Combination cleat bender and bar folder apparatus

Claim 1

A sheet metal bending brake apparatus comprising: a. a frame; b. a generally rectangular work supporting surface mounted on said frame; c. a fixed holding bar mounted on said frame adjacent the rear edge of said support surface and extending laterally and upwardly substantially co-extensive therewith, said bar comprising a generally vertical element extending across the front width of the frame and a forwardly, downwardly, angularly extending element having a plurality of slots formed therein so as to comprise discrete finger members upwardly unobstructed by the frame, said angularly extending element terminating in a plurality of securing jaw surfaces that are disposed forward of the plane of the vertical element, said securing surfaces being generally parallel to said support surface and spaced slightly above and rearwardly of the rear edge of said support surface; d. a movable holding bar mounted on said frame adjacent said rear edge of the support surface movable between a rearwardly and upwardly clamping position in opposed clamping relationship to the fixed bar and substantially parallel to the support surface and a position forwardly and downwardly of the support surface; and e. a bending brake element mounted on said frame rearwardly of said holding bars, said element having an uppermost surface substantially parallel to the uppermost surface of the vertical element of said fixed holding bar, said element extending rearwardly and downwardly therefrom, said element comprising a bending jaw surface essentially parallel to the securing jaw surfaces of said fixed holding bar, said bending jaw surface adapted to contact a sheet metal workpiece held between said holding bars and rotate around an axis adjacent and rearwardly of the jaws of the holding bars in the closed position, the movable holding bar being coordinated with the movement of the bending brake element to release from the holding position prior to the point when the bending brake has rotated 180°, said movable holding bar and bending brake element being formed with a plurality of slots complementary to the slots formed in the fixed holding bar.