Package making – Partial cover application – Band or tube
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-07
2003-02-11
Rada, Rinaldi I. (Department: 3721)
Package making
Partial cover application
Band or tube
C053S592000, C053S390000, C053S588000, C100S027000, C100S026000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06516592
ABSTRACT:
The invention concerns an apparatus, in particular a manual and transportable apparatus, for strapping and/or bundling articles, having at least one base plate, having a rigid-backed chain and having at least one clamping device arranged at the front end of the rigid-backed chain.
Packages or articles are generally fastened on pallets by means of a packaging band in order to ensure that these packages or articles are transported securely and without being damaged.
In the manual strapping of packages or individual items placed on pallets by means of bands, it is necessary for the band to be passed through a gap between the package or item and the ground. Since these bands behave like a rope when they are pushed, passing them through is particularly problematical. Particularly in the case of relatively large packages or individual items, this operation is possible only with an auxiliary element. What is disadvantageous here is that, even with an auxiliary element, the operation is very time-consuming and a second person is often necessary for carrying out this task.
DE 298 08 111 U1 discloses a packaging machine of the generic type for strapping pallets with the aid of a rigid-backed chain.
What is disadvantageous about the packaging machine described there is that the operator of this packaging machine still has to walk around the article or package to be packaged in order to lift off the ground the band passed under the package with the aid of the rigid-backed chain, to be able then to strap the item completely. As before, this is relatively laborious and therefore time-intensive.
DE 30 30 520 A1 describes a method of tying up an article by means of a wire or band, in which the wire is passed around the article in a curved path.
The apparatus necessary for carrying out this method must be supplied with compressed air, as described in this document. That is to say, the apparatus must be virtually fixed in place in order to ensure that it is supplied with compressed air. This means that the articles or packages intended for strapping have to be transported to the apparatus, which entails not inconsiderable effort. This is also often difficult, since certain packages can scarcely be transported without being tied up.
DE 28 53 440 C2 shows a guiding channel of a tying apparatus with an elongate, flexible component. Since this apparatus likewise operates with a fluidic drive, this unit is also virtually fixed in place, with the result that it is also the case with this apparatus that the articles or packages to be packaged have to be transported to the apparatus.
Further stationary packaging or strapping apparatuses are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,963, U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,557, U.S. Pat. No. 3,279,354, U.S. Pat. No. 3,213,781 and in “Verpackungsberater” [packaging adviser], February 1975, page 82, reader service no. 189. The apparatuses described there are used mainly as part of a production line. The disadvantage of this apparatus is that it has to be supplied with power and has only restricted flexibility with respect to the size of package to be packaged, since the apparatuses enclose the package virtually completely and can package only packages of a certain size range.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for strapping packages which can be manually operated and transported and with which strapping of articles and packages of any size is possible in a way which is as quick and simple as possible.
This object is achieved according to the invention by the features stated in the defining part of claim 1.
The solution according to the invention makes it possible for a package or article of almost any size to be strapped or bundled quickly and in a simple way by just one person.
Since the apparatus is to be operated manually, it does not require any line-conducted power and, as a result, can be readily transported by one person to the article to be packaged. This is particularly advantageous, since transporting the article or package to a bundling apparatus at a fixed location is often not at all possible because the article to be bundled could be damaged as a result, owing to inadequate fixing on a pallet, or transporting to an apparatus at a fixed location entails not inconsiderable effort.
Furthermore, it is no longer necessary with the apparatus according to the invention for the user to walk around the package to be packaged, and furthermore the packaging band no longer has to lift off the ground, since the rigid-backed chain virtually leads the packaging band around the article to be bundled, which means that the packaging operation itself is simplified and consequently there is a not insignificant saving of time when carrying out the bundling operation.
A particularly reliable way of guiding the band-leading element in the guiding device is achieved by the guiding device provided in the base plate being made in the form of a T groove.
The T groove achieves secure and functionally reliable guidance of the rigid-backed chain in the same. Furthermore, it is relatively simple from production engineering aspects as well for the T groove to be provided in the base plate.
Particularly simple and likewise reliable guidance of the rigid-backed chain in the T groove is achieved by the rigid-backed chain being passed over a bolt in the guiding device, said bolt being provided with an incision on the circumference.
Secure deflection of the rigid-backed chain is ensured by the carriage having a locking mechanism for connecting and releasing the same with respect to the rigid-backed chain.
Furthermore, secure deflection is likewise achieved by a tripping cam being fastened on the front end of the rigid-backed chain, by which cam on the one hand the connection between the deflecting unit and the rigid-backed chain is released and on the other hand, on the way back, the rigid-backed chain is in turn connected to the deflecting unit of the carriage.
What is more, the deflection of the rigid-backed chain is ensured by the deflecting unit being connected pivotably to a pushing part of the carriage by means of a bolt arranged transversely with respect to the direction of movement of the rigid-backed chain.
Likewise contributing to a virtually automatic deflection of the band-leading device is the configuration that a lever mounted such that it can pivot about bolts arranged between its two ends is arranged on the deflecting unit.
This is achieved, inter alia, also by a blocking bolt being arranged pivotably at one end of the lever by means of a bolt.
As a result, the blocking bolt is held in its desired position, since the insert bolt has an attachment, over which a helical spring has been pushed.
Secure fixing of the deflecting unit and of the rigid-backed chain is ensured by a side wall of the deflecting unit having a bore arranged transversely with respect to the direction of movement of the rigid-backed chain as a guide for the blocking bolt, into which the blocking bolt can be pushed for locking the rigid-backed chain.
A trouble-free fixing operation between the deflecting unit and the rigid-backed chain is made possible by the rigid-backed chain being provided in its front region with a slot.
The automatic deflection of the rigid-backed chain around the package to be bundled is ultimately made possible by the deflecting unit being able to be connected to the rigid-backed chain by means of the bolt. Very simple and nevertheless reliable fixing of the band is achieved by the clamping device being designed as a self-clamping eccentric bolt.
The eccentric roller offers the advantage that it is very simple to produce. Furthermore, with this clamping device, the user only has to push the band past the clamping device, since with this clamping device the actual clamping operation proceeds virtually automatically, which in turn has the consequence of simplifying this operation and achieving a corresponding time saving.
A configuration which is simple in its construction and functions well and reliably consists in that the rigid-backed chain ca
ErgoPack Deutschland GmbH
Rada Rinaldi I.
Silverman M. K.
Tran Louis
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