Deflector for forming coils of strand

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR FORMING A CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING INDEFINITE LENGTH OF STRAND MATERIAL INTO A SERIES OF LOOPS, WHICH COMPRISES: MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE STRAND AT A RELATIVELY HIGH RATE OF SPEED IN A PATH IN SPACE HAVING A HORIZONTAL COMPONENT; AND A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL STRAND DEFLECTOR POSITIONED IN THE PATH OF THE ADVANCING STRAND DESIGNED TO PREFORM THE STRAND INTO A SERIES OF LOOPS AND TO DIRECT THE SERIES OF PREFORMED LOOPS OF STRAND DOWNWARDLY SO THAT SAID LOOPS FALL ALONG A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL LINE, THE DEFLECTOR HAVING A CONCAVELY CURVED VERTICALLY EXTENDING SURFACE WHICH FACES SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCEMENT OF THE STRAND ENTERING THE DEFLECTOR, THE DEFLECTOR HAVING A A VERTICAL STRANDIMPINGING SURFACE FACING THE CONCAVELY CURVED SURFACE AND PROJECTING TRANSVERSELY OF THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE STRAND FROM A LINE OF CONVERGENCE WITH THE CONCAVELY CURVED SURFACE TO EXTEND BEYOND THE CONCAVELY CURVED SURFACE AND BEING DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO THE ADVANCING STRAND SO THAT THE STRAND ENTERS THE DEFLECTOR ADJACENT TO THE CONCAVELY CURVED PORTION, STRIKES THE STRAND-IMPINGING SURFACE OF THE DEFLECTOR, IS DEFLECTED BY THE STRAND-IMPINGING SURFACE TO FORM A SERIES OF LOOPS WHICH INCREASE IN SIZE AND MOVE OUTWARDLY AGAINST AN ADJACENT PORTION OF THE CONCAVELY CURVED SURFACE OF THE DEFLECTOR AND TOWARD THE LINE OF CONVERGENCE OF THE CONCAVE AND STRAND-IMPINGING SURFACES OF THE DEFLECTOR AS THE SERIES OF LOOPS DESCEND VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY.