Plastic wrap securing bracket

A plastic wrap securing bracket includes a first leg plate, a second leg plate, a back plate, and an elongated prong. The bracket has a substantially U shape and is designed to grip an end portion of a runner or block of a wood pallet. The elongated prong is designed to receive and secure a bunched-up end portion of a roll of plastic wrap therein to permit a single user to unroll the roll of plastic wrap around articles on a wood pallet using both hands.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to securing or retaining brackets and more particularly pertains to a new plastic wrap securing bracket for holding an end of plastic wrap in place an end portion of a runner or block of a wood pallet to permit the user to wrap the products or articles on the pallet. In general, products stacked on wood pallets, such as boxes of food, appliances, or other consumer or commercial items, are usually wrapped in a layer or layers of plastic wrap or shrink wrap. In order to do so, a worker often starts near the bottom or the top and walks around the stack of goods while unrolling a large roll of plastic wrap material. The rolls are quite large and require two hands, such as one would do with a rolling pin or similar, in order to unroll them. However, it is challenging, especially for a solo worker, to get the wrapping the process started because the initial end portion of the roll is of course not secured in any manner. The end of the roll could be jammed under the pallet or between articles, but this is not consistently effective and sometimes not possible with very heavy and/or closely packed articles. Even having another worker hold the end is not very efficient.

The prior art relates to securing or retaining brackets which are used to hold different items in place. The prior art, as best understood, does not disclose a U-shaped bracket structure that is to be attached onto the end of a runner or block of a wood pallet having integral teeth on the inner face of the bracket for securing to a wood pallet, and a single elongated prong on an external face of the bracket for attaching the tail of a pallet wrap.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above in a plastic wrap securing bracket generally comprising a first leg plate, a second leg plate, a back plate, and an elongated prong. The back plate is positioned essentially perpendicular to and connecting the first leg plate and the second leg plate in a substantially U shape. The first leg plate includes a first internal face and a first external face. The second leg plate includes a second internal face and a second external face. The first internal face and the second internal face is positioned facing toward one another. The first leg plate and the second leg plate is designed to grip an end portion of a runner or block of a wood pallet with the first internal face and the second internal face. The first leg plate includes an elongated prong positioned at an angle and projecting from the first external face. The elongated prong includes a fixed end connected to the first external face and a free end positioned adjacent the back plate and a distance from the first external face to form a tapered securing space designed to receive and secure a bunched-up end portion of a roll of plastic wrap therein to permit a user to unroll the roll of plastic wrap around articles on a wood pallet. This design advantageously allows a single worker to secure the end of the plastic wrap and then unroll the roll of plastic wrap about the articles on a wood pallet using both hands.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 11 thereof, a new plastic wrap securing bracket embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 11, the plastic wrap securing bracket 10 generally includes a first leg plate 12, a second leg plate 14, a back plate 16, and an elongated prong 18. The back plate 16 is positioned to connect the first leg plate 12 and the second leg plate 14 in a substantially U shape. The first leg plate 12 includes a first internal face 20 and a first external face 22. The second leg plate 14 includes a second internal face 24 and a second external face 26. The first internal face 20 and the second internal face 24 are positioned facing toward one another. The first leg plate 12 and the second leg plate 14 are designed to grip an end portion of a runner or block 52 of a wood pallet 50 with the first internal face 20 and the second internal face 24. The first leg plate 12 includes an elongated prong 18 positioned at an angle and projecting from the first external face 22. The elongated prong 18 includes a fixed end connected to the first external face 22 and a free end 28 positioned adjacent the back plate 16 and a distance from the first external face 22 to form a tapered securing space designed to receive and secure a bunched-up end portion 42 of a roll of plastic wrap 40 therein to permit a user to unroll the roll of plastic wrap 40 around articles 44 on a wood pallet 50.

In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the second leg plate 14 includes gripping teeth 30 positioned to project out of the second internal face 24. In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the first leg plate 12 includes gripping teeth 30 positioned to project out of the first internal face 20. It is possible, in accordance with at least one possible embodiment shown in FIG. 11, for the gripping teeth 30 to be completely omitted. In this embodiment, the first leg plate 12 and the second leg plate 14 may be slightly angled inwardly such that the plastic wrap securing bracket 10 grips the runner 52 with a clamping force. Since the plastic wrap 40, as shown in FIG. 8, is pulled in a direction such that the plastic wrap 40 tugs or pulls the plastic wrap securing bracket 10 so as to only tighten the connection, the gripping teeth 30 may not be needed to prevent inadvertent dislodging in the opposite direction. Such a design would make it easier to remove the plastic wrap securing bracket 10 once the plastic wrap 40 is fully wrapped or after transport. In this manner one plastic wrap securing bracket 10 could be used on multiple pallets 50. The embodiments that include the gripping teeth 30 may be designed to be removable as well, or such that they essentially cannot be removed after installation so that the plastic wrap securing bracket 10 is always present for the next user of the wood pallet 50.

In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the free end 28 of the elongated prong 18 is rounded to facilitate insertion of plastic wrap 40 into the tapered securing space without snagging or tearing. In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, as best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the back plate 16 has a width essentially similar to the width of an end of a runner or block 52 of a wood pallet 50 to promote tight fit and gripping by the first leg plate 12 and the second leg plate 14. In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, each of the back plate 16, the first leg plate 12, and the second leg plate 14 are integrally formed in a single metal structure.

In accordance with at least one possible embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, the elongated prong 18 is formed from a first layer portion 32 of the first leg plate 12 and projects above a recess 34 therein and a second layer portion 36. The gripping teeth 30 are positioned spaced apart across the first internal face 20 including on the second layer portion 36. In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the first leg plate 12 is a single layer and the elongated prong 18 is formed or cut out from the first leg plate 12 and projects above the resulting opening therein. As shown in FIG. 9, the gripping teeth 30 are positioned spaced apart across the first internal face 20 about the opening. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of the gripping teeth 30 are positioned spaced apart on the interior surface of the elongated prong 18 to provide additional gripping and securing of the plastic wrap 40. This would also simplify manufacture as the gripping teeth 30 could be formed first and then the elongated prong 18 cut and bent. In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the gripping teeth 30 are not formed projections, but rather are smaller prongs like the elongated prong 18 cut out of the first leg plate 12 and/or the second leg plate 14 and bent inwardly, much like the prongs or cutting projections of a grater device.

To use the plastic wrap securing bracket 10, a user or worker 46 first aligns the first leg plate 12 and the second leg plate 14 with the sides of an end portion of a runner or block 52 of a wood pallet 50. The user 46 then pushes the back plate 16 until the back plate 16 is in contact with an end face of the runner or block 52 and the first internal face 20 and the second internal face 24 are in gripping contact with the sides of the end portion of the runner or block 52. The user 46 then can unroll an end portion 42 of plastic wrap 40 from a roll of the plastic wrap 40. The user 46 then pushes the end portion 42 of the plastic wrap 40 into the tapered securing space under the elongated prong 18 and bunches up the end portion 42 and wedges the plastic wrap 40 between the elongated prong 18 and the first external face 22 in a secure manner. The user 46 then is free to use both hands to unroll more plastic wrap 40 by pulling the roll of the plastic wrap 40 in a direction away from the free end 28 of the elongated prong 18 and finally wraps articles 44 on the wood pallet 50.