GB2078655A - Skein banding - Google Patents

Abstract

A machine for wrapping a band around a skein of threadlike material comprises pocketed units (25a to 25l) connected to a belt (26). An entrance to each pocket formed by an endless belt 27 is opened and closed by use of a movable guide roller (31). A band (12) printed in a unit 18 and glued at 21 is placed into the pocket between the skein (11) and an edge wall of the pocket, and the pocket is then closed. As the unit 25a travels round a fixed belt extending across the path of the conveyor 26 causes rotation of the belt 27 so that the band is wrapped round the skein and opposite ends of the band (12) are glued to one another. The skein remains in the pocket while the glue dries. Finally, the pocket is opened and the banded skein drops free onto an outlet conveyor (32). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Skein and ball banding machine and method This invention relates to banding machines and particularly to banding machines for skeins or balls of bunched or round threadlike material such as wool thread, and to a method of wrapping a band around such a skein or ball.

Balls or skeins of bunched or wound material are typically bound together by wrapping with a band. The band encircles a portion of the skein or ball so as to compress slightly that portion of the skein or ball. Also, typically the bands will have indicia printed thereon such as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings wherein such indicia is peculiar to a particular production run such as the color of the dye and the dye lot number in the case of skeins of wool.

It has been known to provide an automatic banding machine for placing bands around such skeins or balls of material. In such knownmachines, production rates are very slow due at least in part to back and forth translational movements required for machine elements which transport the skein or ball to be wrapped from an input conveyor to a wrapping station.

Furthermore, glue at one end of the band must dry prior to removal of the banded skein or ball.

Furthermore, in known banding machines, the labels are first individually printed and then the printed labels are stacked in the banding machine.

This operation is time consuming and requires an initial production run for printed bands followed by their separate use in the banding machine.

It is an object of this invention to provide a banding machine for skeins or balls which are continuously moved along in a substantially horizontal direction without the need for movement perpendicular to the principal feed movement for the balls or skeins being wrapped, and which permits wrapping of skeins or balls while glue on bands of other wrapped skeins or balls is simultaneously drying.

Another object of this invention to provide a banding machine which accommodates skeins or balls of different diameters and lengths with minimum alteration of machine components.

According to the invention a banding machine for wrapping a band around a skein or ball of material comprises an endless belt, guide means supporting and guiding the belt in a predetermined path, pocket means formed by the belt for receiving and surrounding a skein or ball placed in the pocket means by skein or ball feed means, and compressing the skein or ball during wrapping, said pocket means including an access means for selectively opening and closing access to the pocket means, drive means for moving the endless belt, and band feed means for feeding the band into the pocket means for wrapping around the skein or ball.

The invention also comprehends a method of wrapping a band around a skein or ball of material, comprising the steps of providing a skein or ball receiving pocket formed by a portion of a belt extending in a predetermined direction and supported by a pair of pocket forming rollers axially spaced apart from each other and transversely to said predetermined direction and which partially compress the skein or ball to a diameter of the pocket forming rollers, opening the pocket, feeding a skein or ball into the pocket between the pocket forming rollers, compressing the skein or ball to the pocket forming roller diameter, glueing a portion of a band and feeding the band between the skein or ball and a portion of the pocket, moving the belt and closing the pocket to wrap the band around the skein or ball in the compressed state with the belt remaining in substantially complete circumferential contact with the first and second guide rollers throughout the wrapping operation to create a banded skein or ball, moving the pocket containing the banded skein or ball through a distance sufficient to allow the glue applied to the band to dry, and then opening the pocket to release the banded skein or ball which remains partially compressed by the band.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a skein or ball with a band having indicia printed thereon wrapped around the skein so as to compress central portions of the skein, Fig. 2A is a schematic representation of a banding machine according to the invention, Fig. 2B is a perspective view of a pocket formed in each of the banding units of the banding machine shown in Fig. 2A, Fig. 3 is a side view of the banding machine of the invention, Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along IV--IV of Fig. 3, and showing an input conveyor system of the banding machine of the invention, Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of a gluing unit and band output feed portion of the banding machine of the invention, Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view taken at line VI--VI of Fig. 7 showing in detail the band output feed.

Fig. 7 is 6 view from the opposite side of the banding machine illustrated in Fig. 3 and showing a synchronized driving system for the machine, Fig. 8 is an expanded side view of individual banding units in a banding apparatus of the banding machine of the invention, Fig. 9 is an expanded side view of one of the banding units as it is receiving a band from a band fee conveyor, Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view of a drive mechanism taken along line X-X of Fig. 9 for the banding unit shown in Fig. 9, Fig. 11 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line Xl-Xl of Fig. 9, Fig. 12 is a side view illustrating a drive system for one of the banding units shown in Fig. 3, Fig. 13 is a plan view of one of the pockets of a banding unit taken along line Xlll-Xlll of Fig. 8, and Fig. 14 is a side sectional view of an alternate gluing device.

In Fig. 1, a bound or bunched skein 10 of material is shown. A skein 11 of yarn, wool or other fibrous thread-like material is compressed at central portions by a paper band or strip 12 which is glued at its ends in an endless loop and serves as a label and as a binder for encircling and compressing the skein 11. Preprinted indicia 13 such as promotional or other decorative indicia are provided on the label. Also provided are selectively printed indicia 1 4a, 1 4b such as color and dye lot number identifications for a particular production run. A glued end 9 of the band maintains the band in a closed loop.

Now referring to Fig. 2A, a banding machine of this invention is schematically illustrated for producing the finished product shown in Fig. 1.

Generally, the skein 11 to be banded is conveyed into the machine by an input conveyor 17 having a plurality of hoppers or troughs 1 6 on a surface thereof. A ditto machine or other style of conventional copying or printer machine 1 8 is provided which is capable of selectively printing indicia such as 1 4a, 1 4b on the bands 12. A label or band storage unit 1 9 is provided having a stack of bands 12 therein. This storage unit 1 9 connects with the printing machine 1 8. A band output conveyor 20 connects with the printing machine 18 and also passes over a gluing unit 21 for gluing the end 9 of each band. In the gluing unit 21, tongues or fingers 22 touch the end 9 of the band.

The glued bands are then conveyed by a band feed portion 23 of the conveyor 20 to a banding apparatus 24.

The banding apparatus 24 is comprised of a plurality of individual banding units 25a through 251. These banding units are connected in a continuous closed loop fashion by a synchronized drive linkage 26 such as a belt, sprocket chain or the like.

The banding unit 25a shown in Fig. 2A has a pocket 28 more clearly shown in Fig. 2B which is open and has a skein 11 r deposited therein. At 25b in Fig. 2A a banding unit is illustrated in which the pocket is beginning to close and which is receiving a glued band 12. At 25c a banding unit is shown with its pocket closed and in which the band has been rolled around the skein and the glue is beginning to dry. Banding units 25c through 25k represent banding units in which the glue is drying. Finally, at banding unit 25/, the pocket opens and a banded skein 10' drops down onto an output conveyor 32.

As shown in the schematic perspective view of Fig. 2B, each banding unit has a pocket 28 formed of a portion of a wide endless belt 27. Pocket forming rollers 29a, 29b are provided which form sides of the pocket and also determine a diameter of the pocket since a portion of the endless belt 27 is wrapped therearound. By changing the size of the rollers and their spacing, the size of the pocket can be conveniently changed. A fixed pocket entrance roller 30 is provided in combination with a swingable or movable pocket entrance roller 31.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the banding machine shown in Fig. 2A is illustrated in detail with the reference numerals in the schematic illustration of Fig. 2A also being indicated in Fig. 3 to show the corresponding elements in detail.

The various portions of the banding unit shown in Fig. 3 will now be described, with initial attention directed to Fig. 4 in combination with Fig. 3. As illustrated in these figures, an input conveyor 1 7 is provided which includes a plurality of troughs 1 6 driven by a sprocket chain. Each of the troughs 1 6 contains a skein 11. To insure that the skein 11 is centered within the trough 16, the trough has slanted portions 1 6a and 1 6b which cause the skein to self-center in a longitudinal direction of the conveyor 17. The conveyor 17 includes a sprocket drive wheel 33 and a support 34 for the drive chain.To insure centering of the skeins 11 on the conveyor 17 in a direction perpendicular to movement, adjustable centering guide walls 35a, 35b are provided as shown in Fig. 4 which converge in the direction towards the banding apparatus 24. These centering guides 35a, 35h are adjustable by adjusting nuts 36a, 36b arranged on adjusting screws 37a, 37b. The nuts and screws comprise a centering guide adjustment assembly 38 generally located as shown in Fig. 3.A connecting member 39a, 39b pivotably connects the centering guides 35a, 35b to the adjusting nuts 36a, 36b. By changing the position of the nuts on the screws 37a, 37b one end of each of the centering guides is moved while the opposite end not shown in the drawing is held fixed. Consequently, the degree of convergence can be changed to accommodate various skein lengths.

As shown in Fig. 3, the printer 1 8 is provided over the end of the input conveyor 17. The printer 18 is of a conventional type and may constitute a ditto or mimeograph machine or other form of duplicating machine. In the preferred form of this invention, a ditto machine was utilized having a rotating drum 40. A band storage unit 1 9 with a band feed portion 41 feeds band 12 to the drum 40. A band feed control box 42 is provided which also connects with a sensor 44. The sensor 44 may by a photoelectric sensor which detects the presence of a skein 11 in the trough 1 6 at the location of the sensor 44. If no skein or ball is present, then the band feed control box 42 prevents further feeding of bands to the drum 40.

A roller 43 is provided in known fashion beneath the drum 40 for printing of the bands.

At the outlet side of the printer 1 8, a band output conveyor 20 is provided preferably formed of a series of endless driving bands. A top portion of the conveyor bands 20 pass over a gluing unit 21 most clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The gluing unit 21 includes a glue storage pot 45 and a rotating glue applicator 46 on a shaft 48 above the storage pot 45. A plurality of applicator fingers 47 extend radially in spoke-like fashion from the shaft 48. These fingers 47 rotate down into the glue in the glue pot 45 and then swipe across an end 9 of the band or label 12 to be glued. The fingers extend between the driving bands of the conveyor 20. A driving gear shown in Fig. 3 is attached to the shaft 48 and is in turn driven by a pinion gear 51.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 6, the output conveyor 20 has as mentioned above, a plurality of spaced flexible drive bands 20a. As the fingers pass up through these spaced bands 20a, they come in contact with the end 9 of the strip 1 2. A gluing pressure strip 52 as shown in Fig. 5 creates a downward pressure if the applicator fingers 47 swipe across the end 9 of the band 12.

In an alternate embodiment shown in Fig. 14, the gluing unit 21 is formed of a glue pot 90 having glue 91 therein. A dipping arm 29 having a dabbing plate 92 at an end thereof is provided in pivoting fashion about a pivot point 93. An extension 94 of the arm 29 is deflected by a striker wheel 95 on the end of a striker arm 96.

The striker arm 96 has its other end connected to a shaft 97. As the shaft 97 rotates the dabbing plate moves upward against the band 12 to deposit glue thereon.

A feed portion 23 of the conveyor 20 is shown in Fig. 5 and also in plan view in Fig. 6. This feed portion includes pivoting upper pressure strips 53 which lay in resting contact on the printed band 1 2 being transferred. These pressure strips 53 insure good frictional contact between printed bands 1 2 being transferred and the drive bands 20a. By having one end of each of the strips 53 pivoted permits grabbing of printed bands 12 in the banding unit 25b. When this grabbing occurs, the printed band breaks loose from frictional engagement with the drive bands 20a. The pivoting at 53a of the strips 53 facilitates this frictional disengagement. As shown in Fig. 5, the drive bands 20a are guided by a plurality of rollers and are driven with a driven roller 54.

If desired, in place of the strips 52, 53 an upper driven drive band assembly may be provided with the band 12 driven between the drive bands 20a and the upper band assembly.

The synchronized drive of the entire machine is shown generally at Fig. 7. A motor 55 connects with a gear reduction and angle drive unit 56. A driven roller 57 connects with the angle drive unit 56 so as to drive the output conveyor 32. A centralized driving assembly 58 is provided having four sprocket wheels 58a, 58b, 58c, 58d. Wheel 58a serves as an input. Wheel 58b serves as an output for driving the input conveyor 1 7 and printer 18. Wheels 58c and 58ddrive sprockets for drive linkage 26 of the banding apparatus 24 discussed in detail hereafter. A drive wheel 59 on the input conveyor 1 7 connects with the drive assembly 58. This drive wheel connects to drive the printer 18, the gluing unit 21, and the band output conveyor 20.A glue unit and output conveyor drive assembly 60 is provided which connects with the drive wheel assembly 59 and serves to drive the glue unit. The printer drive wheel 61 is connected by drive chain to the drive assembly 60.

The entire drive system described above provides a synchronized driving of the input conveyor 17, printer 18, band feed unit 41, band output conveyor 20, and banding apparatus 24.

This synchronized drive is important to insure that the bands 12 and the skeins 11 arrive at the banding apparatus 24 at appropriate moments when particular individual banding units 25a to 25/ are in position for loading of the skeins 11 and bands 12.

The banding apparatus 24 will now be described in detail. Referring to Figs. 8 to 11, a construction of one of the banding units 25a will be described although the construction of all banding units is substantially identical. An endless belt 27 formed as a closed loop is provided between spaced side frames 62a, 62b. A plurality of rollers are supported between the side frames which carry the belt 27 and guide it along the desired path. Specifically, the endless belt encounters the following rollers around the loop.

As seen in Fig. 9, first, a swingable pocket entrance roller 31 is provided. Thereafter, the belt passes over pocket forming rollers 29a, 29b which are aligned on a common axis. Thereafter the belt passes over a fixed pocket entrance roller 30 adjacent the swingable pocket entrance roller 31.

These two rollers form the openable and closable entranceway to the pocket 28 generally illustrated in the perspective view in Fig. 2B. The belt 27 then winds around a drive roller 63 with frictional engagement caused by a first guide roller 65 directly adjacent the drive roller 63. The belt is then formed around a movable biased dancer roller 66 which is mounted on arms 67a, 67b and including a torsional spring 68 (see also Fig. 10).

The belt then passes to a second guide roller 69, a third guide roller 70, and then back to the point of beginning at the swingable removable pocket entrance roller 31. The movable or swingable roller 31 is mounted on supporting arms 71 71 b biased by springs 73a, 73h. A lever arm 72 at substantially right angles to the supporting arms 71 71 b has a cam wheel 74 which rides along a cam surface 75. This cam surface 75 is discussed below and generally has a shape shown most clearly in Fig. 8.

Horizontal tracks 76a,76b are provided on which binding units such as 25c and 25d at a top of the banding apparatus ride along by virtue of wheels 77a, 77b, 77c, 77d on side frames 62a, 62b. These tracks and associated wheels assure accurate positioning of the rollers 31 and 30 during feed in of the band 12 as illustrated in Fig. 9.

The individual band units connect with the drive linkage 26 by virtue of fixed connection points 78 and a slot 79 within which a projection 80 on linkage 26 is arranged. This combination of a projection 80 and a slot 79 permits free movement of this portion of the linkage within the slot and thus permits a lengthening of securing points between each banding unit and the drive linkage.

As shown in Fig. 9, the leading edge of the printed band 12 shown at 81 is gripped between a portion of the belt 27 adjacent the movable roller 31 and the skein 1 An adjusting unit 82 is provided to set the gap between the movable roller 31 and fixed roller 30. As shown in dotted lines is a larger pocket roller 29b for use with skeins of larger diameters. The slot 83 is provided for adjustable mounting of various size pocket forming rollers.

As shown in Fig. 11 a quick release detent assembly 84 is provided for simplified replacement of various size pocket forming rollers 28a, 28b. Also, the spacing distance between rollers 29a, 29b can be widened or shortened to accommodate the length of the skein.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 12, the drive system for the endless belt 27 of each banding unit will be described. A flexible timing belt 85 is provided having a plurality of teeth 85a which engage a driving wheel 86 on a shaft 64 of each banding unit 25a to 25/. The shaft 64 connects with the drive roller 63 to drive the belt 27. A spring 87 connecting to one end of the drive belt 85 permits the belt to deflect when in contact with the driving wheel 86 as the appropriate driving unit passes around the closed loop of the banding apparatus. The other end of the drive band 85 is attached to a fixed mounting point 88.

Referring now to Fig. 13, the pocket 28 of each banding unit formed by a portion of the endless belt 27 is shown. It should be noted that the pocket forming rollers 29a, 29b have a diameter smaller than an end diameter 89 of the banded skein 10. Consequently, the skein will be compressed and portions of the skein not surrounded by the band will fluff out as shown in Fig. 1.

Wire ribs 90, 90a, 90b are also provided at the top of each banding unit for spacing the glued end of the band away from a cross connection plate 91 at the entranceway to the pocket.

Overali operation of the banding machine with particular emphasis on the banding apparatus as illustrated in Fig. 3 will now be described. Skeins 11 to be wrapped enter along the input conveyor 1 7. In synchronization with this conveyor 17, bands are conveyed to the printer unit 18 and individually printed. These printed bands then pass over the gluing unit where an end 9 of each band is glued. The glued bands then pass down the feed portion 23 in synchronized fashion. A banding unit 25a has its pocket opened since the movable guide roller is moved to an open position as a result of the cam surface 75 in contact with the cam roller 74. As the banding unit 25a passes adjacent the input conveyor 17, a skein 11 to be banded drops into the pocket.At about the same time, a banding unit 25b running ahead of the banding unit 25a is either about to receive or is receiving a printed band. By feeding the skein into a unit 25a and receiving a band into unit 25b, a larger number of banding units may be provided than would be the case if a given banding unit received both the skein and a band before any other banding unit received either a skein or band.

After unit 25b has received its band, then unit 25a receives a band.

It is noted that unit 25b comes in contact with the driving band 85 so that the endless belt begins moving just prior to receiving the printed band.

This movement of the endless belt continues as long as the driving wheel 86 is in contact with the flexible drive band 85. This is arranged so that after the banding unit receives the skein and printed band, the pocket rotates the band and skein so as to roll the band around the skein such as shown at the unit 25c. Thereafter, as represented by units 25dto 25k, the pocket is closed and the endless belt is not moving. During this time the end 9 of the glued band dries. Finally, at position 25k, the pocket is again opened as the cam roller engages the cam surface 75. At 25/the pocket is fully opened and the banded skein 10' drops free onto the output conveyor 32.

Claims (30)

1. A banding machine for wrapping a band around a skein or ball of material, comprising an endless belt, guide means supporting and guiding the belt in a predetermined path, pocket means formed by the belt for receiving and surrounding a skein or ball placed in the pocket means by skein or ball feed means, and compressing the skein or ball during wrapping, said pocket means including an access means for selectively opening and closing access to the pocket means, drive means for moving the endless belt, and band feed means for feeding the band into the pocket means for wrapping around the skein or ball.

2. A banding machine according to Claim 1, wherein the belt extends in a predetermined direction formed in a closed loop, the guide means includes first and second pocket forming guide rollers which are axially spaced apart from each other and transversely to said predetermined direction, portions of the belt being formed around peripheral portions of the first and second guide rollers, the pocket means comprises a partially cylindrical pocket means for receiving the skein or ball to be banded and formed of end walls and a curved main wall, the end walls comprising end surfaces of the first and second guide rollers and the curved main wall comprising portions of the belt formed around the first and second guide rollers, the end walls being spaced sufficiently to permit placement of the skein or ball entirely therebetween and a diameter of the end walls being less than a maximum diameter of the skein or ball such that the skein or ball will be compressed in the pocket means to the diameter of the end walls, the skein or ball feed means is positioned for placing the skein or ball in the pocket means, the band feed means is arranged te place the band between the skein or ball and the belt, and the drive means is operable to move the' belt around the pocket forming guide rollers and thereby to wrap the band around the skein or ball with the belt remaining in substantially complete circumferential contact with the first and second guide rollers throughout the wrapping operation.

3. A banding machine according to Claim 2, comprising a plurality of separate banding units each having a pocket means, connecting means connecting adjacent banding units with one another so as to form an oval-shaped loop having upper and lower substantially horizontal linear portions connected by first and second curved portions, printing means for printing indicia on each band and glue means for gluing a portion of each band, the band feed means being arranged for transporting each printed band from the printing means to a location directly above the upper linear portion of the loop of banding units and then between a skein or ball and the belt, and means for releasing wrapped skeins or balls from the lower linear portion of the belt.

4. A machine according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, including drive and synchronizing means for driving and synchronizing movement of the banding units, the band feed means and the skein or ball feed means.

5. A machine according to Claim 4, wherein drive linkage means is provided for connecting and moving the individual banding units in a closed loop, said drive linkage means being connected to the drive and synchronizing means whereby the banding units are continuously moved past the skein or ball feed means and the band feed means.

6. A machine according to any one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the guide means comprises a plurality of fixed position guide rollers and a movable guide roller, said movable guide roller in cooperation with an adjacent fixed position guide roller forming a controllable entranceway into the pocket means.

7. A machine according to Claim 6, wherein the fixed position and pocket forming guide rollers are mounted between parallel spaced apart side walls, and a driving wheel is connected to one of the fixed positioned rollers.

8. A machine according to Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein a spring biased lever is connected to the movable guide roller, which lever has a portion engaging with a cam situated at a portion of the closed loop adjacent the skein or ball feed means and the band feed means, which cam causes predetermined translational movement of the movable guide roller to open at a closed access to the pocket means.

9. A machine according to any one of Claims 6 to 8 including means for removably mounting the pocket forming rollers to facilitate changing to different diameter rollers for changing dimensions of the pocket means.

10. A machine according to Claim 5, wherein a timing drive belt is provided adjacent the loop of banding units and a drive wheel is connected to the guide means of each banding unit, the loop of banding units and the timing drive belt being positioned such that the drive wheel of each banding unit selectively engages the drive belt over a portion of travel of each banding unit around the loop.

1 A machine according to Claim 10, wherein the timing drive belt is flexible and has a bias spring at one end.

12. A machine according to any one of Claims 6 to 9, wherein the pocket means comprises a spring biased dancer roller for applying a biased tension to the belt, and the movable guide roller is mounted on a movable arm.

13. A machine according to Claim 5, wherein the drive linkage means comprises a linkage between each banding unit and connects to each banding unit by a pivoting connecting means and a slotted connecting means comprising a protrusion on the linkage receivable in a slot of the banding unit.

14. A machine according to Claim 3, wherein each banding unit has parallel side walls connected together by the guide means.

1 5. A machine according to any one of Claims 1 to 14, including a skein or ball output conveyor positioned for receiving the wrapped skeins or balls.

16. A machine according to any one of Claims 1 to 15, wherein the band feed means includes gluing means having glue applying fingers for depositing glue at one end of each band.

1 7. A machine according to Claim 16, wherein the gluing means comprises a container for holding glue and rotating fingers for dipping into the glue in the container and then swiping the glue across the end of each band.

18. A machine according to Claim 17, wherein said rotating fingers are spoke-like protrusions on a hub.

1 9. A machine according to Claim 16, wherein the gluing means comprises a deflectable arm with glue dabbing means on an end thereof.

20. A machine according to any one of Claims 1 to 1 9, including a printer for printing indicia on the bands, which printer feeds the bands to the band feed means.

21. A machine according to Claim 1 7 or Claim 18, wherein the band feed means comprises a plurality of driving bands in frictional engagement with the bands to be wrapped around the skeins or balls, pivoting strip means rests on the driving bands for enhancing said frictional engagement but permitting release of the band when the bands become engaged by one of the banding units, and the rotating fingers of the gluing means are aligned between at least two adjacent driving bands.

22. A machine according to any one of Claims 1 to 21, including a sensor which is positioned adjacent the skein or ball feed means for sensing whether a skein or ball is present at a given location on the feed means, and if no skein or ball is present, initiating stoppage of the band feed means.

23. A machine according to any one of Claims 1 to 22, wherein the skein or ball feed means comprises a conveyor having a plurality of skein or ball retaining hoppers thereon for positioning and centering skeins or balls to be banded at predetermined intervals along the conveyor, and centering guide means for centering the skeins or balls with respect to a longitudinal guide line along the conveyor.

24. A machine according to Claim 23, wherein the centering guide means comprises a pair of strips converging in the direction of advance of the conveyor.

25. A machine according to any one of Claims 1 to 24, wherein the skein or ball feed means have a lateral feeding direction which is the same as the lateral direction of feed for the band feed means and the direction of movement of the wrapping of the bands around the skeins or balls.

26. A method of wrapping a band around a skein or ball of material, comprising the steps of providing a skein or ball receiving pocket formed by a portion of a belt extending in a predetermined direction and supported by a pair of pocket forming rollers axially spaced apart from each other and transversely to said predetermined direction and which partially compress the skein or ball to a diameter of the pocket forming rollers, opening the pocket, feeding a skein or ball into the pocket between the pocket forming rollers, compressing the skein or ball to the pocket forming roller diameter, gluing a portion of a band and feeding the band between the skein or ball and a portion of the pocket, moving the belt and closing the pocket to wrap the band around the skein or bail in the compressed state with the belt remaining in substantially complete circumferential contact with the first and second guide rollers throughout the wrapping operation to create a banded skein or ball, moving the pocket containing the banded skein or ball through a distance sufficient to allow the glue applied to the band to dry, and then opening the pocket to release the banded skein or ball which remains partially compressed by the band.

27. A method according to Claim 26, including printing indicia on the band prior to feeding the band to the pocket.

28. A method according to Claim 26, including the step of feeding the skein or ball, moving the pocket, and feeding the band all in a same horizontal component of direction.

29. A banding machine for wrapping a band around a skein or ball of material substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

30. A method of wrapping a band around a skein or ball of material, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.