Sealing head for modular steel strapping machine
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsDustin D. Elliott, Christopher S. Krohn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sealing head for a strapping machine welds steel strapping material to itself in an end-to-end weld. The sealing head includes a body, a drive, an end grip at the inlet to the body, a cutter, a grip clamp and a loop grip downstream of the end grip. The loop grip is carried on a carriage that is movable in a direction along the strap path. A leading end of strap is secured by the end grip and a loop portion of the strap is gripped by the loop grip and severed by the cutter to form a loop end. The loop end is secured by the grip clamp. The loop grip carriage moves the loop end toward the leading end as current is passed though the loop end and the leading end to weld the ends to one another in an end-to-end weld.
Claims17
A sealing head for a strapping machine for feeding a steel strapping material around a load, tensioning the strapping material and welding the strapping material to itself in an end-to-end weld, the strapping material conveyed along a strap path, the sealing head comprising:
- a body;
- a drive;
- an end grip disposed at about an inlet to the body;
- a cutter;
- an anvil;
- a shuttle configured to move transverse to the strap path;
- a grip clamp;
- and
- a loop grip disposed downstream of the end grip, the loop grip carried on a loop grip carriage, the loop grip carriage movable in a direction along the strap path,
- wherein a leading end of strapping material is secured by the end grip, a loop portion of the strap is gripped by the loop grip and severed by the cutter to form a loop end of the strapping material, the loop end being secured by the grip clamp, wherein the loop grip carriage moves the loop end toward the leading end as current is passed though the loop end and the leading end to weld the loop end and leading end to one another in an end-to-end weld, and wherein the cutter and the grip clamp are carried on the shuttle.
A sealing head for welding first and second ends of a section of strapping material to one another in an end-to-end weld to form a loop as the strap is under tension, the strap loop defining a strap direction, the sealing head comprising:
- a body;
- an end grip disposed at about an inlet to the body;
- a cutter;
- a shuttle configured to move transverse to the strap direction;
- a grip clamp and grip clamp anvil cooperating with one another to grip the first end, the grip clamp including a weld electrode carried thereon;
- and
- a loop grip carried on a loop grip carriage, the loop grip and loop grip carriage cooperating to grip the second end, the loop grip carriage movable parallel to the strap direction, the loop grip carriage carrying a weld electrode thereon,
- wherein the loop grip carriage moves the second end toward the first end as current is passed though the electrodes to weld the first and second ends to one another in an end-to-end weld, and wherein the cutter and the grip clamp are carried on the shuttle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.