motorized geared drive unit 76 rotates its gears causing movable threaded screw 78 to move the resistance block 74 to where it closes the end of the side enclosed compression chamber 72, then the motorized geared drive unit 68 rotates its gears causing movable threaded screw 66 to move the powered ram 70 forward through the side enclosed compression chamber 72 towards the resistance block 74 compressing the metal springs 67 beyond their bending point. Then the motorized geared drive unit 76 rotates its gears causing movable threaded screw 78 to move the resistance block 74 to where it opens the end of the side enclosed compression chamber 72 so that the now compressed metal springs 67 may be pushed forward out of the side enclosed compression chamber 72 when the motorized geared drive unit 68 rotates its gears causing movable threaded screw 66 to move the powered ram 70 forward through the side enclosed compression chamber 72.. Then the the motorized geared drive unit 68 rotates its gears causing movable threaded screw 66 to move the powered ram 70 back through the side enclosed compression chamber 72 to its initial position as shown in Fig. 3B.
In further detail, still referring to the invention of Fig. 1A and Fig. 3B, the interior dimensions of the side enclosed compression chamber 72 may be slightly larger than the exterior dimensions of the metal springs 67 in order to enable loading the metal springs into the side enclosed compression chamber 72. The interior height of the side enclosed compression chamber 72 may be slightly taller than the height 77 of the metal springs 67, more preferably the interior height of the side enclosed compression chamber 72 will be the height that maintains the angles 10 and 12 of the metal springs 67 as they are are being compressed. Further the height of the movable powered ram 70 must be slightly less than the height of the side enclosed compression chamber 72 and the width of the movable powered ram 70 must be slightly less than the width of the side enclosed compression chamber 72 to enable the movable powered ram 70 to move through the side enclosed compression chamber 72 without damaging the side enclosed compression chamber 72.
Further the height of the movable resistance block 74 may be slightly more than the height of the side enclosed compression chamber 72 and the width of the movable resistance block 74 may be slightly wider than the width of the side enclosed compression chamber 72 to enable the movable resistance block 74 to close the end of the side enclosed compression chamber 72.
The construction details of the invention as shown in Fig. 3B, the movable powered ram 70 and the movable resistance block 74 and the side enclosed compression chamber 72 may be be constructed of material of adequate strength to withstand both the initial pressures of compressing the metal springs 67 and the increased pressures exerted by the metal springs 67 during the compaction operation as the movable powered ram 70 compacts the compressed metal springs 67 against the movable resistance block 74, preferably the material may be metal, more preferably the material may be metal harder than the metal of the metal springs 67, and more preferably the material may be machine finished metal harder than the metal of the metal springs 67.
The advantages of the present invention shown in Fig. 3B include, without limitation, the capability of compacting a set of metal springs 67 into a configuration suitable for recycling in the scrap metal market.
