Tying machine and method

An apparatus to tie a ribbon around an object, such as a bundle of wires, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a housing having:
• (1) a wrapping area where there is a longitudinal axis, a vertical axis, and a transverse axis perpendicular to and intersecting the longitudinal and vertical axes;
• (2) a reference plane coinciding with said longitudinal and vertical axes.
• (3) a tying area spaced from said transverse axis;
• said wrapping area having first and second sides on opposite sides of said reference plane, and an outside direction denoting location further from said transverse axis and an inside direction denoting location closer to said transverse axis;
• (b) a mounting plate located proximate said wrapping area and said tying area;
• (c) a carrier ring having a generally circular configuration and generally surrounding said wrapping area, said ring being mounted for rotation to said mounting plate to travel in a wrapping path circumscribing said wrapping area;
• (d) locating pin means mounted to said mounting plate at spaced locating positions at said wrapping area, said locating pin means being retractably mounted so as to have a first position at said reference plane and a second retracted position;
• (e) tie finger means mounted to said plate and having a first position at said reference plane and a second position spaced to the one side of said reference plane;
• (f) a bonding member mounted to said housing so as to be movable to engage said ribbon at the tie area;
• (g) a cutter movably mounted so as to be able to engage said ribbon and cut said ribbon;
• (h) an issuer member adapted to carry the ribbon and dispense said ribbon to be formed in a tie;
• (i) gripping means mounted to said carrier ring to engage said ribbon and carry said ribbon around said wrapping area;
• (j) control means to move said carrier ring in a circumferentially forward direction along said wrapping path to the tying area so that a wrapping portion of the ribbon extends around the wrapping area and a lead portion of the ribbon is positioned at the tying area on the first side of the trailing portion, and to move the trailing portion of the ribbon to the one side of the lead portion, then to move the tie finger means to engage the lead portion of the ribbon to move the lead portion inside of and to the one side of the trailing portion to form a tie at the tie area, then to move the bonding member into bonding engagement with the lead and trailing ribbon portions at the tie area, then to move the cutter to cut the trailing portion of the ribbon.

An apparatus to tie a ribbon around an object, such as a bundle of wires, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a housing having:
• (1) a wrapping area where there is a longitudinal axis, a vertical axis, and a transverse axis perpendicular to and intersecting the longitudinal and vertical axes;
• (2) a reference plane coinciding with said longitudinal and vertical axes;
• and
• (3) a tying area spaced from said transverse axis;
• said wrapping area having first and second sides on opposite sides of said reference plane, and an outside direction denoting location further from said transverse axis and an inside direction denoting location closer to said transverse axis;
• (b) a mounting plate located proximate said wrapping area and to the one side of said reference plane, said mounting plate having a middle cutout to receive said object, said cutout opening to a forward peripheral portion thereof;
• (c) a carrier ring having a generally circular configuration and generally surrounding said wrapping area, said ring having a through slot adapted to receive said object;
• (d) a first upper locating pin positioned above said cutout and a second lower locating pin positioned below said cutout, said locating pins being substantially diametrically opposed, each of said locating pins being retractably mounted so as to have a first position at said reference plane and a second retracted position towards said plate;
• (e) a tie finger mounted to said plate at a location circumferentially rearwardly of said first locating pin, said tie finger having at an outer end thereof a laterally extending hook member adapted to engage said ribbon, said tie finger being mounted for transverse movement between a first postion at said reference plane and a second retracted position away from said reference plane;
• (f) an issuer member adapted to carry the ribbon and dispense the ribbon which is to be formed in a tie, said issuer member being movable between a first feed position and a second retracted position;
• (g) a bonding member mounted to said issuer member for movement between a first retracted position and a second extended bonding position;
• (h) a cutter mounted in the issuer member so as to be movable from a first retracted position to a second cutting position;
• (i) gripper jaws mounted to said carrier ring to engage said ribbon and carry the ribbon around the wrapping area;
• (j) control means operatively connected to said carrier ring, said locating pins, said tie finger, said bonding member, said cutter, said issuer member, and said gripping means to accomplish the following:
• (1) move said issuer member to its first position to feed an end of said ribbon into a position to be gripped by said jaws;
• (2) move said gripper jaws to grasp said ribbon;
• (3) locate said locating pins and said tie finger in their first extended positions;
• (4) rotate said carrier ring along said wrapping path to carry a lead portion of said ribbon circumferentially around said locating pins and toward said tie finger;
• (5) move said tie finger toward its retracted position to move a trailing portion of said ribbon to the one side of the reference plane;
• (6) rotate the carrier ring to carry the lead portion of the ribbon across the trailing portion of the ribbon to move the lead portion of the ribbon to a location circumferentially forward of the tie finger, forming at least one ribbon loop around the object;
• (7) move the tie finger to its extended position and locate the tie finger so that the hook member is to the second side of the ribbon lead portion;
• (8) retract the tie finger to move the lead portion of the ribbon beneath the trailing portion of the ribbon;
• (9) retract the pin members and retract the ribbon into the issuer member to tighten the ribbon loop around the object to form a secure tie at the tying area;
• (10) move the bonding member to its second bonding position to bond the lead and trailing ribbon portions;
• (11) move the cutter member to the second position to cut the trailing portion of the ribbon.

A method of tying a ribbon around an object, such as a bundle of wires where there is:

• (a) a wrapping area comprising locating pin means where there is a longitudinal axis, a vertical axis, and a transverse axis perpendicular to and intersecting the longitudinal and vertical axes;
• (b) a reference plane coinciding with said longitudinal and vertical axes;
• and
• (c) a tying area comprising tie finger means spaced from said transverse axis;
• (d) said wrapping area having first and second sides on opposite sides of said reference plane, and an outside direction denoting location further from said transverse axis and an inside direction denoting location closer to said transverse axis;
• said method comprising:
• (a) engaging a lead portion of said ribbon and moving said lead portion about said locating pin means in a wrapprng path circumscribing said wrapping area;
• (b) continuing to move said ribbon to the tying area so that a wrapping portion of the ribbon extends around the wrapping area in at least one loop and a trailing portion of the ribbon is positioned at the tying area on the second side of the lead portion;
• (c) moving the lead portion and trailing portion transversely by tying finger means relative to one another in one direction to move said lead portion to the second side of the trailing portion, with one of the portions being outside the other of the portions;
• (d) then moving the lead portion and trailing portion transversely relative to one another in an opposite direction to move said lead portion to the first side of the trailing portion, with the other of said portions being inside said one of said portions to form a tie at the tie area.

A method to tie a ribbon around an object, such as a bundle of wires, where there is:

• (a) a wrapping area where there is a longitudinal axis, a vertical axis, and a transverse axis perpendicular to and intersecting the longitudinal and vertical axes;
• (b) a reference plane coinciding with said longitudinal and vertical axes;
• and
• (c) a tying area spaced from said transverse axis;
• (d) said wrapping area having first and second sides on opposite sides of said reference plane, and an outside direction denoting location further from said transverse axis and an inside direction denoting location closer to said transverse axis;
• (e) a mounting plate located proximate said wrapping area and said tying area;
• (f) a carrier ring having a generally circular configuration and generally surrounding said wrapping area, said ring being mounted for rotation to said mounting plate to travel in a wrapping path circumscribing said wrapping area;
• (g) locating pin means mounted to said mounting plate at spaced locating positions at said wrapping area, said locating pin means being retractably mounted so as to have a first position at said reference plane and a second retracted position;
• (h) tie finger means mounted to said plate and having a first position at said reference plane and a second position spaced to the one side of said reference plane;
• (i) a bonding member mounted to said housing so as to be movable to engage said ribbon at the tie area;
• (j) a cutter movably mounted so as to be able to engage said ribbon and cut said ribbon;
• (k) an issuer member adapted to carry the ribbon and dispense said ribbon to be formed in a tie;
• (l) gripping means mounted to said carrier ring to engage said ribbon and carry said ribbon around said wrapping area;
• said method comprising:
• (a) moving said carrier ring in a circumferentially forward direction along said wrapping path to the tying area so that a wrapping portion of the ribbon extends around the wrapping area in at least one loop and a lead portion of the ribbon is positioned at the tying area on the first side of the trailing portion;
• (b) moving the trailing portion of the ribbon to the one side of the lead portion;
• (c) then moving the tie finger means to engage the lead portion of the ribbon to move the lead portion inside of and to the one side of the trailing portion to form a tie at the tie area;
• (d) then moving the bonding member into bonding engagement with the lead and trailing ribbon portions at the tie area;
• (e) then moving the cutter to cut the trailing portion of the ribbon.

An apparatus to tie a ribbon around an object, such as a bundle of wires, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a housing having:
• (1) a wrapping area where there is a longitudinal axis, a vertical axis, and a transverse axis perpendicular to and intersecting the longitudinal and vertical axes;
• (2) a reference plane coinciding with said longitudinal and vertical axes;
• and
• (3) a tying area spaced from said transverse axis;
• said wrapping area having first and second sides on opposite sides of said reference plane, and an outside direction denoting location further from said transverse axis and an inside direction denoting location closer to said transverse axis;
• (b) a carrier mounted to the housing and adapted to engage a lead portion of said ribbon and move in a wrapping path circumscribing said wrapping area;
• (c) transversely movable locating pin and tie finger means to locate said ribbon around said wrapping area and to move said ribbon transversely;
• (d) control means to move said carrier in a circumferentially forward direction along said wrapping path to the tying area so that a wrapping portion of the ribbon extends in two loops around the wrapping area and a trailing portion of the ribbon is positioned at the tying area on the second side of the lead portion, and to operate the locating and tie means to move the lead portion and trailing portion transversely relative to one another in one direction to move said lead portion to the second side of the trailing portion, with one of the portions being outside the other of the portions, then moving the lead portion and trailing portion transversely relative to one another in an opposite direction to move said lead portion to the first side of the trailing portion, with the other of said portions being inside said one of said portions to form a tie at the tie area.

A method of tying a ribbon around an object, such as a bundle of wires, where there is:

• (a) a wrapping area comprising locating pin means where there is a longitudinal ax a vertical axis, and a transverse axis perpendicular to and intersecting the longitudinal and vertical axes;
• (b) a reference plane coinciding with said longitudinal and vertical axes;
• and
• (c) a tying area comprising tie finger means spaced from said transverse axis;
• (d) said wrapping area having first and second sides on opposite sides of said reference plane, and an outside direction denoting location further from said transverse axis and an inside direction denoting location closer to said transverse axis;
• said method comprising:
• (a) engaging a lead portion of said ribbon and moving said lead portion about said locating pin means in a wrapping path circumscribing said wrapping area;
• (b) continuing to move said ribbon to the tying area so that a wrapping portion of the ribbon extends around the wrapping area in at least two loops and a trailing portion of the ribbon is positioned at the tying area on the second side of the lead portion;
• (c) moving the lead portion and trailing portion transversely by tying finger means relative to one another in one direction to move said lead portion to the second side of the trailing portion, with one of the portions being outside the other of the portions;
• (d) then moving the lead portion and trailing portion transversely relative to one another in an opposite direction to move said lead portion to the first side of the trailing portion, with the other of said portions being inside said one of said portions to form a tie at the tie area.