ROTIERENDE DRAHTSCHERE

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. A rigid link is connected between the follower and the guide tube so that when the follower is in the groove the tube can be pulled axially into and out of alignment with the blades for cropping of the wire and when out of the groove the tube can be moved independently of the head.