Claims
- 1. In an apparatus for bundling one or more objects with a strap material, a feed and tension unit comprising:a feed drive roller and a feed pinch roller controllably biasable toward the feed drive roller to pinchably engage the strap material therebetween; a first tension drive roller and a first tension pinch roller controllably biasable toward the first tension drive roller to pinchably engage the strap material therebetween; and a second tension drive roller and a second tension pinch roller controllably biasable toward the second tension drive roller to pinchably engage the strap material therebetween; wherein the feed drive roller, the first tension drive roller, and the second tension drive roller are positioned in an approximately triangular orientation; and wherein at least one of the first and second tension pinch rollers is coupled to a solenoid that controllably biases the first and/or second pinch roller against the corresponding first and second tension drive roller based on a tension pinch signal supplied to the solenoid, the tension pinch signal having a first stage that provides a full pinch force and a second stage that provides a reduced pinch force.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the feed pinch roller is coupled to a solenoid that controllably biases the feed pinch roller against the feed drive roller based on a feed pinch signal supplied to the solenoid, the feed pinch signal being configured to controllably feed the strap material.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second tension pinch rollers is coupled to a solenoid that controllably biases the first and/or second pinch roller against the corresponding first and second tension drive rollers based on a tension pinch signal supplied to the solenoid, the tension pinch signal being configured to controllably tension the strap material about the one or more objects.
- 4. In an apparatus for bundling one or more objects with a strap material, a feed and tension unit comprising:a feed drive roller and a feed pinch roller controllably biasable toward the feed drive roller to pinchably engage the strap material therebetween; a first tension drive roller and a first tension pinch roller controllably biasable toward the first tension drive roller to pinchably engage the strap material therebetween; and a second tension drive roller and a second tension pinch roller controllably biasable toward the second tension drive roller to pinchably engage the strap material therebetween; wherein the feed drive roller, the first tension drive roller, and the second tension drive roller are configured to direct the strap material along a strap path having an approximate V-shape with an included angle in the range of approximately 20 degrees to approximately 40 degrees.
- 5. In an apparatus for bundling one or more objects with a strap material, a feed and tension unit comprising:a motor; a drive roller rotatably coupled to the motor and a pinch roller controllably biasable toward the drive roller to pinchably engage the strap material therebetween; wherein the pinch roller is coupled to a solenoid that controllably biases the pinch roller against the drive roller based on a pinch signal supplied to the solenoid, the pinch signal having a first stage that provides a full pinch force and a second stage that provides a reduced pinch force, and further comprising a plurality of inner guides positioned proximate the drive roller, and a plurality of outer guides removably and adjustably positioned proximate the inner guides to form a strap channel therebetween.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a back plate having a plurality of guide pins projecting therefrom, the inner and outer guides being removably and adjustably secured to the guide pins.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 09/454,912, filed Dec. 2, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,712.
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