Stretch wrapping machine supporting top layer containment operations

A method of securing an inboard portion of a load to a supporting body with a load wrapping apparatus, the load including first and second opposing sides, the supporting body including first and second corners disposed proximate the first side of the load, the method comprising:

• providing relative rotation between the load and a packaging material dispenser about an axis of rotation to dispense packaging material to the load;
• dispensing a web of the packaging material from the packaging material dispenser to the load during the relative rotation;
• and
• securing the inboard portion of the load to the supporting body within a revolution between the load and the packaging material dispenser by bidirectionally changing an elevation of the web generally parallel to the axis of rotation during the revolution to engage a bottom edge of the web with the supporting body around each of the first and second corners and to engage the bottom edge of the web with the inboard portion of the load around the second side of the load and entirely pass inwardly of a third corner disposed opposite the first corner, wherein bidirectionally changing the elevation of the web is performed by controlling an elevation of at least a portion of the packaging material dispenser.

A method of securing an inboard portion of a load to a supporting body with a load wrapping apparatus, the load including first and second opposing sides, the supporting body including a corner disposed proximate the first side of the load, the method comprising:

• providing relative rotation between the load and a packaging material dispenser about an axis of rotation to dispense packaging material to the load;
• dispensing a web of the packaging material from the packaging material dispenser to the load during the relative rotation;
• and
• securing the inboard portion of the load to the supporting body within a revolution between the load and the packaging material dispenser by bidirectionally changing an elevation of the web generally parallel to the axis of rotation during the revolution to engage a bottom edge of the web with the supporting body around the corner at a beginning and an end of the revolution and to engage the bottom edge of the web with the inboard portion of the load around the second side of the load and entirely pass inwardly of a third corner disposed opposite the first corner, wherein bidirectionally changing the elevation of the web is performed by controlling an elevation of at least a portion of the packaging material dispenser.

A method of securing an inboard portion of a load to a supporting body with a load wrapping apparatus that controls an elevation of a web of packaging material dispensed from a packaging material dispenser while providing relative rotation between the load and the packaging material dispenser about an axis of rotation, the method comprising, within a revolution between the load and the packaging material dispenser, and while maintaining an amount of tilt to the web during the revolution:

• controlling the elevation of the web during the relative rotation to engage a first corner of the supporting body across at least a portion of a width of the web;
• prior to further relative rotation to a rotational angle corresponding to a second corner of the supporting body that is opposite the first corner, raising the elevation of the web to position a bottom edge of the web above the supporting body, wherein raising the elevation of the web includes moving the packaging material dispenser and/or engaging a roping mechanism to narrow a width of the web;
• after raising the elevation of the web to position the bottom edge of the web above the supporting body, controlling the elevation of the web during the relative rotation past the rotational angle corresponding to the second corner to engage the bottom edge of the web with the inboard portion of the load instead of the second corner of the supporting body;
• and
• after relative rotation past the rotational angle corresponding to the second corner, lowering the elevation of the web to engage a subsequent corner of the supporting body across at least a portion of the width of the web after further relative rotation, wherein at least a portion of the web having the bottom edge thereof engaged with the inboard portion is raised to an elevation such that at least a first portion of the web engages a top surface of the inboard portion of the load and a second portion of the web engages a side surface of the inboard portion of the load.

A method of securing an inboard portion of a load to a supporting body with a load wrapping apparatus, the inboard portion of the load including a plurality of quadrants respectively associated with a plurality of corners of the supporting body, the method comprising:

• providing relative rotation between the load and a packaging material dispenser about an axis of rotation to dispense packaging material to the load;
• controlling an elevation of a web of the packaging material extending between the packaging material dispenser and the load direction generally parallel to the axis of rotation;
• and
• during each one of a plurality of revolutions, controlling the elevation of the web by controlling an elevation of at least a portion of the packaging material dispenser during the relative rotation to wrap packaging material around at least one corner of the supporting body across at least a portion of a width of the web, to thereafter wrap packaging material around at least one quadrant of the inboard portion of the load that is associated with a different corner that is opposite the at least one corner with a bottom edge of the web engaging the inboard portion of the load and positioned at a higher elevation than the supporting body, and to thereafter wrap packaging material around at least one corner of the supporting body across at least a portion of the width of the web.

A method of securing an inboard portion of a load with a load wrapping apparatus, the method comprising:

• providing relative rotation between a load and a packaging material dispenser about an axis of rotation to dispense packaging material to the load;
• controlling an elevation of a web of the packaging material extending between the packaging material dispenser and the load in a direction generally parallel to the axis of rotation during the relative rotation;
• controlling a width of the web between first and second widths, wherein the second width is narrower than the first width;
• and
• passing the web inwardly of a corner of the load or a pallet upon which the load is supported during the relative rotation by controlling the width of the web to narrow the web to the second width prior to contact of the web with the corner when the controlled elevation of the web is such that the web would contact the corner if the controlled width of the web is the first width.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a packaging material dispenser configured to dispense a web of packaging material to a load;
• a first drive mechanism configured to generate relative rotation between the packaging material and the load about an axis of rotation;
• a second drive mechanism configured to control an elevation of the web of packaging material generally parallel to the axis of rotation;
• and
• a controller coupled to the first and second drive mechanism, the controller configured to:
• determine a rotational angle of the load relative to the packaging material dispenser about the axis of rotation;
• determine the elevation of the packaging material dispenser relative to the load;
• and
• secure an inboard portion of the load to a supporting body by, within a revolution between the load and the packaging material dispenser, and while maintaining an amount of tilt to the web during the revolution:
• causing the first drive mechanism to generate relative rotation between the load and the packaging material dispenser;
• at a first predetermined rotational angle, causing the second drive mechanism to control the elevation of the web to engage a first corner of the supporting body across at least a portion of a width of the web;
• at a second predetermined rotational angle prior to a rotational angle corresponding to a second corner of the supporting body, causing the second drive mechanism to raise the elevation of the web to position a bottom edge of the web above the supporting body;
• after raising the elevation of the web to position the bottom edge of the web above the supporting body, causing the second drive mechanism to control the elevation of the web past the rotational angle corresponding to the second corner to engage the inboard portion of the load instead of the second corner of the supporting body;
• and
• after relative rotation past the rotational angle corresponding to the second corner, causing the second drive mechanism to lower the elevation of the web to engage a subsequent corner of the supporting body across at least a portion of the width of the web after further relative rotation, wherein at least a portion of the web having the bottom edge thereof engaged with the inboard portion is raised to an elevation such that at least a first portion of the web engages a top surface of the inboard portion of the load and a second portion of the web engages a side surface of the inboard portion of the load.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a packaging material dispenser configured to dispense a web of packaging material to a load;
• a first drive mechanism configured to generate relative rotation between the packaging material and the load about an axis of rotation;
• a second drive mechanism configured to control an elevation of the web of packaging material generally parallel to the axis of rotation;
• and
• a controller coupled to the first and second drive mechanism, the controller configured to:
• determine a rotational angle of the load relative to the packaging material dispenser about the axis of rotation;
• determine the elevation of the packaging material dispenser relative to the load;
• and
• secure an inboard portion of the load to a supporting body by:
• causing the first drive mechanism to generate relative rotation between the load and the packaging material dispenser;
• at a first predetermined rotational angle, causing the second drive mechanism to control the elevation of the web to engage a first corner of the supporting body across at least a portion of a width of the web;
• at a second predetermined rotational angle prior to a rotational angle corresponding to a second corner of the supporting body, causing the second drive mechanism to raise the elevation of the web to position a bottom edge of the web above the supporting body;
• after raising the elevation of the web to position the bottom edge of the web above the supporting body, causing the second drive mechanism to control the elevation of the web past the rotational angle corresponding to the second corner to engage the inboard portion of the load instead of the second corner of the supporting body;
• and
• after relative rotation past the rotational angle corresponding to the second corner, causing the second drive mechanism to lower the elevation of the web to engage a subsequent corner of the supporting body across at least a portion of the width of the web after further relative rotation;
• wherein the apparatus further comprises a first sensor coupled to the packaging material dispenser and directed off-axis relative to the axis of rotation to sense a top of the supporting body and a second sensor coupled to the packaging material dispenser and directed to sense a top of the inboard portion of the load, and wherein the controller is configured to determine a height of the supporting body based upon a first determined elevation of the packaging material dispenser when the top of the supporting body is sensed with the first sensor and to determine a height of the inboard portion of the load based upon a second determined elevation of the packaging material dispenser when the top of the inboard portion of the load is sensed with the second sensor.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a packaging material dispenser configured to dispense a web of packaging material to a load, the load including an inboard portion supported by a supporting body;
• a first drive mechanism configured to generate relative rotation between the packaging material and the load about an axis of rotation;
• a second drive mechanism configured to control an elevation of the web of packaging material generally parallel to the axis of rotation;
• a first sensor coupled to the packaging material dispenser and directed off-axis relative to the axis of rotation to sense a top of the supporting body;
• a second sensor coupled to the packaging material dispenser and directed to sense a top of the inboard portion of the load;
• and
• a controller coupled to the first and second drive mechanisms, the controller configured to:
• determine a rotational angle of the load relative to the packaging material dispenser about the axis of rotation;
• determine the elevation of the packaging material dispenser relative to the load;
• prior to relative rotation between the load and the packaging material dispenser, cause the second drive mechanism to move the packaging material dispenser and the first and second sensors in a direction generally parallel to the axis of rotation to determine a height of the supporting body based upon a first determined elevation of the packaging material dispenser when the top of the supporting body is sensed with the first sensor and to determine a height of the inboard portion of the load based upon a second determined elevation of the packaging material dispenser when the top of the inboard portion of the load is sensed with the second sensor;
• and
• secure the inboard portion of the load to the supporting body by:
• causing the first drive mechanism to generate relative rotation between the load and the packaging material dispenser;
• at a first predetermined rotational angle, causing the second drive mechanism to control the elevation of the web relative to the determined height of the supporting body to engage a first corner of the supporting body across at least a portion of a width of the web;
• at a second predetermined rotational angle prior to a rotational angle corresponding to a second corner of the supporting body, causing the second drive mechanism to raise the elevation of the web to position a bottom edge of the web above the supporting body;
• after raising the elevation of the web to position the bottom edge of the web above the supporting body, causing the second drive mechanism to control the elevation of the web past the rotational angle corresponding to the second corner and relative to the determined height of the inboard portion of the load to engage the inboard portion of the load instead of the second corner of the supporting body;
• and
• after relative rotation past the rotational angle corresponding to the second corner, causing the second drive mechanism to lower the elevation of the web relative to the determined height of the supporting body to engage a subsequent corner of the supporting body across at least a portion of the width of the web after further relative rotation.