Abstract: A rotating shear for cutting a rapidly moving wire has a pair of cutter heads rotatable about parallel axes and having respective blades. A drive synchronously counterrotates the heads about the respective axes with close juxtaposition of the blades on each revolution. Thus when the wire is between the heads level with the blades it is severed thereby. A guide tube surrounds the wire upstream of the heads and has a downstream end movable generally parallel to the axes and positioned adjacent and between the cutter heads. The wire exits from the guide tube in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the head axes. A guide head fixed to one of the cutter heads is formed with a generally helical guide groove centered on the respective axis. An axially and radially displaceable but angularly generally nondisplaceable follower can move between a position engaged in the groove and axially entrainable thereby and a position clear thereof. An actuator displaces the follower between the positions.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting through a continuously longitudinally moving wire has a pair of cutter drums centered on and rotatable about respective generally parallel axes and having respective radially outwardly open generally helical wire grooves of substantially the same pitch but opposite hand. These drums are radially relatively closely spaced and define a nip. A guide element is integral with and fixed rotationally on one of the drums and is formed with a helical guide groove of the same hand and pitch and centered on the same axis as the respective wire groove but is axially offset therefrom. A cutter blade is provided in at least one of the wire grooves adjacent one axial end thereof. The two drums are synchronously rotated at the same peripheral speed by a drive. A swingable guide tube is directed generally tangentially at the nip and has a downstream end closely juxtaposed with the drums at the nip. The wire passes longitudinally through this tube toward the drums.

Abstract: A steel wire directly from the rolling mill is formed into a horizontally advancing helix having a succession of upstanding turns. This helix is fed into a horizontally opening end of an elbow and a roller at the short side of the elbow deflects the helix so that it exits from the downwardly opening outlet end of the elbow. An upright cooling tube is provided immediately at this downstream end and has a multiplicity of throughgoing holes each aligned with a respective nozzle for spraying of liquid on the descending coil so as rapidly to cool it and to transform at least the surface of it into martinsite. At the lower end of the tube the cooled coil, at a temperature of 500.degree. C.-600.degree. C. as compared with the starting temperature of 750.degree. C., is carried horizontally away by a conveyor.