Package making – Partial cover application – Band or tube
Patent
1996-10-03
1998-05-26
Johnson, Linda
Package making
Partial cover application
Band or tube
53399, 53204, 53409, B65B 2524, B65B 2706, B65B 1302
Patent
active
057550832
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to wrapping apparatus of the kind comprising a dispensing shuttle, from which a web of wrapping medium is drawn, and which rides around an endless track and thereby orbits an article, or part of an article, that is to be wrapped.
BACKGROUND ART
In some instances the track of such wrapping apparatus is linked with an annular or similar article to be wrapped. In such instances, the track necessarily comprises two parts that may be separated, to enable the track to be linked with the article, and then re-united to enable wrapping to proceed. One of the track parts may be hinged to the other, but, for preference, the two parts of the track have been separable bodily, to create two gaps in the track when they are separated.
In that an element of the present invention is the creation of a gap in the track, it is particularly well adapted for application to wrapping apparatus able to link with annular articles as aforesaid.
An example of wrapping apparatus of the kind under discussion, as used, for example, to wrap coils of metal strip in plastics film or sheet, is disclosed in the specification of our Australian patent No. 653,255. From that specification it will be apparent that the wrapping medium, having been drawn as a web from a roll of medium carried by the shuttle, follows a tortuous path within the shuttle to enable it to be tensioned and to provide a reserve of tensioned web for accommodating variations in the rate at which the web is drawn from the shuttle.
As a result, re-loading a shuttle when all of the roll of medium is spent, or re-threading the web through the shuttle in the event of the web breaking, are time consuming operations, so that there is considerable down time of the apparatus due to such operations. This is particularly unsatisfactory if the wrapping apparatus is operating as part of a production line that dictates the time available for the completion of each wrapping operation.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to reduce the down time inherent in the process of re-loading or re-threading a shuttle.
The invention consists in wrapping apparatus comprising a multi-part endless track surrounding a wrapping station, a shuttle for dispensing wrapping medium able to ride around the track and thereby wrap an article in said station, a track support structure operable to move at least one part of the track relative to another part so as to open and close at least one gap between those parts, a shuttle carrier adapted, at least when said at least one gap is less than fully open, to span said at least one gap as a continuation of the track thereacross, carrier support means operable to insert and remove said carrier into and from said at least one gap, and control means controlling the operation of the track and carrier support means; whereby a replacement shuttle may be inserted with the carrier and shunted from the carrier onto the track and a used shuttle may be shunted from the track onto the carrier and removed with the carrier.
The invention further comprises a method of reloading a wrapping apparatus of the kind comprising an endless track and a shuttle for dispensing wrapping medium able to ride around said track, comprising the steps of providing a loaded shuttle on a shuttle carrier, creating a gap in said track, inserting said shuttle carrier into said gap, shunting a spent or partly spent shuttle from said track onto said carrier, shunting said loaded shuttle from said carrier onto said track, removing said carrier from said gap, and closing said gap.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
By way of example, a presently preferred embodiment of the above described invention is described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is and end elevation of a wrapping apparatus according to the invention with some parts cut away and other movable parts shown in full line in an "on-line" position as during a wrapping operation and in broken line in an "off-line" position as during a
REFERENCES:
patent: 3320874 (1967-05-01), Gasper et al.
patent: 4509415 (1985-04-01), Stobb
patent: 4625635 (1986-12-01), Lewis
patent: 5282347 (1994-02-01), Cleine et al.
BHP Steel (JLA) Pty. Ltd.
Johnson Linda
K.C. Metal Products Pty. Ltd.
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