Package making – Partial cover application – Band or tube
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-12
2004-06-01
Kim, Eugene (Department: 3721)
Package making
Partial cover application
Band or tube
C053S219000, C053S399000, C053S430000, C403S109600, C414S911000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06742322
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to plastic film wrapping apparatus for wrapping palletized loads or products, and more particularly to a new and improved plastic film wrapping apparatus or system which is portable, relatively simple in structure, and readily enables the manually controlled wrapping of palletized loads or products with plastic wrapping film while ensuring a high degree of safety for operator personnel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As has been noted within previously filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/432,284, which was filed on Nov. 2, 1999 and in the name of Hugh J. Zentmyer et al. for an APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUALLY APPLYING STRETCH FILM TO PALLETIZED PRODUCTS, it is a known fact that approximately fifty percent (50%) of all stretch film that is manufactured is applied to, for example, palletized loads or products by manual means. It is also known that when applying such stretch film to, for example, palletized loads or products, the manner in which such stretch film is manually applied to such loads or products usually comprises either one of two methods. In accordance with a first one of such manual methods, as illustrated, for example, within U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,884 which issued to Stanford on Mar. 21, 1995, the operator respectively inserts four fingers of each hand into each one of two oppositely disposed recessed portions defined within the film core end caps so as to effectively hold or grasp the film roll, and while placing his thumbs upon outside surface portions of the film roll, so as to effectively cause a predetermined amount of back tension to be applied to the film whereby the film is effectively stretched as the film is being unrolled or dispensed from the film roll, the operator walks around the palletized load or product. In accordance with a second one of such manual methods of applying a stretch film to such palletized loads or products, as illustrated, for example, within U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,841 which issued to Shirrell on Oct. 17, 1995, and in lieu of directly holding or grasping the film roll, the operator holds or grasps a film roll dispensing or holding device which has a built-in tensioning mechanism. In accordance with either one of the aforenoted modes, methods, or manners in which stretch film is applied manually to the palletized products or loads, several operational drawbacks or disadvantages common to both methods or modes were apparent. Firstly, for example, the film roll, or the film roll and film roll dispensing or holding device, must be supported by the operator personnel, and yet the film roll and the film roll dispensing or holding device are quite heavy and cumbersome. In addition, in order to fully wrap a palletized load, the operator must bend down while holding the film roll, or the film roll and film roll dispensing or holding device, in order to wrap the film around the lower extremity portions of the palletized loads or products. Such requirements upon the operator personnel have been noted to cause acute discomfort, fatigue, and stress-related injuries. In addition, the operators experience fatigue and discomfort even when the operators are wrapping the upper regions of the palletized loads or products due to the continuous need for supporting the entire weight of the film roll, or the film roll and film roll dispensing or holding device.
A need therefore existed in the art for an apparatus, and for a method of operating the same, for overcoming the various operational disadvantages or drawbacks characteristic of the known PRIOR ART systems as briefly discussed hereinbefore and as disclosed within the aforenoted patents, and this need was substantially met by means of the apparatus or system, and the method of operating the same, which has been disclosed within the aforenoted U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/432,284 and which has been quite commercially successful. However, while it has been noted in such aforenoted patent application that the apparatus or system disclosed within the aforenoted U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/432,284 is portable in that the same is mounted upon a platform which has wheels, rollers, or the like so as to render the same movable or mobile, the apparatus is nevertheless relatively large and not readily transportable so as to, in turn, not be readily or easily movable within a particular wrapping plant or facility, or even yet further, readily or easily transportable between different wrapping plants or facilities located at different production sites.
Accordingly, the film wrapping apparatus or system disclosed within the aforenoted U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/814,861 filed on Mar. 23, 2001 in the name of Gale W. Huson et al. for a PORTABLE FILM WRAPPING SYSTEM sought to overcome the various operational disadvantages of the known PRIOR ART and in fact successfully did so. Further improvements to such system were deemed necessary, however, in order to render such system simpler in structure, and accordingly, such improvements were in fact developed and accordingly disclosed within the aforenoted U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/947,364 which was filed on Sep. 7, 2001 in the name of Gale W. Huson et al. and entitled PORTABLE PLASTIC FILM WRAPPING SYSTEM. While the apparatus or system as disclosed within the patent application Ser. No. 09/947,364 has operated quite satisfactorily, it has been determined still further, however, that additional improvements might optimally be incorporated within such a system in order to render the same essentially failsafe with respect to operational safety aspects for operator personnel. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations are continuously seeking to improve and ensure the occupational safety of manufacturing workplace environments in order to in fact protect operator personnel, and in accordance with the broad objectives of such regulations, it has been determined that a further need exists in the art for a new and improved film wrapping apparatus wherein the film wrapping apparatus is truly portable, transportable, simple in structure, and in effect comprises redundant safety mechanisms so as to readily enable the manual wrapping of palletized loads or products with wrapping film at a particular location within a production facility, so as to readily enable the manual wrapping of palletized loads or products with wrapping film at different locations within a particular production facility, so as to readily enable the manual wrapping of palletized loads or products with wrapping film at different production facilities, and wherein the film wrapping apparatus is relatively simple in structure and yet capable of ensuring a safe operational mode for operator personnel.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved apparatus or system for applying wrapping or packaging film to palletized loads or products.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus or system for applying wrapping or packaging film to palletized loads or products wherein the various operational drawbacks and disadvantages, characteristic of PRIOR ART apparatus, systems, or methods of operating the same, are overcome.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus or system for applying wrapping or packaging film to palletized loads or products wherein the wrapping or packaging film can be applied to or wrapped around the palletized loads or products by means of operator personnel who can simply walk around the pallet upon which the loads or products are disposed and simultaneously push or guide the roll of wrapping film around the palletized loads or products whereby the palletized loads or products are accordingly packaged or wrapped within such wrapping film.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus or system for applying wrapping or packaging film to palletized loads or products wherein the wrapping or packaging
Harmon Christpher
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Kim Eugene
Schwartz & Weinrieb
LandOfFree
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