Importance

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Abstract

A separating and feeding system for a shot peening machine is of the type which includes blast wheels mounted on a housing of the machine and capable of propelling a plurality of shot generally downwardly into a critical blast region within the housing for shot peening a plurality of springs passing therethrough. The springs are supported on and separately conveyed along a pair of spaced spinner rolls along a peening path into one side of and through the critical blast region. The separating and feeding system includes an entrance chamber within the housing adjacent the one side of the critical blast region. An elongated horizontally extending chain is mounted relative to the housing for continuous movement from a first end exterior of the housing through an opening in a wall of the housing to a second end within the entrance chamber at the one side of the critical blast region. The horizontally extending chain supports the springs thereon and makes frictional contact therewith to transport the springs from the one end to the second end. The chain is capable of continued movement beneath any of the springs which are prevented by retarding gates from continuing transportation. A shot screening and spring stopping gate is in a normally closed position at the opening to prevent escape of shot therethrough and entrance of one of the springs into the entrance chamber. When there is no spring at the one side of the critical blast region, a signal is provided for opening the shot screening and spring stopping gate for a predetermined amount of time to allow the chain to transport the one spring to the critical blast region.

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First Claim