non-conductive portion of said rod, a conductive coil encircling said non-conductive rod portion and said stack of rings and defined by a plurality of turns formed in a helix, said coil axially extending a distance at least equal the length of said stack of rings, and motor generator means for supplying alternating current to said coil for heating said stack of rings.

Claim 18

Apparatus for forming split-retaining rings and the like from spring wire comprising: forming means for bending and shearing said spring wire into the shape of said split ring, each split ring having a gap between opposed sheared ends greater than that desired for a finished ring; a longitudinally extending suspended rod having a stress relief station positioned thereon, said rod having an uniform, longitudinally and upwardly extending apex for receiving said gaps in aligned relation; said stress relief station defined by said rod having a non-conductive portion extending there along, a pluralitY of said rings placed side by side with gap openings aligned positioned on said non-conductive portion of said rod, a conductive coil encircling said non-conductive rod portion and said stack of rings and defined by a plurality of turns formed in a helix, said coil axially extending a distance at least equal the length of said stack of rings, and motor generator means for supplying alternating current to said coil for heating said stack of rings.

Claim 19

Ring forming apparatus as defined in claim 15 further including said suspended rod having a cooling station and a wrapping station position thereon and cooling means for cooling said ring stack by compressed air.

Claim 20

Ring forming apparatus as defined in claim 16 further including visual gaging means on said non-conductive rod portion for determining the closing of said ring gap during heating.

Claim 21

Ring forming apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein said rod includes a first right angle portion adjacent said forming means, a second right angle portion at the opposite end of said rod and said non-conductive portion inbetween said first and second portions, said non-conductive portion having a general cross-section configuration with intersecting side surfaces defining apexes and said side surfaces of same dimension as exterior surfaces of said angle portions, said apexes extending beyond the ring gap of said rings in said stack.