Apparatus for wrapping a binding material about articles

Claim 1

A TOOL FOR COMPACTLY BUNDLING AND BINDING GROUPED ARTICLES, WHICH COMPRISES: MEANS FOR ENCLOSING THE ARTICLES IN A LOOSELY GROUPED ARRANGEMENT, MEANS FOR FEEDING A STRAND OF BINDING MATERIAL FROM A SUPPLY IN A FORWARD DIRECTION AROUND A MAJOR PORTION OF THE LOOSELY GROUPED ENCLOSED ARTICLES WHEREBY THE LEADING PORTION OF THE STRAND EXTENDS AWAY FROM THE GROUPED ARTICLES AND TOWARD THE SUPPLY A FIRST CLAMPING MEANS FOR CLAMPING THE LEADING PORTION OF THE STRAND WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF THE LEADING PORTION IS PRECLUDED MEANS FOR REVERSELY THE FEEDING MEANS FOR DRAWING TIGHTLY THE STRAND AROUND A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE ARTICLES SO THAT THE ARTICLES ARE COMPACTLY BUNDLED, A SECOND CLAMPING MEANS FOR CLAMPING A TRAILING PORTION OF THE STRAND IN A PARALLEL CONTACTING RELATION WITH THE CLAMPED LEADING PORTION OF THE STRAND WHEREBY A STRAND LOOP IS TAUTLY POSITIONED ABOUT THE COMPACTLY BUNDLED ARTICLES WITH THE LEADING AND TRAILING PORTIONS OF THE STRAND EXTENDING FROM THE STRAND LOOP AWAY FROM THE BUNDLED ARTICLES, MEANS FOR APPLYING A SECURING MEANS ABOUT A CLAMPED PORTION OF THE LEADING AND TRAILING PORTIONS OF THE STRAND EXTENDING FROM THE STRAND LOOP WHEREBY THE LEADING AND TRAILING PORTION ARE SECURED TOGETHER, MEANS FOR SEVERING THE LEADING AND TRAILING PORTION OF THE STRAND ADJACENT TO THE SECURING MEANS WHEREBY EXCESS PORTIONS OF THE STRAND ARE REMOVED FROM THE REMAINING PORTIONS EXTENDING FROM THE LOOP SO THAT A NEAT BINDING LOOP IS TIGHTLY SECURED ABOUT THE COMPACTLY GROUPED ARTICLES, AND MEANS FOR SEQUENTIAL OPERATING THE VARIOUS MEANS WHEREBY A STRAND OF BINDING MATERIAL IF FORMED TAUTLY AND SECURED ABOUT THE ARTICLES.