Abstract: The mold is secured on the bed portion, and the frame is moved up and down by the jack devices so that the rubber sheet is moved down to the mold and moved up from the mold in a reciprocating motion. While setting the work W, the rubber sheet is stretched by the sheet stretching devices for absorbing the deflection of the rubber sheet, thereby the possibility of the dislocation of the work W on the mold due to the contact with the rubber sheet is reduced, and the insertion of the work between the rubber sheet and the mold becomes easy. Both edge portions of the rubber sheet extending beyond the edge of the mold are clipped by the convex portion formed on the bed portion and the concave portion formed on the frame, thereby the wrinkling of the rubber sheet hardly occurs.

Abstract: An automatic bending apparatus for bending a band-shaped work at a plurality of positions in sequence with intermittent feed of the work in a longitudinal direction thereof. The bending apparatus includes a swingable work holder for holding the work and a fixed bending jig for bending the work in cooperation with the work holder. The work projecting from an outlet of a passage formed in the holder is pressed against the jig by swinging the holder to approach it toward the jig. After bending the work, the holder is returned to a neutral position, and the work is fed to be projected from the outlet, then repeating the above operation. In marking the work with a cutter, a cutting sound detecting device such as a microphone is provided to detect whether the cutter has come into contact with the edge of the work. Further, a depth of cutting from the edge of the work is controlled to be constant on the basis of a timing of detection of the cutting sound.