Patent ID: 7476069

Claim:
A cassette for incorporation in a cap for use on palletized loads, the cassette comprising a chassis and a cover, a strapping strand retractable into the cassette through an opening in the cassette, spring means within the cassette for retracting the strapping strand, a hook on a free end of the strapping strand for engagement with an underside of a platform of a pallet, stop means for limiting retraction of the hook into the cassette when not engaged with a pallet, and tensioning means within the cassette for tightening the strapping strand after interposing a load between a pallet and a cap incorporating the cassette, the tensioning means comprising a slotted crossbar through which the strapping strand passes, a lever pivoted within a side of the cassette and movable in a plane parallel to a general plane of the cassette between operative and inoperative positions, and linkage between the lever and the slotted crossbar such that movement of the lever from the inoperative position to the operative position causes rotation of the slotted crossbar to wind the strapping strand round the slotted crossbar, together with manually releasable spring-loaded latch means for securing the strapping strand in tension, and a return spring to urge the lever to the inoperative position.