Apparatus and method for handling and cutting a flexible material wrapped around a load

An apparatus for handling and cutting a flexible material wrapped around a load by means of a delivering device, comprising:

• a) a clamp and cutter assembly having:
• i) a controllable clamp movable between open and closed positions, the clamp having a trigger activated mechanism for moving the:
• clamp between its open and closed positions, and
• ii) a controllable cutter movable between open and closed positions, the cutter having a trigger activated mechanism for moving the cutter between its open and closed positions;
• b) a trigger and roping assembly having:
• i) a trigger for triggering the trigger activated mechanisms of the controllable clamp and cutter, and
• ii) a roper for roping a portion of the flexible material;
• and
• c) a moving device connected to the trigger and roping assembly for moving the trigger and roping assembly between a retracted position and an active position where, as the trigger and roping assembly is moved into its active position, the trigger engages with the trigger activated mechanisms to move the clamp and the cutter to their open position, and the roper engages with a portion of the flexible material extending from the load to the delivering device to turn said portion of flexible material into a rope, and, as the trigger and roping assembly is retracted from its active position, the trigger disengages with the trigger activated mechanisms to move the clamp and the cutter in their closed position, thereby cutting the rope and holding a free end thereof extending from the delivering device by means of the clamp;
• wherein the clamp has movable and fixed jaws and the cutter has movable and fixed blades, the movable blade being adjacent and solid with the movable jaw, the fixed jaw being adjacent to the fixed blade, and wherein the moving device comprises a frame, a first arm having a first end pivotally connected to the frame, a second arm having a first end knuckle jointed to a second end of the first arm and a second end for carrying the trigger and roping assembly, and a motor for moving the first and second arms between active and retracted positions.

A method for handling and cutting a flexible material wrapped around a load by means of a delivering device, comprising the steps of:

• a) moving a trigger and roping assembly from a retracted position to an active position;
• b) engaging a trigger of the trigger and roping assembly with a trigger activated means of a clamp and cutter assembly as the trigger and roping assembly is moved into its active position;
• c) moving the clamp and the cutter assembly from a closed position to an open position in response to the trigger engaging the trigger activated means;
• d) engaging a roper of the trigger and roping assembly with a portion of the flexible material extending from the load to the delivering device to turn said portion of flexible material into a rope, as the trigger and roping assembly is moved into its active position;
• e) moving the trigger and roping assembly from the active position to the retracted position;
• f) disengaging the trigger from the trigger activated means as the trigger and roping assembly is retracted from its active position;
• and
• g) moving the clamp and cutter assembly from the open position to the closed position in response to the trigger disengaging from the trigger activated means, thereby cutting the rope and holding a free end thereof extending from the delivering device by means of the clamp and cutter assembly.