Automatic knot-tying device
OwnerMichael Torresinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic knot-tying device for tying a discrete knot about a workpiece, such as a bundle of wires, is disclosed herein. The present invention works by pulling a filament transversely around the workpiece. The preferred embodiment of the device comprises a hand-held housing and a knot-tying mechanism within that housing comprising a hollow nozzle for leading the filament toward the workpiece, a wrapping ring for wrapping the filament around the workpiece, and a plurality of pins that extend into and retract out of the path of the filament to form the knot. The operation is finished by cinching and cutting the loose filament so that the resulting knot is discrete and secure. Also disclosed is a method for automatically tying a knot around a workpiece by pulling, instead of pushing a filament around the workpiece.
Claims19
An apparatus for tying a filament into a discrete knot around a workpiece comprising:
- a housing, said housing defining an opening for the workpiece and an interior working area,
- a power source connection attached to the housing,
- a supply of filament linked to the housing such that the filament is threaded into the interior working area of the housing, and
- a mechanism mounted within the interior working area of the housing, comprising
- a nozzle linked to the filament supply for leading the filament from the filament supply to a point proximate the workpiece,
- a wrapping element, swingably mounted to the housing such that the wrapping element is capable of circumscribing the workpiece, such wrapping element having a clamp for temporarily holding the lead end of the filament, and
- a plurality of extension pins reciprocatably mounted to the housing.
A mechanism for tying a knot around a generally cylindrical workpiece having a longitudinal axis, comprising:
- a generally planar housing wall defining a reference plane and defining a generally U-shaped opening for fitting therein the workpiece such that the longitudinal axis of the workpiece is generally transverse to the reference plane,
- a wrapping element, swingably mounted to the housing wall, such that the wrapping element is capable of circumscribing the workpiece,
- a nozzle mounted to the housing wall, said nozzle comprising a hollow tube having a distal end and a proximate end, said proximate end being oriented generally toward the workpiece, and
- a plurality of pins reciprocatably mounted to the housing wall, said pins being arranged generally transverse to the reference plane of the housing wall, said pins having distal ends and proximate ends, said proximate ends being oriented generally toward the workpiece.
A method for automatically tying a filament into a discrete knot about a generally cylindrical workpiece having a longitudinal axis, using a device comprising a hollow nozzle and a plurality of pins, said nozzle being mounted to the device and having a tip which is oriented generally toward the workpiece, and said plurality of pins being reciprocatably mounted to the device, said method comprising the steps of:
- positioning the nozzle tip in proximity to the workpiece,
- pulling the filament through the hollow nozzle generally transversely around the workpiece,
- contemporaneously extending and retracting the pins into and out of the path of the pulled filament so as to form a knot, and
- subsequently cinching and securing the knot about the workpiece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.