Binding apparatus with a fusible band, and a delivery system incorporating the same

An apparatus for binding a succession of stacked loads with a thermally fusible band, the binding apparatus comprising:

• (a) a platform;
• (b) conveyor means for carrying successive loads onto the platform, one at a time, and, following the binding of each load thereon, for carrying the bound load away therefrom;
• (c) band supply means for supplying a continuous length of thermally fusible band;
• (d) band looper means for loosely looping and releasably holding the band around a load on the platform so as to provide lapping parts of the band with a spacing therebetween;
• (e) feed means for feeding the band from the band supply means to the band looper means;
• (f) pullback means for pulling back the band that has been loosely looped around the load and which has been released from the band looper means;
• (g) tightening means for tightening the band against the load;
• (h) a band heater moveable into and out of the spacing between the lapping parts of the tightened band and hence for thermally uniting the lapping parts into a fused joint;
• (i) cutter means for cutting the band that has been bound around each load, off from its continuous length from the band supply means;
• and
• (j) heater control means for causing the band heater to be normally energized for a first preassigned period of time at constant intervals during the operation of the apparatus and for causing the band heater to be energized at least for a second preassigned period of time, which is longer than the first preassigned period time, in response to a band fusion signal commanding the travel of the band heater into and out of the spacing between the lapping parts of the tightened band, after the fusion jointing, in order to compensate for a temperature drop that might occur as a result of heating the band.

A delivery system having conveyor means for transporting a succession of loads from a location where the loads are made to a location of shipment through at least one binding station, the binding station comprising:

• (a) means for supplying a continuous length of thermally fusible band;
• (b) means for looping the band around each of the successive loads so as to provide lapping parts of the band;
• (c) means for tightening the looped band against the load;
• (d) a band heater for heating the lapping parts of the tightened band and hence for uniting the same into a fused joint;
• (e) means for cutting the band that has been bound around the load, off from its continuous supply;
• and
• (f) heater control means for causing the band heater to be normally energized for a first preassigned period of time at constant intervals during the operation of the apparatus, and for causing the band heater to be energized at least for a second preassigned period of time, which is longer than the first preassigned period of time, in response to the heating of the band around each load, after the fusion jointing, in order to compensate for a temperature drop that might occur as a result of heating the band.

A delivery system having conveyor means for transporting a succession of stacked loads where the loads are made to a place of shipment such as a truck yard through at least one binding station, the binding station comprising:

• (a) a platform;
• (b) conveyor means for loading the successive loads onto the platform, one at a time, and, following the binding of each load thereon, for carrying the bound load away from the platform;
• (c) band supply means for supplying a continuous length of thermally fusible band;
• (d) band looper means for loosely looping and releasably holding the band around the load on the platform so as to provide lapping parts of the band with a spacing therebetween;
• (e) feed means for feeding the band from the band supply means to the band looper means;
• (f) pullback means for pulling back the band that has been loosely looped around the load and which has been released from the band looper means;
• (g) tightening means for tightening the band against the load;
• (h) a band heater moveable into and out of the spacing between the lapping parts of the tightened band and hence for thermally uniting the lapping parts into a fused joint;
• (i) a cutter for cutting the band that has been bound around each load, off from its continuous length from the band supply means;
• and
• (j) heater control means for causing the band heater to be normally energized for a first preassigned period of time at constant intervals during the operation of the apparatus and, upon travel of the band heater out of the spacing between the lapping parts of the tightened band on each load, at least for a second preassigned period of time which is longer than the first preassigned period time, in order to compensate for a temperature drop that might occur as a result of heating the band.