Method and means of forming threaded ties and rods

A method for manufacturing a helically-shaped member, the method including:

• providing profiled feed-wire comprising metal, the feed-wire having a central core and a plurality of longitudinal flanges extending outwards from the core and running parallel to the core;
• providing a die body made of plastic, the die body having an axial cavity formed through the die body and a plurality of internal helical grooves formed in the die body, each helical groove extending substantially the whole length of the axial cavity at a substantially uniform helix angle, wherein the die body has fewer helical grooves than the feed-wire has flanges;
• engaging at least some of the flanges within respective internal helical grooves, and forcing the profiled feed-wire in an axial direction through the die body, whereby a plastic surface within at least one of the helical grooves deflects its respective flange thereby forcing the profiled feed-wire to helically deform as it advances through the die body;
• and
• extruding a helically-shaped wire from the die body.

A method for manufacturing a helically-shaped member, the method including:

• providing a coil of profiled feed-wire comprising metal, the feed-wire having a central core and a plurality of longitudinal flanges extending outwards from the core and running parallel to the core;
• providing a die body made of plastic, the die body having an axial cavity formed through the die body and a plurality of internal helical grooves formed in the die body, each helical groove extending substantially the whole length of the axial cavity at a substantially uniform helix angle;
• engaging at least some of the flanges within respective internal helical grooves and winding the die body on to a leading end of the coil of the profiled feed-wire and locking the pre-engaged die body against rotation with a die holder;
• forcing the profiled feed-wire in an axial direction through the die body, whereby a plastic surface within at least one of the helical grooves deflects its respective flange thereby forcing the profiled feed-wire to helically deform as it advances through the die body;
• and
• extruding a helically-shaped wire from the die body.

A method for manufacturing a helically-shaped member, the method including:

• providing profiled feed-wire comprising metal, the feed-wire having a central core and a plurality of longitudinal flanges extending outwards from the core and running parallel to the core;
• providing a die body made of plastic, the die body having an axial cavity formed through the die body and a plurality of internal helical grooves formed in the die body, each helical groove extending substantially the whole length of the axial cavity at a substantially uniform helix angle;
• engaging at least some of the flanges within respective internal helical grooves, and forcing the profiled feed-wire in an axial direction through the die body by a feed mechanism, the feed mechanism including powered drive rollers, whereby a plastic surface within at least one of the helical grooves deflects its respective flange thereby forcing the profiled feed-wire to helically deform as it advances through the die body;
• extruding a helically-shaped wire from the die body;
• and
• temporarily halting rotation of the powered drive rollers during an extrusion process, and subsequently restarting the powered drive rollers.

A method for manufacturing a helically-shaped member, the method including:

• including a preparatory step of providing stock-wire having a substantially circular transverse cross-section;
• transforming the stock-wire into a profiled feed-wire by progressively squeezing the stock-wire between shaping rollers on a plurality of occasions such that the transverse cross-sectional shape of the stock-wire is gradually plastically deformed into a transverse cross-sectional of the profiled feed-wire, without cutting or shearing the surface of the wire, the profiled feed-wire comprising metal, having a central core and a plurality of longitudinal flanges extending outwards from the core and running parallel to the core;
• providing a die body made of plastic, the die body having an axial cavity formed through the die body and a plurality of internal helical grooves formed in the die body, each helical groove extending substantially the whole length of the axial cavity at a substantially uniform helix angle;
• engaging at least some of the flanges within respective internal helical grooves, and forcing the profiled feed-wire in an axial direction through the die body, whereby a plastic surface within at least one of the helical grooves deflects its respective flange thereby forcing the profiled feed-wire to helically deform as it advances through the die body;
• and
• extruding a helically-shaped wire from the die body.