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US 4,545,182 AGranted
Rotating film wrapping apparatus with traveling clamp
OwnerKenneth J. McDowell, Jr.inventor
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OwnerKenneth J. McDowell, Jr.inventor
Estimating the term…
A wrapping apparatus having a rotating ring which carries a film dispenser carriage adapted to dispense film web around a load carried on a wrapping conveyor. A traveling film clamp mechanism is mounted adjacent the wrapping conveyor and extends through the plane of the rotating ring to engage, clamp, cut and brush film web dispensed from the film dispenser carriage. The traveling film clamp mechanism incorporates a linear driver assembly, a fixed clamp jaw mounted to the linear driver assembly and positioned substantially parallel to the line of travel in which the linear driver operates, a rotating jaw mounted to the linear driver assembly adapted to close against the fixed jaw to clamp film web therebetween, and a rotating cutter brush arm carrying a leading cutter edge and a trailing brush. After the web is clamped between the fixed and rotating jaws, the cutter edge of the brush arm severs the web extending between the jaws, and the brush carries the severed web portion against underlying film web layers previously wrapped around the load to create a commercially viable seal, while the jaws clamp the film web so that wrapping of the next load may be initiated.
Apparatus for wrapping a load comprising infeed means adapted to receive a load, wrapping means positioned adjacent said infeed means comprising a frame, a film dispensing means configured as a planar ring and rotatably mounted to said frame, said film dispensing means when rotated defining a wrapping area, a load holding means positioned within said wrapping area and adapted to receive a load from said infeed means and carry said load through said wrapping area in a downstream direction, said film dispensing means being adapted to hold a roll of film material and wrap said film material around said load and said load holding means, film stretching means mounted to said film dispensing means so as to be bisected by said planar ring and adapted to engage said film material to substantially stretch said film material being dispensed from said film dispensing means, traveling clamp assembly means comprising a first jaw means fixed in a line of travel and a second jaw means pivotably mounted to swing between contact with said first jaw means and an open position apart from said first jaw means, said jaw means being adapted to releasably clamp and hold said film material adjacent said load between said first and second jaw means, said traveling clamp assembly means being adapted to move along said line of travel into and out of said wrapping area, and cutter means adapted to move in a plane parallel to said jaw means and sever said film material held between said jaw means and said load.
Apparatus for wrapping and utilizing a load with a wrap of substantially stretched film web, comprising a wrapping means, a load holding means, and a traveling clamp assembly, said wrapping means comprising a frame and a ring means rotatably mounted on said frame, said ring means when rotated defining a wrapping area, said load holding means being adapted to carry a load through said wrapping area, a film carriage mounted across said ring means and adapted to dispense substantially stretched film web around said load and said load holding means during rotation of said ring means, said traveling clamp assembly means comprising driver means and first and second jaw means, said driver means being adapted to linearly transport said first jaw means through said ring means to intercept said film web between said film carriage and said load, said second jaw means being adapted to swing to contact said first jaw means and thereby clamp said web extending between said load and said film carriage, and cutter means adapted to swing parallel to said jaw means and cut said film web between said load and said jaw means.
Apparatus for wrapping a load comprising load holding means adapted to receive a load and carry said load in a downstream direction, ring means positioned about said load holding means and adapted to rotate about said load holding means, film carriage means mounted to said ring means and adapted to hold a roll of film material and wrap said film material from said roll about said load and said load holding means when said ring means is rotated, film stretching means mounted to said ring adapted to engage said film material and substantially stretch said film material dispensed from said film carriage means, traveling clamp assembly means adapted for movement on a line parallel to said downstream direction into and out of said wrapping area and comprising a first jaw fixed on said line and a second jaw movable to meet said first jaw and thereby to releasably clamp and hold said film material between said film carriage means and said load, and cutter means movable parallel to said jaw means to sever said film material between said film carriage means said load and to wipe said severed material against said wrapped material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.