Patent ID: 8899093

Claim:
A drawing support for a metal sheet drawing machine incorporating therein a holder that functions to supply a force to support a metal sheet in the drawing support while tension is applied to the metal sheet during a drawing process, the drawing support comprising a plurality of plates with each plate having a window through which the metal sheet to be drawn may pass, the plurality of plates positioned in series one after another with the windows of adjoining plates being aligned with one another, at least a portion of the plurality of plates being coupled together in a manner that causes the at least portion of the plurality of plates to be in a compressed state, each of the at least portion of the plurality of plates having a natural width when not in the compressed state and having a second width less than the natural width when in the compressed state, each of the at least portion of the plurality of plates configured to deform in a direction that decompresses the plates and to cause the plates to expand from the second width toward the natural width in response to the holder supplying the force to support the metal sheet during the drawing process and configured to return to the compressed state when the holder ceases to supply the force to support the metal sheet.