Binding device

Apparatus for binding a supply of wire having a predetermined diameter around bales, a feeder for feeding and stretching said supply of wire, a guide for guiding said wire from said feeder around said bale, a wire cutter and twister for cutting said wire and twisting together the ends of said cut wire, and a take-up unit for taking up a loop in said wire obtained upon said stretching of said wire around said bale, said take-up unit comprising a longitudinally extending wire take-up space comprising a pair of long sides formed by a pair of walls and a pair of short sides, said pair of walls being separated by a first predetermined distance adapted to accept said wire having said predetermined diameter but not sufficient to accept a double strand of said wire, said pair of short sides separated by a second predetermined distance adapted to accept a loop of said wire without being folded, said longitudinally extending wire take-up space at one of said pair of short sides comprising a wire guide space which is wider than said first predetermined distance and formed by grooves in at least one of said pair of walls.