Apparatus for constricting and binding a continuous length of material at spaced points therealong

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR BINDING A CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF YIELDING MATERIAL AT DETERMINED INTERVALS ALONG SAID LENGTH, COMPRISING: CONSTRICTOR MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF RELATIVELY DISPLACEABLE MEMBERS DEFINING A VARIABLE SPACE THEREBETWEEN THROUGH WHICH THE MATERIAL IS PASSED; MEANS FOR RELATIVELY DISPLACING THE CONSTRICTOR MEMBERS TOWARD EACH OTHER FOR CONSTRICTING THE MATERIAL AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER TO PERMIT THE PASSING OF THE MATERIAL THEREBETWEEN; MEANS FEEDING SEGMENTS OF BINDING STRIP INTO SAID SPACE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE MATERIAL SO AS TO FORM A BEND OF THE STRIP AROUND THE CONSTRICTED MATERIAL PORTION; STRIP-MANIPULATOR MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF FINGERS AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID FINGERS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING MOVEMENT AND FOR ROTATION; MEANS IMPARTING CLOSING MOVEMENT TO THE FINGERS SO AS TO CLAMP A BEND OF STRIP THEREBETWEEN AND FOR SUBSEQUENTLY OPENING SAID FINGERS TO RELEASE THE STRIP; MEANS IMPARTING ROTATION TO THE FINGERS WHILE IN CLOSED CONDITION TO TWIST THE STRIP CLAMPED THEREBETWEEN; AND MEANS CONNECTED FOR OPERATING SAID CONSTRICTOR DISPLACING MEANS, STRIP FEEDING MEANS, AND FINGER OPENING AND CLOSING AND ROTATING MEANS IN A CYCLIC SEQUENCE.