Patent ID: 6971415

Claim:
A bulge forming mechanism for forming bulges in a wire having helically coiled strands by untwisting the strands in an anti-helical direction at a predetermined position to form an electrical connector from a segment of a length of the wire, comprising: a first gripping assembly including a first clamp member and a first actuator, the first clamp member moving to a closed position to grip the wire and prevent the wire from moving relative to the first clamp member and to an open position in which the wire is free to move relative to the first clamp member, the first actuator connected to the first clamp member to selectively move the first clamp member into the open and closed positions; a second gripping assembly including a second clamp member and a second actuator, the second clamp member moving to a closed position to grip the wire and prevent the wire from moving relative to the second clamp member and to an open position in which the wire is free to move relative to the second clamp member, the second actuator connected to the second clamp member to selectively move the first clamp member into the open and closed positions; and a rotating carrier interconnecting the first and second gripping assemblies to rotate the first and second clamp members relative to one another in at least one complete relative revolution in a single relative rotational direction which is anti-helical relative to the strands of the wire, the rotating carrier also positioning the first and second clamp members at a spaced apart location above and below the predetermined location where a bulge is to be formed, and wherein: the first and second actuators close the first and second clamp members during a relative rotational interval of greater than one-half of a complete relative revolution of the clamp members.