Patent ID: 6877421

Claim:
Apparatus for binding bales with wire comprising feed means for feeding and tightening said wire, a guide for guiding said wire fed by said feed means around said bale, wire processing means for cutting, tightening and twisting the ends of said wire, a take-up unit for taking up a slack loop in said wire created by said tightening of said wire, and a spring assembly disposed upstream of said feed means with respect to said bale for damping motion in said wire upon taking up of said slack loop by continued feeding of said wire; said spring assembly comprising a wire guide block, a plurality of guide rollers rotatably mounted on said wire guide block, and a spring which applies a force to said wire guide block to urge said wire guide block to a maximum forward position; wherein the wire has a taut condition in which the wire is in contact with each of said plurality of guide rollers and a slack condition in which the wire is no longer in contact with at least one of said plurality of guide rollers when said guide block is at the maximum forward position.