The present invention relates to a tool for forming a strip of material, and to a method of forming a strip of material.

In the construction and manufacturing industries, it is often necessary to form strips of sheet material into angled or otherwise shaped profiles for stiffness or to provide a shaped component for a specific application. Examples of such strips of material include mesh (for example anti-rodent mesh), straps, wind-bracing straps and strip-like connectors. Such materials may be formed into their final shape at a factory, however this may result in high transportation costs due to increased space requirements and/or damage to the profile of the formed pieces in transit.

Alternatively, the flat strips of material may be formed into rolls for storage or transportation. The material can then be formed into the required profile at the point of use, thereby reducing transport costs and limiting damage to the strip of material in transit. The forming (e.g. bending, curving or profiling) of a strip of material by hand at the point of use may result in irregular shaping, and so it is preferable to provide a tool to allow the user to form the material accurately. One such tool is provided by the present Applicant for their "TBD diagonal Brace" (details of which are available in their catalogue "Wood Construction Connectors" 2015-2016 (C-C-2015)). This tool comprises an angled aperture formed in the substantially planar material of the packaging in which the roll of strip material is provided. The strip may be drawn through the angled aperture to form the strip into an angled section, however the angle to which the strip can be bent is limited and so further forming of the material after use of the tool may be required. In addition, there is a geometrical/size constraint due to the size of the angled aperture.

Furthermore, there is a need minimise the force required to draw the strip of material through the tool, particularly when forming a narrower angle such as a right angl in the strip of material.

Yet further, there is a need for portability, so that the tool can be transported easily by the user from place to place where the product is needed, such that the strip of material can be formed immediately before use. According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a tool for the forming of a strip of material comprising: a first forming surface defining a recess extending substantially in a first direction; and a second forming surface arranged to at least partially protrude into the recess; wherein at least a portion of the first forming surface is spaced apart from the second forming surface in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction such that an opening or channel for receiving the strip of material is defined therebetween; and the opening or channel extends substantially in the first direction between an inlet and an outlet; wherein the spacing between the first forming surface and the second forming surface in the second direction narrows from the inlet to the outlet.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of bending a strip of material comprising the steps of:

i) drawing a portion of a strip of material through the channel or opening of a tool according to the present invention from the inlet to the outlet, such that the strip is formed by the first and/or second forming surfaces.

According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a dispenser for dispensing a strip of material comprising a tool according to the present invention. According to a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a kit comprising a tool according to the present invention and a strip of material for forming, in use, by the tool.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 a is a schematic perspective view of a tool according to a first embodiment of a tool according to the present invention;

Figure 1 b is a further schematic perspective view of the tool of Figure 1a;

Figure 2 is a schematic end elevation view showing the inlet of the tool of Figure 1a; Figure 3 is a schematic end elevation view showing the outlet of the tool of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a schematic side elevation view of a dispenser comprising a tool according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a schematic side elevation view of a tool according to the first embodiment of the present invention in use; Figures 6a to 6f are schematic illustrations of possible cross-sections of a channel or opening of a tool according to other preferred embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 7a is a schematic perspective view of a portion of a strip for use with a tool according to the present invention before forming; and

Figure 7b is a schematic perspective view of the portion of a strip of Figure 7a after forming.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, there is illustrated a tool 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The tool 1 comprises a first former 2 and a second former 3. The first former 2 and the second former 3 are each in the form of an elongate angle section formed from sheet metal. Lateral support flanges 12 are arranged on both sides of the angle sections 2, 3. The lateral support flanges 12 are integrally constructed with the second former 3. The internal surface of the first former 2 is a first forming surface 20 defining a linear elongate recess 21 extending generally in a first direction 7, the recess 21 having a v- shaped cross-section transverse to the first direction 7. This transverse cross-section of the first forming surface 20 is constant along the length of the tool 1 in the first direction 7. The first forming surface 21 comprises a first planar portion 22 and a second planar portion 23 connected by a bend line 24 generally aligned with the first direction 7. The first planar portion 22 is angled relative to the second planar portion 23 at an angle (a1) of

substantially 80 degrees.

The external surface of the second former 3 is a second forming surface 30 defining an elongate protrusion 31 having a v-shaped cross-section transverse to the first direction 7 along its full length. This transverse cross-section of the second forming surface 30 is constant along the length of the tool 1 in the first direction 7. The second forming surface 31 comprises a first planar portion 32 and a second planar portion 33 connected by a bend line 34 generally aligned with the first direction 7. The first planar portion 32 is angled relative to the second planar portion 33 at an angle (a2) of substantially 80 degrees.

The first former 2 is arranged above the second former 3. The first forming surface 20 is spaced apart from the second forming surface 30 in a second direction 8, generally perpendicular to the first direction 7, such that a channel or opening 4 for receiving, in use, a strip of material 9 is defined between them. The first former 2 is arranged at an angle β to the second former 3 such that the spacing in the second direction between the first forming surface 20 and the second forming surface 30 in the second direction 8 narrows from the inlet 5 to the outlet 6 of the channel or opening 4, and at least an upper portion of the protrusion 31 is received in the elongate recess 21 along its length in the first direction. The channel or opening 4 is therefore elongate in the first direction 7 and the cross-section of the channel or opening 4 transverse to the first direction 7 is substantially v-shaped at both the inlet 5 and the outlet 6, the v-shaped channel or opening being more extensive in the second direction at the inlet 5 than the outlet 6. The overall width, transverse to the first direction 7, of the tool 1 shown in Figure 1 is

160mm, and the tool 1 is therefore suitable for forming strips of material having widths substantially in the range of 30 to 150mm, preferably 60 to 120mm. The spacing between the first forming surface 20 and the second forming surface 30 at the inlet is substantially 30mm, and the spacing between the first forming surface 20 and the second forming surface 30 at the outlet is substantially 2mm. The tool 1 of the illustrated embodiment is therefore suitable for forming a strip of material 9 having a thickness of up to 1 mm, preferably of substantially 0.8mm.

The tool 1 of the present invention may be manufactured by bending, folding or otherwise forming two elongate angle sections of sheet metal 2, 3, arranging them to form the channel or opening 4 between them as described above and welding or otherwise permanently affixing the first former 2 to the second former 3 or to the lateral flanges 12 (which are integral with the second former) to fix the relative positions of the first and second forming surfaces 20, 30.

The present invention further provides a strip of material 9 for use with a tool 1 according to the present invention. A portion of the strip of material 9 is shown in Figures 7a and 7b. The strip material 9 comprises an elongate longitudinal axis parallel to the central elongate axis of the strip 9. The strip 9 is formed from a substantially planar mesh material and comprises a line of elongate through-apertures 93 arranged along the elongate longitudinal axis. The strip of material 9 is initially in a substantially flat form 93 and may be stored on a roll or in discrete lengths.

In use, a tool 1 according to the present invention may be used to form the strip of material 9 by inserting a leading edge of the strip of material 9 into the inlet 4 and drawing the strip of material 9 through the channel or opening 4 of the tool 1from the inlet 5 to the outlet 6. The edges and faces of the strip 9 make contact with the first and/or second forming surfaces 20, 30, such that a bend or curve is gradually formed in the strip 9 as the strip 9 is drawn through the gradually narrowing the channel or opening 4,. An elongate longitudinal axis of the strip 9 is aligned with the first direction 7 on insertion of the strip 9 into the inlet 5 such that the bend or fold is formed on the elongate longitudinal axis. After bending, the strip 9 defines an internal angle of substantially 90 degrees.

Before insertion of the leading edge of the strip 9 into the inlet 5, a leading portion of the strip 9 is pre-bent to an intermediate form 92 (i.e. an angle between the initial substantially flat state and the final required formed angle) comprising an angle of 110 degrees to facilitate insertion of the leading edge into the channel or opening. The line of elongate through apertures 93 weakens the strip 9 along the elongate longitudinal axis and thereby facilitates pre-bending and bending of the strip 9 along the axis. This improves the accuracy of the positioning of the pre-bend and the final bend in the strip.

After forming of the strip 9, the user may cut the strip into discrete lengths for subsequent use. The line of elongate through apertures 93 is provided continuously along substantially the whole length of the strip material 9. Therefore, the user may cut the strip 9 at any point along its length and the remaining leading portion of the strip 9 will comprise a portion of the line of elongate through apertures 93 to allow the user to pre-bend that leading portion.

As noted above, in use a strip of material 9 is drawn through the gradually narrowing the channel or opening 4 and is therefore it is gradually formed to the desired shape 91. The force required to shape the strip of material 9 is therefore reduced. This effect is illustrated in Table 1 below, which compares the force required to pull strips of a metal material through a tool 1 according to the present invention (using the method described above) to the force required to pull strips of the same material through a simple v-shaped aperture known in the art. Table 1

It can be seen from the above that forming a strip of material using the tool and method according to the present invention reduces both the initiation force and the force required to continuously pull the strip through the tool. In addition, the initiation force is no higher than the pull-through force after initiation, meaning that the tool according to the present invention is easier to use than the prior art aperture as a more even application of force is required.

As shown in Figure 6, a tool 1 according to the present invention may be provided as part of a dispenser 10 for dispensing a strip of material 9. The dispenser 10 comprises a mount 11 for supporting a roll of the strip of material 9 in use. The mount 11 is configured to allow the roll of strip of material 9 to rotate such that the strip of material 9 may be drawn off the roll in use, and is positioned such that the strip of material 9 may be inserted into the inlet 5 and be continuously drawn through the tool 1 to form the strip of material 9 as described above. A tool 1 according to the present invention may be provided as part of a kit with a strip of material 9 to be formed, in use, by the tool 1. The strip of material 9 may be provided in a rolled form or in discrete lengths. Alternatively, or additionally, the kit may comprise a mount 1 1 for supporting a roll of the strip of material 9 in use such that the strip of material 9 may be drawn through the tool 1. The strip of material 9 may be substantially as herein described.

Further embodiments of the present invention are described below. In each case, only the differences between the further embodiment and the illustrated embodiment described above are described. For the avoidance of doubt, any of the features of any one of the following alternative embodiments may be combined with any one or more features of any one or more other of the preferred or alternative embodiments to form a further alternative embodiment of the present invention. The overall width, transverse to the first direction 7, of the tool 1 shown in Figure 1 is 160mm, and is suitable for forming strips of material having widths substantially in the range of 30 to 150mm, preferably 60 to 120mm. Most preferably, the strip of material may have a width of 67 or 100mm. Preferably, the tool 1 is wider than the strip 9 to be formed. In alternative embodiments, the tool may be made wider, or narrower, in order to form wider or narrower strips of material. The tool 1 is preferably 200 to 500mm in length in the first direction, most preferably 350mm in length. Advantageously, providing a tool of this length results in the force required to pull the strip of material through the tool being low. Increasing the length of the tool beyond this range may result in increased manufacturing costs.

In the illustrated embodiment, the spacing between the first forming surface 20 and the second forming surface 30 at the inlet is substantially 30mm, and the spacing between the first forming surface 20 and the second forming surface 30 at the outlet is substantially 2mm. The illustrated tool 1 is therefore suitable for use with a strip having a thickness in the range of substantially 0.2 mm to 1 mm, most preferably 0.8mm. In alternative

embodiments, the spacing at the inlet and/or outlet of the tool may be made larger or smaller, in order to form thicker or thinner strips of material. Preferably, the strip of material has a thickness of between 0.2 mm to 1.5mm. Preferably, the spacing between the first forming surface 20 and the second forming surface 30 at the outlet is at least two times and at most five times the thickness of the strip material to be formed. This allows for the material to be easily drawn through the tool, while permitting accurate bending or forming of the strip 9 to the required angle or shape.

The strip of material 9 shown in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 7a and 7b comprises a mesh. The skilled person will understand that a tool 1 according to any embodiment of the present invention may be used to form other types of strip of material, for example solid or perforated strips. The skilled person will also understand that the line of elongate apertures 93 may be replaced by any other weakening feature, for example scoring, perforation, blind apertures etc. arranged along an elongate longitudinal axis of the strip 9. In the illustrated embodiment, the weakening feature is provided continuously along substantially the whole length of the strip of material 9. In alternative embodiments, the weakening feature may be provided intermittently along the strip of material 9 and/or may be provided along only a portion or portions of the length of the strip 9. In yet further embodiments, the tool 1 of the present invention may be used to form a strip of material with no weakening feature. The strip of material may be, for example, a strap. The strip of material may comprise other features such as apertures, cut-outs, perforations, or shaped edges. The strip of material may be metal, or metallic. Preferably, the strip of material is sheet metal. Alternatively, the strip of material may be plastic, or may be a composite material. The strip of material may, or may not, comprise apertures or other features (e.g. weakening features) as described above to assist in the forming process when using the tool.

The elongate longitudinal axis 9 in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 7a and 7b is arranged parallel to the central axis of the strip 9 such that the two sides of the strip 9 after bending have different lengths. In alternative embodiments, the elongate longitudinal axis 9 may be collinear with the central longitudinal axis of the strip 9, such that the two sides of the strip 9 after bending have substantially equal lengths.

In any embodiment of the present invention, the first forming surface may define a first internal angle a1 other than 80 degrees. For example the first internal angle a1 may be substantially in the range of 20 to 160 degrees, or preferably substantially in the range of 60 to 100 degrees along at least a portion of its length in the first direction, and preferably along substantially all of its length in the first direction. Similarly, the second forming surface may define a second internal angle a2 other than 80 degrees. For example the second internal angle a2 may be substantially in the range of 20 to 160 degrees, or preferably substantially in the range of 60 to 100 degrees along at least a portion of its length in the first direction, and preferably along substantially all of its length in the first direction. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second forming surfaces each define an internal angle of 80 degrees, such that the angle formed in the strip of material after forming is 90 degrees. In any embodiment, the first and second forming surfaces preferably each define an angle of substantially 5 to 15 degrees smaller, most preferably substantially 10 degrees smaller, than the required angle to be formed in the strip of material. This avoids the need for further folding of the strip after it is formed by the tool, which may weaken the strip. Most preferably, the preferred angles a1 and a2 are of the sizes discussed above at least at the outlet.

In further alternative embodiments according to the present invention, the cross- section of one or both of the forming surfaces, and therefore of the channel or opening, may take forms other than a v-shape. The cross-section of one or both of the forming surfaces, and therefore of the channel or opening, may change along the length of the first and/or second forming surfaces in the first direction. For example, the internal angles may be 120 degrees at the inlet and 80 degrees at the outlet. The cross-section of one or both of the forming surfaces, and therefore of the channel, is preferably v-shaped along at least a part of its length in the first direction, and preferably along substantially all of said length. Alternatively, or in addition to a v-shaped portion of the cross-section, the cross-section of the first and/or second forming surfaces may include one or more additional angles or curves so as to form a stepped, waved or corrugated profile at the outlet of the channel, as illustrated schematically in Figure 6. In further alternative embodiments, the first former may be angled and spaced relative to the second former such that they overlap in the second direction along only a part of their length, such that the protrusion 31 does not protrude into the recess 21 at the inlet 5, but does protrude into the recess 21 at the outlet. This may facilitate insertion of a variety shapes of flat or pre-bent strips of material 9/leading portions of strip materials 9 in to the opening.

In the first preferred embodiment described above, the first angle section and the second angle section have substantially the same shape, such that the first forming surface and the second forming surface are complementary shapes. In yet further alternative embodiments, the second forming surface may have a different cross-section to the first forming surface along all or part of its length. For example, the first former may be as described above, and the second forming surface may comprise a curved cross-section. As a further example, the first and/or second forming surfaces may have a curved cross- section at the inlet and an angled cross-section at the outlet.

In the first preferred embodiment described above, the first former and the second former each comprises an elongate angle section formed from sheet metal, the tool 1 further comprising lateral flanges 12 arranged on both sides of the angle sections 2, 3 and constructed integrally with the second former 3. In yet further embodiments, the lateral flanges may be omitted, or may be integrally constructed with the first former and/or affixed to the second former, or may be separately constructed and affixed to both the first former and the second former. Alternatively, the lateral flanges may be shaped differently to those shown in the illustrated embodiment, or may extend along only a portion of the length of the tool. In any embodiment of the present invention, the first and second formers 2, 3 may be substantially identical in construction, thereby simplifying manufacture of the tool 1.

Whilst preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above and illustrated in the drawings, these are by way of example only and are non-limiting. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many alternatives are possible within the ambit of the invention. For example, the first and/or second former may be in the form of a block or other structure, with forming surfaces cut into or protruding from the block. The first and second formers may be formed integrally, rather than the tool being fabricated from two separate formers. The strip of material may be pushed or drawn through the tool 1 as discrete lengths rather than from a roll.

In the present application, the term "formed" is used to describe bending, folding, angling, curving or otherwise shaping the strip of material. The term "v-shaped" may include a sharp or rounded corner and may include curved or straight sides, such that it should be understand to include, for example, a u-shape. The use of the term "v-shaped" does not limit the orientation of the tool or former i.e. the "v" may be arranged in any orientation. Directional terms such as "up, down" etc. are used for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered limiting. The tool 1 may be used in any orientation. Reference to a "first direction", "second direction" etc. in this specification does not necessarily refer to axes lying within either or both of the first or second forming surfaces, but rather refers to the general direction of the extent of the tool. In the embodiments described above, the channel or opening and the recess are both linear and are aligned with the first direction such that a bend or curve is formed in the strip of material parallel to or on its elongate axis. Alternatively, the channel or opening and the recess may be could be curved so as to bend or curve the strip in a direction transverse to its elongate axis.

Further, the skilled person will understand that it is not necessary for the first and second forming surfaces to be elongate, i.e. the width of the tool transverse to the first direction may be shorter than its length in the first direction.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. In addition, all of the features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Accordingly, while many different embodiments of the present invention have been described above, any one or more or all of the features described, illustrated and/or claimed in the appended claims may be used in isolation or in various combinations in any embodiment. As such, any one or more feature may be removed, substituted and/or added to any of the feature combinations described, illustrated and/or claimed. For the avoidance of doubt, any one or more of the features of any embodiment may be combined and/or used separately in a different embodiment with any other feature or features from any of the embodiments.

As such, the true scope of the invention is that as set out in the appended claims.