Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention pertains to a strap directing device. More particularly, the invention pertains to a device capable of guiding the strap payoff from a strap dispenser in multiple directions without having to reposition the dispenser. 
   It is often desirable to strap loads of objects in order to facilitate handling and transport of those items. Strappers are in widespread use to, for example, position and tension strap material around a load. Often times, it is desirable to strap large, oversized loads such as a large stack of cardboard items or a bale of textile material. It can also be desirable to strap a large number of loads. 
   In order to meet the requirements of strapping large loads or a large number of loads, relatively large, commercial strappers have been developed. One exemplary strapper is disclosed and described in pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/051,420 to Balling et al. Such a strapper includes generally a frame, a platen that is mounted to the frame, a strap feed guide, a feed head, a strap chute, and a strapping head. Associated with the strapper is a dispenser that feeds strap material to the strapper. Generally, the feed head draws the strap material from a dispenser, feeds the strap material through the guide to the strapping head, into and around the strap chute, and back to the strap head. Also, a slack box can be used to provide a supply of readily available strap material S for the feed head. 
   As can be expected, many commercial strappers are large, heavy machines composed of many parts. Many of these machines are difficult and practically impossible to move due to their sizes and weights. In addition, commercial strappers generally strap a large number of loads. To function relatively continuously, they require a large amount of strap material. In order to meet the demand for strap material, large dispensers have been used. However, like the strappers themselves, these commercial dispensers are often large and heavy. It can be difficult and time consuming to substitute one dispenser for another, or to outfit a dispenser with additional strap material. It is thus desirable to have a system where more than one dispenser is set up to feed into the one strapper. 
   In other circumstances, one may want to use one dispenser to alternatively feed into different strappers. Unfortunately, known dispensers are only capable of feeding strap material in one angular direction. Further, strappers can be limited in the orientation of the strap material that they are fed. These limited capabilities generally require that only one dispenser be lined up with one strapper. 
   Accordingly, there exists a need for a mechanism that allows for changing the direction if strap fed from a dispenser to a strapper. Desirably such a device permits the use of multiple dispensers to feed into one strapper easily and safely. Desirably, such a mechanism includes a strap guide that is capable of cooperating with a dispenser to deliver strap material to one or more strappers. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A multi direction payoff strap guide cooperates with a dispenser and a strapping machine (or strapper) to redirect strap material into the strapper. In one embodiment, the strap guide generally includes a hollow, tubular element capable of allowing strap material to be drawn from a range of directions (angles) including from about 90 degrees left of normal through about 90 degrees right of normal. 
   A conventional strapper includes a dispenser frame and a cylindrical element or reel mounted to the frame for rotation. The reel holds a spool of strap material. The strap material is fed from the spool tangential to the spool. The strap guide is positioned functionally between the dispenser and the strapper. Preferably, the strap guide is aligned with the spool such that it is in the same radial plane as the strap material being fed from the spool. 
   The strap guide includes a hollow element with an entrance and an exit that defines a sleeve. The sleeve can be formed as a square or rectangular tube. The strap guide includes bearing surfaces (such as pin or roller bearings) at the internal sides of the tubing at the entrance and the exit. The strap guide is configured to allow the strap material to pass through the hollow element, and exit the strap guide in a wide range of directions. The strap guide is located functionally between the dispenser and the strapper. 
   In an alternate embodiment, the guide is formed from a ring or loop having bearing surfaces formed as rounded edges or having a toroidal or elongated toroidal shape. 
   These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION 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 perspective view of an exemplary strapper system illustrated with one embodiment of a multi direction strap payoff guide located between the strapper; 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the dispenser showing the multi direction strap payoff guide; 
       FIG. 3  is a partial exploded view of the multi direction payoff guide; 
       FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 2 , illustrating an alternate embodiment of the multi direction strap payoff guide in accordance with the present invention; and 
       FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  4 A- 4 A of  FIG. 4 . 
   

   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 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. 
   Referring now to the figures and in particular to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a payoff guide  40 . The payoff guide  40  is operationally positioned between a dispenser  10  and a strapper  20 . A typical dispenser  10  includes a frame  12  having a cylindrical element or reel  11  mounted to the frame  12 . A spool  14  of strap material is mounted to the reel  11 . The dispenser  10  can also include a secondary element  16  mounted to the reel  11  and frame  12  to accommodate and tension and to take up slack strap material. 
   The spool  14  holds a supply of strap material S, and is capable of feeding the strap material S at an angle normal to the spool  14 . Essentially, the strap S comes off of the spool  14  tangential to the spool  14 . The tension/slack take up element secondary feeding element  16  is positioned to receive strap material S from the spool  14  and to provide an accommodation to take-up slack strap material that is pulled from the spool but not yet demanded by the strapper, and to provide a quantity of strap material available for the strapper without rapidly commencing rotation of the spool (which requires a large “pulling” force). The take up element  16  rotates about the same axis A 14  as the spool  14 , as indicated by the arrows at  17   a  and  17   b , is biased in the rearward direction  17   b . The rearward direction  17   b  also serves to brake the rotating reel  11  and spool  14 . The strap S is threaded around the take up element  16  such that as strap is demanded, it pulls the element  16  in the forward direction  17   a , which releases the breaking function to allow the reel  11  and spool  14  to rotate. 
   The payoff guide  40  receives strap material from the dispenser  10  via the take up element  16 . The payoff guide  40  includes a hollow element or sleeve  42  having an open central passage  43  which is capable of allowing the strap material S to pass through the payoff guide  40  to the strapper  20 . The strapper  20  is a device that passes strap material S around a load, tensions the strap and seals the strap to itself to contain or bundle the load. A typical strapper includes a feed head  26  mounted to the strapper  20  and a slack box  28  adjacent to the feed head  26 , into which strap S is fed or pulled from the dispenser  10 . From the feed head  26 , the strap material S is fed or pulled into a chute (not shown) around the load, tensioned and sealed to itself. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1-3 , the payoff guide  40  is operationally positioned between the dispenser  10  and the strapper  20 . The guide  40  preferably includes a hollow element or sleeve  42  that defines a pathway for the strap material S to pass though. Preferably, the sleeve  42  is defined by a rectangular or square tube  44  having two pair of opposing sidewalls  46 ,  47 . The guide  40  has an entry portion  48  and an exit portion  50 . The entry portion  48  is the part of the guide  40  that receives strap material S from the dispenser  10  while the exit portion  50  is the part of the guide  40  from which the strap S from the guide  40  traveling to the strapper  20 . 
   Mounted to the sidewalls  46 ,  47 , internal to the tube  44 , are a plurality of guide elements  52 . The guide elements  52  are bearing surfaces and can be, for example, pin rollers or pin bearings. The guiding elements  52  can be mounted to the sidewalls  46  such that they define at least a portion of the inner most periphery of the sidewalls  46  to further define the pathway for the strap material S. The guide elements  52  are preferably located at the exit  50 , and more preferably, the guide elements  52  are located at the entry  48  and the exit  50 . 
   As strap is fed from the spool  14  it comes off of the spool tangential or “normal” to the spool  14 . The strap is threaded through the take up element  16  and enters the guide  40 . The guide  40  is preferably positioned normal to the spool along a radial plane with the take up element  16 . The guide  40  is mounted to the frame  12  and receives strap material S from the take up element  16 . The strap material S enters the guide sleeve  42  at the entry portion  48  and is guided through the pathway defined by the guide elements  52 . 
   Generally, the strapper  20  is positioned normal to the dispenser  10  and the guide  40 . In this manner, the strap S runs generally in a single plane from the dispenser  10  to the strapper  20 . However, in some circumstances, it may be desirable to orient the strapper  20  in a different planar position, or to orient the dispenser  10  in a different planar position. In such cases, the strap material S still comes off of the spool  14  and into the take up element  16  and into the guide  40  in a planar manner. The guide  40  permits this planar feeding from the spool  14 , through the take up element  16  and into the guide  40  and permits the strap material S to be drawn from the guide  40  in a wide ranges of angles and number of directions from up to about 90 degrees left or right of normal, up and down. Thus, if the strapper  20  is located in another plane other than normal, the strap material S will pass through the guide  40 , and traverse over one or more of the guide elements  52 . 
   At times, the guide  40  will not be directly in line with the strap material S as it is fed from the dispenser  10 . It is therefore preferable to have guide elements  52  on the interior of the entrance portion  48  of the guide  40  to guide the strap material S into the hollow element  42 , and at the exit  50  to accommodate the strap leaving the guide  40  at an angle. In a present embodiment, the guide elements  52  are bearings. As the strap material moves through the guide  40 , it moves against the bearings, which rotate and allow the strapping material S to pass through the pathway with little to no resistance and no contact with any sharp or abrasive surfaces. These surfaces lessen the amount of friction applied to the strap material S and preclude rubbing against any abrading surfaces, making it less likely that the strapping material will be worn or frayed. Essentially, the innermost peripheral plane defined by the guide  40  is formed by the elements  52 . In this manner, the strap does not contact a wall  46 ,  47  of the guide  40 , but contacts one or more guide elements  52 . Thus, the strap is prevented from contacting a possibly sharp or abrading surface, but contacts only a bearing surface (roller)  52 . It will be appreciated from a study of the figures that the inner periphery  54  of the guide  40 , at the entrance  48  and exit  50  are composed (and preferably entirely) of the element  52  surfaces. 
   An alternate embodiment of the guide  140  is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . In this embodiment, the guide  140  is formed as a ring or toroid having a rounded or circular configuration with an open central passage  143  and having rounded (bearing) surfaces (as indicated at  142 ) formed in the guide ring  140 . The guide  140  can be fixed to the base  144  of the frame  12  of the dispenser  10 , or it can be configured to rotate, as indicated by the arrow at  146 . The guide  140  has an entry side  148  and an entry side  150 . 
   Two or more guides  40 ,  140  may be employed to help transfer the strap material S from the dispenser  10  to the strapper  20 . A first guide  40 ,  140  may be positioned near the dispenser  10 , for example, mounted to the dispenser  10  at a point near where the strap material S is fed from the spool  14 . A second guide  40  can be positioned near the strapper  20 , for example, mounted to the strapper  20  near where the strap is fed into the strapper. The strap material S enters the entry portion  48  of the second guide  40 ,  140  and passes over the guide elements  52  as it changes from an entry direction to one parallel to a length L or central axis A 140  (as seen in  FIG. 4A ) of the guide  40 ,  140 . The second guide  40 ,  140  is orientated such that the strap is fed from the exit portion  50  in a direction that is optimal for the strapper  20 . 
   In the disclosures, 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. 
   All patents referred to herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference, whether or not specifically done so within the text of this disclosure. 
   From the foregoing it will be observed that numerous modification and variations can be effectuated 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 should be inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

Technology Category: 7