Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor – With stretching or tensioning means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-28
2001-10-30
Sells, James (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor
With stretching or tensioning means
C156S073500, C156S502000, C156S580000, C100S0330PB
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308760
ABSTRACT:
The invention concerns a strapping apparatus for strapping goods with a band, the strapping apparatus having a tensioning device which is operatively connected to a tensioning drive and is intended for tensioning of the band, a closure device for sealing two ends of a band, and a plurality of rewinding locks for fixing the band in the strapping apparatus.
The invention relates primarily to portable, mobile, i.e. not stationary and permanently installed, strapping apparatuses which are preferably electrically driven and are provided with a mains-independent power supply, such as a storage battery for example.
Such apparatuses are used for strapping goods with a plastic band. For this purpose, the strapping apparatus is arranged on the goods and a band loop is passed around the goods and inserted into the strapping apparatus. The end of the band and the second end of the band loop, still to be detached, are in this case arranged in the strapping apparatus. Subsequently, a band tension is applied to the band by means of the tensioning device of the strapping apparatus. The strapping operation is ended by a subsequent welding operation of two layers of band lying one on top of the other and a detachment of the band loop from the band supply roller.
In the case of such mobile strapping apparatuses, it is always endeavoured to save weight in order to improve the handling and transporting capabilities of the apparatuses. As far as the components of the apparatus that are driven by the motor are concerned, a low weight of these components generally also means a reduction in the amount of energy required for strapping, whereby the number of strappings that can be achieved with one storage battery charge can be increased.
The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a strapping apparatus which is as lightweight as possible while of high functional reliability.
This object is achieved according to the invention in the case of a strapping apparatus mentioned at the beginning in that control functions for rewinding locks are transmitted from a hand lever to the rewinding locks via just one central control board. The control board preferably transmits the control functions for all the rewinding locks present. This allows the number of individual parts to be reduced, whereby the weight of the strapping apparatus, intended as a mobile hand-operated apparatus, can be reduced. Since all the control functions are initiated from a central hand lever, operating the strapping apparatus is also made easier as a result.
Since a control board according to the invention can preferably be coupled in a pivotable manner and since pivoting or rotational movements can be executed with less sophisticated mechanisms than translatory movements, a functionally comparatively reliable and nevertheless lightweight control device can be created in this way. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the control board is coupled in a pivotable manner at three points, control functions for the strapping apparatus being transmitted to all the coupling points of the control board. A further weight reduction can be achieved if the control board is guided only by means of the coupling points and consequently separate guiding means can be avoided.
A structurally particularly simple and space-saving design of a strapping apparatus according to the invention may provide that the control board is connected to the hand lever via a pivot lever. Transmitting means, for example rotational spindles, by which the rewinding locks are transferred from a locking position into an insertion position or vice versa, may be connected to the control board.
In a further preferred embodiment, a strapping apparatus has at least two rewinding locks, with which the band can be fixed. In this case, the closure device should be arranged between the two rewinding locks. This arrangement has proved successful in particular for applications in which the band is “pulled out” from the closure device by the tensioning device, and not “pushed in”, during the tensioning operation. That is to say, it is a structural design of a strapping apparatus in which the tensioning device is arranged behind the closure device in the tensioning direction. It is particularly preferred, however, if a third rewinding lock is present, with which the tensioning wheel can be fixed. In this case, the tensioning wheel should be arrestable, at least against rotational movements in the tensioning direction. With this arrangement it is possible for the band which has been pulled through the closure device during the tensioning operation to be fixed with the already applied band tension for the closing and cutting operation and nevertheless for that section of the band which is subsequently friction-welded and cut to be essentially relieved again of the band tension. This has the advantage that the movement of the welding shoe preferably taking place essentially transversely with respect to the longitudinal extent of the band can be converted better into heat of the band, and that clean cutting edges are produced during cutting of the plastic band. Plastic bands under tension tend to split during cutting, impairing the functional reliability of the apparatus.
To design a functionally reliable rewinding lock, according to the invention it may also be provided in a strapping apparatus mentioned at the beginning that a locking lever of the at least one rewinding lock is mounted on an eccentric spindle, which is connected to a rotational spindle and is arranged eccentrically with respect to the rotational spindle. In this case, the locking lever should be capable of being connected in a rotary manner to the rotational spindle via a coupling and arranged in a freely rotatable manner on the eccentric spindle. With this arrangement, the rewinding lock can be transferred very quickly from an insertion position for the band into a clamping position. The high acceleration of the rewinding lock that can be achieved in this way allows the band to be clamped quickly and reliably, which contributes to the functional reliability of the apparatus.
Further preferred refinements of the invention emerge from the dependent claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3783079 (1974-01-01), Wehr
patent: 3799835 (1974-03-01), Gilmore
patent: 4015643 (1977-04-01), Cheung
patent: 4483516 (1984-11-01), Wehr
patent: 5690023 (1997-11-01), Stamm et al.
patent: 0 465 772 (1992-01-01), None
patent: 723 616 (1955-02-01), None
patent: 881 038 (1961-11-01), None
patent: 1 136 845 (1968-12-01), None
(1) German Search Report.
De Felice Ludovigo
Finzo Flavio
Haltinner Giancarlo
Marsche Bernd
Gilman & Berner LLP
Hauptman Lowe
Orgapack GmbH
Sells James
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