Patent Grant
6848240
The present invention relates generally to stretch film wrapping machines, and more particularly to a new and improved wrapping machine stretch head wherein the stretch head is provided with a belted or sleeved control roller which permits the film wrapping material being dispensed from a supply roll of film wrapping material to be positionally controlled and, in particular, to enable the dispensed film to be capable of being applied to a palletized load at an elevational level which is within a predetermined distance from the bottom of the pallet or above the support surface upon which the pallet is supported.
Film wrapping machines for wrapping products, articles, packages, or the like, in wrapping film conventionally comprise a film roll upon which a supply of the wrapping film is disposed, and a plurality of rollers around which the wrapping film is routed so as to have a predetermined amount of tension developed within the film such that the wrapping film exhibits a predetermined or requisite amount of tension required for the film wrapping operation. It was noted within U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,647, which issued to Scherer et al. on Jan. 26, 1999, that one type of film wrapping stretch head conventionally comprises a set of rollers having upper and lower end portions thereof respectively mounted within upper and lower frame members whereby, in order to route the wrapping film from the film supply roll, through the various tensioning and idler rollers, and to the palletized load, such as, for example, during a film supply roll exchange or replenishment operation of a new or fresh film supply roll for a depleted film supply roll, a leading end of the wrapping film must be withdrawn from the film supply roll and manually routed or threaded through and around the set of tension rollers.
It was further noted that this process was awkward, difficult, tedious, and time-consuming to perform by operator personnel because the film must be threaded or routed beneath the upper frame member and between the tension rollers, It was noted still further that in order to improve upon the aforenoted stretch head and its film threading system, other stretch head systems have been disclosed, for example, within U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,891which issued to Suolahti on Apr. 10, 1990, as well as within U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,979 which issued to Moore et al. on May 16, 1995, whereby the various rollers are mounted in an interdigitated manner upon frame members which are movably mounted in a pivotal manner with respect to each other between, in effect, OPENED and CLOSED positions. While such pivotal frame stretch head systems therefore rendered the film threading or routing process easier to perform, the film threading or routing process attendant such stretch head systems were nevertheless time-consuming and therefore resulted in a significant amount of operational downtime attendant a film roll replacement, exchange, or replenishment operation.
In order to therefore improve still further upon the PRIOR ART systems, the stretch head system disclosed within the aforenoted U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,647 which issued to Scherer et al. on Jan. 26, 1999, was developed wherein, in effect, the upper frame member of the stretch head was effectively eliminated such that the wrapping film routing or threading operation could be readily and easily accomplished in a relatively simple manner by enabling the insertion of the wrapping film, into the spaces defined between the tension rollers, in an axial direction parallel to the axes of the tension rollers. More particularly, the operating or driving system for the stretch rollers or tension rolls is provided within a first end or bottom region of the stretch head, and second or upper ends of the tension rolls or stretch rollers are mounted or secured within independent support or mounting brackets. In this manner, the second ends of the tension rolls or stretch rollers are not connected to each other, the second ends of the tension rolls or stretch rollers are spaced from each other so as to permit the wrapping film to be threaded or routed therebetween, and the second end of the stretch head is effectively open so as to permit the wrapping film to be easily, quickly, and simply inserted in an axial mode between the tension rolls or stretch rollers. As a result, the awkward, difficult, and tedious threading or routing of the wrapping film beneath the upper frame member and between the stretch rollers or tension rolls, in a direction which is substantially transverse to the longitudinal axes of the stretch rollers or tension rolls, is effectively obviated. In addition, the structure and relative arrangement of the operative components of such a stretch head effectively eliminated the need for mounting the tension rolls or stretch rollers upon frame members which were pivotally movable between CLOSED and OPENED positions in order to effect, for example, a supply film roll exchange, replacement, or replenishment operation.
While the aforenoted improved stretch head has met operational specifications and expectations in that, for example, the insertion or routing of the wrapping film between the tension rolls or stretch rollers has in fact been rendered easier, quicker, and simpler to perform and achieve, and therefore, the improved stretch head has in fact been commercially successful, it has been experienced that in connection with, for example, the wrapping of palletized loads, it is not always possible to dispose the leading or free end portion of the wrapping film at a proper or predetermined angular position, and at an elevational level, with respect to the palletized load so as to enable the wrapping film to effectively be disposed around the lowermost regions of the palletized load. This wrapping technique of the wrapping film with respect to the palletized load is critically important in that when the wrapping film is able to be wrapped around the lowermost regions of the palletized loads, whereby in effect, the wrapping film is in fact wrapped around the lowermost extent of the palletized load per se as well as partially around the support pallet, then the palletized load will in fact be able to be properly fixedly secured upon the support pallet. Still further, it is also important that the final roller component, around which the wrapping film is routed and which is located just upstream from the palletized load as considered in the dispensing direction of the wrapping film from the supply film roll toward the palletized load, can properly secure and control the disposition or orientation of the wrapping film such that the wrapping film is in fact dispensed toward the palletized load at a proper or predetermined disposition or orientation whereby the wrapping film will be properly wrapped upon the palletized load in order to ensure the fixation of the load upon the support pallet in a stabilized manner.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved stretch head wherein the leading or free end portion of the wrapping film can be disposed at a proper or predetermined angular position, and at an elevational level, with respect to the palletized load so as to enable the wrapping film to effectively be disposed around the lowermost regions of the palletized load, and wherein the disposition or orientation of the wrapping film can be positioned or controlled with respect to the stretch head such that the wrapping film can be dispensed toward the palletized load at a proper or predetermined disposition or orientation whereby the wrapping film can in fact be properly wrapped upon the palletized load so as to ensure proper and secure fixation of the palletized load upon the support pallet in a stabilized manner.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved wrapping film stretch head.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved wrapping film stretch head which effectively overcomes the various operational drawbacks and disadvantages characteristic of the PRIOR ART stretch heads or film wrapping systems.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved wrapping film stretch head which enables the threading or routing of the wrapping film, with respect to the tension rolls or stretch rollers, to be easily, readily, and simply accomplished.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved wrapping film stretch head which enables the threading or routing of the wrapping film, with respect to the tension rolls or stretch rollers, to be easily, readily, and simply accomplished, and in addition, enables the wrapping film to be wrapped around the lowermost regions of the palletized load.
A last object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved wrapping film stretch head which enables the threading or routing of the wrapping film, with respect to the tension rolls or stretch rollers, to be easily, readily, and simply accomplished, which enables the wrapping film to be wrapped around the lowermost regions of the palletized load, and which can properly secure and control the disposition or orientation of the wrapping film at its position immediately upstream of the palletized load such that the wrapping film can be dispensed toward the palletized load at a proper or predetermined disposition or orientation whereby the wrapping film can in fact be properly wrapped upon the palletized load so as to ensure proper and secure fixation of the palletized load upon the support pallet in a stabilized manner.
The foregoing and other objectives are achieved in accordance with the teachings and principles of the present invention through the provision of a new and improved wrapping film stretch head which comprises a support frame, upon which the stretch head is mounted, wherein the support frame is mounted at a predeterminedly inclined angle upon a vertically oriented downright or mast-type support structure. A wrapping film supply roll is mounted upon a first end of the stretch head, while a discharge or dispensing idler roller is mounted upon a second opposite end of the stretch head whereby, due to the aforenoted inclination of the support frame with respect to the vertically oriented downright or mast-type support structure, the dispensing idler roller is located at a lower elevational position than that of the wrapping film supply roll. In accordance with the improvement of the present invention, an additional belted or sleeved roller is mounted upon the stretch head, at a position downstream from the dispensing idler roller and by means of an elongated mounting bracket, such that the belted or sleeved roller is disposed at an elevational level which is lower than that of the dispensing idler roller. In addition, the provision of the belted sleeve upon the belted or sleeved roller causes the wrapping film to effectively adhere to the belted sleeve material whereby, while the wrapping film can longitudinally traverse the belted sleeve, it cannot readily move, or experience slippage, with respect to the belted sleeve in a transverse direction. Therefore, the wrapping film can be dispensed toward the lowermost regions of the palletized load and can be positioned or located precisely as desired in order to be wrapped around predetermined regions or locations of the palletized load so as to ensure the secure fixation of the palletized load upon the support pallet.
Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to
As may again be best appreciated from
As can be further appreciated from
In a somewhat similar manner, and as may be specifically appreciated from
In accordance with the particular principles and teachings of the present invention, a second, substantially vertically oriented outfeed idler roller 80, the significance of which will be explained more fully shortly hereinafter, is mounted upon the extreme right end portion of the base plate 12, as viewed in
In view of the additional fact that the tension rolls or stretch rollers 44,46 are laterally spaced from each other, the leading end of the wrapping film 18 may be partially routed around the small tension roll or stretch roller 44, subsequently readily and easily inserted between the tension rolls or stretch rollers 44,46 in a substantially vertically downward mode within the space defined between the tension rolls or stretch rollers 44,46 and in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axes of the tension rolls or stretch rollers 44,46, and routed around the large tension roll or stretch roller 46 so as to be conducted further downstream toward the strain gauge roller 76 and first outfeed idler roller 78. As can therefore be appreciated still further, in view of the additional fact that the upper region of the stretch head 10, particularly within the vicinity of the tension rolls or stretch rollers 44,46 is open and not closed or covered by means of an upper frame member or the like, the wrapping film 18 can be inserted between and routed around the tension rolls or stretch rollers 44,46 in a substantially vertically downward mode or axial direction so as to effectively eliminate awkward, difficult, tedious, and time-consuming wrapping film threading operations.
It has been noted hereinbefore that in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention, the second outfeed idler roller 80 has been mounted upon the extreme right end portion of the base plate 12 as viewed within, and as may best be appreciated from, FIG. 3. As may best be additionally appreciated or understood from
Therefore, in accordance with the unique and novel principles and teachings of the present invention, when the stretch head 10 is moved vertically downwardly to its lowermost position, as permitted or dictated by means of the slotted rails 28 of the support bracket 24 portion of the main support frame 20 riding or moving along the flanged ends of the downright or mast structure 32, the second outfeed idler roller 80 will be disposed at an elevational level which is below that of the main support frame 20 so as to in fact enable the wrapping film 18, which is effectively being dispensed or withdrawn from the second outfeed idler roller 80, to be disposed within the lowermost regions of the support pallet, not shown, upon which the palletized load, undergoing a film wrapping operation, is disposed. In particular, conventional support pallets usually have a height or depth dimension of, for example, five inches (5.00″), and it has been determined, in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention, that the aforenoted elevational disposition of the second outfeed idler roller 80 enables the wrapping film to be wrapped around the palletized load in such a manner as to wrap, envelop, or overlap the upper three inches (3.00″) of the support pallet itself, or in other words, to be capable of being wrapped around the palletized load at an elevational level which is only two inches (2.00″) above the floor or other support platform, not shown, upon which the support pallet is disposed.
In accordance with a last significant feature characteristic of the present invention, it is noted still further that, unlike the strain gauge roller 76 and the first outfeed idler roller 78, the second outfeed idler roller 80 has a sleeve member 90 wrapped around the external periphery thereof. The sleeve member 90 may comprise any suitable rubberized material, or any other similar material, which causes the wrapping film 18 to effectively adhere thereto in such a manner that while relative dispensing or conveyance movement of the wrapping film 18, along the wrapping film flow path toward the palletized load, not shown, is permitted, transverse movement along the second outfeed idler roller 80, in a direction parallel to the rotary axis of the second outfeed idler roller 80, is effectively prevented. In this manner, the wrapping film 18 cannot undergo or experience any slippage with respect to the second outfeed idler roller 80, along the external periphery and in the axial direction thereof, whereby the wrapping film 18 can be positioned with respect to the palletized load, not shown, as desired in accordance with film wrapping techniques attendant the film wrapping operation. It is noted further that the sleeve member 90 may comprise several different forms or embodiments, such as, for example, a onepiece tubular sleeve structure, a sheet member formed or rolled into a sleeve member and subsequently secured in such state, or strip material similar to the wrapping material conventionally employed to wrap the handle portion of a tennis racquet. In either case, the sleeve member 90 serves the aforenoted purpose of properly positioning and orienting the wrapping film 18 with respect to the palletized load.
Thus, it may be seen that in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention, there has been provided, in addition to the conventionally employed strain gauge roller and the first outfeed idler roller disposed adjacent to the strain gauge roller for effectively ensuring a 90° flow path of the wrapping film around the strain gauge roller, a second outfeed idler roller which is located upon the extreme end portion of the base plate of the stretch head which is disposed opposite the wrapping film supply roll. Due to the inclined orientation of the stretch head upon the vertically oriented downright or mast structure, the second outfeed idler roller will be disposed at the lowest possible elevational level so as to enable the dispensed or withdrawn wrapping film to reach the lowermost regions of the palletized load and to in fact partially envelop the upper portion of the support pallet itself. In addition, the second outfeed idler roller is provided with a sleeve member which effectively causes the wrapping film to adhere thereto in a non-slip manner such that longitudinal dispensing of the wrapping film is permitted, however, transverse slippage of the wrapping film along the longitudinal axis of the second outfeed idler roller is effectively prevented. In this manner, proper disposition and orientation of the wrapping film toward and with respect to the palletized load is achieved.
Obviously, many variations and modifications of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20030115840 A1 | Jun 2003 | US |
