Patent ID: 6393688
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: B65B,Y10T

Abstract:
Apparatus for de-wiring bales having a pair of opposite sides tied by metal wires and moving along a conveyor in a first direction, said apparatus comprising a first movable unit movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction on one of said sides of said bales, said first movable unit including a cutting tool for cutting said metal wires on said one of said sides of said bales, a second movable unit movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction on said other of said sides of said bales, said second movable unit including a gripping and winding tool disposed substantially parallel with said conveyor for gripping said metal wires and winding said metal wires, said gripping and winding tool adapted to rotate in order to wind up said metal wires onto bobbins, said gripping and winding tool comprising a substantially cylindrical metal rod rotatably mounted on said second movable unit and including a front end, a rear end, a surface, and a longitudinal direction, said rod being rotatably mounted on said rear end of said rod, said rod further including a plurality of slots arranged in parallel on said surface of said rod essentially perpendicular to said longitudinal direction of said rod, a longitudinal recess substantially along the entire length of said rod through said plurality of slots, said longitudinal recess thereby providing a first plurality of teeth facing towards said rear end of said rod, and a metal strip disposed in said longitudinal recess and including a second plurality of teeth facing said forward end of said rod so as to be directed in a direction opposite to said first plurality of teeth, said first and second pluralities of teeth being displaceably mounted with respect to said longitudinal recess and being cooperable for gripping said metal wires therebetween, said second movable unit further comprising a discharging member movable at a location adjacent to said gripping and winding tool distal from said bales for removing said wire wound on said bobbins from said second movable tool.