Thermal Knife For Orbital Pallet Wrappers
An orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping a cargo in a stretch film includes a base frame. The orbital wrapping apparatus further includes a circular ring. The orbital wrapping apparatus further includes a stretch film dispenser. The orbital wrapping apparatus further includes a cutting assembly having a thermally heated blade.
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This application is a continuation-in part of the U.S. application Ser. No. 17/698,626, filed on Mar. 18, 2022, that is a continuation-in-part of the U.S. application Ser. No. 17/346,956, filed on Jun. 14, 2021, that is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/937,040, filed on Mar. 27, 2018 that is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/919,132, filed on Jun. 17, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/661,112 of Jun. 18, 2012.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to the wrapping of a palletized load of products with stretch film and, more particularly, to an orbital wrapping mechanism that wraps stretch film around the pallet and the load placed on the pallet.
BACKGROUNDWrapping stretch film around a cargo before shipment has been utilized for many years. The plastic film binds the products into a stable, more secured load that can be easily shipped from the manufacturing source of the products to the end user. Generally, the wrapped cargo is sized to be placed onto a pallet that facilitates the handling of the cargo during transportation and during the movement from one location to another.
Stretch film wrapping devices have traditionally been utilized to place stretch film around the cargo on the pallet. To this end, some stretch film wrapping machines place the cargo onto a rotating turntable while the roll of plastic stretch film, which is oriented vertically, is held in a stationary position for the application of the stretch film as the cargo is rotated on the turntable. One such apparatus can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,076, granted on Nov. 10, 1981, to John R. Humphrey, in which the cargo is placed onto a pallet and then moved along a horizontal roller conveyor to reach the turntable where the plastic film is applied as the pallet and the load thereon is rotated about a vertical axis. Another such wrapping apparatus is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,849, granted to Roger V. Bettenhausen on Mar. 4, 1997. The vertically oriented roll of plastic stretch film is vertically movable to facilitate the application of the stretch film to the entire vertically oriented faces of the palletized cargo as the turntable is rotated.
Another more commonly found configuration of the stretch film wrapping mechanism has the cargo placed on the pallet which is held in a stationary position while the orbital wrapping apparatus rotates around the cargo to apply plastic stretch film to the vertically oriented faces of the palletized cargo. One example of such a wrapping machine can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,532, issued on Jul. 3, 2001, to Kenneth S. E. Orpen, in which the vertically oriented roll of plastic stretch film is carried on an arm that is rotated about a vertical axis of rotation carried by the apparatus and positioned over top of the cargo to be wrapped. In the Orpen wrapper apparatus, the cargo is anticipated to be in a cylindrical shape which is also rotated about a horizontal axis while the plastic stretch film is being applied to the cargo. The end result is that the entire cylindrical object is wrapped with the plastic stretch film. Such wrapping devices are commonly found in the agricultural industry to wrap cylindrical bales of hay or other organic material to create an airtight seal that converts the organic material into a silage product.
A variation of the stretch film wrapping machines having vertically oriented rolls of stretch film can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,581,368, granted to Darrel Bison on Sep. 1, 2009, and in U.S. Pat. No. 8,037,660, issued to Patrick R. Lancaster, III, et al, on Oct. 18, 2011. In these alternative wrapping machines, the plastic is applied as a rope that is passed around the vertically oriented faces of the cargo being secured and stabilized thereby. For some forms of cargo to be wrapped into a stabile shippable configuration, the consolidation of the stretch film into a rope configuration provides adequate stabilization of the cargo.
An orbital variation of the plastic stretch film wrapping mechanism can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,393, issued on Feb. 9, 1988 to Peter Silbernagel, wherein the plastic stretch film is applied around the cargo from a generally horizontally oriented roll of stretch film that is passed vertically around the cargo to be stabilized for shipment. In the '393 patent, the cargo being wrapped in plastic is wrapped while being passed through the center of the wrapping mechanism, the wrapped cargo being subsequently shipped with or without the use of a pallet. The orbital wrapping mechanism is operated within a gap formed in a horizontal conveyor along which the cargo is passed to be wrapped in stretch film.
The orbital wrapping apparatus shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,532, issued to Robert J. Gutche on May 20, 2003, has the horizontally oriented roll of stretch film mounted on an arm that is rotated about the cargo and pallet being wrapped in plastic. The wrapping mechanism in the '532 patent is configured substantially like the vertical axis wrappers as depicted in U. S. U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,532, except oriented with the axis of rotation of the arm carrying the roll of plastic stretch film being positioned horizontally. A significant difference between the orbital wrapping apparatus shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,393 and the wrapping mechanism shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,532 is that the apparatus in U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,532 wraps stretch film around both the cargo and the pallet on which the cargo is situated.
A commercially available stretch film wrapping mechanism of the orbital configuration is marketed under the brand of “Yellow Jacket”. This “Yellow Jacket” orbital wrapping mechanism has a base frame supporting a cylindrical wrapping mechanism that is linearly movable along the base frame. Within the cylindrical wrapping mechanism is an orbital wrapper that carries a roll of plastic stretch film positioned horizontally. The plastic roll is then driven around the cylindrical wrapping mechanism to dispense plastic stretch film around the cargo and the pallet on which the cargo is mounted. Typically, the pallet bearing the cargo is carried by a forklift in a manner that the cargo bearing pallet is positioned in the center of the cylindrical wrapping mechanism. The orbital drive is actuated to spin the roll of plastic stretch film around cargo and pallet and apply the stretch film thereto. The cylindrical wrapping mechanism is then moved along the base frame so that the plastic stretch film is applied along the entire longitudinal length of the cargo and pallet. The end result is that the cargo is secured directly to the pallet to provide stability and security to the wrapped cargo.
One of the difficulties in applying plastic stretch film around the cargo, whether or not the pallet is wrapped in plastic stretch film with the cargo, is that the stretch film is not placed in tension as the stretch film is being applied to the cargo. Although an adequate number of layers of the plastic film will ultimately resolve the stability problem inherent with a loose application of the stretch film to the cargo, more plastic stretch film is applied than is necessary to provide proper stability and security to the wrapped cargo.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a plastic stretch wrap dispensing mechanism that would place tension on the stretch film as the plastic stretch film is being applied to the cargo. The end result is that less plastic stretch film would be required to stabilize a cargo being wrapped and less time would be needed to apply the stretch film to wrap and stabilize a cargo for shipment.
It would also be desirable to provide an orbital stretch film wrapping machine that is less expensive to manufacture while providing the end results of a wrapped, stabilized cargo bearing pallet.
SUMMARYAn orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping a cargo in a stretch film is provided and generally includes a base frame, a circular ring mounted on the base frame and rotatable with respect to the base frame to form an axis of rotation. The wrapping apparatus further includes a stretch film dispenser mounted on the circular ring assembly and rotatable with the circular ring assembly about the axis of rotation. The wrapping apparatus further includes a cutting assembly mounted to the base frame and extending through an opening defined by the circular ring assembly, the cutting assembly having a thermally heated blade.
The present invention will now be described by way of example with references to the accompanying drawings of which:
Referring first to
A stretch film dispenser 20 is mounted in a cantilevered manner on the circular ring assembly 15 so as to not interfere with the rotational support of the circular ring assembly 15 by the rotational supports 13, 13a. A counterweight 19 is also mounted on the circular ring assembly 15 diametrically opposite the mounting of the stretch film dispenser 20 so that the rotation of the circular ring assembly 15 with the stretch film dispenser 20 mounted thereon can be balanced. Alternatively, a second stretch film dispenser could be supported on the circular ring assembly 15 in diametric opposition to the first stretch film dispenser 20 instead of the counterweight 19.
The circular ring assembly 15 carrying the stretch film dispenser 20 is powered to rotate relative to the base frame 11. The circular ring assembly 15 does not move longitudinally relative to the base frame 11; therefore, the stretch film supplied by the stretch film dispenser 20, as will be described in greater detail below, will only be applied in a single swath to the cargo inserted into the orbital wrapping apparatus 10. Thus, the construction of the orbital wrapping apparatus 10 is substantially simplified without providing a track on the base frame 11 that would support a longitudinal movement of the circular ring assembly 15 in order to apply the stretch film to the cargo in longitudinally spaced swaths or in a spiral manner. The application of stretch film to the cargo to be wrapped can be accomplished by moving the cargo relative to the circular ring assembly 15, as will be described in greater detail below.
The stretch film dispenser 20 is best seen in
Referring now to the first embodiment of the stretch film dispenser 20 shown in
One skilled in the art will recognize that the two feed rollers 30, 35 are not powered in rotation. The rotation of the feed rollers 30, 35 is caused by the wrapping of the stretch film around the cargo as the circular ring assembly 15 rotates spinning the stretch film dispenser 20 20 around the cargo to apply the stretch film thereto. The pulling of the stretch film against the second feed roller 35 as the stretch film dispenser 20 20 is rotated with the circular ring assembly 15 around the cargo causes the second feed roller 35 to rotate. The intermeshed gears 32, 37, transfer the rotational movement of the second feed roller 35 to the first feed roller 30. The relative differential speeds of rotation of the first and second feed rollers 30, 35 induce tension into the stretch film as the stretch film is unrolled from the supply roll 25.
As best seen in
Referring now to
Referring now to the third embodiment of the stretch film dispenser 20 shown in
A manually adjustable brake member 40 is depicted in
In operation, the amount of tension placed on the stretch film as the stretch film is being wrapped around the cargo is a function of the amount of spring force exerted by the spring 44 onto the braking disc 43 to engages the face of the rotor portion 32a. The compression of the spring 44 is controlled by moving the adjustment rod 47 into or outwardly of the mount 47a, as this movement controls the positioning of the spring housing 45 along the guide pins 46. A selective movement of the adjustment rod 47 can be accomplished by utilizing an Allen wrench (not shown) or socket wrench (not shown) to engage the head portion 48 and cause rotation thereof.
In
In operation, the pallet (not shown) having a cargo (not shown) supported thereon is lifted by a fork lift (not shown) with the tines inserted into the pallet in a conventional manner. The fork lift operator inserts the cargo bearing pallet into the center of the circular ring assembly 15. The loose end of the stretch film is secured on the cargo and the electric motor 17 is started to drive the rotation of the rotational support 13a, which is considered the drive wheel. The drive wheel 13a rotates the circular ring assembly 15 and rotates the stretch film dispenser 20 around the pallet and the cargo mounted thereon. As the stretch film dispenser 20 is rotated around the pallet and cargo, the fork lift operator advances the fork lift, and the pallet supported thereon further into the circular ring assembly 15, thus advancing the cargo and pallet longitudinally relative to the longitudinally fixed circular ring assembly 15 and the base frame 11.
The differentially rotated feed rollers 30, 35 of the stretch film dispenser 20 keep the stretch film taut as the stretch film is wrapped around the cargo and pallet. As a result, the cargo and pallet require less stretch film to stabilize the cargo on the pallet and the wrapping of the cargo and pallet. Accordingly, the process of wrapping a cargo and pallet for shipment will take less time to accomplish. Furthermore, since the base frame 11 of the orbital wrapping apparatus 10 does not have a track to enable the longitudinal movement of the circular ring assembly relative to the cargo, the orbital wrapping apparatus can be manufactured less expensively. When the cargo and pallet have been wrapped adequately with the stretch film to stabilize the cargo on the pallet, the stretch film is severed and the fork lift operator withdraws the wrapped pallet and cargo for subsequent shipping. One skilled in the art will note that the stretch film is wrapped in an orbital manner around both the pallet and the cargo, thus securing the cargo to the pallet and providing a highly stabilized package for shipment. In the third embodiment of the stretch film dispenser 20, as described above, the brake member 40 will maintain tension in the stretch film as the stretch film is being wrapped around the cargo to be shipped.
Now with reference to
Generally, the orbital wrapping apparatus 10′ according to another embodiment of the invention generally includes a cutting assembly 100 and a stretch film dispenser 20′.
First, with reference to
The cutting assembly 100 is generally mounted to the base frame 11 and extends through an opening defined by the circular ring assembly 15 as shown in
The cutter head 120 is shown in
The cutter housing 122, as shown in
The spring pad 126, as shown in
The first fasteners 52 permit movement of the spring pad 126 with respect to the cutter housing 122 between a depressed position and a protruding position. In the depressed position, described in greater detail below, the spring pad 126 is positioned adjacent the stop 124 and the pinch surface 127 of the spring pad 126 is approximately flush with the cut surface 125 of the cutter housing 122. In the protruding position, shown in
The blade 129, as shown in
The shaft 130, as shown in
The pinch head 140 is attached to the second end 134 of the shaft 130 and, as shown in
The pinching plate 142, as shown in
The stretch film dispenser 20′ of the orbital wrapping apparatus 10′ is shown in
The loading assembly 60, as shown in
The tension assembly 80, as shown in
The use of the orbital wrapping apparatus 10′ to wrap a cargo in stretch film will now be described primarily with reference to
The roll 25 of stretch film is first mounted on the pair of end caps 28, 28′ as shown in
With the portion of the subframe 21 in the second position, the user places a first end of a carrier tube 26 of the roll 25 of stretch film on the end cap 28′ as shown in
An initial preparation of the orbital wrapping apparatus 10′ for wrapping the cargo is shown in
Stretch film 25a from the roll 25 of stretch film is attached to a tie down 12 disposed on the base frame 11, as shown in
During motion of the shaft 130 from the extended position into the retracted position, the stretch film 25a slides with respect to the shaft 130 and is gathered and compressed between the pinch surface 144 of the pinching plate 142 and the pinch surface 127 of the spring pad 126 as shown in
As the force imparted by the cutting motor 110 moving the shaft 130 into the retracted position overcomes the spring force of the springs 128, the spring pad 126 is moved into the depressed position shown in
A portion of the stretch film 25a attached to the tie down 12 is separated from a portion of the stretch film 25a connected to the roll 25 by the blade 129. The cutting motor 110 holds the shaft 130 in the retracted position and the portion of the stretch film 25a attached to the roll 25 remains held by compression between the pinch surface 144 of the pinching plate 142 and the pinch surface 127 of the spring pad 126, as shown in
After the initial preparation of the orbital wrapping apparatus 10′, the cargo C is inserted into the ring assembly 15 and wrapped as shown in
Now with reference to
The conveyer assembly 200, as shown in
With an end of the cargo C inserted into the ring assembly 15, the orbital wrapping apparatus 10′ begins the wrapping process described above in which the stretch film dispenser 20′ is rotated around the cargo C by the drive wheel 13a. The stretch film dispenser 20′ completes one rotation about a leading end of the cargo C with the stretch film 25a still retained by the cutting assembly 100. After the full rotation, the cutting motor 110 moves the shaft 130 out to the extended position and back to the retracted position, releasing the end of the stretch film 25a. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the orbital wrapping apparatus 10′ completes five full rotations, wrapping five layers of stretch film 25a around the leading end of the cargo C before the cargo C is moved further along the longitudinal direction L. The number of rotations, number of corresponding layers of stretch film 25a, and location of the additional layers may vary in various embodiments.
As shown in
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the orbital wrapping apparatus 10′ will only rotate when a safety button 300 is actively pressed. As shown in
The tension assembly 80 is used in an exemplary embodiment of the invention in which the cargo C has a low profile or a relatively small height in a height direction H. To use the tension assembly 80, a user additionally feeds the stretch film 25a over the third feed roller 82, through the tension frame 85, and under the fourth feed roller 84 as shown in
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the orbital wrapping apparatus 10′ completes five full rotations at a central location between the leading end and a trailing end of the cargo and also completes five full rotations at the trailing end of the cargo C. The number of rotations, number of corresponding layers of stretch film 25a, and location of the additional layers may vary in various embodiments.
In a final rotation of the orbital wrapping apparatus 10′ about the trailing end of the cargo C, the cutting motor 110 moves the shaft 130 to the extended position and the stretch film 25a is positioned around the shaft 130 by the rotation of the stretch film dispenser 20′ as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
In the exemplary embodiment, an extension arm 430 according to the invention is a cylindrical member, such as a cylindrical unit 432 having a u-shaped groove positioned at one end thereof—an upper region. A threaded fastener receiving passage 436 is provided along the upper region and passes there through, as well as the u-shaped groove. In the shown embodiment, the u-shaped groove is a fin receiving passageway 435 adapted to receive the blower-exhaust 460. A retention receiving passage 434 is provided at a base of the cylindrical unit 432 opposite the fin receiving passageway 435, as shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, the blower-exhaust 460 consists of a hose unit 462, a jointing unit 470, a coupling unit 480 and an exhaust unit 490. The hose unit 462 is a hose. The hose unit 462 includes an insert 464 to the jointing member's 470 hose receiving passage 472. As shown, the hose is a hollow structure and well known to the art. A person having ordinary skill in the art would understand that the hose unit 462 can be designed with different lengths and structures. The jointing unit 470 is a hollow structure having an elbow shaped design in the embodiment shown. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art would understand that other configurations of the jointing unit 470 can be used as a connector. In an exemplary embodiment, the jointing unit 470 includes the hose receiving passage 472 at one end thereof and a threaded fastener 474 positioned at another end.
In the embodiment shown, the coupling unit 480 is a cylindrical member having a first threaded receiving passage 482 at one end of the coupling unit 480 and a second threaded receiving passage 488 at an opposite end thereof. The coupling unit 480 further includes an oval fin 486 protruding from a side thereof. In the central region of the oval fin 486, there is a fastener through-hole 484 which passes there through. A person having ordinary skill in the art would understand that other forms of the coupling unit 480 can be used and is not exclusive to a cylindrical member. An exhaust unit 490 is a hollow air tube. The exhaust unit 490 includes a threaded fastener 492 and a nut 494. In one embodiment, as shown in
The retention bracket 412 is pivotally fastened to the base frame 11 of the orbital wrapping apparatus 10″ by the oval receiving passage 416. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art would understand the oval receiving passage 416 can be manipulated depending on where the retention bracket 412 would need to be attached. The arm retention rod 414 is inserted into the retention receiving passage 434 of the cylindrical unit 432. A person having ordinary skill in the art would understand the arm retention rod 414 is one of many manipulations that can be used to connect the retention bracket 412 to the cylindrical unit 432. The arm retention rod 414 is secured in place by threaded fastener 442a and threaded fastener 442b which are inserted into threaded fastener receiving passage 440a and threaded fastener receiving passage 440b as shown in
The coupling unit 480 is inserted into the fin receiving passageway 435 of the cylindrical unit 432 as shown in
Generally, the orbital wrapping apparatus 10″ according to another embodiment of the invention generally includes a cutting assembly 100, a stretch film dispenser 20 and an air exhaust assembly 400. The air exhaust assembly 400, is mounted to the base frame 11 of the orbital wrapping apparatus 10″ above where the cutting assembly 100 is mounted. The air exhaust assembly 400 can be pivoted at the frame support 410, the extension arm 430 and the blower-exhaust 460 in order to direct air towards the cutting assembly 100. The air exhaust assembly 400 is activated when the cutting assembly's 100 shaft 130 is in the extended position to cut the stretch film from the stretch film dispenser 20 as shown in
Referring to
The cutting assembly 600 is generally mounted to the base frame 11 and extends through an opening defined by the circular ring assembly 15 as shown in
The cutter head 620 is shown in
The cutter housing 622, as shown in
The spring pad 626, as shown in
The first fasteners 52 permit movement of the spring pad 626 with respect to the cutter housing 622 between a depressed position and a protruding position. In the depressed position, described in greater detail below, the spring pad 626 is positioned adjacent the stop 624 and the pinch surface 627 of the spring pad 626 is approximately flush with the cut surface 625 of the cutter housing 622. In the protruding position, the pinch surface 627 of the spring pad 626 protrudes beyond the cut surface 625 of the cutter housing 622. The plurality of springs 628 provide a spring force biasing the spring pad 626 into the protruding position.
The collar 640, as shown in
The blade 650, as shown in
The blade 650 is attached to the collar 640 by inserting the plurality of receptors 654 into the designated pin receptacle 644 of the collar 640 such that the sharp edge 652 faces away from the cutting motor 610 and protrudes beyond the cut surface 625 in the longitudinal direction S. The second fasteners 54 are screws in the shown embodiment. In other embodiments, the second fasteners 54 may be bolts or any other type of fastener capable of retaining the blade 650 on the outer surface of the collar 640. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the sharp edge 652 is beveled on both sides.
The plurality of ground wires 660 are standard grounding wires. Each ground wire 660 further includes a coupling member 662 and a connector 664. The coupling member 662 attaches to the ground wire passageway 642 of the collar 640 and extends behind the blade 650 while extending down and along the cutter housing 622.
The pinch head 670 is attached to the second end 634 of the shaft 630 and, as shown in
The pinching plate 672 is positioned closer to the cutter head 620 than the support plate 676 in the longitudinal direction S. The pinching plate 672 has a pinch surface 674 facing the cutter head 620 and the support plate 676 abuts a surface of the pinching plate 672 opposite the pinch surface 674. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the pinching plate 672 is formed of a polymer, such as nylon. In one embodiment, the pinching plate 672 is a nylon material that is water jet cut and machined to form a flat pinch surface 674. One skilled in the art should appreciate that other materials could be used that limit the amount of wear to the blade 650. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the support plate 676 is formed of a metal material.
When utilizing the alternative cutting assembly 600, stretch film 25a from the roll 25 of stretch film is attached to a tie down 12 disposed on the base frame 11, and the stretch film 25a extends around the shaft 630 of the cutting assembly 600 as shown
During motion of the shaft 630 from the extended position into the retracted position, the stretch film 25a slides with respect to the shaft 630 and is gathered and compressed between the pinch surface 674 of the pinching plate 672 and the pinch surface 627 of the spring pad 626. The spring pad 626 is initially in the protruding position due to the biasing force of the springs 628, such that the stretch film 25a is spaced apart from the sharp edge 652 of the blade 650. As the force imparted by the cutting motor 610 moving the shaft 630 into the retracted position overcomes the spring force of the springs 628, the spring pad 626 is moved into the depressed position while the stretch film 25a remains gathered and compressed between the pinch surfaces 627, 674. The sharp edge 652 begins to protrude beyond the pinch surface 627 of the spring pad 626 as the spring pad 626 moves into the depressed position. The power box 700 which include voltage wires 702, a transformer 704, a junction box 706,708 a relay 710 and a delay unit 712 transfer electrical current to the plurality of electrical receptors 654. Simultaneously, the blade 650 begins to absorb thermal energy from the plurality of electrical receptors 654. The blade 650 retains the thermal energy while, the edge 652 then penetrates the compressed stretch film 25a until it contacts the pinch surface 674 of the pinching plate 672, severing the stretch film 25a.
A portion of the stretch film 25a attached to the tie down 12 is separated from a portion of the stretch film 25a connected to the roll 25 by the blade 650. The cutting motor 610 holds the shaft 630 in the retracted position and the portion of the stretch film 25a attached to the roll 25 remains held by compression between the pinch surface 674 of the pinching plate 672 and the pinch surface 627 of the spring pad 626, as shown in Figures BLANK.
The foregoing illustrates some of the possibilities for practicing the invention. Many other embodiments and fields of use for the air exhaust assembly 400 are possible and within the scope and spirit of the invention. It is therefore intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting.
It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and scope of the invention; however, concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. An orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping a cargo in a stretch film, comprising:
- a base frame;
- a circular ring assembly mounted on the base frame and rotatable with respect to the base frame to form an axis of rotation;
- a stretch film dispenser mounted on the circular ring assembly and rotatable with the circular ring assembly about the axis of rotation;
- a cutting assembly mounted to the base frame and extending through an opening defined by the circular ring assembly, the cutting assembly having a thermally heated blade.
2. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 1, wherein a first end of the cutter housing is attached to the cutting motor and an opposite second end of the cutter housing is a cut surface.
3. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 2, wherein the cutter housing includes a shaft.
4. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 3, wherein the cutting motor holds the shaft.
5. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 4, wherein the shaft extends and retracts from the cutting motor.
6. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 5, wherein the cutting assembly further includes a collar.
7. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 6, wherein a collar positioned on an outer surface of the cutting housing.
8. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 7, wherein the collar further includes a pair of ground wire passageways.
9. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 8, wherein the collar further includes a plurality of pin receptacles.
10. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 1, wherein the blade further includes a plurality of electrical receptors on an outer surface and an inner surface of the blade.
11. An orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping a cargo in a stretch film, comprising:
- a base frame with a rotatable circular ring assembly with respect to the base frame to form an axis of rotation;
- a cutting assembly mounted to the base frame and extending through an opening defined by the circular ring assembly; the cutting assembly having a semi-circular blade with a sharp edge disposed along one side; the cutting assembly further having a plurality of electrical receptors position along the blade.
12. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 11, wherein the plurality of electrical receptors are position along both an outer surface and an inner surface of the blade.
13. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 12, wherein each electrical receptors includes a gap.
14. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 13, wherein the cutting assembly further incudes a cutter housing.
15. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 14, wherein the cutting assembly further includes a collar.
16. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 15, wherein the collar is positioned on an outer surface of the cutter housing.
17. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 16, wherein the plurality of electrical receptors extend within the collar.
18. The orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping the cargo in the stretch film of claim 11, wherein the electrical receptors absorb and transfer thermal energy to the blade.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 26, 2024
Publication Date: Sep 5, 2024
Applicant: TAB Industries, LLC (Reading, PA)
Inventors: Thomas A. Brizek (Reading, PA), Andrew G. Brizek (Reading, PA)
Application Number: 18/647,623