Appeal No. 96-4172
Application 08/098,594
The claimed invention is directed to an apparatus for hot
coiling curved helical springs. A curved helical spring is one
in which the central axis of the spring is bent. With reference
to Figure 1, the apparatus includes a kiln 1 for heating rod
stock, and a roller conveyor 2,3 which conveys the hot rod to a
coiling bench 4. The coiled hot rod 4 is conveyed to a spring
curving tool 5 which curves the spring and submerges the spring
into the quenching tub 6.
Claim 28, reproduced below, is further illustrative of the
claimed subject matter.
28. Apparatus for manufacturing hot-coiled helical springs
with a bent major central axis that are curved when unstressed
from sections of wire or rod, comprising: heating means for
heating sections of wire or rod to coiling temperature; coiling
means communicating with said heating means for coiling the
heated sections and forming a straight spring; curving mean
downstream of said coiling means for receiving said straight
spring from said coiling means for curving said spring to a
specific shape taken by said spring when in the unstressed state;
said coiling means having a kiln, rollers, and a coiling bench,
said rollers conveying the heated sections from said kiln to said
coiling bench; a quenching tub communicating with said curving
means for quenching said spring after leaving said curving means;
said curving means curving helical springs between said coiling
bench and said quenching tub; a drum rotating over said tub and
partially immersed in said tub, said curving means comprising a
2(...continued)
in an Advisory action mailed on October 26, 1995. Evidently,
the August response to the final rejection did not include any
amendments to the clams. These papers are missing from the file.
2
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