Device for Wire-Binding Bales of Incoherent Material, Such as Straw, Hay, Etc. And Feeding Apparatus for Such a Device

This invention is concerned with the art of binding packings or packages, or bales of paper, hay, straw and any kind of incoherent materials. For example, it is known to form bales and then bind the same by means of a string or wire. While for string-binding several mechanical apparatus have been designed capable of wrapping up the bales and then providing for knotting, wire-binding which is under some circumstances preferable with respect to string-binding is up to now manually carried out, with high time consuming and labour.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a device for wire-binding articles, such as bales or preformed packages, and more particularly a device for interconnecting and wrapping up the ends of the binding wire by fixing the same together. Such a device substantially comprises two arcuate wire guiding means, which are movable relative to each other and form a central core which can be rotated.

According to the invention, stock to be formed in bales, or a packing or made up package, is moved forward with its leading edge against a knot formed by the binding of a preceding bale or package, and therefrom the wires branch off from the knot to the wire delivery and feed supplies. On advancing, the stock or package will forwardly move said already formed knot and draw the wires unwindng from the feed supplies and arranging thereon according to a substantially longitudinal pattern. When the bale or package arrives with its trailing end at the knotting position or station, the two arcuate means, moving in a convergent direction on a plane transverse of the forward movement of the articled to be bound, will cause the wires to be connected on either side of the transverse core, carried by said arcuate means, which is therefore rotated on itself on said transverse plane, to wrap up the wires in two "knots", of which one upstream and the other downstream of the core, respectively forming the rear knot for the leading article and the front knot for the trailing article. Upon removal of the core and arcuate means, the two knots so formed can be separated from each other by any desired means, such as manually or by cutting means carried by the core, and the cycle is repeated from the beginning to bind a new bale or package.

An embodiment of the binding device according to the present invention will now be described, by mere way of example.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view substantially taken along line 1--1 of FIG. 2, and showing part of the binding device at closed position;

FIG. 2 is a side view showing one of the arcuate guide means of the device, such as in the direction of arrow 2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but with the binding wires arranged on the core after wrapping operation;

FIG. 4 shows a knot or wrap on the end of a bale or pack, such as obtained through the subject device;

FIGS. 5 and 6 and FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic side (FIG. 5), top (FIG. 6) and front (FIGS. 7 and 8) views, respectively, several respective positions for the device and bales or packs to be bound at various operation steps;

FIG. 9 is a view showing a cutting device at the position for cutting;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the device shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 10, but showing the cutting blades at retracted position;

It should be noted that such terms as "top", "bottom", "upward", "downward", "right" and "left" and the like are herein used only by reference to the embodiment of the device and apparatus shown in the drawings, and not in a limiting sense.

The device, although being shown in the drawings as horizontally arranged, could be as well vertically or otherwise arranged.

As it will be seen with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a binding device according to the invention comprises two arcuate elements 1a and 1b, the elements facing each other and being movable relative to each other as explained in the following.

Each of the elements 1a or 1b comprise two plates 2a for the element 1a and 2b for the element 2b, respectively, substantially parallel arranged and spaced apart from one another by a spacing which is different for the element 1a and the element 1b, for example as shown in the drawings, so that the plates 2a can be accomodated between the plates 2b. Each of the plates 2a or 2b are as high as, or somewhat higher than the bale to be formed and bound and have a concave side 3a or 3b facing the opposite plate. This concave side accomplishes the function of taking up the binding wires, causing the latter to converge to a central area 4, defined between the two arcuate elements, and therefore each of the sides 3a or 3b will have a profile designed to this purpose. The overall height of the plates 2a, 2b is equal to or larger than that of the bale to be bound.

A half-ring 5a or 5b is made fast (FIG. 2) with each of the plates 2a or 2b at a position extending to the other plate 2b (or 2a) and therefore to the corresponding half-ring on that plate. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, each of the half-rings form part of a box portion 6 (6a or 6b) attached to each of the plates.

A half-gear wheel 7a and 7b, respectively, is carried between the two half-rings of each pair of plates 2a or 2b; when connected, the two halves forming the external toothing wheel 7. At each side, this wheel 7 carries on two concentric circumferences two sets of rollers 8 and 9 extending along the axis of the wheel for engaging the half-rings 5a and 5b on the inner side thereof (rollers 9) and on the outer side thereof (rollers 8). Therefore, said half-rings operate as support and guide means for the roller sliding movement, that is for rotating the two half-wheels about the common center.

The two half-wheels 7a and 7b define a free space there-between, at least partly corresponding to said central area 4 as formed between the arcuate elements. Each of the half-gear wheels 7a or 7b carry a preferably frusto-conical spoke 10a, 10b extending within said free space, these spokes being arranged to coaxially join at the closed position for said two half-wheels to form a single pin. To this end, provision can be made on one of the two spokes for a male element suitable to connect with a female element provided on the other spoke (FIGS. 1 and 3). When connected, said spokes 10a and 10b divide the opening or free area 4 into a top area 4' and a bottom area 4".

Each of the arcuate elements 1a or 1b are carried on a frame 11a or 11b, which are slidable, for example, within guide sleeves 12a and 12b and are driven, for example, by a piston system 13a and 13b only partially shown.

The above mentioned gear wheel 7 is rotably driven by any desired system, such as a gear drive or, as shown in FIG. 3, by a continuous chain 14 engaging on the toothing thereof, and driven by a pinion controlled by a motor 15.

The operation of the device will be described with particular reference to FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8, bearing in mind that the operation sequence is as follows: FIGS. 7, 8, 5 and 6.

The material to be formed in a bale, such as pieces of paper, hay and the like (or in the case of a preformed pack, the pack itself), is forwardly moved along a tunnel T according to the arrows A by any desired system, for example by a piston P. On one hand, the binding wires F are interlaced in a knot N, formed by a preceding binding operation, in front of the leading edge of the bale that will be formed, and on the other hand said wires F come from supply or delivery means placed in the walls of the tunnel, or outside of it, such as wire rolls, from each of which the wire is unwound passing through a hole in the tunnel wall. In this operation step, (see FIG. 7), the binding devices 1a and 1b, lying on a plane substantially transverse of the feeding direction, are moved away from the path of the forming bale, which on forwardly moving, will unwind the wires F wrapping it up. When the bale arrives at the position taken by the bale B.sub.1, as shown in FIG. 6, the elements 1a and 1 b will move close to each other (FIG. 8). In this movement, each of the elements 1a and 1b will through their concave surfaces take up and converge in correspondence to an axial central length the binding wires which, upon completion of the approaching movement of said elements 1a and 1b, will be partly arranged over the former pin 10, and partly beneath thereto (FIG. 1). The two half-gear wheels 7a and 7b are now caused to rotate through a few revolutions, these half-gear wheels contacting and forming the single wheel 7. Due to this movement, the pin 10 is also rotated around its own axis (which is also the longitudnal central axis of the gear wheel), winding wires F around one another and twisting them upstream and downstream of core or spoke 10. Upon completion of the desired amount of revolutions, and when the two half-wheels have been brought back to such positions as to move the elements 1a and 1b away from each other, these elements will accordingly be moved away and back to the rest or inoperative position thereof clear of the bale path, which pin can be readily removed from the eyelet O formed between the wires. Of course, said wires would maintain the winding or wrapping attitude as imparted thereto, and are cut within the eyelet O to separate the formed bale. The knot N, as obtained on a bale B, is as shown in FIG. 4.

The cut operation of the eyelet O can be manually carried out, or by any desired means. Particularly, provision was made for the device shown in FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 and described in the following.

In this case, the spokes 10a and 10b are replaced by the spokes 10'a and 10'b, which are internally provided with axial through openings; the opening 25 in one of the spokes, such as spoke 10'a, accomodates a sliding plunger 20 extending in a rod 21 projecting from the drilled spoke 10'a. Said rod 21 carries two radial blades 22, the cutting edge of which faces the spoke 10'b. A spring 23 is effective between a shoulder in the opening of the spoke 10'a and the head of said plunger 20. The spoke 10'b has a surface 24 for cutting co-action with said blades 22, and an axial opening 26 for accomodating said rod 21.

At the rest or inoperative position of the cutting device, that is when the elements 1a and 1b are moved away from each other, or are approaching, said spring 23 urges said plunger 20, holding the blades 22 within the suitable housings in the spoke 10'a. When the elements 1a and 1b are at their closest position, said rod 21 is partly engaged within the opening 26, and partly free within the space between the spokes 10'a and 10'b (FIG. 11). The gear wheel 7 is now rotated, as above mentioned, and the wires are twisted or interlaced on the free portion of the rod 21, thus forming an eyelet. When the wheel 7, by any desired means, such as by a cylinder and piston device, the plunger 20 is urged against the force of the spring 23, thus urging the blades 22 against the surface 24 (FIGS. 9 and 10) to cut the wire eyelet. After cutting, the device is brought back to the position as shown in FIG. 11 and the elements 1a and 1b can be moved away from each other.

As apparent, while remaining valid the peculiar features characterizing the present invention, any constructive variation relating to improvements to the component members without altering the function thereof and objects, would of course be within the covering scope of the present invention.