Automated height control and coil formation in wire rod mills are described within, where improvements in vision systems and smart sensors are leveraged to enable real-time control of both coil formation and coil height, without the need for secondary inspection and operator input from the pulpit.

A coil spring end forming apparatus is provided that includes a pair of horizontally disposed parallel rollers; a mandrel; a stopper that is provided adjacent to the circumferential surface of the mandrel and is moved up or down and rotated integrally with the mandrel; a clamp jig that is provided so as to be movable toward or away from the mandrel and that holds a semi-formed spring in cooperation with the mandrel, and a pusher for pushing the semi-formed spring toward the stopper, wherein in a state in which the axis of the mandrel is positioned between the axes of the parallel rollers and the semi-formed spring, a clamp portion holds the semi-formed spring at the inner side of a triangle formed by the axes of the parallel rollers and the semi-formed spring and rotates around the axis along the winding direction of the semi-formed spring to form a pigtail portion at one end of the semi-formed spring, and a coil spring end forming method is further provided.

A coil spring end forming apparatus is provided that includes a pair of horizontally disposed parallel rollers; a mandrel; a stopper that is provided adjacent to the circumferential surface of the mandrel and is moved up or down and rotated integrally with the mandrel; a clamp jig that is provided so as to be movable toward or away from the mandrel and that holds a semi-formed spring in cooperation with the mandrel, and a pusher for pushing the semi-formed spring toward the stopper, wherein in a state in which the axis of the mandrel is positioned between the axes of the parallel rollers and the semi-formed spring, a clamp portion holds the semi-formed spring at the inner side of a triangle formed by the axes of the parallel rollers and the semi-formed spring and rotates around the axis along the winding direction of the semi-formed spring to form a pigtail portion at one end of the semi-formed spring, and a coil spring end forming method is further provided.

An auger useable for creating an opening in the ground for a soil sensor housing wherein the sensor housing has a predetermined volume and a tapered outer surface, includes an auger made in accordance with the methods described and defined in this specification. The auger having a shaft having an outer surface of circular cross-section having an larger outer diameter at one end than the other end and a strip material having a helical shape with an inner wall having a larger inner diameter at one end than the other end of the helical shape wherein the helically shaped material is fixed over the outer diameter of the shaft to form a tapered auger with helical flighting. The volume of the opening created by an auger in the ground will provide a matching volume for a sensor housing of a predetermined volume such that substantially the full length of the tapered outer surface of the sensor is adjacent the ground along the full length/depth of the created opening.

An auger useable for creating an opening in the ground for a soil sensor housing wherein the sensor housing has a predetermined volume and a tapered outer surface, includes an auger made in accordance with the methods described and defined in this specification. The auger having a shaft having an outer surface of circular cross-section having an larger outer diameter at one end than the other end and a strip material having a helical shape with an inner wall having a larger inner diameter at one end than the other end of the helical shape wherein the helically shaped material is fixed over the outer diameter of the shaft to form a tapered auger with helical flighting. The volume of the opening created by an auger in the ground will provide a matching volume for a sensor housing of a predetermined volume such that substantially the full length of the tapered outer surface of the sensor is adjacent the ground along the full length/depth of the created opening.

The present invention is to provide a plurality of unit coil portions formed by winding one conductive wire about a winding axis is placed side by side in the winding axis direction, each of the unit coil portions is formed by unit wound portions having different inner circumferential lengths from each other, the unit coil portion is multi-layered in at least a part thereof by pushing at least a part of the unit wound portion having a small inner circumferential length inside the unit wound portion having a large inner circumferential length, and the unit wound portion is wound along a loop shape winding route having a plurality of arc shape corner parts. In unit wound portions forming the unit coil portion, corner parts formed at the same phase angle with respect to the winding axis are formed in an arc shape having curvature center at the same position.

The present invention is to provide a plurality of unit coil portions formed by winding one conductive wire about a winding axis is placed side by side in the winding axis direction, each of the unit coil portions is formed by unit wound portions having different inner circumferential lengths from each other, the unit coil portion is multi-layered in at least a part thereof by pushing at least a part of the unit wound portion having a small inner circumferential length inside the unit wound portion having a large inner circumferential length, and the unit wound portion is wound along a loop shape winding route having a plurality of arc shape corner parts. In unit wound portions forming the unit coil portion, corner parts formed at the same phase angle with respect to the winding axis are formed in an arc shape having curvature center at the same position.

An auger useable for creating an opening in the ground for a soil sensor housing wherein the sensor housing has a predetermined volume and a tapered outer surface, includes an auger made in accordance with the methods described and defined in this specification. The auger having a shaft having an outer surface of circular cross-section having an larger outer diameter at one end than the other end and a strip material having a helical shape with an inner wall having a larger inner diameter at one end than the other end of the helical shape wherein the helically shaped material is fixed over the outer diameter of the shaft to form a tapered auger with helical flighting. The volume of the opening created by an auger in the ground will provide a matching volume for a sensor housing of a predetermined volume such that substantially the full length of the tapered outer surface of the sensor is adjacent the ground along the full length/depth of the created opening.

The present invention is to provide a plurality of unit coil portions formed by winding one conductive wire about a winding axis is placed side by side in the winding axis direction, each of the unit coil portions is formed by unit wound portions having different inner circumferential lengths from each other, the unit coil portion is multi-layered in at least a part thereof by pushing at least a part of the unit wound portion having a small inner circumferential length inside the unit wound portion having a large inner circumferential length, and the unit wound portion is wound along a loop shape winding route having a plurality of arc shape corner parts. In unit wound portions forming the unit coil portion, corner parts formed at the same phase angle with respect to the winding axis are formed in an arc shape having curvature center at the same position.