Patent ID: 8875607

Claim:
A method for cutting retainers on a continuous strand with an apparatus including a rotary head member configured to be rotatably driven about a longitudinal axis, the rotary head member including a center hole substantially coincident with the longitudinal axis and configured to receive the strand, and a retainer forming member supported on the rotary head member and comprising a cutting edge directed substantially inward toward the longitudinal axis, the method comprising: rotating the rotary head member about the longitudinal axis; continuously pulling the strand through the center hole along the longitudinal axis as the rotary head member rotates about the longitudinal axis; and as the rotary head member rotates about the longitudinal axis, moving the retainer forming member toward and away from the longitudinal axis of the strand, thereby intermittently cutting an outer surface of the strand with the cutting edge of the retainer forming member to form a plurality of retainers on the strand.