692,529. Fastening bale-ties. SIGNODE STEEL STRAPPING CO. July 3, 1951. [July 21, 1950] No. 15791/51. Class 146 (ii). [Also in Group I] A banding machine comprises a frame A having a base B for resting against a bundle being bound, a fixed gripper for anchoring one end of a loop of metallic strap which gripper is retractably attached to the frame so as to be movable away from a strap gripping position, a feed wheel 50 for engaging and moving the other end of the strap to tension the loop, the feed wheel being rotated in one direction only by a tensioning handle 10. which is connected so as to retract the feed wheel as the handle approaches the limit of its movement in one direction, linkage means 102 being provided between a supporting means 56 for the feed wheel and the gripper to retract the gripper simultaneously with the feed wheel, both the feed wheel and the gripper being latched in the retracted position. General features. The machine is of the type in which the strap is trained round the package bv hand and in which, after tensioning, a seal is applied to the overlapping parts of the strap, the seal and strap being distorted to lock the ends of the strap in position. The sealing means 16 is operated by pulling on a lever 12 and the tensioning is accomplished by rocking a lever 10, the lever 10 causing both the feed wheel and fixed gripper to free the strap at the limit of its travel in one direction so that the machine can be withdrawn from the strap. The feed wheel and gripper can also be independently released so that the machine can be re-positioned under the strap. Tensioning and wire gripping mechanism. The fixed gripper comprises a threaded plug 22 having a serrated top which is arranged in the base of the machine and which co-operates with a pivoted member 24, a serrated button 32 on which is urged into contact with the plug 22 by a coil spring 30 surrounding the shaft of the member 24 and engaging a lever 28 secured to the shaft and by means of which the button 32 may be separated from the plug 22. The member 24 has a slot positioned above the button 32 through which the other part of the strap can pass, this part of the strap being kept in the slot by a spring-loaded pivoted catch 36. A saddle 42 formed on the frame of the machine can engage a rounded upper surface 44 on the member 24. to take strain from the bearing of the member 24 .when the strap is tensioned. The feed wheel 50 is serrated and co-operates with a hardened surface -60 on the base B. The wheel 50 is rotatably mounted between a pair of arms 54, 56 which are secured to a shaft 58 rotatably mounted on the frame A. The feed wheel 50 is urged into contact with the base by a spring between the arm 56 and the frame. The arm 54 has a wedge-shaped extending finger 62 which engages the strap and aligns it under the feed wheel. The tensioning handle 10 is also pivoted on the shaft 58 so as to straddle a gear 74 loose on the shaft and rotates this gear when pulled to the right, as seen in Fig. 2, by means of a spring-loaded pawl 32. The gear 74 rotates the feed wheel 50 through a gear wheel 76 which is fixed to the feed wheel shaft and which is constrained to rotate in one direction only by a pair of spring-loaded pawls 80 pivoted to the arm 56 and engaging teeth of the gear 76 alternately. The driving pawl 92 is journaled to rotate in a passage in the handle 10 and has an extension 75, Fig. 1, a cam surface 95 on which, when the handle 10 is pushed away from the operator to its limit of travel ; rides on an abutment 94 on the arm 56 and rotates the pawl to disengage it from the gear 74 as shown in Fig. 2. When the handle 10 is pushed in this direction an extension 90 on the handle also releases the pawls 80 from the gear 76. The movement of the handle 10 also pivots the arm 54, 56 about the shaft 58 and so raises the feed wheel 50 away from the base. The handle 10 is latched in this position by a spring loaded pin 96 which engages a socket in the frame. The arrangement is such that a slight pull on the handle releases the latch. A link 102 Fig. 2 is pivotally connected to the arm 56 and extends towards the gripper handle 28. It passes through a vertical slot 106 in the frame A and is urged upwardly by a spring 108 to engage a pin 110. When the tensioning handle is moved to its extreme position to raise the feed. wheel 50, an abutment 118 on the link engages an abutment 116 on the gripper handle 28 and moves the handle to open the gripper. The handle 28 is latched in this position by a notch 112 in the link 102 which engages the pin 110 and. so allows the link to snap upwardly. The gripper may be closed independently of the feed wheel by depressing the end of the link 102. Sealing means. The sealing means are identical with those described in Specification 585,004 except that the operating lever 12 is arranged to be pulled towards the operator to seal the joint so that greater pressure may be exerted. The return movement of the handle feeds a seal between the sealing jaws ready for the next cycle of operations.