Patent Publication Number: US-7222565-B1

Title: Twist neck

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a twist neck that allows a material to enter the twist neck in a first orientation and exit the twist neck in a second orientation. In particular, the twist neck may be used to change the orientation of strapping material as it enters and leaves the twist neck. 
   There are several operations in which a material exits a first body, such as a machine, in a first orientation and then must enter a second body in a second orientation. The second body may be another machine or another component within the same machine. If the material is very stiff, it may not be possible for the material to change orientations. If the material is overly pliable, it may get tangled while exiting the first body in the first orientation and entering the second body in the second orientation. For example, this problem presents itself in strapping machines. 
   Strapping machines are in widespread use for securing straps around loads. There are numerous types of strapping machines, including hand held and table top models. Table top models typically include a strapping head and drive mechanism, which may be mounted to a frame. A chute, which encircles the load, may also be mounted to the frame. 
   The drive mechanism ‘pulls’ or feeds strap material from a source (e.g., a dispenser) into the strapping machine. The drive mechanism urges or feeds the strap through the strapping head, into and around the chute, until the strap material returns to the strapping head. The drive mechanism also retracts the strap material to tension the strap around the load. 
   During the retraction or tensioning step of the strapping cycle, the strap material must be released from the chute. A typical chute includes inner and outer walls that define a path around which the strap is fed. The inner wall (the wall closest to the load), is generally movable so that, as the strap is ‘pulled’ or tightened, the inner wall moves out of the way (from between the strap and the load), and the strap thus tensions around the load. In some configurations, the inner and outer walls are formed from a plurality of wall sections. 
   In certain configurations, the strap material exits the dispenser in a first orientation, travels a path and then must enter the strapping head in a second orientation. As a result, the strap material oftentimes becomes tangled or doesn&#39;t run smoothly from the dispenser to the strapping head. 
   Accordingly, there remains a need for a device and/or method for allowing a material to leave a first body in a first orientation and enter a second body in a second orientation without undue problems. There also remains a need for a strapping machine in which a strapping material may leave, for example, a dispenser in a first orientation, and enter, for example, the strapping head in a second orientation without being tangled. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a twist neck that allows a material to enter the twist neck in a first orientation and leave the twist neck in a second orientation. One embodiment of the invention pertains to a twist neck that is used in strapping machines. The twist neck includes an ingress portion, which includes an ingress opening in communication with a pathway formed within a middle portion. The pathway defines a cross-sectional shape that is substantially similar to the cross-sectional shape of a strap that is used in the strapping machine. 
   A strap can be urged into the ingress opening in a first orientation and into the pathway, which itself is in a second orientation. When the strap exits the pathway, it will be in the second orientation. In this manner, a user may manipulate and/or change the orientation of the associated strap by changing the orientation of the pathway. The ingress and middle portions may be integral or twistably connected. If they are integral, a user may change the orientation of the strap by twisting the entire twist neck; on the other hand, if they are twistably connected, the user may change the orientation of the middle portion with respect to the ingress portion to change the orientation of the strap. 
   Tubes may also be coupled to the twist necks and, in a preferred embodiment, the twist necks may include coupling portions to receive the tubes. The coupling portions may be integral with or removably connected to the twist neck. 
   Another embodiment of the invention includes a strapping machine. In one variation of the strapping machine, a strapping head is coupled to a first twist neck and a dispenser is coupled to a second twist neck. The first and second twist necks are coupled to a first tube. The dispenser, first and second twist necks, the first tube, and the strapping head are supported by a support structure. In one embodiment, the support structure includes a frame and a support bench. 
   These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The benefits and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a tube configuration pursuant to aspects of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of a twist neck pursuant to aspects of the invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 6  is an isometric view of  FIG. 3  with hidden lines showing the internal structure of the twist neck; 
       FIG. 7  is an isometric view of three twist necks pursuant to embodiments of the invention working in conjunction with one another to change the orientation of an associated strap; 
       FIG. 7A  is a front view of a first twist neck shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 7B  is a front view of a second twist neck shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 7C  is a front view of a third twist neck shown in  FIG. 7 ; and, 
       FIG. 8  is a front view of a strapping machine pursuant to aspects of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated. 
   It should be further understood that the title of this section of this specification, namely, “Detailed Description Of The Invention”, relates to a requirement of the United States Patent Office, and does not imply, nor should be inferred to limit the subject matter disclosed herein. 
   The present invention pertains to a device and method for changing the orientation of material as it enters and exits the device. One embodiment of the invention pertains to a twist neck that is used in strapping machines. The twist neck includes an ingress portion, which includes an ingress opening formed therein, a middle portion and an egress opening. The middle portion includes a pathway formed therein. The pathway preferably has a length and a cross-sectional shape that is substantially similar to the cross-sectional shape of a strap that is used in the strapping machine. The egress opening is positioned at a distal end of the pathway. 
   In one embodiment, a strap is urged into the ingress opening in a first orientation and into the pathway, which itself is in a second orientation. When the strap exits the egress opening, it will be in the second orientation. In this manner, a user may manipulate and/or change the orientation of the associated strap by changing the orientation of the pathway. 
     FIGS. 1 and 2  show a twist tube configuration  10  that incorporates three different embodiments of a twist neck  12 ,  14 ,  16  working in conjunction with first and second tubes  18 ,  20 . 
     FIGS. 3-6  show one embodiment of a twist neck that includes an ingress portion  22  and a middle portion  24 . The ingress portion  22  has a tapering portion  26  formed therein, and the tapering portion has near and far ends  28 ,  30 . The near end  28  is an ingress opening  32 . The middle portion  24  includes a pathway  34  that has proximal and distal ends  36 ,  38 . The proximal end  36  of the pathway  34  being located at the far end  30  of the tapering portion  26 . The distal end  38  of the pathway  34  forms an egress opening  40 . 
   In other embodiments, the twist neck  12 ,  14 ,  16  may further include proximal and distal coupling portions  42 ,  44  that are used to couple the twist necks to another object, such as a tube  18 ,  20 . For example in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the second neck  14  includes both proximal and distal coupling portions  42 ,  44 , the first neck  12  includes only a distal coupling portion  44 , and the third neck  16  includes only a proximal coupling portion  42 . Other twist necks not shown need not have any coupling portions. 
   In  FIGS. 1-2 , the coupling portions  42 ,  44  include a hollow  46  formed therein that is configured to receive the first or second tube  18 ,  20 . In either embodiment, the hollow  46  should have a sufficient cross sectional area to receive the associated strap S and, in preferred embodiments, the hollow has about the same cross sectional area as the ingress opening  32 . Note that twist necks lacking coupling portions may still be coupled to tubes by other methods and structures. 
     FIG. 7  shows a plurality of twist necks  12 ,  14 ,  16  cooperating with one another, without tubes, to change the orientation of an associated strap S, which may be used, for example, in a strapping machine  48  to strap loads L together. Those of skill in the art will recognize that only one, two, four or more twist necks  12 ,  14 ,  16  may be used to change the orientation of the associates strap S, as well as the twist tube configuration  10  shown in  FIGS. 1-2 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 8 , the orientation of the associated strap S may need to change during the strapping operation. The orientation of the strap S often changes when the strap is being fed from the supply source  50  to the strapping head  52  of the strapping machine  48 . There are other locations where the orientation of the strap S may also need to change, such as, for example, when the strap is being fed from the strapping head  52  into the chute  54 , which may be coupled to a frame  56  of the strapping machine  48 . There may be a support structure  62  to support the either one, two, three or more twist necks  12 ,  14 ,  16  working with one another or the twist tube configuration  10 . The support structure  62  may comprise a desk top  58  that also supports the strapping head  52 , the frame  56 , which supports the chute  54 , or any other type of support structure. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 7A , the associated strap S enters the ingress opening  32  of the first twist neck  12  in a first orientation. The associated strap S then is gradually urged through the tapering portion  26  and into the pathway  34 , as shown in  FIGS. 3-6 . If the pathway  34  is in the same orientation as the associated strap S was prior to entering the pathway, as is shown in  FIGS. 7 and 7A , the orientation of the associated strap does not change. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 7B , the associated strap S enters the ingress opening  32  of the second neck  14  and is gradually biased into a second orientation as it is urged into the second tapering portion  26  and eventually into the second pathway  34 , which is in the second orientation. The tapering portion  26  may define any shape. The tapering portion  26  includes at its near end  28  the ingress opening  32 , which defines any cross-sectional shape and, in the preferred embodiments shown, defines a circular shape. The ingress opening  32  preferably has a larger cross sectional area than the cross sectional area of any portion of the pathway  34 . In this manner, the ingress opening  32  may receive the associated strap S in a variety of orientations. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the twist neck  12 ,  14 ,  16  is configured so that the angle a between the orientation the associated strap S is received in and enters the twist neck and the orientation the associated strap exits the twist neck is as large as thirty degrees. In other embodiments not shown, the angle may be greater than thirty degrees. 
   The associated strap S is then gradually biased into the orientation of the pathway  34  as it is urged through the tapering portion  26  and into the pathway. In a preferred embodiment, the pathway  34  has a length and a substantially uniform cross-sectional area that defines a strap shape. The strap shape is substantially similar to a cross sectional shape of the associated strap S. Thus, the cross sectional shape of the pathway preferably provides only about enough space for the associated strap S to enter the pathway  34  in one orientation, which is the orientation of the pathway. As a result, the associated strap S will exit the egress opening  40  at the distal end  38  of the pathway  34  in a second orientation, which is the same orientation of the pathway  34  of the second twist neck  14 . 
   If desired, as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 7C , the orientation of the associated strap S may be manipulated yet again by a third twist neck  16  by the same process described above. Changing the strap orientations may be repeated as many times as required by a user. 
   If a user desires to change the orientation of the associated strap S, he/she may turn the twist neck  12 ,  14 ,  16 , thus changing the orientation of the pathway  34  and the associated strap as it is urged through the twist neck. Note that in the preferred embodiments shown, the coupling portions  42 ,  44 , ingress portion  22 , and the middle portion  24  are integral with one another. Thus, the twist neck  12 ,  14 ,  16  should have at least one degree of movement to allow the user to turn the entire twist neck. 
   In other embodiments not shown, the coupling portions  42 ,  44 , ingress portion  22  and middle portion  24  may be removably and twistably connected to one another. For example, the coupling portions  42 ,  44  may be removably connected to the ingress and middle portions  22 ,  24 . Thus, when the twist neck  12 ,  14 ,  16  need not be coupled to an associated structure, such as the tubes  18 ,  20  described above, the coupling portions may be removed. 
   In the other embodiments in which the ingress and middle portions  22 ,  24  are twistably connected to one anther, the middle portion may be turned with respect to the ingress portion without twisting the entire twist neck  12 ,  14 ,  16 . This allows one to fix the twist neck  12 ,  14 ,  16  to a support structure  62  so that the ingress portion  22  has zero degrees of freedom—but still allows a user to twist the middle portion  24  and the pathway  34  formed therein. The user may then change the orientation of the pathway  34  and, thus, the associated strap S as it passes through the pathway—even though the twist neck  12 ,  14 ,  16  is fixed in a manner that provides zero degrees of freedom to the ingress portion  22 . 
   In the embodiments shown, the twist neck can be manipulated to change the orientation of the associated strap by thirty degrees. In other embodiments not shown, the twist necks may be manipulated a greater or lesser amount. 
   All patents referred to herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference, whether or not specifically do so within the text of this disclosure. 
   In the present disclosure, the words “a” or “an” are to be taken to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to plural items shall, where appropriate, include the singular. Further, any object modified by the word “associated” shall be construed so that it is not an element of the claim, but rather an object that is acted upon or used by the elements of the claim. 
   From the foregoing it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be made to the invention without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or to be inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover all such modifications as fall within the scope of the invention.