Package making – Wrapping machines – Annular package
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-04
2001-02-27
Johnson, Linda (Department: 3721)
Package making
Wrapping machines
Annular package
C053S588000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192653
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a packaging device, used to package or tie together steel plate wrapped coils, steel bundles and the like, by tying a packaging material around the surface of the item for packaging, so that the item for packaging can be easily handled and in order to prevent the item for packaging from getting dirty. Specifically, the invention concerns a packaging device which, on the one hand, can be used for packaging relatively large items for packaging, yet its structure is simple and can be miniaturized.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, packaging devices of steel plate wrapped coils included, for example, the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application 5-294314, which consisted of a circular track, forming a closed route, and constructed so that one part thereof can open and close, a truck, revolving on top of the above-mentioned circular route, a means of feeding a packaging material, which is mounted on the above-mentioned truck to feed the packaging material from a packaging material coil. A means of support, which can support the item for packaging and whose one part was closed was set in the above-mentioned circular route.
According to the above-mentioned existing technology, as shown, for example, in
FIG. 3
, a truck (
51
) is set so that it can pass inside the steel plate wrapped coil, which is the item for packaging, while a motor (
52
) and a current collector (
53
) are mounted on the truck (
51
). Conductive rails (
55
) are arranged along a circular track (
54
), to supply electric power, via the current collector (
53
), to motor (
52
), to run the truck (
51
).
In addition, because the distance between the item for packaging and the truck (
51
), surrounding its circumference, varies from one time to another, a tension accumulator (
58
) is installed on the truck (
51
), in order to prevent slackening of the packaging material (
57
) delivered from the packaging material coil (
56
), which is on the truck (
51
), when this distance narrows.
In other words, several stationary guide rollers (
59
) and several swinging guide rollers (
60
) are arranged, and if the swinging guide rollers (
60
) move away from the stationary guide rollers (
59
), the packaging material (
57
), which revolves the guide rollers (
59
,
60
) and moves along a curved route, is slackened and thus the swinging guide rollers (
60
) applies a constant tension to the packaging material (
57
), as it moves away.
The above-mentioned existing packaging device has the following problems.
(1) Because the motor is installed in the truck, the truck must to be large, and in order to enable this truck to revolve smoothly, the radius of curvature in the corners has to be large, likewise, the circular track has to be large, and the whole packaging device becomes enlarged. In addition, because the conductive rails are laid along the circular track, electrical leak counter-measures have to be sufficiently installed to maintain operator safety, and the whole packaging device is therefore enlarged also for this reason.
(2) In the tension accumulator, which consists of several stationary guide rollers and several swinging guide rollers, in addition to an urging means, in order for the swinging guide rollers to move smoothly, space has to be created on the truck, and the truck has to be enlarged even more. As a result, the circular track has to be enlarged and the whole packaging device is further enlarged.
In addition, although it may seem that by increasing the number of guide rollers, the movement distance of the above-mentioned swinging guide rollers can be decreased, in such a case, the resistance produced between the guide rollers and the packaging material increases, the smooth movement of the swinging guide rollers is interrupted, and especially in devices wherein the truck revolves at a high speed, they cannot respond quickly to rapid changes in the tension of the packaging material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems with a simple and compact packaging device which can be used relatively large items for packaging.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention proposes a packaging device equipped with a closed track constructed so that at least one part thereof can open and close, a truck, which revolves on top of the track, a means of feeding a packaging material from a packaging material coil which is mounted on the above-mentioned truck and is supported so that it can rotate, and means of support which can support an item for packaging while at least one part of the item for packaging is arranged in the above-mentioned closed track. In accordance with this invention, a means of driving the truck, which follows the above-mentioned track, is installed therein, and this means of driving the truck and the above-mentioned truck are constructed so that they can be linked, and by driving this means of driving the truck, the above-mentioned truck can revolve along the above-mentioned track.
As the means of driving the above-mentioned truck, a means of transmitting, which endlessly circulates along the circular track, is provided such as a serrated toothed belt and a chain, or the like, can generally be used, but this means of transmitting can also be made of numerous driving gears, driving rollers or the like, distributed along the circular track.
In addition, the above-mentioned means of driving the truck can drive the truck while it is detachably and directly connected to the passive part set in the truck, or, for example, it can be interlocked with passive gears, set in the truck, and the truck can be driven through a mobile connection between these passive gears and driving gears, engaged with a rack which is set in the circular track.
Moreover, the packaging device of the present invention, can be called a device for wrapping a sheet material or tape around the object articles, and the present invention includes not only a device for packaging the object articles, but also a device for tying the object articles, in other words, a tying device.
Since the first aspect is constructed as above, by causing the means of running the truck to rotate along the track, it and the moving truck revolve on the track, and the packaging material is drawn from the packaging material coil and wrapped around the item for packaging by the means of feeding the packaging material, which is mounted on the truck. As a result, the first aspect has the following advantages.
(A) The truck engages with a means of running the truck and is caused to revolve therealong. Therefore, a means of running the truck, such as a motor, which was needed in the above-mentioned past technology, does not have to be mounted on the truck, and the truck can be miniaturized. As a result, the corners of the track can be made with a small radius of curvature, and although the device can be used for packaging relatively large items for packaging, the whole packaging device can be miniaturized.
In addition, because exposed wiring, such as conductive rails, which were required in the above-mentioned past technology, are not installed, electrical leak counter-measures can be eliminated, which also makes it possible to miniaturize the whole packaging device.
In addition, a second aspect of the present invention proposes a packaging device, which is a packaging device equipped with a means of feeding a packaging material, constructed so that it can feed a packaging material from a packaging material coil, which is supported so that it can rotate around the shaft center, and which is characterized by the fact, that the above-mentioned packaging material coil is connected with mobility, via a torque limiter, to a drive generator, which applies a rotary force in the direction opposite to the direction in which the packaging material is fed, so that, if the rotary force generated by drawing the packaging material from the packaging material coil, decreases below a set value, this packaging material
Ikeda Mitsuharu
Maekawa Mikio
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Johnson Linda
Lowe Hauptman & Gilman & Berner LLP
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