Method and apparatus for manufacture of wire truss and sinuous strut therefor

The method of making a wire truss comprising

• clamping a first wire at a rearward area thereof that is rearwardly spaced from a previously bent forward area thereof,
• moving blocking dies into engagement with said previously bent area to resist forward and transverse motion of said wire at said previously bent area,
• transversely displacing an intermediate area of said wire between said forward and rear areas,
• moving said rearward and forward areas toward each other as said intermediate area is displaced, whereby said wire is bent at each of said areas,
• withdrawing said blocking dies,
• advancing said wire,
• clamping said wire at a second rearward area displaced from said first mentioned rearward area,
• moving blocking dies into engagement with said first mentioned rearward area, after it has been bent, to resist forward and transverse motion thereof,
• transversely displacing a second intermediate area of said wire between said first mentioned and second rearward areas, moving one of said rearward areas toward the other as said second intermediate area is displaced, whereby said wire is bent at said second intermediate area, at said second rearward area, and is further bent at said first mentioned rearward area,
• assembling first and second lateral wires to said first wire in contact therewith at points near said bent areas, and attaching said wires to each other at points of contact therebetween,
• said step of attaching comprising holding said lateral wires in mutually spaced positions, holding bent portions of said first wire in predetermined positions relative to said lateral wires by exerting oppositely directed transverse pressures in the plane of and on opposite sides of said bent portions to transversely position said first wire, and welding said lateral wires to said first wire.

A machine for manufacture of wire trusses of the type comprising a continuous and sinuous strut member connected to a pair of lateral wire runners, said machine comprising first clamp means for clamping a strut wire at a rearward area spaced rearwardly of a previously bent forward area thereof,

• first and second movably mounted blocking dies,
• means for moving said blocking dies into engagement with said previously bent area to resist forward and transverse motion of said previously bent area,
• means for transversely displacing an intermediate area of said wire between said forward and rear areas, said means for transversely displacing an intermediate area of said strut wire comprising a displacement die guide mounted for pivotal motion, a displacement die mounted to said guide for slidable motion along said guide and means for driving said displacement die along said guide,
• means for moving said blocking dies and said clamp means toward each other as said intermediate area is transversely displaced, whereby said wire is bent at each of said areas,
• means for longitudinally advancing said strut wire after it has been bent,
• means for assembling first and second lateral wires to said strut wire, and
• means for fixedly securing said lateral wires to said strut wire.

A machine for manufacture of wire trusses of the type comprising a continuous and sinuous strut member connected to a pair of lateral wire runners, said machine comprising first clamp means for clamping a strut wire at a rearward area spaced rearwardly of a previously bent forward area thereof,

• first and second movably mounted blocking dies,
• means for moving said blocking dies into engagement with said previously bent area to resist forward and transverse motion of said previously bent area,
• means for transversely displacing an intermediate area of said wire between said forward and rear areas,
• means for moving said blocking dies and said clamp means toward each other as said intermediate area is transversely displaced, whereby said wire is bent at each of said areas,
• means for longitudinally advancing said strut wire after it has been bent,
• means for assembling first and second lateral wire runners to said strut wire,
• means for fixedly securing said lateral wire runners to said strut wire, and
• first and second laterally spaced holding guide means for positioning said first and second lateral runners respectively, first and second holding finger means for applying mutually opposed pressures to and in the plane of said strut wire to position said strut wire relative to said lateral runners.

A machine for making wire trusses comprising

• a machine bed,
• a rear clamp slide mounted for longitudinal motion along said bed,
• a rear clamp die fixed to said slide,
• a movable rear clamp part movably mounted to said slide for motion toward and away from said rear clamp die,
• means for driving said slide back and forth along said machine bed,
• means for driving said rear clamp part toward and away from said rear clamp die, whereby a strut wire may be clamped therebetween or released therefrom,
• a blocking bend pin die slidably mounted to said machine bed for vertical motion,
• means for driving said blocking bend pin die upwardly and downwardly,
• a rotary blocking die shaft mounted to and above said machine bed for rotation about an axis coaxial with said bend pin die,
• a rotary blocking die fixed to a lower end of said shaft and including a die surface positioned to move around the periphery of said blocking bend pin die in proximity thereto,
• means for rotating said rotary blocking die shaft,
• a transverse die guide pivoted to said machine bed for motion about a vertical axis laterally displaced from said bed, said guide extending toward said bed,
• a transverse displacement die slidably mounted for motion on said guide in a direction transverse to said machine bed,
• means for driving said displacement die along said guide, whereby a strut wire may be sinuously bent by said dies,
• means for precisely positioning said displacement die about said vertical axis in one transverse position of said displacement die,
• means on said bed positioned forwardly of said blocking dies for guiding a strut wire bent by said dies and for guiding a pair of lateral runner wires toward oppositely disposed portions of said sinuously bent strut wire, and
• means for welding said lateral wires to said sinuously bent strut wire.

A machine for sinuously bending wire comprising

• a machine bed,
• a rear clamp mounted for longitudinal motion along said bed,
• means for driving said clamp back and forth along said machine bed,
• means for actuating said clamp whereby a wire may be clamped thereby or released therefrom,
• a blocking bend pin die slidably mounted to said machine bed for transverse motion,
• means for driving said blocking bend pin die,
• a rotary blocking die shaft mounted to and spaced from said machine bed for rotation about an axis coaxial with said bend pin die,
• a rotary blocking die fixed to an end of said shaft and positioned to move around the periphery of said blocking bend pin die in proximity thereto,
• means for rotating said rotary blocking die shaft,
• a transverse displacement die mounted on said bed for motion in a direction transverse to said machine bed, and
• means for driving said displacement die, whereby a wire may be sinuously bent by said dies.

A machine for manufacture of a continuous and sinuous wire member, said machine comprising

• clamp means for clamping a wire at a rearward area spaced rearwardly of a previously bent forward area thereof,
• first and second movably mounted blocking dies,
• means for moving said blocking dies into engagement with said previously bent area to resist forward and transverse motion of said previously bent area,
• means for transversely displacing an intermediate area of said wire between said forward and rear areas, said means for transversely displacing an intermediate area of said wire comprising a pivotally mounted displacement die guide, a displacement die movably mounted on said displacement die guide, and means for driving said displacement die relative to said displacement die guide,
• means for moving said blocking dies and said clamp means toward each other as said intermediate area is transversely displaced, whereby said wire is bent at each of said areas,
• means for withdrawing said blocking dies, and
• means for longitudinally advancing said wire, after it has been bent.

A machine for manufacture of a continuous and sinuous wire member, said machine comprising

• clamp means for clamping a wire at a rearward area spaced rearwardly of a previously bent forward area thereof,
• first and second movably mounted blocking dies,
• means for moving said blocking dies into engagement with said previously bent area to resist forward and transverse motion of said previously bent area,
• means for transversely displacing an intermediate area of said wire between said forward and rear areas,
• means for moving said blocking dies and said clamp means toward each other as said intermediate area is transversely displaced, whereby said wire is bent at each of said areas,
• means for withdrawing said blocking dies,
• means for longitudinally advancing said wire, after it has been bent,
• said means for transversely displacing an intermediate area of said wire comprising a displacement die guide mounted for pivotal motion, a displacement die mounted to said guide for slidable motion along said guide, means for driving said displacement die along said guide, and cam means for pivotally shifting said displacement die and guide as the displacement die is moved in one direction transverse to said wire.

A machine for manufacture of wire trusses of the type comprising a continuous and sinuous strut member connected to a pair of lateral wire runners, said machine comprising first clamp means for clamping a strut wire at a rearward area spaced rearwardly of a previously bent forward area thereof,

• second clamp means, said second clamp means comprising a blocking bend die slidably mounted to said machine bed for transverse motion, means for driving said blocking bend die, a rotary blocking die shaft mounted to said machine bed for rotation, a rotary blocking die mounted on said shaft to move around said blocking bend die in proximity thereto, and motor means for rotating said blocking die shaft,
• means for moving said second clamp means into engagement with said previously bent area to resist forward and transverse motion of said previously bent area,
• means for transversely displacing an intermediate area of said wire between said forward and rear areas,
• means for moving said first and second clamp means toward each other as said intermediate area is transversely displaced, whereby said wire is bent at each of said areas,
• means for longitudinally advancing said strut wire after it has been bent,
• means for assembling first and second lateal wires to said strut wire, and
• means for fixedly securing said lateral wires to said strut wire.