Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor – With stretching or tensioning means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-28
2001-12-11
Sells, James (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor
With stretching or tensioning means
C156S073500, C156S580000, C100S032000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328087
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 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. In the case of such apparatuses, there is always the problem that—with a predetermined number of strappings that can be carried out with one storage battery charge—the tensioning force that can be applied as a maximum to each strapping is limited by the relatively low storage battery capacity available. The tensioning force ultimately remaining in a band loop is also reduced by the fact that, during the formation and closing of the band loop, the band is usually guided over a base plate, with which the strapping apparatus rests against the goods. Once the band loop has been closed, the strapping apparatus is removed from the goods and the base plate is thereby pulled out of the band loop. Since, as a result, the circumference to be strapped by the already closed band loop is reduced, the tensioning force in the band also subsides.
The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a strapping apparatus with an improved efficiency, in particular with respect to the utilization of a storage battery charge. In this connection, “efficiency” can be understood to mean the number of strappings with a specific band tension that can be achieved with a specific storage battery capacity. However, it can also be understood to mean the magnitude of the maximum band tension that can be achieved per strapping when carrying out a specific number of strappings—utilizing the full storage battery partial capacity.
This object is achieved according to a first aspect of the invention in that, in the case of a strapping apparatus mentioned at the beginning, in particular a portable strapping apparatus that is independent of an external energy source, a tensioning wheel which can be driven preferably without a flexible drive (such as a V-belt for example) by a motor—preferably with a gear mechanism interposed—is supported against a rocker during a tensioning phase. In order that the band can be inserted as easily as possible between the rocker and the tensioning wheel, a distance between the tensioning wheel and the rocker should be variable. In order to achieve this, the tensioning wheel is preferably mounted pivotably.
It has proved to be favourable if the rocker can be aligned automatically according to the magnitude and direction of the pressure exerted by the tensioning wheel. This leads to particularly good pressing conditions between the tensioning wheel and the band and consequently to good efficiency with regard to the amount of energy required for a strapping with a specific band tension. Consequently, more strappings than were previously customary can be carried out with the same total available capacity of a storage battery.
It contributes in particular to high efficiency if two arms of the rocker are provided in each case with a rotatable roller, over which the band to be tensioned is guided. The rollers, expediently provided with the same diameters, are preferably much smaller than the tensioning wheel. During tensioning of the band, the section of the band respectively situated between the rollers should rest against the tensioning wheel and the two rollers. A relatively large angle of wrap of the band around the tensioning wheel can be achieved with the two rollers, with at the same time low friction between the rocker and the band, whereby the risk of band deformations and slippage between the band and the tensioning wheel can be reduced. Both band deformations and slippage can increase the drive power required.
In this case it may also be advantageous if the rocker is provided—preferably instead of the rollers—with a pressure-exerting surface, onto which the band is pressed by the tensioning wheel during the tensioning phase. The pressure-exerting surface may have a curvature which is expediently adapted to the radius of the tensioning wheel, whereby the band hugs the tensioning wheel particularly well.
To achieve least possible loss of already applied band tension, it may be provided that a first part of the base plate is assigned to the closure device and a second part of the base plate is assigned to the tensioning device, and between the two parts there is formed a passage through which a section of a band loop can be passed.
In the case of strapping apparatuses, it is usually provided that the tensioning device, the closure and cutting device and the rewinding locks, such as clamping devices for example, are supported on the base plate. Therefore, the band is guided over a comparatively long base plate—seen in the direction of the band. Since, after the closing of the band loop, the base plate is pulled out from the latter, the band tension then also subsides to a relatively great extent. The invention may deviate from this by reducing the length of the path of the band loop on the base plate. This can be achieved by the band loop being guided only over that part of the base plate on which the devices that act on the band loop are arranged. In the case of devices according to the invention, it may therefore preferably be provided that the tensioning device is arranged after the closure device—seen in the tensioning direction—and acts on a section of the band that is not part of the band loop. Since the tensioning device is expediently likewise supported on the base plate, the band loop can be passed through a clearance in the base plate. The clearance may be situated between the closure device and a tensioning wheel of the tensioning device. In order to form such a clearance between two parts of the base plate, the two parts of the base plate may be integrally connected to each other or else be separate components which are joined together in a suitable way to form a base plate. The path of the band loop over the base plate can be shortened by this measure, whereby the loss of band tension caused by removing the strapping apparatus from the goods can be reduced.
The efficiency of a strapping apparatus is also influenced by the current required by the welding device for welding two layers of the band. According to a further aspect of the invention, therefore, a welding device with which the energy made available by an energy source for the welding operation is used particularly efficiently is to be provided for a strapping apparatus. In order to achieve an improvement here, it may be provided in the case of a strapping apparatus mentioned at the beginning that the welding device has a lever, on the one end of which an eccentric which is operatively connected to a motor shaft acts for the purpose of transmitting an eccentric movement, with regard to the motor shaft, to the lever, the other end of which is operatively connected to a welding shoe, the lever being mounted pivotably between its two ends on a pivot spindle, so that the movement of the eccentric results in an oscillating and essentially straight reciprocating movement of the welding shoe. In order that the welding shoe executes an essentially straight movement in spite of the pivoting movement of the lever, there should act (directly or indirectly) on the lever a force, preferably a spring force, which presses the lever during the entire welding operation or sequence of movements in the direction of the base plate and consequently onto the band to be welded.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the motor is arranged on a support, with respect to which the lever can execute only rotary pivoting movements. A solution of a particularly simple structural design is obtained if the lever is mounted directl
De Felice Ludovigo
Finzo Flavio
Haltinner Giancarlo
Marsche Bernd
Lowe Hauptman & Gilman & Berner LLP
Orgapack GmbH
Sells James
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