Wire tie guide with tying device and method

A baling wire tying device to facilitate guiding a wire tie around a bale of material being compressed between upper and lower platens of a baling press wherein the wire tie has pre-formed looped ends being engageable with each other to form a knot by moving one looped end relative to an opposite looped end, the tying device comprising:

• a wire guide member adapted to be mounted on the upper platen of the baling press, the wire guide member including
• a top wall,
• side walls depending laterally from the top wall to form an elongated, longitudinally extending generally U-shaped channel within the wire guide member, the channel having forward and rearward ends, and
• a bottom wall intersecting one of the side walls to form a longitudinally extending wire discharge passage contiguous with the channel;
• a door pivotally mounted proximate the one of the side walls at the forward end of the channel, the door in a closed position having an unobstructed, flat inner surface substantially parallel to the top wall and extending across the discharge passage to form a portion of the bottom wall, and the door having an inner, forward edge extending generally perpendicular to the side walls for guiding the wire tie into the channel;
• a removable plate attachable to the wire guide member and forming part of the top wall at the forward end of the channel, the plate including
• a first stop located on the top wall at the forward end of the channel opposite the forward edge of the door, the first stop having a forward directed wall depending from the top wall into the channel and adapted to receive a looped end of the wire tie, and
• a second stop located on the top wall forward of the first stop, the second stop having a rearward directed wall depending from the top wall into the channel and forming a notch with the forward directed wall of the first stop to prevent the looped end of the wire tie on the first stop from moving toward the forward end of the channel;
• and
• a lateral projection mounted forward of the second stop and partially obstructing the channel in a direction generally perpendicular to the top wall.

A method of engaging pre-formed looped ends of a wire tie in a baling press after opposed upper and lower platens of the baling press have compressed a material to be baled between the platens, the upper and lower platens having respective wire guide members mounted therein and extending between front and rear sides of the press, the baling press having a curved chute positioned at the rear of the platens adjacent the wire guide members and providing an unobstructed path between the wire guide members at the rear of the press, the wire guide members and the chute facilitate guiding a wire tie around a bale of material being compressed between the platens of the baling press, wherein the wire tie has pre-formed looped ends being engageable with each other to form a knot by moving one looped end relative to an opposite looped end, one of the wire guide members including

• an inverted, generally U-shaped channel having a top wall located with a respective platen and a longitudinally extending wire discharge passage opening toward an opposite lower platen,
• a door pivotally mounted at a forward end of the channel, the door, in a closed position, having an unobstructed, flat inner surface substantially parallel to the top wall and extending across the wire discharge passage, and the door having an inner, forward edge extending across the wire discharge passage,
• a lateral projection mounted forward of the stop and partially obstructing the channel in a direction generally perpendicular to the top wall, and
• a first stop located on the top wall at the forward end of the channel opposite the forward edge of the door, the first stop having a forward directed wall depending from the top wall into the channel and adapted to receive a looped end of the wire tie, the method comprising:
• advancing a first looped end of a wire tie into a forward end of the one of the wire guide members, through the channel, through the curved chute, through an opposite wire guide member and out the forward end of the opposite wire guide member;
• pulling the first end of the wire tie to advance the second looped end of the wire tie into the forward end of the channel until the second looped end engages the first stop and is inhibited from further advancement;
• inserting the first looped end into the forward end of the one of the wire guide members;
• locating the first looped end against the inner, forward edge of the door,
• applying a generally longitudinal pushing force along the wire tie while guiding the wire tie on the inner, forward edge of the door to push the second looped end with the first looped end against the top wall and slide the first looped end rearward with respect to the second looped end without contacting the flat, inner surface of the door, thereby causing first looped end to engage with the second looped end to form the knot;
• and
• pulling on the wire tie to move the first looped end forward with respect to the second looped end to tighten the knot,
• the upper and lower platens being thereafter moved away from each other and the wire tie being released through the discharge passage and the knot being released by pushing the door open as the platens are moved.

A method of engaging pre-formed looped ends of a wire tie in a baling press after opposed upper and lower platens of the baling press have compressed a material to be baled between the platens, the upper and lower platens having respective upper and lower wire guide members mounted therein and extending between front and rear sides of the press, the baling press having a curved chute positioned at the rear of the platens adjacent the upper and lower wire guide members and providing an unobstructed wire path between the upper and lower wire guide members at the rear of the press, the upper and lower wire guide members and the chute facilitate guiding a wire tie around a bale of material being compressed between the platens of the baling press, wherein the wire tie has pre-formed looped ends being engageable with each other to form a knot by moving one looped end relative to an opposite looped end, the upper wire guide member including

• an inverted, generally U-shaped upper channel having a top wall located with the upper platen and a longitudinally extending wire discharge passage opening downward toward the lower platen,
• a door pivotally mounted at a forward end of the upper channel, the door, in a closed position, having an unobstructed, flat inner surface substantially parallel to the top wall and extending across the wire discharge passage, and the door having an inner, forward edge extending across the wire discharge passage,
• a lateral projection mounted forward of the stop and partially obstructing the channel in a direction generally perpendicular to the top wall, and
• a first stop located on the top wall at the forward end of the upper channel opposite the forward edge of the door, the first stop having a forward directed wall depending from the top wall into the upper channel and adapted to receive a looped end of the wire tie, the method comprising:
• advancing a first looped end of a wire tie into a forward end of the upper wire guide member, through the upper channel, through the curved chute, through the lower wire guide member and out the forward end of the lower wire guide member;
• pulling the first end of the wire tie to advance the second looped end of the wire tie into the forward end of the upper channel until the second looped end engages the first stop and is inhibited from further advancement;
• inserting the first looped end into the forward end of the upper wire guide member;
• locating the first looped end against the inner, forward edge of the door,
• applying a generally longitudinal pushing force along the wire tie while guiding the wire tie on the inner, forward edge of the door to push the second looped end with the first looped end against the top wall and slide the first looped end rearward with respect to the second looped end without contacting the flat, inner surface of the door, thereby causing the first looped end to engage with the second looped end to form the knot;
• and
• pulling on the wire tie to move the first looped end forward with respect to the second looped end to tighten the knot,
• the upper and lower platens being thereafter moved away from each other and the wire tie being released through the discharge passage and the knot being released by pushing the door open as the platens are moved.