Mechanism for loading a lashing tape of a binding machine

A mechanism for loading a lashing tape of a binding machine is disposed on a tape storing slot which is located in the binding machine and formed of a locating plate and a position confining plate. The locating plate is provided with a drive wheel driven by a drive motor, and a driven wheel located near the drive wheel. The locating plate is pivoted with a main guide rod. The driven wheel is fastened with an auxiliary guide rod. The main guide rod is connected with a control rod for controlling a touch switch regulating the circuit of the drive motor. The auxiliary guide rod is slanted in a direction toward the main guide rod. The main guide rod is pushed by an actuating rod driven by a motor such that the main guide rod swivels upward to join with the auxiliary guide rod, thereby resulting in the formation of a gap via which the lashing tape is guided by the drive wheel and the driven wheel to be loaded.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to a binding machine, and more 
particularly to a mechanism for loading a lashing tape of the binding 
machine. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
As shown in FIG. 1, a prior art binding machine is loaded with a lashing 
tape 10 which is wound on a reel 11 such that the lashing tape 10 is put 
into the binding machine in conjunction with a plurality of guide wheels 
12. The loading of the lashing tape 10 is done manually and is therefore 
inefficient and time-consuming. In addition, the prior art device for 
loading the lashing tape 10 is complicated in construction and is 
therefore not cost-effective. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a binding 
machine with an efficient mechanism for loading a lashing tape with ease 
and speed. 
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a binding 
machine with a simple and cost-effective mechanism for loading a lashing 
tape. 
The objectives, features and functions of the present invention will be 
readily understood upon a thoughtful deliberation of the following 
detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention 
with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT 
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a loading mechanism of the preferred embodiment 
of the present invention is disposed on a tape storing slot 21 of a 
binding machine 20. The tape storing slot 21 is formed of a locating plate 
22 and a position confining plate 23. The locating plate 22 is provided in 
the proximity of a corner of the bottom of the surface thereof with a 
drive wheel 25 which is driven by a motor 24. Located near the drive wheel 
25 is a driven wheel 26. The locating plate 22 is pivoted with a main 
guide rod 27. The driven wheel 26 is fastened with an upright auxiliary 
guide rod 28. The main guide rod 27 is connected at the bottom end thereof 
with a control rod 30 capable of triggering a touch switch 29 for starting 
or stopping the motor 24. The auxiliary guide rod 28 is slanted toward the 
main guide rod 27. Located near the drive wheel 25 is an actuating rod 32 
driven by the motor 31 to push the main guide rod 27 to swivel upward to 
join with the auxiliary guide rod 28. After the main guide rod 27 and the 
auxiliary guided rod 28 are joined together, there is a gap 33 for the 
drive wheel 25 and the driven wheel 26 to guide the lashing tape 10 to be 
loaded upward. The auxiliary guide rod 28 is fastened at the top end 
thereof with a stop block 40. The main guide rod 27 is provided at the top 
end thereof with an indentation 271 which can be stopped by the stop block 
40 at the time when the main guide rod 27 and the auxiliary guide rod 28 
are joined together such that there is the gap 33 through which the 
lashing tape 10 is guided. The position confining plate 23 is preferably 
made of a transparent plate. 
The actuating rod 32 is located in the proximity of the drive wheel 25 at 
the time when the actuating rod 32 is located under the main guide rod 27 
which is disposed horizontally at the bottom of the tape storing slot 21. 
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, before the lashing tape 10 is guided into the 
interior of the tape storing slot 21, the motor 31 is started to drive the 
actuating rod 32 to swivel upward such that the main guide rod 27 is 
pushed by the actuating rod 32 to swivel upward so as to join with the 
auxiliary guide rod 28. As soon as the main guide rod 27 and the auxiliary 
guide rod 28 have joined together, the motor 31 is stopped. In the 
meantime, the lashing tape 10 is pulled out of the reel 1 such that the 
lashing tape 10 is put between the drive wheel 25 and the driven wheel 26, 
and that the lashing tape 10 is put into the gap 33 which is formed 
between the main guide rod 27 and the auxiliary guide rod 28. The motor 24 
can be then started to drive the drive wheel 25 such that the driven wheel 
26 is driven by the drive wheel 25 so as to roll the lashing tape 10 along 
the gap 33 to move into the tape loading system of the binding machine 20. 
As the end of the lashing tape 10 is arrested, the lashing tape 10 is kept 
being rolled upward, thereby resulting in the lashing tape 10 being pushed 
in the gap 33 to form a projected tape 101, which pushed the main guide 
rod 27 to swivel downward. The actuating rod 32 is linked to swivel 
downward. In the meantime, the main guide rod 27 is forced by the weight 
of the lashing tape 10 to move downward, as shown in FIG. 7, until such 
time when the control rod 30 touches the touch switch 29 to shut off the 
motor 24. As a result, the lashing tape 10 stops being rolled by the drive 
wheel 25 and the driven wheel 26. The loading process of the lashing tape 
10 is thus completed. 
The present invention has advantages which are described hereinafter. 
The auxiliary guide rod 28 is appropriately slanted so as to cause the 
center of gravity of the main guide rod 27 to direct slightly toward the 
recovery direction after the main guide rod 27 is joined with the 
auxiliary guide rod 28. As a result, the lashing tape 10 is pushed to form 
the projected tape 101 by means of which the main guide rod 27 is pushed 
to recover. Such a mechanism as described above is relatively simple in 
construction. 
The lashing tape 10 of the present invention is actuated by the drive wheel 
25 and the driven wheel 26 such that the lashing tape 10 is automatically 
guided upward via the gap 33 formed by the main guide rod 27 and the 
auxiliary guide rod 28 which are joined together. The guiding of the 
lashing tape 10 of the present invention is done with ease and speed. 
The position confining plate 23 of the present invention is made of a 
transparent material to enable the process of loading the lashing tape 10 
to be observed with the naked eye. 
The embodiment of the present invention described above is to be regarded 
in all respects as being merely illustrative and not restrictive. 
Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms 
without deviating from the spirit thereof. The present invention is 
therefore to be limited only by the scopes of the following appended 
claims.