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AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) c. calendering said fed wire (2), winding it annularly around said first element (3) and/or said second element (4) by means of said calendering assembly (30, 30', 300), said end of said wire (2) passing through said second passage (28b, 28b') and said second space (53b, 53b') arranged at least partially facing each other in said open configuration; d. in an appropriate phase relationship, in particular before or after the step b. of feeding said wire (2), activating said first operating member (24, 240, 240') and said second operating member (25, 250, 250') of said binding head (20, 200, 20') in said relative rotational and/or translational motion around/along said binding axis (A, A'), to arrange said binding head (20, 200, 20') from said open configuration to said holding configuration and thus hold opposite portions of wire (2); at the same time or later e. cutting said wire (2) by means of a cutting assembly (40, 400, 40'), at a respective portion arranged upstream, relative to a feeding direction of said wire (2) to said binding head (20, 200, 20'), of said first passage (28a, 28a') and said first space (53a, 53a'); f. binding said wire (2) wound and held in said opposite portions by said binding head (20, 200, 20'), by rotating said binding head (20, 20', 200), arranged in said holding configuration, around said binding axis (A, A) by means of an actuation member (13). The method of claim 1 , wherein said first passage (28a, 28a') and said first space (53a, 53a'), said second passage (28b, 28b') and said second space (53b, 53b') define through them respectively at least a first input opening (20a, 20a') for the wire (2) and a second passage opening (20b, 20b') for the return of the winding wire (2). The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein it provides the alternative of operating said first operating member (240') and said second operating member (250') in said relative translational motion along said binding axis (A, A') and in a stroke of said motion provides firstly to hold one of said opposite portions of said wire (2), representing one end of said fed wire (2), and before the step of e. cutting the other of said opposite portions of said wire (2) to activate the return of said wire (2) by means of said drawing assembly (7) to tighten the winding of said wire (2) around said first element (3) and/or said second element (4). The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein after said step e. of cutting said wire (2) provides for bending said opposing portions against the respective support portions (26a') protruding from said fingers (26') of said first operating member (24, 240, 240'). The method of claim 2, wherein it provides the alternative of operating said first operating member (24, 240) and said second operating member (25, 250) of said binding head (20, 200) in said relative rotational motion around said binding axis (A) and, in particular, of moving, respectively, a holding portion (54) projecting transversely from said separator element (52) of said second operating member (25, 250) close to said finger (26) of said

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AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) first operating member (24, 240), thereby closing an open side of said first opening (20a) and said second opening (20b), facing towards said calendering operating space, so as to trap inside said respective opposite portions of the wire (2). An apparatus for binding metal wires and similar products around a first element (3) and possibly a second element (4), in particular having an elongated shape, for example a reinforcing bar, said apparatus (1) comprising a body (10, 10 ') for receiving at least one said unwinding wire (2), a calendering assembly (30, 30', 300) carried at the front by said body (10, 10') and arranged around a longitudinal binding axis (A, A'), for guiding said winding wire (2) around said first element (3) and/or said second element (4) in a respective calendering operating space defined inside said calendering assembly (30, 30', 300), a binding head (20, 20', 200) carried by said body (10, 10') along said binding axis (A, A'), enclosed inside said calendering assembly (30, 30', 300), for mutually twisting opposite branches (2') of said wire (2) wound around said binding axis (A, A'), comprising a first operating member (24, 240, 240') forming a plurality of fingers (26, 26') spaced angularly around said binding axis (A, A), defining between them a first passage (28a, 28a') and a second passage (28b, 28b') for passing through said winding wire (2), and a second operating member (25, 250, 250'), inserted axially around said first operating member (24, 240, 240') and forming a plurality of separator elements (52, 52') spaced angularly around the same binding axis (A, A') and defining between them a first space (53a, 53a') and a second space (53b , 53b') of passage of said wire (2) to be wound, movable with a relative rotational and/or translational motion around and/or along said binding axis (A, A'), between an open configuration, in which said first passage (28a, 28a') and said first space (53a, 53a'), said second passage (28b, 28b') and said second space (53b, 53b') are respectively arranged or partially facing each othe in a direction transverse to said binding axis (A, A') so as to allow a free passage of said wire (2) through them, and a holding configuration in which said first passage (28a, 28a') and said first space (53a, 53a'), said second passage(28b, 28b') and said second space (53b, 53b') are displaced with respect to each other, rotated and/or translated due to the effect of said relative motion, so as to hold opposite portions of said wire (2), a cutting assembly (40, 400, 41') for cutting said wire (2) and an actuation member (13) for rotating said binding head (20, 20') around said binding axis (A, A'). The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said fingers (26') of said first operating member (240') each form a protruding support portion (26a'), intended to interact with a respective edge respectively delimiting the first space (53a') and the second space (53b') of the second operating member (250'), said edge being configured to bend the ends of the wire (2) against said support portion (26a') as a result of said relative translational motion.

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AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein first passage (28a) and said second passage (28b), have an open side towards said operative calendering space, intended to be closed by means of said relative rotational motion by a holding member (54) protruding peripherally from said separator elements (52) of said second operating member (25) moved close to said respective fingers (26). The apparatus of any one of claims 6 - 8, wherein said cutting assembly (40) comprises a fixed knife (41 , 41') and a movable knife (42, 252'), said movable knife (42, 252 ') being movable with said binding head (20, 20'). The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said fixed knife (41') is a sleeve fixed to said body (10') having a mouth (17') for inserting said wire (2) and said movable knife (252') is shaped by a cutting edge delimiting said first space (53a') of said second operating member (250'), said second operating member (250') being inserted coaxially inside said fixed knife (41'), said relative translational motion causing the sliding of said cutting edge beyond said mouth (17') in the direction of said binding axis (A') and therefore the cutting of said wire (2). The apparatus of any one of claims 6 -10, wherein it comprises at least one wire guide shell (160) fixed to said body (10') and internally comprising a respective guide conduit (16') for said wire (2), having a development such as to deviate said wire (2) from a direction of insertion in said body (10') substantially parallel to said binding axis (A'), to a transverse direction, in particular substantially perpendicular, with respect to the same axis (A). The apparatus of any one of claims 6 - 10 in combination with a detached fixed, suspended, wheeled or transportable, for example on the shoulder or on a belt, unit (6, 6'), for housing at least one reel (5) of a metal wire (2), said unit (6, 6') comprising at least one drawing and/or straightening assembly (7, 7a) for feeding said wire (2) unwinding from said reel (5) to said apparatus (1 , 1'), connection means (9) for guiding said wire (2) and for powering said apparatus (1 , 1').

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AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19)