Skein and ball banding machine

A banding machine for wrapping a printed band around a compressible skein of material comprising:

• (a) a plurality of separate banding units each having pocket means comprised of a moving belt extending in a predetermined direction supported by first and second pocket forming guide rollers axially spaced from each other and transversally to said predetermined direction for receiving the skein and printed band between the guide rollers and for compressing the skein to the diameter of said guide rollers wrapping the band around the compressed skein to said diameter;
• (b) connecting means connecting adjacent banding units with one another so as to form an oval-shaped loop having upper and lower substantially horizontal linear portions connected by first and second curved portions;
• (c) printing means for printing indicia on the band and glue means for gluing a portion of each band;
• (d) skein feed means for transporting the skeins into the pocket means of said banding units;
• (e) band feed means for transporting the printed bands from the printing means to a location directly above the upper linear portion of the loop of banding units and then between the skein and the belt;
• (f) means for releasing the skeins from the lower linear portion of the loop;
• and
• (g) drive means providing driving movement for said belt of said banding units to wrap the bands around the skeins with the moving belt of the pocket means remaining in substantially complete circumferential contact with the first and second guide rollers throughout the wrapping operation.

A banding machine for wrapping bands about a compressible item to be banded, comprising:

• (a) a banding apparatus having a plurality of separate banding units with connecting links between adjacent banding units and loop guide means for positioning and guiding the banding units in a closed oval loop formed of upper and lower linear portions and first and second curved portions at opposite ends of the linear portions;
• (b) each banding unit having a pocket means defined by a movable belt extending in a predetermined direction and supported by first and second pocket forming guide rollers axially spaced apart from each other and transversally to said predetermined direction, said pocket means receiving an item to be banded, receiving a band, compressing the item to a diameter of the guide rollers, and wrapping the band around the item to said diameter;
• (c) said movable belt being formed in a closed loop and supported by guide means;
• (d) item feed means for placing an item to be banded in the at least one banding unit and item release means directly below the lower linear portion;
• (e) band feed means for placing a band in at least one banding unit when said one banding unit is in the upper linear portion of the loop;
• (f) driving and synchronizing means for driving and synchronizing movement of the banding apparatus and to drive said belt to thereby wrap the bands around the skeins with the movable belt remaining in substantially complete circumferential contact with the first and second guide rollers throughout the wrapping operation.

A method of wrapping a band around a compressible item of material, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an item receiving pocket formed by a portion of a belt extending in a predetermined direction and supported by a pair of pocket forming rollers axially spaced apart from each other and transversally to said predetermined direction and which partially compress the item to a diameter of the pocket forming rollers;
• (b) providing means for opening and closing the pocket;
• (c) opening the pocket, feeding the item into the pocket between the pocket forming rollers, and compressing the item to the pocket forming roller diameter;
• (d) gluing a portion of a band and feeding the band between the item and a portion of the pocket;
• (e) moving the belt and closing the pocket to wrap the band around the item in the compressed state with the belt remaining in substantially complete circumferential contact with the first and second guide rollers throughout the wrapping operation to create a banded item;
• and
• (f) opening the pocket to release the banded item which remains partially compressed by the band.

A device for banding compressible skeins or balls of yarn comprising:

• a banding station;
• means forming a pocket for receipt and compression of the skein to be banded at said banding station, said means including a belt extending in a predetermined direction and supported by a pair of pocket forming rollers between which the skein is placed and said rollers having a diameter equivalent to a diameter of the skein after a desired compression for wrapping;
• said rollers are axially spaced apart from each other and transversally to said predetermined direction, skein feed means for in feeding the skein to be banded to said pocket means;
• band feed means for in feeding a band to said pocket means;
• rotating means for causing rotation of said skein to be banded at said station to wrap said band around said skein to be banded with the skein compressed to a diameter of the pocket forming roller and with the belt remaining in substantially complete circumferential contact with the pocket forming roller throughout the wrapping operation;
• and discharge means for discharging said banded skein from said station.