Patent ID: 7908899

Claim:
Locking apparatus for restraining the movement of a slide at a plurality of locations relative to bending apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a) a slide, slide bar and bending apparatus, the slide bar being attached to the bending apparatus extending outwardly therefrom, with the slide having means for slideably attaching the slide to the slide bar arranged to translate between a first location distant from the bending apparatus to a second location closer thereto; b) a clapper having pivotable means for pivotably attaching the clapper to an outer surface of the slide arranged to pivot around the end of the clapper opposite to the bending apparatus, and further having means for urging the clapper from a second angle inclined with respect to the slide to a first angle where the clapper and slide are parallel; c) a gudgeon perpendicularly attached to the surface of the clapper facing the slide; d) the slide having a hole sized, oriented and located to admit the gudgeon; e) the slide bar having a hole sized, oriented and located to receive the gudgeon when the clapper is at the first angle with the gudgeon having a length adequate to extend into the hole through the slide when the clapper is at the first angle but not the second angle, and the gudgeon length being adequate to extend into the hole through the slide bar when the clapper is at the first angle and the slide is at the second location; and f) the slide bar having means for changing the angle of the clapper relative to the slide between the second angle and the first angle as the slide moves between the first and the second location, and the slide bar further having means for blocking movement of the slider outward from bending apparatus at the first location; g) wherein the means for changing the angle of the clapper comprises the surface of the slide bar facing the gudgeon having a channel extending from the first location to an intermediate location between the first and second location, with the inner surface of the channel opposite to the opening forming a planar ramp extending from a maximum depth at the second location to the surface of the slide bar at the intermediate location between the first and the second location, with the ramp and gudgeon being dimensioned to result in the clapper being at the first angle with respect to the slide when the slide is at the first location and at the second angle when the slide is at the first intermediate location, and wherein the means for blocking movement of the slide outward from bending apparatus at the first location having a vertical surface at the end of the channel opposite to the bending apparatus; having a hole into the surface facing the gudgeon sized to accept the gudgeon at the second location, with the gudgeon having a length adequate to extend through the hole in the slide into the hole in the slide bar, with the end of the channel opposite to the bending apparatus being perpendicular to the opening blocking movement of the slide relative to the bending apparatus outward from the first location.