US2008289389A1PendingUtilityA1

Wire-forming apparatus

39
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: May 25, 2007Filed: May 27, 2008Published: Nov 27, 2008
Est. expiryMay 25, 2027(~0.8 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Bradley A. FitchMark KempfAnthony M. Harrison
B21F 1/04
39
PatentIndex Score
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Claims

Abstract

A forming device includes an input including wire in an unformed state. The forming device has a forming station configured to receive the wire, the forming station comprising a plurality of forms, each independently movable toward and away from the wire such that the forms collectively bend the wire into a formed state that is periodic and defines a wavelength. The plurality of forms bends less than a single wavelength of wire from a unformed state to a formed state at one time

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A forming device comprising:
 an input including wire in an unformed state; and   a forming station configured to receive the wire from the input, the forming station comprising a plurality of forms, each independently movable toward and away from the wire such that movement of the forms toward the wire bend the wire into a formed state that is periodic and defines a wavelength;   wherein the plurality of forms bend less than a single wavelength of wire from a unformed state to a formed state at one time.   
     
     
         2 . The forming device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of forms bend substantially one half of a single wavelength of wire from an unformed state to a formed state at one time. 
     
     
         3 . The forming device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of forms constrains no more than one and one half wavelength at one time. 
     
     
         4 . The forming device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of forms bend no more than a single wavelength of wire at one time. 
     
     
         5 . The forming device of  claim 1 , wherein the formed state is a sinusoidal shape having an amplitude and a wavelength, the amplitude being greater than the wavelength. 
     
     
         6 . The forming device of  claim 5 , wherein the wavelength is 40-90 percent of the amplitude. 
     
     
         7 . The forming device of  claim 5 , wherein the amplitude is between twenty five thousandths of an inch and forty thousandths of an inch and the wavelength is between fifteen thousandths of an inch and twenty four thousandths of an inch. 
     
     
         8 . The forming device of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the wire is between one half of one and ten thousandths of one inch. 
     
     
         9 . The forming device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a guide configured to receive the wire in its formed state;   a clamping mechanism configured to actuate such that the wire is pinned against the clamping mechanism when the clamping mechanism is actuated in toward the guide.   
     
     
         10 . A forming device comprising:
 an input including wire in an unformed state; and   a forming station configured to receive the wire from the input, the forming station comprising a plurality of forms, each having respective forming points defining a forming zone configured to bend the wire into a formed state of periodic shape having a wavelength;   wherein the forming zone bends no more than one half of the wavelength of wire from a unformed state to a formed state at one time.   
     
     
         11 . The forming device of  claim 10 , wherein the formed state is a sinusoidal shape having an amplitude and a wavelength, the amplitude being greater than the wavelength. 
     
     
         12 . The forming device of  claim 10  further comprising:
 a guide configured to receive the wire in its formed state;   a clamping mechanism configured to actuate such that the wire is pinned against the clamping mechanism when the clamping mechanism is actuated in toward the guide.   
     
     
         13 . The forming device of  claim 12 , wherein the guide, clamping mechanism and the forms cooperated to move the wire toward the output by one wavelength. 
     
     
         14 . A forming device comprising:
 an input including a wire in an unformed state;   a forming station configured to receive the wire from the input and to bend the wire into a formed state of periodic shape having a wavelength;   an output configured to receive the wire in the formed state;   first and second output forms in the forming station and adjacent the output, the first and second output forms configured to actuate toward the wire in order to hold the wire in its formed state; and   first and second input forms in the forming station and adjacent the input, the first and second input forms configured to actuate toward the wire in its unformed state in order to bend the wire to its formed state.   
     
     
         15 . The forming device of  claim 14 , wherein the first input form is further configured to both hold and to form wire. 
     
     
         16 . The forming device of  claim 14 , wherein the formed state is a sinusoidal shape having an amplitude and a wavelength, the amplitude being greater than the wavelength. 
     
     
         17 . The forming device of  claim 16 , wherein the first and second input forms bend less than a single wavelength of wire from a unformed state to a formed state at one time. 
     
     
         18 . The forming device of  claim 16 , wherein the forming station forms the wire during initial wire processing and subsequent wire processing and wherein the first and second output forms only hold the wire in its formed state and do not bend the wire from its unformed state to its formed state during subsequent wire processing. 
     
     
         19 . A method of forming a wire into a formed state of periodic shape having a wavelength, the method comprising:
 receiving the wire in an unformed state   actuating first and second output forms adjacent the output toward the wire in order to hold the wire;   actuating first and second input forms adjacent the input toward the wire in its unformed state in order to bend the wire to its formed state; and   bending the wire less than a single wavelength at one time from a unformed state to a formed state with the first and second input forms.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising indexing the wire by one wavelength after bending a single wavelength. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising actuating first input form toward the wire in order to bend, and subsequently to hold the formed wire in order for the second input form to accurately bend the wire.

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