Method and device for automatically binding bundles of cables

A device for automatically binding cable bundles with a cable tie and a lock, the cable tie having an elongated body with a surface having teeth defined thereon, and the lock having a locking channel for receiving the cable tie and a lock member for engaging the teeth on the cable tie, the device comprising:

• a housing;
• a carriage movably supported in the housing, the carriage having a guide channel for the cable tie and an insertion tab for lifting the lock member;
• a pair of lateral holding jaws supported on a leading end of the carriage, the holding jaws configured to retain a lock in alignment with the guide channel in the carriage;
• a pair of guide jaws mounted on the housing for surrounding the cable strands, the guide jaws having a closed position wherein the jaws cooperate to define a guide groove for the cable tie that if surrounds the cable bundles;
• and
• a lock feed operable to feed the locks to the lateral holding jaws from the top such that gravity assists the feed of the locks.

A method for automatically binding cable bundles, comprising:

• providing a continuously fed cable tie with teeth or grooves on one of its surfaces;
• advancing the cable tie with a motor such that its front end is inserted into a lock that is provided with locking means for engaging the teeth or grooves of the cable tie;
• winding the cable around a cable bundle and reinserting the cable tie into the lock;
• and
• tensioning the cable tie by reversing the direction of advancing, with the motor drive,
• cutting the tie behind the lock;
• wherein the motor drive of the cable tie is stopped before the cable tie is cut such that the cable tie behind the lock is no longer subjected to tension.

An automatically operating device for binding cable bundles with a continuously fed cable tie having teeth or grooves on one of its surfaces, the device being of the type:

• wherein the cable tie is tensioned in a lock after it is looped around the cable bundles;
• engage the teeth or grooves of the cable tie;
• wherein the individual cable ties are cut behind the respective lock after the looping and tensioning process is completed;
• wherein the device includes;
• guide jaws that surround the cable bundle is a manner similar to tongs, the guide jaws having a guide groove for the cable tie;
• a carriage that can be moved back and forth in the device and contains a guide channel for the cable tie as well as an insertion tab for lifting the locking means in the insertion direction in the lock;
• one lock being positioned at an outlet opening of the device that ends in the guide groove of the guide jaws by the carriage that is moved forward when actuated;
• the cable tie being advanced in a motor-driven fashion and guided through the lock, looped around the cable bundle by the guide jaws and reinserted into the lock;
• the cable tie being tensioned by a drive motor after the reinserted end of the cable tie is engaged
• in the lock;
• and the cable tie being interlocked with the locking means of the lock after the return movement of the insertion tab and cut by a cutting device that can be moved perpendicular to the direction of advance behind the lock;
• wherein lateral holding jaws are provided on the leading end of the carriage, the lock that including a through-channel and an insertion channel open toward the bottom and offset by 90° relative to the through-channel, the lock being fed from the top between the lateral holding jaws, wherein the through-channel and the insertion channel contain locking tabs for engaging the teeth or grooves of the cable tie, and wherein the insertion channel is separated from the through-channel by a partition wall;
• the through-channel of the lock being aligned with the insertion tab in its position between the holding jaws;
• the lock being held between the holding jaws can be placed in the outlet opening of the housing at the end of the forward movement of the carriage in such a way that, in the closed position of the guide jaws, the inlet end of the guide groove in the guide jaws is aligned with the through-channel and the outlet end of said guide groove is aligned with the insertion channel of the lock and that the insertion tab can be inserted into the through-channel in order to lift the locking tab in such a way that the cable tie can be advanced in a motor-driven fashion through the through-channel, underneath the insertion tab, and along the guide groove until it is inserted into the insertion channel in order to engage the locking tab of the insertion channel.