Abstract: An apparatus for wire drawing including a die and a rotatable block around which the wire leaving the die is arranged to be wrapped, a cooling means located between the die and the block for cooling the wire using a coolant and a wiping means for wiping substantially all the liquid coolant from the wire before it passes onto the block. The cooling means is in the form of an elongated chamber through which the wire is arranged to pass while in a substantially straight configuration and moving in the direction of its length. The chamber is provided with nozzles arranged to direct jets of the liquid coolant onto the straight moving wire and with a slot which extends longitudinally from one end of the chamber to the other.

Abstract: A method of making compacted steel wire strand having a central core wire and at least one layer of wires wound around the core wire in which uncompacted strand is made by pulling the wires through a closing die and the wire is then compacted in not more than two reducing dies the dies being arranged so that the wires forming the strand are free to move relative to one another to prevent birdcaging during the reduction in area of the strand to compact it.