Pallet roping and wrapping apparatus

#1. Technical Field

#Aspects of this document relate generally to securing and protecting palletized loads.

#2. Background Art

#Various aspects of implementations of pallet wrapping and roping machines will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, where like designations denote like elements, and:

#FIG. 1 is a pictorial diagram of a particular implementation of an apparatus for wrapping palletized loads;

#FIG. 2 is a pictorial diagram of the particular implementation of FIG. 1 illustrating hand-held use of the apparatus;

#This disclosure, its aspects and implementations, are not limited to the specific devices and methods disclosed herein. Many additional elements, components, and procedures known in the art consistent with the intended use of the apparatus and methods described will become apparent for use with various implementations of pallet-wrapping apparatus and techniques from this disclosure. Accordingly, for example, although a particular apparatus may be disclosed, such apparatus may comprise any shape, size, style, type, model, version, material, and/or the like as is known in the art for such apparatus, consistent with the intended operation of the devices described herein.

#A particular implementation of a pallet roping and wrapping apparatus 10, which may be employed for securing a palletized load, is shown in FIG. 1. The apparatus 10 comprises a first roll 15 and a second roll 16 of stretch film and a single spool 2 configured to support the first and second rolls 15 and 16 of stretch film. The first and second rolls 15 and 16 may be positioned essentially contiguously on the spool 2. The apparatus 10 further may comprise a baseplate 40 and a spool support member (which may be a rod, not shown) adapted to support the spool 2, the spool support member having an end affixed to and supported by the baseplate 40. The spool 2 may have an axis that typically coincides with a center axis shared by the first and second rolls 15 and 16 of stretch film. The illustrated implementation still further comprises a pair of guides, first guide 30 and second guide 31, and a guide support member 20, which may comprise, for example, a rod. The guide support member 20 may have an end coupled to and supported by the baseplate 40. That is, the spool support member and the guide support member 20 may share mechanical support provided by the baseplate 40. The guide support member 20 may have an axis oriented to be substantially parallel to the axis of the spool 2 in normal operation. In the illustrated implementation of FIG. 1, the first and second guides 30 and 31 are formed as rings. First guide 30 is secured to the guide support member 20 by a first collar 35 that may be adjustably positioned on the guide support member 20 at a location nominally opposite a midpoint of the first roll 15. Likewise, second guide 31, which also may have an adjustable position according to a location of a second collar 36, may be located nominally opposite a midpoint of the second roll 16. The illustrated positions of first and second guides 30 and 31 are only examples, as positions of the first and second guides 30 and 31 may be adjusted in either a ganged fashion or independently according to needs or preferences of a user of the apparatus 10.

#Stretch film from first and second rolls 15 and 16 may be threaded or otherwise passed through first and second guides 30 and 31 to form a first rope 50 and a second rope 51 of stretch film. It should be noted that there is no need to cut or otherwise modify, distort, or weaken the stretch film coming from the roll. Any such cutting, modifying, or distorting is obviated by the use of separate first and second rolls 15 and 16 of stretch film. Indeed, known devices that require cutting of stretch film or that employ cutting or distorting of stretch film in their operation may cause inconvenience and expense to users of the known devices as a result of consequential breaking and/or tearing of the stretch film.