Bale closing and sealing apparatus

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR CLOSING AND SEALING THE PACKAGE SHEET MATERIAL EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE OPEN END OF A BALE, SAID APPARATUS INCLUDING A GENERALLY FLAT PLATFORM EXTENDING IN A GIVEN PLANE FOR SUPPORTING SAID BALE WITH THE OPEN END FACING IN A GIVEN DIRECTION; A BACK-UP RAIL EXTENDING ABOVE SAID PLATFORM AND FORMING AN ALIGNING ABUTMENT FOR THE CLOSED END OF SAID BALE; FIRST AND SECOND PLATE-LIKE MEMBERS SELECTIVELY MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER ALONG A PATH ABOVE SAID PLANE AND GENERALLY PARALLEL WITH SAID RAIL, SAID PATH BEING SPACED FROM THE RAIL ONLY SLIGHTLY FURTHER THAN THE DESIRED LENGTH OF SAID BALE; MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBERS TOWARD EACH OTHER BEING EFFECTIVE TO FORM SIDE FOLDS AND UPPER AND LOWER FLAPS IN SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING SHEET MATERIAL; A THIRD PLATE-LIKE MEMBER ABOVE SAID PLATFORM AND SELECTIVELY MOVABLE IN A VERTICAL DIRECTION TO FOLD SAID UPPER FLAP OVER SAID SIDE FOLDS; A FOURTH PLATE-LIKE MEMBER BELOW SAID PLATFORM AND SELECTIVELY MOVABLE IN A VERTICAL DIRECTION TO FOLD SAID LOWER FLAP OVER SAID SIDE FOLD; MEANS FOR APPLYING AN ADHESIVE TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FLAPS; AND SEQUENCING MEANS FOR FOLDING SAID ONE FLAP OVER SAID FOLDS AFTER THE OTHER FLAP; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: SAID FOURTH PLATE-LIKE MEMBER INCLUDING A GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR PLATE AT THE UPPER END THEREOF, SAID PLATE FORMING A GENERALLY FLAT SURFACE FOR SUPPORTING SAID LOWER FLAP, SAID ONE FLAP BEING SAID LOWER FLAP, SAID PLATE BEING MOVABLE UPWARDLY WITH SAID FOURTH MEMBER AFTER SAID ADHESIVE IS APPLIED TO SAID LOWER FLAP.