Bunch tying apparatus for rod material

Claim 1

BUNCH TYING APPARATUS FOR ROD MATERIAL COMPRISING A ROLLER CONVEYOR FORMING AN ELONGATED FEEDER PATH FOR SUPPLYING THE ROD MATERIAL IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE MATERIAL, AN ELONGATED SUPPORT STRUCTURE LATERALLY ADJACENT AND PARALLEL TO SAID PATH, AN ENDLESS CHAIN HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID CONVEYOR PATH AND SUPPORT STRUCTURE, SAID CHAIN BEING MOVABLE IN THE DIRECTION FROM SAID CONVEYOR TO SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE AND HAVING A HOOK-SHAPED ENTRAINER FINGER ENGAGEABLE WITH THE MATERIAL SO AS TO ENTRAIN AND BUNCH THE MATERIAL WHILE DISPLACING IT TRANSVERSELY OFF SAID CONVEYOR AND ONTO SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE, A TIE-WIRE SUPPLY REEL, WIRE GUIDE MEANS FORMING A WIRE PATH FROM SAID SUPPLY REEL, SAID WIRE PATH EXTENDING ACROSS THE DIRECTION OF ENTRAINER DISPLACEMENT SO AS TO CAUSE THE WIRE TO CURVE AROUND THE MATERIAL ENTRAINED AGAINST THE WIRE, A TWISTING DEVICE ENGAGEABLE WITH THE WIRE FOR FASTENING A WIRE LOOP AROUND THE BUNCH OF MATERIAL AND A CUTTER LOCATED BESIDE SAID FEEDER PATH FOR CUTTING THE TWISTED WIRE TO THEREBY RELEASE THE COMPLETED BUNCH.