Asking for help using the translation property of the bone tool to make a slinky element unravel

[NewWaveDave]

I tried to illustrate in the picture what I am attempting to achieve, but I had to lower the quality to upload it.  I have a rigged robot with a neck, which is separated into three components, lower neck (connects to torso), upper neck (connects to head), and slinky (connects from bottom neck to upper neck).  The goal is, as you drag the upper neck, I was hoping to use the joint y translation to drag the neck to it constraint, while also dragging the slinky along with it, but keeping the bottom neck from moving.

My problem is that I can't seem to find any reproducible logic in using the joint translation property.  Somsotmes it acts as intended, but most times it just drags all of the components up or down with what I am dragging... but whereas they all appear to be independent of each other.  For example I am trying to have it appear as if it is unraveling the slinky as the neck is pulled up to its max y constraint.

Hopefully I illustrated what I am trying to do clear enough, and if not, please let me know if more information is required.  I truly appreciate any and all help.  I have been trying to comprehend how translation works for a few days straight, and I just dont seem to be acquiring the necessary knowledge.  Also, it is difficul finding information about this bone property.

Thank you

[NewWaveDave]

Well, I will answer my own question for those curious.  Don't even bother with the translation join for anything complex because I tried every logic possible, and nothing worked.

I did create the goal exactly as I was looking to howeve, just using the rotation joint, and very specifically positioning the anchoring point for everything.

I will cut the detail though because long story short, save yourself trouble, and avoid the bone tool of you need it to make anything complex because after I completed it, i saved it in 5 different files, and it broke several bones in every document next time opened.  The joints stayed broken regardless of efforts and it even was broken if I copy and pasted a fully functional system into a new document.  In other words, it is a glitch that discourages a great deal of progress