Method and apparatus for bending and cutting a partially slitted long tube to produce a plurality of relatively short tubes

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF COMPLETELY SEVERING RELATIVELY SHORT TUBES FROM A RELATIVELY LONG TUBE HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE SLITS EXTENDING TO AND TERMINATING AT BOTH EDGES OF AN UNCUT LONGITUDINAL STRIP OF SAID TUBE WHICH STRIP HOLDS TOGETHER A SERIES OF PARTIALLY SEVERED, RELATIVELY SHORT, TUBES WHICH FORM SAID LONG TUBE, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES: FEEDING AND BENDING SAID LONG TUBE AROUND A PORTION OF THE PERIPHERY OF A ROTATING WHEEL WITH SAID UNCUT LONGITUDINAL STRIP FORMING THE INNER PART OF A POLYGONAL ARCH FORMED BY THE STRAIGHT SIDES OF SAID SHORT TUBES, AND WITH THE ENDS OF ADJACENT SHORT TUBES DIVERGING FROM EACH OTHER; ROTATING A CUTTING KNIFE CARRIED BY SAID WHEEL COMPLETELY AROUND AN AXIS PARALLEL TO AN ADJACENT SHORT TUBE WITH SAID KNIFE ROTATING ADJACENT THE LEADING END OF SAID ADJACENT SHORT TUBE; AND CAUSING SAID KNIFE TO CUT SAID LONGITUDINAL STRIP ADJACENT SAID LEADING END OF SAID ADJACENT SHORT TUBE COMPLETELY TO SEVER, FROM SAID LONG TUBE, THE FORWARD SHORT TUBE WHICH IS IMMEDIATELY FORWARD OF SAID ADJACENT SHORT TUBE, AND IN WHICH A DISC IS SIMULTANEOUSLY ROTATED ABOUT SAID AXIS ADJACENT THE TRAILING END OF SAID ADJACENT SHORT TUBE AND IN WHICH SAID DISC HAS MEANS TO COOPERATE WITH SAID CUTTING KNIFE AUTOMATICALLY TO ALIGN THE PORTION OF SAID LONGITUDINAL STRIP WHICH CONNECTS SAID ADJACENT SHORT TUBE TO SAID FORWARD SHORT TUBE WITH SAID KNIFE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF COMPLETELY SEVERING RELATIVELY SHORT TUBES FROM A RELATIVELY LONG TUBE HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE SLITS EXTENDING TO AND TERMINATING AT BOTH EDGES OF AN UNCUT LONGITUDINAL STRIP OF SAID TUBE WHICH STRIP HOLDS TOGETHER A SERIES OF PARTIALLY SEVERED, RELATIVELY SHORT, TUBES WHICH FORM SAID LONG TUBE, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES: FEEDING AND BENDING SAID LONG TUBE AROUND A PORTION OF THE PERIPHERY OF A ROTATING WHEEL WITH SAID UNCUT LONGITUDINAL STRIP FORMING THE INNER PART OF A POLYGONAL ARCH FORMED BY THE STRAIGHT SIDES OF SAID SHORT TUBES, AND WITH THE ENDS OF ADJACENT SHORT TUBES DIVERGING FROM EACH OTHER; ROTATING A CUTTING KNIFE CARRIED BY SAID WHEEL COMPLETELY AROUND AN AXIS PARALLEL TO AN ADJACENT SHORT TUBE WITH SAID KNIFE ROTATING ADJACENT THE LEADING END OF SAID ADJACENT SHORT TUBE; AND CAUSING SAID KNIFE TO CUT SAID LONGITUDINAL STRIP ADJACENT SAID LEADING END OF SAID ADJACENT SHORT TUBE COMPLETELY TO SEVER, FROM SAID LONG TUBE, THE FORWARD SHORT TUBE WHICH IS IMMEDIATELY FORWARD OF SAID ADJACENT SHORT TUBE, AND IN WHICH A DISC IS SIMULTANEOUSLY ROTATED ABOUT SAID AXIS ADJACENT THE TRAILING END OF SAID ADJACENT SHORT TUBE AND IN WHICH SAID DISC HAS MEANS TO COOPERATE WITH SAID CUTTING KNIFE AUTOMATICALLY TO ALIGN THE PORTION OF SAID LONGITUDINAL STRIP WHICH CONNECTS SAID ADJACENT SHORT TUBE TO SAID FORWARD SHORT TUBE WITH SAID KNIFE.