Advancing material of indeterminate length – By orbitally traveling material-engaging surface – Including details of roll or mount
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-30
2003-01-14
Mansen, Michael R. (Department: 3654)
Advancing material of indeterminate length
By orbitally traveling material-engaging surface
Including details of roll or mount
C100S032000, C254S216000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06505766
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a feed wheel or traction wheel which is utilized in conjunction with binding apparatus for securely binding articles, such as, for example, strip coils, tubes, stacked plate, and the like, with suitable strapping material, and more particularly to a new and improved feed wheel or traction wheel which, in addition to having a conventional set of circumferentially spaced teeth formed thereon, is provided with an additional set of teeth which are oriented in a substantially opposite direction with respect to the axis of the feed wheel or traction wheel so as to effectively prevent the generation of slivers when the feed wheel or traction wheel is used, for example, to securely bind articles with strapping material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As disclosed, for example, within U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,149 which issued to Kato on Jun. 18, 1991, and as illustrated in
FIG. 1
of the drawings which corresponds to
FIG. 5
of the drawings of the aforenoted patent to Kato, when a strap-binding operation is to be performed in connection with the securing or binding of articles with strapping material, the operation is normally carried out or performed by means of a multi-functional binding head
1
. Briefly, in accordance with such a strap-binding operation, a band-like binding strap
3
is initially fed, in a forward direction f by means of a pair of reversible-drive rollers
2
, from a supply source
3
c
of strapping material such that the binding strap
3
encircles the article
4
to be bound.
Upon completion, in effect, of the formation of a closed loop around the article
4
, the leading end portion
3
a
of the binding strap
3
is gripped by means of a suitable gripper apparatus or unit, not shown, disposed within the binding head
1
, and subsequently, the rotational drive of the pair of drive rollers
2
is reversed such that the trailing end portion
3
b
of the binding strap
3
is retracted in the reverse direction tt such that the binding strap
3
is preliminarily tightened around the article
4
. Subsequently, the reverse drive of the rollers
2
is continued whereby the binding strap
3
is tightened around the article
4
with a substantially high degree of tension, and while the binding strap
3
is maintained in such a tensioned state, the overlapped leading and trailing end portions
3
a
,
3
b
of the binding strap
3
are bonded together by means of a suitable seal or ferrule implement. Continuing further, after the leading and trailing end portions
3
a
,
3
b
of the binding strap
3
have been bonded together, the bonded trailing end portion
3
b
of the binding strap
3
is severed from the residual supply portion
3
c
of the binding strap
3
, whereby the bound article
4
may then be removed from the vicinity of the strapping binding head
1
.
With reference now being additionally made to
FIG. 2
of the drawings, which corresponds to
FIG. 3
b
of the drawings of the aforenoted patent to Kato, the drive roller system
2
is illustrated, and it is seen that the pair of drive rollers which form the drive roller system
2
comprises a feed wheel or traction wheel
2
T and a back-up wheel
2
B between which the binding strap
3
is interposed such that a predetermined amount of pressurized force is developed within the bight or nip portion defined between the traction wheel
2
T and back-up wheel
2
B. The traction wheel or feed wheel
2
T is provided with a plurality of teeth which are continuously disposed or provided in a circumferential array around the peripheral edge of the feed wheel or traction wheel
2
T, while the back-up wheel
2
B is provided with a smooth peripheral surface. In accordance with the principles and teachings characteristic of the invention as disclosed within the aforenoted patent to Kato, the teeth of the feed wheel or traction wheel
2
T also have a unique configuration so as to in fact facilitate control of the pressurizing force which develops the requisite tension within the binding strap
3
during the relatively high tensioning phase thereof. In particular, the pressurizing force is effectively reduced so as to in turn reduce marking scars conventionally produced by means of the traction wheel
2
T upon the biding strap
3
as a result of the traction conveyance of the binding strap
3
through the bight or nip portion defined between the traction wheel
2
T and the back-up wheel
2
B.
While the particular traction wheel structure disclosed within the aforenoted patent to Kato has been commercially successful in view of the fact that, for example, by means of the aforenoted structure of the traction wheel, scarring of the binding strap has been effectively reduced, it has been experienced or determined that the teeth of the traction wheel have nevertheless on occasion caused slivers of the binding strap to be developed or generated. Not only do such slivers present safety issues or problems to users of the articles bound with the slivered strapping, but in addition, the production, generation, or development of such slivers adversely affects the tensile strength or structural integrity of the strapping which, of course, could lead to failure of the strapping either during the final tensioning stage of the strapping, during transportation of the bound or strapped article, or during unpacking of, or removal of the strapping material from, the bound article.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved traction or feed wheel for use in connection with strapping apparatus wherein the traction wheel or feed wheel comprises unique and novel structure such that when the traction wheel or feed wheel is being used in conjunction with, for example, a suitable backup wheel in order to properly tension strapping material attendant the strapping or binding of an article, the generation or development of strapping material slivers is effectively prevented so as not to present any safety problems, and wherein further, the tensile strength or structural integrity characteristics of the strapping material are not adversely affected such that the strapping material will not experience failure either during the final tensioning stage of the strapping, during transportation of the bound or strapped article, or during unpacking of, or removal of the strapping material from, the bound article.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved feed wheel or traction wheel which is to be utilized in conjunction with binding or strapping apparatus for securely binding articles, such as, for example, strip coils, tubes, stacked plate, and the like, with suitable strapping material.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved feed wheel or traction wheel which is to be utilized in conjunction with binding or strapping apparatus for securely binding articles, such as, for example, strip coils, tubes, stacked plate, and the like, with suitable strapping material, and which effectively overcomes the various disadvantages or operational drawbacks characteristic of conventional or PRIOR ART feed wheels or traction wheels.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved feed wheel or traction wheel which is to be utilized in conjunction with binding or strapping apparatus for securely binding articles, such as, for example, strip coils, tubes, stacked plate, and the like, with suitable strapping material, and which effectively overcomes the various disadvantages or operational drawbacks characteristic of conventional or PRIOR ART feed wheels or traction wheels by comprising structure which effectively eliminates the generation of slivers.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved feed wheel or traction wheel which is to be utilized in conjunction with binding or strapping apparatus for securely binding articles, such as, for example, strip coils, tubes, stacked plate, and the like, with suitable strapping material, and which effectivel
Cheung Nelson
Mallory Richard L.
Mansen Michael R.
Schwartz & Weinrieb
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