Cable tie

A cable tie adapted to be tightened around a bundle of wires or the like by a tensioning device and fixed to a tie mounting hole of a vehicle body or the like, the tensioning device including a tie guiding mechanism having a pair of spaced-apart strap guide rails, and a strap feeding mechanism having a pair of toothed rollers, said cable tie comprising;

• a longitudinally elongate strap formed of synthetic plastic material and having opposed surfaces, said strap being flexible but unstretchable and having a series of teeth formed on and extending longitudinally on one surface thereof which will be outside when the cable tie is tightened around the bundle of wires or the like;
• said strap having a longitudinally elongate linearly extending band portion with opposed first and second ends, a strap connecting portion integral with said band portion at said first end, and a strap leading end portion integral with said band portion at said second end;
• a buckle of synthetic plastic material integrally connected to said strap connecting portion remote from said band portion, said buckle having means defining an aperture therethrough generally perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of said strap for receiving said strap, a pawl disposed within said aperture and adapted to engage one of said teeth of said strap when said strap is looped around the bundle of wires or the like, and a locking leg integrally connected to said buckle and extending in a direction opposite to the direction in which said strap extends, said locking leg being resiliently engageable with the tie mounting hole of the vehicle body or the like;
• the improvement wherein, when said cable tie is in a relaxed state prior to engagement around a bundle, said strap connecting portion extends longitudinally beyond and at an angle laterally relative to the longitudinal extent of said strap band portion with said buckle positioned at a predetermined lateral location spaced from said strap band portion by said connecting portion whereby as said band portion is guided along the strap guide rails of the feed mechanism, said buckle moves along therewith laterally of the guide rails.