Apparatus for binding bales in a baling press

In a baling press for producing bound bales of pressed material, said press comprising a pressing duct, a pressing plunger reciprocable in said duct between rear and forward end positions for pressing bales successively in said duct and binding means for forming at least one wire band around said bale, said bale being pressed forwards by said plunger, into a loop of said wire, said binding means including a first storage roll for delivering an upper wire, a binding head, first and second guide rollers for guiding said upper wire, means journalling said guide rollers, the second above and the first below said binding head, a second storage roll for delivering a lower wire which in operation of said binding means remains connected to said upper wire by a twist, a reciprocable binding needle which reciprocates along a path which passes through said duct and in operation raises said lower wire to form a wire loop behind a finished bale pressed in said duct, said binding head including a twisting device for producing two twists between said upper wire and a portion of said loop adjacent said upper wire and a cutting device for cutting said wire between said two twists, the improvement wherein the distance between said first guide roller and said forward position of said plunger is at least equal to the distance between said first guide roller and said cutting device and wherein said binding means includes at least one catching finger and means for moving said finger to act transversely upon said upper wire and said portion of said lower wire while said upper wire is held taut between said first and second guide rollers and said loop is held taut by said binding needle, said finger being operative to bring together said upper wire and said portion of said loop prior to the production of said twists by said twisting device.