Patent ID: 6944951

Claim:
An apparatus for making a reinforcing cage, the apparatus comprising a frame, a former adapted to receive a plurality of longitudinally extending reinforcing rods, a bed supported by the frame, wherein the former rests on and is able to rotate relative to the bed, a drive for rotating the former, a loading module located adjacent to the former, and having a shuttle mounted for longitudinal reciprocal movement towards and away from the former, whereby the shuttle may feed reinforcing rods into the former as it moves towards the former, and may withdraw the reinforcing rods from the former as a reinforcing band is placed around the withdrawn reinforcing rods, and a rotatable cage holder a adapted to hold on to the reinforcing cage and to rotate with the former while holding on to the cage such that the former is unable to rotate relative to the cage holder, whereby the cage holder is able to substantially prevent twisting of the reinforcing rods as the former rotates.