Method and apparatus for shearing using momentarily applied supporting and clamping forces of great magnitude

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SHEARING A WORKPIECE FROM AN ELONGATED METALLIC MEMBER BY MEANS OF FIRST AND SECOND KNIVES WHICH ARE RELATIVELY MOVABLE TOWARD EACH OTHER COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CAUSING SAID FIRST AND SECOND KNIVES TO PARTIALLY PENETRATE SAID MEMBER FOR A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO EFFECT SHEARING OF SAID MEMBER AND CAUSING SAID KNIVES TO CONTINUE THEIR RELATIVE MOVEMENT TOWARD EACH OTHER AFTER SAID SHEARING HAS BEEN EFFECTED, SIMULTANEOUSLY SUPPORTING SAID MEMBER AND WORKPIECE WITH SUFFICIENT FORCES TO MAINTAIN THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID WORKPIECE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID MEMBER DURING THE PARTIAL PENETRATION OF SAID MEMBER BY SAID KNIVES, AND RELIEVING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FORCES IMMEDIATELY AFTER SAID SUFFICIENT PARTIAL PENETRATION HAS BEEN EFFECTED TO PRODUCE SAID SHEARING TO THEREBY PERMIT RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID WORKPIECE AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID MEMBER FROM WHICH SAID WORKPIECE WAS SHEARED TO THEREBY PREVENT THE SCORING OF ADJACENT SHEARED FACES OF SAID WORKPIECE AND SAID MEMBER INCIDENTAL TO RELATIVE RADIAL MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN AS A RESULT OF SAID CONTINUED RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID KNIVES TOWARD EACH OTHER AFTER SAID SHEARING HAS BEEN EFFECTED.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF SHEARING A WORKPIECE FROM AN ELONGATED METALLIC MEMBER BY MEANS OF FIRST AND SECOND KNIVES WHICH ARE RELATIVELY MOVABLE TOWARD EACH OTHER COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CAUSING SAID FIRST AND SECOND KNIVES TO PARTIALLY PENETRATE SAID MEMBER FOR A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO EFFECT SHEARING OF SAID MEMBER AND CAUSING SAID KNIVES TO CONTINUE THEIR RELATIVE MOVEMENT TOWARD EACH OTHER AFTER SAID SHEARING HAS BEEN EFFECTED, SIMULTANEOUSLY SUPPORTING SAID MEMBER AND WORKPIECE WITH SUFFICIENT FORCES TO MAINTAIN THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID WORKPIECE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID MEMBER DURING THE PARTIAL PENETRATION OF SAID MEMBER BY SAID KNIVES, AND RELIEVING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FORCES IMMEDIATELY AFTER SAID SUFFICIENT PARTIAL PENETRATION HAS BEEN EFFECTED TO PRODUCE SAID SHEARING TO THEREBY PERMIT RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID WORKPIECE AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID MEMBER FROM WHICH SAID WORKPIECE WAS SHEARED TO THEREBY PREVENT THE SCORING OF ADJACENT SHEARED FACES OF SAID WORKPIECE AND SAID MEMBER INCIDENTAL TO RELATIVE RADIAL MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN AS A RESULT OF SAID CONTINUED RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID KNIVES TOWARD EACH OTHER AFTER SAID SHEARING HAS BEEN EFFECTED.