Apparatus and method for tying

Abstract

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a tying apparatus is provided for tying, with a tying element, a first element to a second element. The tying apparatus comprises a driving mechanism, a shaft and a grabber for twisting a beginning section of a tying element around a middle section of the tying element. The tying apparatus can be operated with one single hand.

1 . Tying apparatus for tying, with a tying element, a first element to a second element, the tying apparatus comprising: 
 a shaft;    a driving mechanism;    a grabber;    wherein the driving mechanism is adapted for forward-rotating the shaft in a direction of rotation from a start position to an end position;    wherein the grabber is attached to the shaft for being rotated together with the shaft;    wherein the grabber is adapted for receiving the tying element at a beginning section of the tying element; and    wherein, by rotation of the grabber, the tying apparatus is adapted for attaching the beginning section of the tying element to a middle section of the tying element.    
   
   
       2 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , the tying apparatus further comprising: 
 a handle;    wherein the handle is adapted for fixing the tying apparatus to a user.    
   
   
       3 . The tying apparatus of  claim 2 , 
 wherein the handle is adapted as a grip for being mounted to a user's hand or for being slipped onto the user's hand.    
   
   
       4 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , the tying apparatus further comprising: 
 a back-rotating mechanism;    wherein the back-rotating mechanism is adapted for rotating the shaft back from the end position to the start position.    
   
   
       5 . The tying apparatus of  claim 4 , 
 wherein the back-rotating mechanism is adapted for rotating the shaft back from the end position to the start position upon an occurrence of a triggering event.    
   
   
       6 . The tying apparatus of  claim 4 , 
 wherein the back-rotating mechanism comprises a force element; and    wherein the force element is loaded by forward-rotating the shaft in the direction of rotation from the start position to the end position.    
   
   
       7 . The tying apparatus of  claim 6 , 
 wherein the back-rotating mechanism further comprises a switch;    wherein the loaded force element is released by operating the switch as triggering event; and    wherein operating the switch results in a back-rotation of the shaft back from the end position to the start position.    
   
   
       8 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the driving mechanism is adapted for driving the shaft in one single direction of rotation from the start position to the end position.    
   
   
       9 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the driving mechanism is adapted for being manually driven by the user.    
   
   
       10 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the driving mechanism is adapted for being driven by a movement of a hand gear operated by the user.    
   
   
       11 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the driving mechanism is adapted for being driven by a pumping sequence, the pumping sequence comprising a first pumping stroke and a second pumping stroke;    wherein the first pumping stroke results in a first forward-rotation of the shaft;    wherein the second pumping stroke results in a second forward-rotation of the shaft; and    wherein, between the first and second pumping strokes, no back-rotation is performed, such that, after the first and second pumping strokes, an overall forward-rotation of the shaft is a sum of the first and second forward-rotations.    
   
   
       12 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the grabber is adapted for manually receiving and fixing the tying element at the beginning section after formation of a loop of the tying element around the first element and the second element.    
   
   
       13 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein, during formation of the loop, the loop does not touch the first element and the second element.    
   
   
       14 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the tying element comprises at least one flexible wire formed of a ductile material.    
   
   
       15 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , the tying apparatus further comprising: 
 an eye;    wherein the grabber is adapted as a pair of tweezers having a width;    wherein the pair of tweezers is movable through the eye between a closed position and an opened position; and    wherein the width of the pair of tweezers is adapted such that the tying element is canted during twisting.    
   
   
       16 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the grabber is adapted as a plate with a hook; and    wherein a width of at least one of the plate and the hook is adapted such that the tying element is canted during twisting.    
   
   
       17 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , the tying apparatus further comprising: 
 a separator;    wherein the tying element comprises an end section; and    wherein the separator is adapted for separating the loop, comprising the beginning section of the tying element twisted or knotted with the middle section of the tying element, from the end section of the tying element.    
   
   
       18 . The tying apparatus of  claim 17 , 
 wherein the separator is mounted on the driving mechanism.    
   
   
       19 . The tying apparatus of  claim 17 , 
 wherein the separator is adapted for being operated during forward-rotation of the shaft.    
   
   
       20 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein, during attaching of the beginning section of the tying element to the middle section of the tying element, no pulling force is applied to the loop of the tying element.    
   
   
       21 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein attaching the beginning section of the tying element to the middle section of the tying element comprises a twisting of the beginning section with the middle section.    
   
   
       22 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the first element is a first part of a plant; and    wherein the second element is one of a second part of the plant and a support element for supporting the plant.    
   
   
       23 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the tying element is one of a plant tying wire for use for plants and a steel tying wire for use on a building site.    
   
   
       24 . The tying apparatus of  claim 5 , the tying apparatus further comprising: 
 a locking mechanism;    wherein, before occurrence of the triggering event, the locking mechanism is adapted for preventing a back-rotation of the shaft.    
   
   
       25 . The tying apparatus of  claim 4 , 
 wherein the back-rotation of the shaft is triggered by minimizing a pulling force applied to the loop.    
   
   
       26 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , the tying apparatus further comprising: 
 a supply unit for receiving and stocking the tying element.    
   
   
       27 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the driving mechanism comprises a toothed rack and a toothed wheel.    
   
   
       28 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , the tying apparatus further comprising a clutch for rotating the shaft in only one direction of rotation during operation of the driving mechanism.  
   
   
       29 . The tying apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the driving mechanism is adapted as one of a pneumatic driving mechanism, a hydraulic driving mechanism, and an electric driving mechanism.    
   
   
       30 . A method of tying, with a tying element, a fist element to a second element, the method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving, in a grabber, a beginning section of the tying element;    forward-rotating a shaft together with the grabber, wherein the grabber is attached to the shaft, in a direction of rotation from a start position to an end position; and    attaching, by the forward-rotation of the grabber, the beginning section of the tying element to a middle section of the tying element.    
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising the step of: 
 fixing the tying apparatus to a user.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising the steps of: 
 performing a pumping sequence, the pumping sequence comprising a first pumping stroke and a second pumping stroke;    wherein the first pumping stroke results in a first forward-rotation of the shaft;    wherein the second pumping stroke results in a second forward-rotation of the shaft; and    wherein, between the first and second pumping strokes, no back-rotation is performed, such that, after the first and second pumping strokes, an overall forward-rotation of the shaft is a sum of the first and second forward-rotations.    
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising the steps of: 
 triggering a back-rotation of the shaft; and    back-rotating the shaft from the end position to the start position.    
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising the step of: 
 separating a beginning section of the tying element twisted or knotted with the middle section of the tying element from an end section of the tying element.