APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MAKING CLAMP RINGS

摘要

A clamp ring apparatus (10) having an upper die assembly (28) with an upper die (40), a lower die assembly (30) with a lower die (42), an actuator (26) for bringing the upper die assembly and the lower die assembly together, a leg deflection element (88) for offsetting legs of clamps formed by the apparatus, and a spring (138) for controlling welding pressure on the wires formed to make the clamp rings. Spine (W') and rib (W'') wires are fed into the apparatus from respective wire supplies and brought into overlapping relationship between the upper and lower die assemblies. The upper and lower die assemblies then compress the wires to form a clamp from the rib wire and to attach the wires together by using welding electrodes (56, 66) at or adjacent to the lower die assemblies.