Method of applying clips

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF FORMING A SEAL AROUND A FLEXIBLE RESILIENT ARTICLE BY MEANS OF A GENERALLY U-SHAPED CLIP COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PROVIDING, IN STRADDLING RELATION WITH SAID ARTICLE, A GENERALLY U-SHAPED CLIP HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSED GENERALLY PARALLEL LEGS AND A RELATIVELY STRAIGHT CROWN CONNECTING CORRESPONDING ENDS OF SAID LEGS WITH THE JUNCTURES OF SAID CROWN AND LEGS FORMED TO ARCS OF A CIRCLE, ENGAGING THE CROWN OF SAID CLIP AT SAID JUNCTURES WITH A PUNCH HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED PRESSURE POINTS REGISTERING WITH SAID JUNCTURES AT POINTS INWARDLY OF THE OPPOSITELY OUTWARDLY FACING SIDE OF SAID LEGS, DEFORMING SAID CLIP BY ENGAGING THE FREE ENDS OF THE LEGS OF SAID CLIP WITH A DIE HAVING A PAIR OF PARALLEL SIDE-BY-SIDE GROOVES FORMED ALONG THEIR LENGTHS TO ARCS OF A CIRCLE AND RESPECTIVELY RECEIVING ONE OF SAID ENDS THEREIN, URGING SAID PUNCH AND DIE TOWARD EACH OTHER THEREBY CONSTRAINING SAID FREE ENDS TO MOVE TOWARD EACH OTHER ALONG ADJACENT SPACED PARALLEL CIRCULAR PATHS OF TRAVEL, WHEREBY SAID CLIP IS DEFORMED TO THE SHAPE OF A GENERALLY CIRCULAR RING WITH THE FREE END PORTIONS OF SAID LEGS IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION CONTINUING TO URGE SAID PUNCH AND DIE TOGETHER UNTIL SAID RING IS PARTIALLY FLATTENED AND SIMULTANEOUSLY PERMITTING SAID CROWN TO BOW OUTWARDLY BETWEEN SAID PRESSURE POINTS IN RESPONSE TO THE RESISTING PRESSURE OF SAID ARTICLE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF FORMING A SEAL AROUND A FLEXIBLE RESILIENT ARTICLE BY MEANS OF A GENERALLY U-SHAPED CLIP COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PROVIDING, IN STRADDLING RELATION WITH SAID ARTICLE, A GENERALLY U-SHAPED CLIP HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSED GENERALLY PARALLEL LEGS AND A RELATIVELY STRAIGHT CROWN CONNECTING CORRESPONDING ENDS OF SAID LEGS WITH THE JUNCTURES OF SAID CROWN AND LEGS FORMED TO ARCS OF A CIRCLE, ENGAGING THE CROWN OF SAID CLIP AT SAID JUNCTURES WITH A PUNCH HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED PRESSURE POINTS REGISTERING WITH SAID JUNCTURES AT POINTS INWARDLY OF THE OPPOSITELY OUTWARDLY FACING SIDE OF SAID LEGS, DEFORMING SAID CLIP BY ENGAGING THE FREE ENDS OF THE LEGS OF SAID CLIP WITH A DIE HAVING A PAIR OF PARALLEL SIDE-BY-SIDE GROOVES FORMED ALONG THEIR LENGTHS TO ARCS OF A CIRCLE AND RESPECTIVELY RECEIVING ONE OF SAID ENDS THEREIN, URGING SAID PUNCH AND DIE TOWARD EACH OTHER THEREBY CONSTRAINING SAID FREE ENDS TO MOVE TOWARD EACH OTHER ALONG ADJACENT SPACED PARALLEL CIRCULAR PATHS OF TRAVEL, WHEREBY SAID CLIP IS DEFORMED TO THE SHAPE OF A GENERALLY CIRCULAR RING WITH THE FREE END PORTIONS OF SAID LEGS IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION CONTINUING TO URGE SAID PUNCH AND DIE TOGETHER UNTIL SAID RING IS PARTIALLY FLATTENED AND SIMULTANEOUSLY PERMITTING SAID CROWN TO BOW OUTWARDLY BETWEEN SAID PRESSURE POINTS IN RESPONSE TO THE RESISTING PRESSURE OF SAID ARTICLE.