| 摘要 |
The connector plate (100) Bias a rigid, planar base ( 10 2), and a plurality of adjacent elongated slots (l08) defined in said metal plate (100). The slots (l08) are offset in a sinusoidal pattern having at least one cycle with a maximum amplitude slot position, a minimum amplitu de slot position and at least two zero-point slot positions. Each slot (108) has first and second reverse-oriented mirror-image teeth (104, 106) extending from the plate (100) at opposing ends of each slo t f 108). A punch ( 302) having a base portion (308) having a longitudinal axis (310) and a shank (30 4) having a longitudinal axis (306) offset from the base portion longitudinal (310) axis is also provided. 1n producing the connector plates of the present invention, the sheet metal material, or connector material, from which the connector plate is to be formed is incrementally passed between a series of punches and corresponding dies. The punches and dies are arranged so that each punch will strike the metal material and pass through so as to extend into a cavity of a corresponding die. When the punch extends into the cavity of the dies, a substantial portion of the space between longitudinal side edges of each punch and corresponding die is less than the thickness of the sheet material. Thus, as the punch enters into the cavity of the die material forming occurs where by the teeth are reshaped by wiping the metal between the side walls of the punch and the die cavity. In this manner, the offset spines (110) of the teeth are formed set from the longitudinal axis S of the slots (108). As the punch is fully extended into the die cavity, each tooth is forced into a position substantially vertically aligned with its opposing tooth.
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