Time-out indicator for pneumatic strapper

A time-out indicator assembly for a pneumatic strapping tool for tensioning a strap around a load, adhering the strap onto itself, and cutting a feed end of the strap, the strapping tool having a cylinder housing, a piston disposed within a cylinder in the cylinder housing, a pneumatic weld motor operably connected to the piston, a vibrating weld element operably connected to the piston for contacting the strap and adhering the strap onto itself, and a pneumatic module mounted to the cylinder housing, the pneumatic module including a compressed gas inlet, a plurality of valves and passageways between the inlet and the valves to provide compressed gas to the cylinder housing and the pneumatic weld motor, the module further including at least one timer for operation of the weld motor and for providing pressure to the cylinder, the module configured to control timing of the weld motor, the time-out indicator assembly comprising:

• a sleeve fitted into an opening in the module above and in communication with the cylinder, the sleeve defining a central, longitudinal opening, the sleeve including an outwardly extending flange for fitting against an inside surface of the pneumatic module circumferentially around the module opening and a groove formed in an inner wall of the sleeve proximal the flange, the sleeve including an inwardly projecting lip at an end opposing the flange;
• an indicator biasedly mounted in the sleeve and disposed for contact with the piston, the indicator including a generally cylindrical stem having inner and outer outwardly extending, spaced apart ring walls and a seal disposed between the ring walls for isolating the cylinder housing, the outer ring wall having a diameter greater than a diameter of the inwardly projecting lip to retain the indicator within the sleeve;
• a biasing element positioned about the indicator seating on the outer ring wall for biasing the indicator to the retracted position;
• and
• a retaining clip disposed in the sleeve inner wall groove for engaging the inner ring wall to retain the indicator in the sleeve,
• wherein the indicator reciprocates between a retracted position and an extended position and, in the retracted position indicates a cycle of the strapping tool as an in-cycle state in which the cylinder is under pressure, pressurizing the piston to urge the weld element into contact with the strap and in the extended position indicates a timed-out state in which the piston is not pressurized, the indicator moving from the retracted state to the extended state by contact of the piston with the indicator.

A strapping tool of the type for tensioning a strap around a load, adhering the strap onto itself, and cutting a feed end of the strap, the strapping tool comprising:

• a cylinder housing;
• a piston disposed within a cylinder in the cylinder housing;
• a pneumatic weld motor operably connected to the piston;
• a vibrating weld element operably connected to the piston for contacting the strap and adhering the strap onto itself,
• a pneumatic module mounted to the cylinder housing, the pneumatic module including a compressed gas inlet, a plurality of valves and passageways between the inlet and the valves to provide compressed gas to the cylinder housing and the pneumatic weld motor, the module further including at least one timer for operation of the weld motor and for providing pressure to the cylinder, the pneumatic module includes means for controlling timing of the weld motor;
• and
• a time-out indicator assembly, the time-out indicator assembly including a sleeve fitted into an opening in the module, the opening disposed above and in communication with the cylinder, the sleeve defining a central, longitudinal opening and an indicator biasedly mounted in the sleeve and disposed for contact with the piston, the indicator including a stem the indicator reciprocating between a retracted position and an extended position and indicating a cycle of the strapping tool as an in-cycle state in which the cylinder is under pressure, pressurizing the piston to urge the weld element into contact with the strap and timed-out state in which the piston is not pressurized, the indicator being in the retracted position when the strapper is in the in-cycle state and being in the extended position, by contact of the piston with the indicator, when the strapper is in the timed-out state.