Patent ID: 7021110

Claim:
A device for preparing a U-shaped spacer having a longitudinal axis, wherein the spacer has first and second opposing sides extending from a spacer bottom and wherein the spacer is to be used as a spacer between glass sheets on sealed windows, and wherein the spacer may be bent and still retain a depth suitable to accept a matrix for sealing the spacer around the window when mounted within an insulating unit, comprising: a) a base; b) a guide within the base for firmly supporting the U-shaped spacer; c) an embossing subassembly movable in an operating direction vertical and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis for imparting to the opposing sides of the spacer a corner configuration having a perforation pattern; and d) a pressing element for activating the embossing subassembly, wherein the perforation pattern is intended to retain a lower section of the opposing sides for accepting the matrix and to cause the lower section of the sides to collapse inwardly when the spacer is bent, wherein the embossing subassembly is comprised of: i) a first forming member and a second forming member movable in opposing vertical directions perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and aligned within the base to act upon a spacer that may be secured within the guide, wherein each forming member is comprised of: 1) a shearing element which is aligned to engage and remove by shearing an upper section of each opposing side; and 2) a primary embossing element which is aligned to emboss a perforation pattern upon the outer surface of the lower section of an opposing side, wherein the first forming member and the second forming member act upon the first opposing side and the second opposing side, respectively.