Machine and method for bending preformed sinuous wire

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR BENDING A PREFORMED SINUOUS FLAT WIRE STRIP HAVING SPACED PARALLEL TORSION BARS INTERCONNECTED BY SPACER BARS, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SUCH A PREFORMED SINUOUS FLAT STRIP, A PLURALITY OF WIRE-CLAMPING HEADS ARRANGED IN OPPOSED PAIRS AT SPACED-APART INTERVALS ALONG OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE FLAT STRIP ADJACENT THE JUNCTURES OF SPACER BARS WITH THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF PREDETERMINED TORSION BARS THEREOF, MEANS FOR POSITIVELY ENGAGING SAID STRIP AND LOCATING IT LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID SUPPORT IN PREDETERMINED ACCURATE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID HEADS, SAID PAIRS OF HEADS BEING SHIFTABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE STRIP LONGITUDINALLY OF THE TORSION BAR AT THE JUNCTURE AT WHICH THEY ARE DISPOSED TO GRIP AND RELEASE THE STRIP AT SUCH JUNCTURES, MEANS COUPLED WITH THE HEADS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY SHIFTING ALL OF THEM TOWARD THE STRIP LONGITUDINALLY OF THE STRIP TORSION BARS AT THE ASSOCIATED STRIP JUNCTURE TO EMBRACE SUCH JUNCTURES, EACH OF SAID CLAMPING HEADS BEING PROVIDED WITH COOPERATING RELATIVELY SHIFTABLE WIRE GRIPPING JAWS OPERABLE UPON EMBRACEMENT OF THE STRIP AT THE ASSOCIATED JUNCTURE TO FORCIBLY GRIP THE STRIP AT SAID JUNCTURE TO PREVENT ROLLING OF THE WIRE ABOUT IS OWN AXIS IN ANY OF THE HEADS, MEANS COUPLED WITH ONE HEAD OF EACH OF SAID HEAD PAIRS FOR ROTATING IT THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ANGLE TO TWIST THE WIRE OF SUCH STRIP BEYOND ITS ELASTIC LIMIT AT A PREDETERMINED LOCATION ADJACENT THE ASSOCIATED STRIP JUNCTURE SO THAT A FIRST FLAT PORTION OF SAID STRIP AT ONE SIDE OF SAID PREDETERMINED LOCATION IS ANGULARLY RELATED TO A SECOND PORTION THEREOF AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID PREDETERMINED LOCATION, MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID HEAD ROTATING MEANS TO ROTATE SAID HEAD PAIRS IN A PREDETERMINED SEQUENTIAL RELATIONSHIP, MEANS FOR REMOVING SAID LOCATING MEANS FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STRIP AFTER THE FIRST OF SAID HEAD PAIRS HAS ACCOMPLISHED ITS STRIP BENDING OPERATION, AND MEANS FOR RELEASING AND RETRACTING EACH OF SAID HEAD PAIRS IMMEDIATELY AFTER ROTATION OF THE ROTATABLE ONE OF THE HEADS THEREOF.