Stelco Inc.

John S Mitchell

A process and apparatus is provided for forming spring wire into coils. A take-up block with a peripheral surface receives convolutions of wire as it is rotated. At least one pinch roll confines convolutions of the spring wire to the peripheral surface. The shape of the peripheral surface of the block and the circumferential surface of the pinch roll combine to define a gap for urging the convolutions of spring wire to migrate upward. At least one rotatable wire receiving basket is mounted adjacent the take-up block, and further drive means are provided for rotating the at least one wire receiving basket. In a preferred form, stationary guide loops are utilized to keep the spring wire moving in a predetermined trajectory from the take-up block to the rotating wire receiving basket. Again in a preferred embodiment, there are two wire receiving baskets, both rotated at a predetermined and adjustable speed, and the wire is wrapped into a coil firstly on one of the wire receiving baskets, and then on the other of the wire receiving basket. While each wire receiving basket is being filled, the coil of wire in the other can be removed.

Wire take-up mechanism

An improvement to continuous annealing furnaces allows three stacks of coils to be loaded on two trays, with one of the stacks straddling the trays. The modifications include an upender device adapted to place the stacks of coils appropriately on two side-by-side trays, a tray pusher device which ensures that the trays will remain in side-by-side alignment throughout their traverse of the furnace, and a downender device adapted to receive the three stacks of coils from the furnace after annealing, and rotate them to an axis-horizontal position from which they can be removed by a boom truck.

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Hamilton, Canada

John S Mitchell