Patent ID: 6345659
Filing Date: 2002-02-12
Classification: A01G

Abstract:
Binding device for attaching binding material around one or more stalks of flower stems or branches, the binding device comprising:a support for the stalks to be bound, a closure mechanism arranged on one side of the support, a wrapping mechanism, which is arranged on the other side of the support, for wrapping binding material around the stalks to be bound, which binding material extends from the closure mechanism, via a passage location in the support, to the wrapping mechanism, and feed means for feeding in a feed direction a further object which is also to be bound in, to a delivery location which lies in a binding region, wherein the delivery location lies upstream of and next to the passage location, wherein feed means for feeding a further object comprise a feed path which runs in the downstream direction and ends at the delivery location, wherein the feed path (21) is placed essentially at an incline and extends between a plane which is situated at a lower level than the plane of the support (22) and the delivery location (24) into the plane of the support (22), the feed means comprising a first conveyor belt (50) and one or more pivotable gripper members (51), the gripper members (51) being designed to grip firmly a further object (80) placed on the conveyor belt (50) and to deliver the further object (80) to the delivery location (24) by pivoting the member (51) via the feed path (21).