Bale tying apparatus

DETAILED DESCRIPTION This invention, by its unique structure and arrangement of elements and functions, overcomes the disadvantages of prior apparatus described above and provides a mechanically and economically desirable and improved apparatus for automatically tying bales produced by an extrusion-type baler.
Briefly, the apparatus embodying this invention and for use with a baler including a baling chamber having sides, a feed hopper having an opening into the chamber for delivering material to be baled, a baling head reciprocable within the chamber past the feed hopper opening to a forward position of extension and means such as a hudraulic ram for reciprocating the head, comprises wire dispensing means including wire guide means, a wire carrier, a twister or joint forming means and a cutter.
The wire dispensing and guide means include, for example, reels or spools and guide arms provided on opposite sides of the baler.
The wire dispensed from them extends between them and through the baling chamber on the forward side of the feed hopper opening, and back along each side of the chamber as a bale is formed therein.
The wire carrier or wire puller is located on one side of the baler and includes means for extending and retracting it through the slots in the baling head and across the chamber to and from the other side from the one side, a nose for engaging the wire extending along the other side whereby retraction of the wire puller pulls wire from the dispensing means on the other side across the chamber and positions a length of the wire drawn from the other side closely adjacent a corresponding length of wire on the one side and in operative relationship to the twisters and cutters referred to below.
A pair of rotatable twister means spaced apart from each other are located on one and the same side of the baler as the wire puller and the means for reciprocating it.
The twister means are arranged for engagement with the lengths of wires positioned adjacent each other by the wire carrier and they include means for rotating them whereby the wires are twisted together for a distance from the point of engagement of each twister means