Claims
- 1. An apparatus for wrapping packaging material around a top and bottom of a load, comprising:
a surface for supporting and moving a load; a packaging material dispenser; means for providing relative rotation between the packaging material dispenser and the load; and at least one packaging material guide including a rail and at least one row of non-driven wheels attached to a side of the rail, wherein the wheels are positioned with respect to a surface of the rail to permit both the rail and the wheels to support a force applied by the packaging material during wrapping.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the packaging material guide is positioned above the surface for supporting and moving a load.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the packaging material guide is positioned below the load surface for supporting and moving a load.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising two packaging material guides.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein one packaging material guide is positioned above the load surface for supporting and moving a load and the other packaging material guide is positioned below the load surface for supporting and moving a load.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein both packaging material guides are positioned above the load surface for supporting and moving a load.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein both packaging material guides are positioned below the load surface for supporting and moving a load.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the packaging material guides are moveable from a position above the load surface for supporting and moving a load to a position below the load surface for supporting and moving a load.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the packaging material guide includes two rows of non-driven wheels.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the two rows of non-driven wheels are separated by the rail.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the two rows of non-driven wheels are separated by an angle of about 60 degrees.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the two rows of wheels are positioned with respect to a surface of the rail to permit the rail to support 50% of a force applied by the packaging material during wrapping and the wheels to support the other 50% of a force applied by the packaging material during wrapping.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface for supporting and moving a load during wrapping is a conveyor.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the packaging material guide is adjacent the conveyor.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the packaging material guide is positioned away from the conveyor.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the packaging material guide is positioned below the conveyor.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the packaging material guide is moveable between a position above the surface for supporting and moving a load and a position below the surface for supporting and moving a load.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the packaging material guide is moveable between a position adjacent the surface for supporting and moving a load and a position distant from the surface for supporting and moving a load.
- 19. An apparatus for wrapping packaging material around a top and bottom of a load, comprising:
a load conveyor for supporting and moving a load during wrapping; a packaging material conveyor for supporting and moving packaging material wrapped around the load and the packaging material conveyor during wrapping; a packaging material dispenser; means for providing relative rotation between the packaging material dispenser and the load; and at least one packaging material guide including a rail and at least one row of non-driven wheels attached to a side of the rail, wherein the wheels are positioned with respect to a surface of the rail to permit both the rail and the wheels to support a force applied by the packaging material during wrapping.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the packaging material guide is positioned above the load conveyor.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising two packaging material guides.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the packaging material guides are positioned on either side of the load conveyor.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the packaging material guides are positioned above the load conveyor.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the packaging material conveyor includes a pair of chains.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the packaging material conveyor includes at least one powered conveyor belt.
- 26. An apparatus for wrapping packaging material around a top and bottom of a load in a wrapping area, comprising:
a load conveyor for supporting and moving a load; a packaging material dispenser; means for providing relative rotation between the packaging material dispenser and the load; and at least one packaging material guide for supporting and moving packaging material wrapped around the load, the load conveyor, and the packaging material guide during wrapping, the at least one packaging material guide including a rail and at least one row of non-driven wheels attached to a side of the rail, wherein the wheels are positioned with respect to a surface of the rail to permit both the rail and the wheels to support a force applied by the packaging material during wrapping.
- 27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the packaging material guide is positioned below a top surface of the load conveyor.
- 28. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising two packaging material guides.
- 29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the packaging material guides are positioned on either side of the load conveyor.
- 30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the packaging material guides are positioned below a top surface of the load conveyor.
- 31. A method of wrapping a top and a bottom of a load with packaging material, comprising:
positioning a load on a surface for supporting and moving the load during wrapping; positioning at least one packaging material guide including a rail and at least one row of non-driven wheels attached to a side of the rail, wherein the wheels are positioned with respect to a surface of the rail to permit both the rail and the wheels to support a force applied by the packaging material during wrapping; providing relative rotation between a packaging material dispenser and the load to wrap packaging material around the top and bottom of the load and around the rail and non-driven wheels of the packaging material guide; and rotating the non-driven wheels of the packaging material guide by moving the packaging material over the wheels and the rail as the load is removed from the surface for supporting and moving the load to place the packaging material in contact with the load.
- 32. The method of claim 31, wherein positioning the at least one packaging material guide includes positioning the packaging material guide above the surface for supporting and moving the load.
- 33. The method of claim 31, wherein positioning the at least one packaging material guide includes positioning the packaging material guide below the surface for supporting and moving the load.
- 34. The method of claim 31, wherein positioning the at least one packaging material guide includes positioning a first packaging material guide above the surface for supporting and moving the load and positioning a second packaging material guide below the surface for supporting and moving the load.
- 35. The method of claim 31, wherein positioning the at least one packaging material guide includes positioning first and second packaging material guides above and on either side of the surface for supporting and moving the load.
- 36. The method of claim 35, wherein positioning the at least one packaging material guide further includes adjusting a distance between the first and second packaging material guides to accommodate a width of the load.
- 37. The method of claim 31, wherein positioning the at least one packaging material guide includes positioning first and second packaging material guides below the surface for supporting and moving the load.
- 38. The method of claim 37, wherein positioning the at least one packaging material guide further includes adjusting a distance between the first and second packaging material guides to accommodate a width of the load.
- 39. The method of claim 31, further including sliding the packaging material over gaps between the wheels.
- 40. The method of claim 31, wherein providing relative rotation further includes wrapping the packaging material around a packaging material conveyor.
- 41. The method of claim 40, wherein wrapping the packaging material around a packaging material conveyor includes wrapping the packaging material around a pair of chains disposed on either side of the surface for supporting and moving the load.
- 42. An apparatus for wrapping packaging material around a top and bottom of a load in a wrapping area, comprising:
a surface for supporting and moving a load during wrapping; a packaging material dispenser; and at least one packaging material guide including a rail and at least one row of non-driven wheels attached to a side of the rail for supporting and moving the packaging material below the surface during wrapping.
- 43. An apparatus for wrapping packaging material around a top and bottom of a load, comprising:
a surface for supporting and moving a load; a packaging material dispenser; means for providing relative rotation between the packaging material dispenser and the load; and at least one packaging material guide including a rail and at least one row of non-driven wheels attached to a side of the rail, wherein the packaging material guide is movable from a position above the surface to a position below the surface to position the wheels and a surface of the rail to support a force applied by the packaging material during wrapping.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/211,218, filed on Jun. 13, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60211218 |
Jun 2000 |
US |