Multipart die for attachment of a metal clip

Claim 1

In apparatus for attaching a metal clip to a workpiece, the improvement comprising, in combination: a multipart die for forming the clip into a substantially fixed diameter, helical configuration on the workpiece, said die including more than two die members, each of the die members having an arcuate face segment opposed to the workpiece, each die member being translatable only in a radial direction toward and away from the center of a circle surrounding the workpiece, said center being intermediate all of the die members, each of the face segments of said die members including a segment of a circular clip channel, said channel being continuous when the die members are in the closed position, with the face segments forming a closed surface about the workpiece; and means for simultaneously translating the die members in the radial direction only between an open position for positioning a metal clip between the die members on the workpiece and closed circle position for forming the metal clip into a circular configuration on the workpiece, said means including separate die passages for each die member, each die passage forming a radial passage for sliding movement of the associated die member.