US 12,378,027 B2Granted

Tape head assist assembly

AssigneePearson Packaging Systems

InventorMichael J. Johnson

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A tape head assembly—which tapes flaps of boxes on a conveyor—includes power-assist functionality to stretch a first spring used to power a trailing roller to press tape against a trailing case sidewall of a case. A force by the case moving on the conveyor acting upon a leading roller may provide some of the energy to stretch the first spring. However, a roller-assist air cylinder uses compressed air to assist or fully stretch the first spring. A knife assembly may be used to cut the tape applied to a case. A second spring may be stretched by the force of the moving case acting upon a knife arm. The second spring may be used later operate the knife blade. However, a knife-assist air cylinder uses compressed air to assist or fully stretch the second spring. Both assist assemblies may be turned off to operate the tape head in a conventional manner.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A tape head, comprising:

a roller assembly comprising:
a leading roller and a trailing roller;
a linkage connecting the leading roller to the trailing roller, wherein the linkage moves the leading roller and the trailing roller in unison;
and
a spring configured to be tensioned as the leading roller and the trailing roller are moved from a lowered position to an elevated position and configured to be relaxed as the leading roller and the trailing roller are moved from the elevated position to the lowered position;
a roller-assist assembly configured to assist the roller assembly to tension the spring, the roller-assist assembly comprising:
a roller-assist air cylinder;
and
a roller-assist arm linkage connected to the roller-assist air cylinder, wherein extension of the roller-assist arm linkage tensions the spring, and wherein retraction of the roller-assist arm linkage allows the tape head to operate without operation of the roller-assist assembly;
and
a control assembly configured to control operation of the roller-assist air cylinder of the roller-assist assembly.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/752,464Filed 24 Jun 2024 · continuation
Priority: 21 Sep 2021
Published: US 2024/0425214 A126 Dec 2024
Granted: 5 Aug 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

B65B 51/067
Applying adhesive tape: to the closure flaps of boxes
B26D 1/345
Moving about an axis parallel to the line of cut: for thin material, e.g. for sheets, strips or the like
B26D 5/00
Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out
B65B 57/04
Responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages: and operating to…

Family

Application17/481,163Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Sep 2021
US 2024/0425214 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Dec 2024
US 12,017,813 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2023/0089892 A1Published application
US 12,378,027 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.