Patent Application
20250083845
This invention relates generally to tools for the application of wrap material, and more particularly to tools that apply wrap material at a controllable and consistent tension.
Plastic stretch wrap or shrink wrap is commonly used to secure packages to a pallet for transport or shipping. Wrapping to secure a load is done to prevent pallet collapse, and to prevent packages from being damaged in transit. Using stretch wrap to secure a load keeps the load from shifting on the pallet during transit, which is a major source of damage and financial loss.
Properly applied stretch wrap applies “containment force” to the load on the pallet, i.e., applies an inward force that holds a palletized load together. To apply the required containment force needed to properly stabilize the particular load on the pallet, the stretch wrap is applied in layers by repeatedly wrapping the stretch wrap around the load on the pallet. Each layer applies a “wrap force”, where wrap force is the tension applied to that layer of stretch wrap. Thus, the containment force is equal to the sum of the wrap force of all of the applied layers of stretch wrap.
Proper application of Containment Force is required to ensure the safety and securement of palletized goods during transport. It is known to use large mechanical equipment to wrap packages with the appropriate containment force. However, due to the typically high purchase price of such equipment, as well as due to the high costs of part replacement and repair associated with the large equipment, some companies instead use manual or handheld methods for applying stretch wrap to palletized packages.
Currently, some manual and handheld options do not provide tension-adjustment features, but when they do, those tension adjustment features would allow the user to inconsistently apply the wrap force, potentially resulting in inadequate total containment force. Consequently, known manual and handheld options cannot provide consistently proper containment force, thereby resulting in increased rates of damage to product, as well as to increased safety concerns. Known manual and handheld options also require that the user frequently change rolls of stretch wrap, which costs time, resulting in lowered productivity, and can also result in loss or damage of parts whenever changing rolls of stretch wrap.
The invention is a handheld portable tool primarily used for dispensing and applying wrap material, such as plastic stretch wrap. The tool incorporates a quick-connect (and quick-disconnect) mechanism for loading rolls of wrap material, and for removing empty rolls from the tool. The quick-connect mechanism provides ease and speed of use, employing a push-down-and-turn action, that saves substantial time as compared with known tools for dispensing and applying wrap material.
The tool also employs a lock collar that can be set at a location along the pole based on the desired containment force, that serves to decrease frequent readjustments of the wrap force, thereby providing a consistent and calibrated containment force. The tool of the invention also can stand upright, and contains all components on just a pole and a bottom cone, which substantially reduces the number of parts, and consequently substantially reduces the frequency of loss of parts.
Since the Handheld Wrap-Dispensing Tool of the invention reduces the time needed to replace rolls of wrap material, and also reduces the frequency of part loss, the tool of the invention provides reduced operational down time.
To reduce the frequency of part loss, the pole of the tool supports all parts, and simply is inserted into a bottom plate prior to use. This results in substantially no missing parts, substantially no out-of-service equipment, and substantially no need for continuous replacement parts.
To understand the reduction in time used to replace rolls or wrap material, a roll of wrap material can be changed out in 6 seconds, versus other wrap tools presently available that take approximately 60 seconds, meaning less down time and consequent operational cost savings. Thus, if a company changes 100 rolls of stretch wrap per day, that's well over 400 work hours saved each year.
Further, the lock collar of the tool of the invention allows owners to consistently achieve a desired containment force, thereby ensuring that the containment force of the wrapped material will protect products loaded on pallets In transit. By contrast, lack of a consistently effective containment force of wrap applied for product securement while in transit has cost the global economy billions each year.
More specifically, the industry estimates cargo loss to cost the global economy $20 billion each year. It is additionally estimated that the cause of nearly half of this loss is due to inadequate load securement.
Also, the wide base of the tool of the invention allows the tool to stand up on the floor, resulting in less trip-and-fall injuries, and providing ease of storage.
Additionally, ergonomic aspects of the long handle of the tool protect the user from strains and sprains.
The wrap tool of the invention provides further benefits and advantages: reduction in cost of wrap due to the ability to calibrate and standardize the amount plastic applied per pallet;
increased customer satisfaction, due to more customers receiving shipments of products in good condition due to prevention of product damage caused by inadequate securement of products to shipping pallets;
reduction in return of damaged Items, resulting from effective securement of products to shipping pallets results in reduced cost of product replacement, reduced cost of manpower to process damaged/returned goods, and reduced shipping costs for returned items; and
decreased insurance costs due to reduced rates of product damage while in transit, and due to less work-related injuries.
A general aspect of the invention is a handheld wrap-dispensing tool for dispensing wrap material from a roll over packages supported on a shipping pallet, also facilitating quick and easy changing of the roll the wrap-dispensing tool includes: a pole having a handle end, and a locking end having a retaining pin; a lock collar adjustably mounted at a position along the pole; a spring mounted along the pole and abutting the lock collar, the spring configured to be compressed in accordance with the position of the lock collar along the pole; a top plate slidably mounted along the pole and abutting the spring, also configured to press against a roll of wrap material when the spring is compressed; and a bottom cone having a through-slot and a retention notch perpendicular to the through-slot, the through-slot configured to allow passage of the retaining pin by pushing the pole towards the bottom cone so as to compress the spring, and then rotating the pole 90 degrees so as to either seat or unseat the retaining pin in the retention notch to respectively attach or remove the bottom cone from the locking end of the pole so as to change the roll of material.
In some embodiments, the lock collar includes a set screw configured to be adjustably secured at the position along the pole.
In some embodiments, the bottom cone has a bottom surface that is configured to create friction between the bottom and the floor so as to prevent rotation of the bottom cone relative to the floor when rotating the pole 90 degrees so as to either seat or unseat the retaining pin in the retention notch to respectively attach or remove the bottom cone from the locking end of the pole so as to change the roll of material.
In some embodiments, the bottom cone is configured to stand upright.
In some embodiments, the bottom cone is configured to have a portion that fits within an end of a roll of wrap material when the spring is compressed.
In some embodiments, the bottom cone is a truncated cone of a height that provides clearance to allow pushing the pole towards the bottom cone so as to compress the spring, and then to allow rotating the pole 90 degrees so as to either seat or unseat the retaining pin in the retention notch.
In some embodiments, the pole is a tube having a length and a diameter each configured to accommodate a plurality of various rolls of wrap material.
In some embodiments, the lock collar is configured to be locked along the pole at a specific position in accordance with the weight and stability of a palletized load, thereby creating and maintaining an amount of spring compression force that results in a repeatable wrap force that can provide a required containment force for the palletized load.
In some embodiments, the top plate is configured to have a portion that fits within an end of a roll of wrap material when the spring is compressed.
In some embodiments, the retaining pin is shorter than the inner diameter of a roll of wrap material.
In some embodiments, the retaining pin is configurable to fit within a roll of wrap material.
In some embodiments, the handle end of the pole is covered by a material configured to enhance grip effectiveness and comfort.
Many additional features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following description, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
With reference to
The embodiment 100 includes a pole 104 that extends through an adjustable lock collar 110, a compression spring 112, a tension plate 114, the roll of wrapping material 102, a bottom cone 116, and terminates with a retaining pin 122 at the far end of the pole 104.
The pole 104 of this embodiment 100 is covered by a cushioned grip 106 along a gripping portion of the pole 104 to enhance the effectiveness and comfort of a user's two-handed grip along the pole. The grip 106 terminates above the adjustable lock collar 110. A near end of the spring 112 abuts against the adjustable lock collar 110. A far end of the spring 112 abuts against the tension plate 114, the spring 112 exerting a spring expansion force against the tension plate 114, which in turn presses against the near end of the roll of wrapping material 102, thereby creating sliding friction as the roll of wrapping material rotates to allow material to be pulled off the roll 102 for application to boxes stacked on a pallet, for example.
The sliding friction can occur between the tension plate 114 and the roll of wrapping material 102, as well as between the roll of wrapping material 102 the bottom cone 116. The bottom cone 116 has a central opening 118 that receives the far end of the pole 104. The central opening 118 includes a through slot 124 that allows the retaining pin 122 at the terminal end of the pole 104 to pass through, and then to be seated in a retention notch 126 that is oriented 90 degrees with respect to the through slot 124.
The compression spring 112, which creates sliding friction between the tension plate 114 and the roll of wrapping material 102, as well as between the roll of wrapping material 102 the bottom cone 116, also creates an opposing spring force that resists moving the pole 104 outwardly through the central opening 118. Nevertheless, a user can push the pole 104 against the spring force and through the central opening 118 enough to then rotate the retaining pin 122 relative to the through slot 124 by 90 degrees, so that the user can then allow the spring force to pull the retaining pin 122 into the retention notch 126, thereby securely seating the retaining pin 122 in the retention notch 126.
Referring to both
The cover plate 202 is an option included with this embodiment 100, and is in direct contact with the compression spring 112 of the embodiment 100. The cover plate 202 radially extends beyond the inner plate 204 in the tilted perspective view of
With reference to
Referring to
This embodiment 100 is proportioned for industrial cling wrap, such as the wrap used when binding cardboard boxes onto a wooden pallet. Industrial cling wrap has a relatively large inner cardboard tube, such that the retaining pin 122 need not fold or retract to pass through the cardboard tube. To enable the retaining pin 122 to pass through a smaller cardboard tube, the retaining pin 122 can be configured to fold or retract.
With reference to
It is in this orientation that a roll of wrapping material 102 can be placed upon the bottom cone 116, and the pole 104 can be fed through the roll of wrapping material 102 and through the central opening 118. The height of the outer surface 308 above the floor creates sufficient clearance such that the pole 104 can be pushed down, thereby compressing the compression spring 112, such that the retaining pin 122 can pass through the through slot 124, and then rotate so as to become seated in the retention notch 126 in a twist-and-lock action, the expansion of the compression spring serving to lock the retaining pin 122 into the retention notch 126.
Additionally, the conical tapering of the side wall 312 serves to provide a large-diameter rim 302 of the bottom cone 116, thereby increasing the stability of the embodiment 100 against tipping over.
Referring to
With reference to
To adjust the compression of the spring 112, and thereby adjust the wrap force of the tool 100, the adjustable lock collar 110 can be loosened and then repositioned along the length of the pole 104. The adjustable lock collar 110 includes an adjustment bolt 502, which must be loosened (using a corresponding Allen key, for example) to loosen the grip of the adjustable lock collar 110 upon the pole 104, and then after moving the adjustable lock collar 110 to a new position along the pole 104, must then be tightened to tighten the grip of the adjustable lock collar upon the pole 104. Thus, to adjust the compression spring force 112, the adjustment bolt 502 of the adjustable lock collar 110 is loosened, the adjustable lock collar 110 is moved to a location along the pole 104 that results in a new desired spring compression force, and then the adjustment bolt 502 is tightened, locking the adjustable lock collar 110 in the position required to maintain the new desired spring compression force of the compression spring 112.
Referring to
With reference to
Referring to
With reference to
With reference to
The compression spring 112 must have specific parameters to work with all other components of the wrap-dispensing tool 100. Specifically, spring length and spring compression strength, as well spring width, spring material, and edge condition are also important.
For example, a spring with these parameters can be used: Compression Spring Rate: 36.2 lbs./in., Spring Length: 3″ Long, Spring Width Parameters: 1.46″ OD, 1.19″ ID, Wire Diameter: 0.135″, Maximum Load: 71 lbs., Compressed Length at Maximum Load: 1.07″, Material: Zinc-Plated Music-Wire Steel, End Type: closed and ground, such as a compression spring with such parameters as sold by: McMaster-Carr, Elmhurst, IL 60126, Item Number 9657K446.
As one squeezes a compression spring, the spring pushes back to return to its original length. Spring rate is the amount of force required for every inch of compression.
The greater the spring rate, the harder it is to compress the spring. Zinc-plated springs have mild corrosion resistance. Springs with closed and ground ends sit flat, so they won't buckle.
Generally, the compression spring 112 must be wide enough to fit around the pole 104, and the compression spring material must resist metal fatigue to maintain its shape. The function of the compression spring 112 is to apply a selectable amount of expansion (restoring) force after being compressed.
The spring 112 works within a system that considers the size and location of nearly all the other components of the tool 100. Specifically, the parameters of the spring 112 listed above (Rate 36.2 lbs./in., 3″ Long, 1.46″ OD, 1.19″ ID) work in conjunction with the width and position of the lock collar 110, the width and shape of the pole 104, the width and thickness of the tension plate 114, the width and position of the pin 122, as well as many design aspects of the bottom cone 116. A couple brief examples of this are: If the compression force of the spring 112 is decreased, it would require additional compression depth to achieve a similar desired wrap force. This would require the user to push the pole 104 down further, thus requiring the bottom cone 116 to be taller to allow the pin 122 to clear the through slots 124 without having the end of the pole 104 hit the floor.
If the compression force of the pole 104 is increased, it would require less compression to achieve a similar desired wrap force. In this case, the pin 122 may not clear the through slots 124, and as such the through slots 124 would have to be decreased in depth, and/or the retention notches 126 could be adjusted to achieve the desired spring force.
Other factors such as the width of the pole 104 can be adjusted as long as they are done in conjunction with adjusting the spring 112 characteristics and the characteristics of the other components as well.
When compressed, the compression spring 112 presses against the lock collar 110 and against the top plate 114. Since the lock collar 110 is locked to a fixed position along the pole 104, the top plate 114 (which is free to move along the pole 104) receives the force of expansion of the compression spring 112, and in turn presses against the roll 102 of wrap material, which provides calibrated friction to the roll 102 of wrap material as the roll 102 rotates while the wrap material 102′ leaves the roll 102. The force of expansion of the spring 112 also pushes the roll 102 of wrap material against the bottom cone 116, thereby providing additional friction, which contributes to providing the required wrap force.
The pole 104 may be modified along its length in any way to suit its function as a handle, but only up to a few inches before the lock collar 110, so as to not affect the adjustability of the lock collar 110 along the pole 104.
Similar to the top plate 114, the bottom cone 116 receives expansion force transmitted from the compressed spring 112, and thereby provides calibrated friction to the roll 102 of wrap material as it rotates while dispensing wrap material 102′. Together with the top plate 114, the bottom cone 116 provides the rotational friction that results in the required wrap force for each layer of applied wrap material (there are typically multiple layers needed), the wrap force for each layer adding to the eventual total wrap force, also called the “containment force” that maintains the load 800 or 900 safely on the pallet 802.
Required Containment Force (total Wrap Force):
The wrap-dispensing tool 100 provides a push, twist, lock; push, twist, release action that does not change the preset desired tension when replacing stretch wrap rolls 102, and allows the user to replace a roll 102 of material in four steps (push, twist 90° to lock; and push, twist 90° to release), thereby drastically reducing the time needed to replace stretch wrap rolls, i.e., typically less than 10 seconds to replace a roll 102 of wrap material.
A roll 102 of stretch wrap material is held firmly in place between the top plate 114 and the bottom cone 116 using spring pressure applied by a compressed spring 112 that is biased to expand. An inside edge of the top plate 114 and an inside edge of the bottom cone 116 provides stability to the roll 102 as it rotates while dispensing wrap material 102′. Both the top plate 114 and the bottom cone 116 receive expansion force from the compression spring 112, and thereby provide calibrated friction to the wrap roll 102 as it rotates while dispensing wrap material 102′. This calibrated friction in turn provides the desired consistent wrap force that contributes to the total containment force.
When the spring 112 is compressed, once the retaining pin 122 is locked into place within the retention notch 126, with a roll 102 of material placed between the top plate 114 and the bottom cone 116, the spring 112 transmits the force downward upon the top plate 114 and upward on the bottom cone 116, thereby exerting force perpendicularly onto the top and bottom of the roll 102 of material being applied. This force applied perpendicularly at both the top and bottom contact surfaces results in total sliding friction that can be calibrated to provide the required wrap force, which is contributed by each layer of wrap material that add up to the total containment force.
Further, the sliding friction is directly proportional to the perpendicular force applied to the contact surfaces, thereby providing control of wrap force by making slight adjustments to the location of the lock collar 110 along the pole 104 (explained further below). The amount of spring restoring (expansion) force is determined by the amount (in distance) of spring compression, which is determined by the distance between the bottom of the lock collar 110 and the top of the retaining pin 122.
Adjustment of the lock collar 110 is accomplished using an Allen key which allows the lock collar 110 to be set by the user to grip a desired location along the pole 104. The lock collar 110 does not move when a wrap roll is replaced, which ensures consistency of wrap force, even after changing a wrap roll 102.
The user can use certain parameters (set forth below) to set the lock collar in a specific position to achieve a recommended containment force for the weight and stability of the product to be shipped on the pallet. These parameters can be approximated based on a rule of thumb that one pound of containment force is needed for every hundred pounds of total weight of all materials on the pallet. However, the user should regularly monitor the weight of their palletized loads, use a force gauge to verify containment force, and use the tool 100 to calibrate the wrap force as needed.
To determine the required placement of the lock collar 110 along the pole 104 the user will need to follow the guidelines as follows:
1) Determine the typical weight of the product on a pallet ready for transport.
2) Use this weight to determine the recommended containment force.
3) Determine the length of the Roll of Material being applied.
4) Consider the desired number of layers of wrap along with the desired tension/ergonomic force on the user.
5) Add the length of the plastic wrap roll to the appropriate measurement in the tool's optimal operating range. See below for an example of optimal operating range.
As an example of this procedure: If the user determines that the typical weight of their loaded pallet is between 600 lbs and 700 lbs, the recommended containment force is between 6 lbs and 7 lbs.
For example, in one embodiment, the spring can be 3 inches in length and have a compression rate of 36.2 lbs./in., and the bottom cone can be sized and shaped to provide an optimal operating range from 3.5 inches (the highest recommended tension) to 3 ¾ inches (the lowest recommended tension).
The user then determines that the roll of stretch wrap they will use is 20 inches long. Considering the tool's operating range, the owner can set the lock collar 110 at 23 ¾ inches (20-inch roll length +3 ¾ inches) from the base of the pole 104. If they choose to wrap 3 layers, the tool 100 will create a containment force of 6 lbs.
The user may also choose to set the lock collar 110 at a slightly tighter tension of 23 ⅝ inches (20-inch roll length +3 ⅝ inches) from the base of the pole 104. If they choose to wrap three layers, the tool 100 will create a containment force of 7 lbs.
These guidelines regarding the use of the positioning of the locking collar 110 allows the tool 100 to accommodate any length of wrap roll 102.
The tool 100 will provide consistent wrap force once the above guidelines regarding location of the lock collar 110 along the pole 104 has been calibrated to the desired wrap force.
With the lock collar 110 set and locked into place along the pole 104, the tool 100 is ready for repeated use, and will not require adjustment unless the wrap roll length or the weight of the palletized load is changed.
The user can set the lock collar 110 at a specific location along the pole 104 based on certain guidelines, and to lock the lock collar 110 in this position. The weight and stability of their palletized loads determine the wrap force, and therefore determine the location of the lock collar 110 along the pole 104. The tool 100 allows the user to then calibrate the wrap-dispensing tool 100 in such a way that the tool 100 creates and maintains the desired wrap force, and ultimately contributes to the goal of achieving proper containment force.
Also, the tube 104 can be made to be longer or shorter, as long as the tube 104 includes a portion that can serve as a handle.
Because most of the wrap-dispensing tool components are located between two fixed points (lock collar 110 and the retaining pin 122), where only one of those fixed points (lock collar 110) can be moved using a specialized tool (Allen key), the user is able to set a desired wrap force using the lock collar 110, and ensure that the wrap force remains at this desired force consistently, to better ensure a consistent containment force needed for protection of the load on the pallet.
Other modifications and implementations will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed. Accordingly, the above description is not intended to limit the invention, except as indicated in the following claims.
