Method and apparatus for making elongated flat wire coils

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 additionally including the step of guiding said wire along a fixed linear path immediately prior to imparting said set bend to said wire.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein said wire is maintained under controlled tension as said set bend is imparted to said wire and as said wire is wrapped around said winding blade and including the step of guiding and holding stable said wire along a fixed linear path immediately prior to imparting said set bend to said wire.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 wherein said set bend is imparted to said wire by feeding said wire across a relatively small-diameter bending roller having a fixed axis spaced from the axis of rotation of said winding blade.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 wherein said wire used in said method comprises as-drawn unannealed steel wire.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5 additionally including the step of guiding said wire along a fixed linear path immediately prior to imparting said set bend to said wire.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5 wherein said wire is maintained under controlled tension as said set bend is imparted to said wire and as said wire is wrapped around said winding blade and including the step of guiding and holding stable said wire along a fixed linear path immediately prior to imparting said set bend to said wire.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7 wherein said set bend is imparted to said wire by feeding said wire across a relatively small diameter bending roller mounted for rotation about an axis spaced from and parallel to the axis of rotation of said winding blade.

Claim 10

The method of claim 8 wherein said wire engages only a portion of the periphery of said bending roller and does not encircle said bending roller.

Claim 11

Means for forming an elongated flattened wire spiral of spring-like wire having a tensile strength in excess of 100,000 pounds per square inch comprising a forming station including an elongated continuously rotating driven winding blade, a rigid flat spiral outfeed guide member axially coextensive with and surrounding said elongated continuously rotating winding blade, wire infeed means for feeding wire to said forming station to be wrappingly bent around said winding blade, said wire infeed means including bending means immediately upstream of and closely spaced from said forming station for imparting a set bend to said wire immediately upstream of said forming station, said set bend being in an opposite direction to the bends imparted to said wire by the wrapped engagement of said wire with said winding blade so that an elongated flat spiral of said spring-like wire is formed by the wrapping of said wire onto said winding blade.

Claim 12

Means for forming an elongated flattened wire spiral of spring-like wire having a tensile strength in excess of 100,000 pounds per square inch comprising a forming station including an elongated continuously rotating driven winding blade, a rigid flat spiral outfeed guide member axially coextensive with and surrounding said elongated continuously rotating winding blade, wire infeed means for feeding wire to said forming station to be wrappingly bent around said winding blade, said wire infeed means including bending means immediately upstream of and closely spaced from said forming station for imparting a set bend to said wire immediately upstream of said forming station, said set bend being in an opposite direction to the bends imparted to said wire by the wrapped engagement of said wire with said winding blade so that an elongated flat spiral of said spring-like wire is formed by the wrapping of said wire onto said winding blade.

Claim 13

The invention of claim 10 additionally including linear guide means for guiding said wire along a fixed linear path immediately prior to engagement of said wire with said bending means and means for maintaining said wire under controlled tension.

Claim 14

The invention of claim 11 wherein said wire bending means comprises a relatively small-diameter roller means having an axis offset from the axis of said winding blade.

Claim 15

The invention of claim 12 wherein said linear guide means comprises an elongated member having a hollow linear bore of slightly greater diameter than the diameter of said wire and through which said wire is fed.

Claim 16

Feeding means for forming an elongated flattened wire spiral of spring-like wire comprising a forming station including an elongated motor driven rotating winding blade, a rigid flat spiral outfeed guide member axially coextensive with and surrounding said elongated continuously rotating winding blade, wire supply means, wire infeed means for feeding wire from said wire supply means to said forming station to be wrapped around said winding blade, said wire infeed means including wire tensioning means downstream of said wire supply means, bending means immediately upstream of and closely spaced from said forming station for imparting a set bend to said wire immediately upstream of said forming station in an opposite direction to the bend imparted to said wire by the wrapped engagement of said wire with said bending station so that an elongated flat spiral of said spring-like wire is formed by the wrapping of said wire onto said winding blade.

Claim 17

Feeding means for forming an elongated flattened wire spiral of spring-like wire comprising a forming station including an elongated motor driven rotating winding blade, a rigid flat spiral outfeed guide member axially coextensive with and surrounding said elongated continuously rotating winding blade, wire supply means, wire infeed means for feeding wire from said wire supply means to said forming station to be wrapped around said winding blade, said wire infeed means including wire tensioning means downstream of said wire supply means, bending means immediately upstream of and closely spaced from said forming station for imparting a set bend to said wire immediately upstream of said forming station in an opposite direction to the bend imparted to said wire by the wrapped engagement of said wire with said bending station so that an elongated flat spiral of said spring-like wire is formed by the wrapping of said wire onto said winding blade.

Claim 18

The invention of claim 14 additionally including linear guide means for guiding said wire along a fixed linear path to a location immediately adjacent the point at which said wire engages said bending means.

Claim 19

The invention of claim 14 wherein said wire bending means comprises a relatively small-diameter roller having a fixed axis of rotation offset from the axis of said winding blade and having a radius only slightly greater than the radius of curvature imparted to the wire by said winding blade.

Claim 20

The invention of claim 15 wherein said linear guide means comprises an elongated member having a hollow linear bore of slightly greater diameter than the diameter of said wire and through which bore said wire is fed.

Claim 21

The invention of claim 17 wherein said wire bending means includes a relatively small diameter roller means mounted for rotation about a fixedly positioned axis offset from and parallel to the axis of said winding blade.