Flow stabilized high speed axial fan blower for stretch wrapping machine tail treatment

An apparatus for wrapping a load, the apparatus comprising:

• a packaging material dispenser configured to dispense a web of packaging material to the load;
• a rotational drive configured to generate relative rotation between the packaging material dispenser and the load about a center of rotation;
• a cutting assembly configured to sever the web of packaging material to form a packaging material tail extending from a corner of the load;
• and
• a flow stabilized high speed axial fan blower positioned to direct a flow of fluid towards the packaging material tail from a position generally upstream of a free end of the packaging material tail and at an acute angle relative to the side of the load while the free end of the packaging material tail is unsupported to cause the packaging material tail to come into contact with the side of the load, wherein the flow stabilized high speed axial fan blower comprises:
• an outer housing extending along a longitudinal axis between an inlet and an outlet;
• an inner housing extending along the longitudinal axis within the outer housing;
• an axial fan blade disposed in the outer housing and configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis;
• a fan motor coupled to the axial fan blade and configured to rotate the axial fan blade about the longitudinal axis at a rate at or greater than 10,000 RPM;
• and
• a plurality of stabilizing vanes extending between the axial fan blade and the outlet of the outer housing and configured to stabilize fluid flow downstream of the axial fan blade, wherein each of the plurality of stabilizing vanes includes a leading edge disposed proximate the axial fan blade and a trailing edge disposed proximate the outlet of the outer housing such that the plurality of stabilizing vanes extend substantially throughout a space between the axial fan blade and the outlet of the outer housing and substantially along a length between opposing ends of the inner housing along the longitudinal axis.

An apparatus for wrapping a load, the apparatus comprising:

• a packaging material dispenser configured to dispense a web of packaging material to the load;
• a rotational drive configured to generate relative rotation between the packaging material dispenser and the load about a center of rotation;
• a cutting assembly configured to sever the web of packaging material to form a packaging material tail extending from a corner of the load;
• and
• a flow stabilized high speed axial fan blower positioned to direct a flow of fluid towards the packaging material tail, wherein the flow stabilized high speed axial fan blower comprises:
• an outer housing extending along a longitudinal axis between an inlet and an outlet;
• an inner housing extending along the longitudinal axis within the outer housing;
• an axial fan blade disposed in the outer housing and configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis;
• a fan motor coupled to the axial fan blade and configured to rotate the axial fan blade about the longitudinal axis at a rate at or greater than 10,000 RPM;
• and
• a plurality of stabilizing vanes extending between the axial fan blade and the outlet of the outer housing and configured to stabilize fluid flow downstream of the axial fan blade, wherein each of the plurality of stabilizing vanes includes a leading edge disposed proximate the axial fan blade and a trailing edge disposed proximate the outlet of the outer housing such that the plurality of stabilizing vanes extend substantially throughout a space between the axial fan blade and the outlet of the outer housing and substantially along a length between opposing ends of the inner housing along the longitudinal axis.

A method of wrapping a load, the method comprising:

• dispensing a web of packaging material to the load with a packaging material dispenser and generating relative rotation between the packaging material dispenser and the load about a center of rotation to wrap the web of packaging material around the load;
• severing the web of packaging material to form a packaging material tail extending from a corner of the load;
• and
• directing a flow of fluid towards the packaging material tail from a position generally upstream of a free end of the packaging material tail and at an acute angle relative to the side of the load while the free end of the packaging material tail is unsupported to cause the packaging material tail to come into contact with the side of the load using a flow stabilized high speed axial fan blower, wherein the flow stabilized high speed axial fan blower is configured to generate the flow of fluid to have, proximate the corner of the load, a velocity of at least 10 miles per hour throughout a target area defined in a plane generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the flow stabilized high speed axial fan blower, wherein the flow stabilized high speed axial fan blower is positioned such that the target area extends at least 3 inches on each side of the corner of the load.