Method and apparatus for removing wires from bales of compressible material

摘要

A method and apparatus for removing wires (W) from a bale (B) of waste cardboard and paper material that is compacted in vertical layers (L) with wires running at right angles to the layers and in vertical planes, sawing downwardly through the wires and bale to separate a forward portion (SE) of the bale from the remainder of the bale and from the cut wires, gathering the cut wires ahead of and beneath the bale into a bundle with opposed pairs of hook blades (32,34) moved toward one another to interdigitate in overlapping relation, grasping the bundle in a wire-receiving recess (40) with a rotating fork (42) to coil the cut wires and pull them free from the bale, and clearing the recess by withdrawing the fork and pushing the coiled wire with a pushing finger (54) clear of the recess.