Device for tying vines or other plants that can be trained by tying

• US 5,394,644 A
• Filed: 09/23/1993
• Issued: 03/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ECB SARL
• Original Assignee: ECB SARL
• Inventors: Ballu, Jean-Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Raduazo, Henry E.
• Application Number:
  US08/122,401
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 57/32, 156/468, 156/475, 156/476, 156/212, 206/411, 47/44 L
• US Class Current: 47/1.01R
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 17/08 Tools e.g. clips for attaching hops, vines, or boughs to trellis-work; Tying devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 17/085 Espalier machines; Tying machines
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 67/06 Manually-operable devices for closing bag necks, by applying and securing lengths of string, wire or tape

Abstract

Device for tying vines or other plants that can be trained by tying, using adhesive tape.

A flat body (10), the rear portion (11) of which encloses a roll (2) of adhesive tape (20), its front part (12) housing a star-shaped wheel (3) with several spokes (30), mounted in free rotation around a transverse axis (31), with the end (32) of each of the spokes (30) being rounded and of a width that is approximately equal to the width of the adhesive tape (20). Said spokes (30) are surrounded by the side walls (34) separated by spaces (35,), with part of said star-shaped wheel (3) exceeding the length of its spokes on the lower edge (13) of the body (10), and being partially covered by a cog (4) in the arc of a circle, mounted in a pivot around an axis (40) to the front part (12) of the body (10) and held by a spring (41) against the ends (32) of the spokes (30) between the side walls (34). A blade (5) forming a single piece with the cog (4) is intended to cut, at the ends (32) of the spokes (30), the adhesive tape (20), the end of which is placed on the ends (32) of the spokes (30) which protrude beyond the lower edge (13) of the body (10), its non-adhesive side in contact with said ends (32), while the adhesive side of its end (21) is attached to the inside of the cog (4) opposite the end (32) of the spoke (30) that is farthest away from the roll (2) that protrudes over the lower edge (13) of the body (10).

Claims

1. An apparatus for tying plants, comprising

a body having a front end, and a rear end and a lower edge portion, adhesive tape dispensing means mounted at said rear end of said body for dispensing an adhesive tape therefrom, a rotatable wheel mounted at said front end, said rotatable wheel forming a substantially circular path for said adhesive tape and a plurality of acceptor spaces for accepting said plants, space means for dividing said rotatable wheel into a plurality of dividers separated by said acceptor spaces, said apparatus is free of integral portions enclosing said circular path at said lower edge portion,

whereby said adhesive tape being dispensed by moving said apparatus across said plants in a single direction movement.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotatable wheel is mounted on a transverse axis and includes a plurality of spokes projecting outwardly from said transverse axis, each of said plurality of spokes includes adhesive tape contact means at an end thereof distal from said transverse axis thereby forming said substantially circular path for said adhesive tape, said transverse axis of said rotatable wheel being mounted at said front end of said body so that said adhesive tape contact means project beyond said lower edge portion of said body during at least a portion of the rotation of the rotatable wheel, cover means pivotally mounted at said front end of said body, said cover means following said substantially circular path for said adhesive tape means, urging means for urging said cover means towards a rest position proximate to said rotatable wheel for contact against said adhesive tape contact means, blade means mounted transversely to said substantially circular path for said adhesive tape, and blade actuation means for actuating said blade means to cut said adhesive tape.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said spacer means comprises a plurality of side wall portions encompassing at least an adjacent pair of said plurality of spokes.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said spacer means comprises a plurality of side wall portions corresponding to each of said plurality of spokes, said plurality of side wall portions having a shape whereby said plurality of acceptor spaces are adapted for receiving said plants.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said plurality of side wall portions extend beyond said adhesive tape contact means.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plants comprise vines.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said adhesive tape contact means comprises a rounded surface having a width substantially equal to the width of said adhesive tape.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said urging means comprises spring means.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said blade means is affixed to said cover means.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said blade means comprises a plurality of blade members.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said plurality of blade members are mounted within each of said plurality of spokes.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said blade means includes a blade body pivotally mounted with respect to said cover means, said blade body including a front end and a rear end, a blade mounted in said front end of said blade body for transverse cutting of said adhesive tape, protrusion means extending from said rear end of said blade body, said protrusion means extending inwardly of said cover means whereby a plant located in one of said acceptor spaces can cause rotation of said blade body by impacting against said protrusion means.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein each of said plurality of spokes includes radial groove means extending from an opening corresponding to said transverse axis to said adhesive tape contact means, thus producing a blade opening at said adhesive tape contact means, and a cavity at the end of said radial groove corresponding to said adhesive tape contact means, each of said plurality of blade members comprising a blade mounted within said cavity for transverse movement of said blade through said blade opening.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said blade activation means comprises a piston mounted within said radial groove means for slidable movement therein, said piston having a first end at a location corresponding to said transverse axis and a second end in contact with said blade mounted within said cavity whereby upon slidable movement of said piston within said radial groove means, said blade is urged to move transversely through said blade opening to cut said adhesive tape, lever means pivotally mounted on said body, said lever means having a first end and a second end and normally being in a rest position, and rod means mounted between said lever means at a location between said first and second ends thereof and said first end of said piston whereby upon pivotal movement of said lever means out of said rest position said lever means causes said rod means to move translationally and thereby move said second end of said piston means so as to move said blade through said blade opening.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said cover means includes a first end and a second end, said cover means being pivotally mounted on said first end of said body at said first end of said cover means, said first end of said cover means including indentation means for recovering said first end of said lever means when said cover means is in said rest position and actuating means for pivotally actuating said lever means when said cover means is rotated out of said rest position.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 including lever urging means for urging said lever means into said rest position, said lever urging means extending to said second end of said lever means, said second end of said lever means being located adjacent to said circular path for said adhesive tape, whereby upon pivotal movement of said lever means out of said rest position said circular path for said adhesive tape is interrupted and said adhesive tape contact means are hindered from further rotation.

17. An apparatus for tying plants, comprising:

a body having a front end, a rear end and a lower edge portion, adhesive tape dispensing means mounted at said rear end of said body for dispensing an adhesive tape therefrom, a rotatable wheel mounted at said front end, said rotatable wheel forming a substantially circular path for said adhesive tape and a plurality of acceptor spaces for accepting said plants, said apparatus being free of integral portions enclosing said circular path at said lower edge portion,

whereby said adhesive tape being dispensed by moving said apparatus across said plants in a single direction movement.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said rotatable wheel is mounted on a transverse axis at said front end of the body, and includes a plurality of spokes projecting outwardly from said transverse axis, each of said plurality of spokes including adhesive tape contact means at an end thereof distal from said transverse axis thereby forming said circular path for said adhesive tape, space means for dividing said rotatable wheel into a plurality of dividers separated by said acceptor spaces, said adhesive tape contact means project beyond said lower edge portion of said body during at least a portion of said rotation of the rotatable wheel, cover means pivotally mounted at said front end of said body, said cover means following said circular path for said adhesive means, urging means for urging said cover means towards said rotatable wheel for contacting against said adhesive tape contact means, blade means mounted transversely to said substantially circular path for said adhesive tape and blade actuation means for activating said blade means transversely to said circular path and thereby cutting said adhesive tape.

19. The apparatus of the claim 18 wherein said space means comprises a plurality of side wall portions encompassing at least an adjacent pair of said plurality of spokes.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said blade means comprises a plurality of blade members.