Machine for making wire cages

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR MAKING A WIRE CAGE, MEANS FOR GUIDING LONGITUDINAL WIRES IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP AROUND A MANDREL, MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID LONGITUDINAL WIRES AXIALLY ALONG THE MANDREL, MEANS FOR APPLYING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL WIRE AROUND SAID LONGITUDINAL WIRES, SAID LASTNAMED MEANS INCLUDING A ROTATABLE DRUM, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRUM, ELECTRODES FOR ENGAGING SAID LONGITUDINAL WIRES, A WELDING ELECTRODE FOR ENGAGING SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL WIRE, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID WELDING ELECTRODE ON SAID DRUM, SPRING MEANS FOR URGING SAID WELDING ELECTRODE INTO CONTACT WITH SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL WIRE, A CAM MEMBER ACTING BETWEEN SAID SPRING MEANS AND SAID DRUM WHEREBY THE TENSION OF SAID SPRING MAY BE RELIEVED TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE OF SAID WELDING ELECTRODE ON SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL WIRE, A STATIONARY FRAME, A TRANSFORMER MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, A PAIR OF CURRENT-DISTRIBUTING PLATES MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, SAID PLATES BEING INSULATED FROM EACH OTHER AND FROM SAID FRAME, SAID TRANSFORMER HAVING ITS OUTPUT TERMINALS CONNECTED RESPECTIVELY TO RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID PAIR OF DISTRIBUTING PLATES, MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING ONE OF SAID PAIR OF DISTRIBUTING PLATES TO SAID FIRST-NAMED ELECTRODES, MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING THE OTHER OF SAID PLATES TO SAID WELDING ELECTRODE, SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS INCLUDING A BRUSH IN SLIDING CONTACT WITH SAID OTHER OF SAID PAIR OF DISTRIBUTING PLATES, AND MEANS FOR ENERGIZING SAID TRANSFORMER EACH TIME SAID WELDING ELECTRODE IS CARRIED ACROSS AN INTERSECTION OF SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL WIRE ONE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL WIRES.