Device for securing objects to a load carrier by means of bands or the like .

Technical field:

The present invention relates to a device for securing objects to a load carrier by means of bands ^" or the like, which load carrier is provided with a load- carrying upper portion and a plurality of spacing elements disposed with spacing and adapted to support the upper portion at a distance from a base, comprising a guide device by means of which the band can be introduced below the upper por¬ tion and brought to bear against the load carrier and which permits a relative movement between the load carrier with the object and the guide device towards and away from a securing point at which the object is secured, in a direction of movement which is directed transversely to the longitudinal direction in said working position of a part included in the guide device which is adapted to extend in under said upper portion of the load carrier.

Background art:

It was previously known to secure loads or loading frames to a load carrier such as a loading pallet with a varying degree of auto¬ mation by various devices . For example it is known to feed band mechanically along a band guide and to introduce the band through the pallet by means of a so-called sword which is pushed in and out in its longitudinal direction by means of a pneumatic piston cylinder. This equipment works relatively satisfactorily but is relatively ex¬ pensive and in addition requires much space because of the move¬ ment of the sword. The space requirements of this equipment beside a roller conveyor are particularly obvious with an arrangement comp¬ rising a plurality of parallel conveyors which cannot be placed close . together with this equipment.

Disclosure of invention : The object of the present invention is to provide a device which is simple and has small space requirements .

Said object is achieved by means of a device which is charac¬ terized in that said part of the guide device is divided up into a plurality of sections which are at least partially adjustable between a neutral position in which the sections are situated in the longitu- dinal direction of one another, so that the band can be guided through the sections in under the upper portion of the load carrier, and at least one lower position in which spacing is formed between the sections , permitting said relative movement between the load car¬ rier and the guide device in said direction of displacement towards -and away from said securing position.

Brief description of drawings:

The invention will be described in more detail below with some examples of embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig . 1 shows a side view of a device according to the in¬ vention, Fig. 2 shows a partially broken view of the device accor¬ ding to the invention in an initial position, Fig. 3 shows a correspon ding view of the device according to the invention in a partially lowered position, Fig. 4 shows a partial view on a larger scale of the device according to the invention and Fig. 5 shows an end view of the device according to the invention . Figs . 6, 7 and 8 show mo¬ dified embodiments of rocker arms included in . the device according to the invention. Fig. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of a guide device included in the device. ^{' •}

Forms of embodiment of the invention :

As can be seen from Figs . 1 , 2 and 3, the device for securing loads or the like to a load carrier by means of bands or the like is placed on a conveyor 1 , in the example shown a roller conveyor, adapted to convey goods 2 on load carriers such- as the loading pal¬ lets 3. The device according to. the invention is constructed in the form of a guide device 4 which comprises an upright portion 5 which is adapted to extend vertically beside the conveyor 1 and a laterally directed portion 6 which _s ^' adapted to extend transversely over the conveyor at a-suftable height. The guide device is adapted to form a_guider ^' for a band 7, a rope or the like, which is unrolled conti¬ nuously from a band reel 8. The device according to the invention

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is supported by a stand 9 which comprises a column 10 along which the upright portion 5 of the guide device extends . The band reel 8 is pivotaϋy mounted in a holder 11 which is mounted fixed near the bottom of the column 10. The stand 9 also comprises a laterally di- rected portion 12 which extends across the conveyor 1 below the conveying level of the conveyor which is determined in the example shown by the rollers 13 of the conveyor, which are rotatably moun¬ ted in longitudinal side pieces 14, 15. The guide device 4 also com¬ prises an obliquely directed portion 16 which is supported by a cor- responding obliquely directed portion 17 of the stand 9 and which extends in over the conveyor at a suitable height so that the goods can pass underneath . Mounted on the stand are guide elements 18 in the form of eyes or the like, through which the band 7 runs from the band reel 8 and extends into the guide device 4. This is adap- ted, in a neutral position, to form a continuous unit right to its lower end 19, through which the band' is adapted to be fed out. All transitions between the various parts of the guide device are there¬ fore gently curved.

As can be seen from Figs . 1 and 3, the loading pallets 3 are adapted to be conveyed forwards on their runners 20 which , in the example shown, are three in number, being displaced over the rol¬ lers 13. Each loading pallet is normally constructed in accordance with a certain predetermined standard and comprises , apart from the three runners 20, a plurality of spacing blocks 21 which are nine in number in the example shown and arranged in three rows . The loading pallet 3 comprises .an upper portion which consists of five units 22 which extend in the longitudinal direction of the run¬ ners 20 and are supported by three units 23, which extend trans¬ versely and are mounted on the spacing blocks 21. Loading pallets of this type are usually made of wood. The lengthy units 22 are adapted to carry the goods 2, pallet frames , transport containers or the like.

According to the invention, the laterally directed portion 6 of the guide device 4 is divided up into a plurality of pivotally moun- ted units which are four in number in the example shown and con¬ structed in the form of rocker arms 24, 25, 26, 27. At one end, the rocker arms 24-27 are mounted for pivoting about spindles 28,

29 , which , in the example show , are constructed in the form of screws . In the example shown, one spindle 28, 29 is common to two rocker arms 24, 25 and 26, 27 respectively situated beside one another. The spindles are situated substantially centrally in the gap which is formed between two runners 20 in the loading pallet 3. The rocker arms are situated at such a height that they are below the upper portion of the loading pallet, that is to say the units 22 and 23. The rocker arms 24-27 are spring-loaded by means of . springs 30 (see Fig. 4) so that the rocker arms tend to assume a neutral position as shown in Fig. 2 in a straight line with one another, but can be lowered against the action of their springs by pivoting about their spindles 28, 29 as is shown in Fig. 3 into a lower- position . Fig. 3, however, shows an intermediate position during this pivo¬ ting movement. The construction of the rocker arms is shown in more detail in

Fig. 4. In this figure only the rocker arm 24 situated furthest out in the device is shown, which is here in its lowered position . For the sake of clarity, certain parts situated at . the back, belonging inter alia to the rocker arm 25, have been omitted. The figure shows in more detail that the rocker arms 24-27 are composed of a suppor¬ ting arm 31 which, in the example shown, is constructed in the form of a U-section, provided with widened portions 32 in one corner (see Fig. 3) . The widened portions each comprise a bore 33, throug which the screws serving as spindles 28, 29 extend. Situated respe tively above and below the widened portions 32 are bearing washers 34. Mounted fixed to the laterally directed portion 12 of the stand 9 are two supporting elements 35 into which the spindles 28 are intro¬ duced in a ^" bore not shown . In the example shown, the spindles 28, 29 are provided, in their lower portion , with threads by means of which they are secured into the bores . Each one of the rocker arms 24-27 also includes a band guide, section 37 each of which is suppor¬ ted by its own supporting arm 31 and is fixed to the top 38 of this by means of screws 39 which are taken through holes in the laterally directed flange portions 40 of the band guide sections . These section form a part of an elongated band guide which substantially forms the guide device 4 and has the same basic construction along its whole length from its feed end 41 to its discharge end 19 with the

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exception of its bent portion 64. The band guide is substantially constructed from a square bar 42, which in the example shown, is solid and rests on said flanges 40, by means of which the band guide is fixed not only to the supporting arms 31 but also to the obliquely directed portion 17 of the stand and the column 10. Fitted to the square bar 42 are two angle sections 43 with an L- section which is provided with a plurality of bores situated spaced apart, through which a plurality of pins -44 extend out from the square bar 42. Each pin comprises , at its free end, a washer 45 between which and the associated angle section 43, a compression spring 46 is gripped. By this means , the angle sections 43 are res liently sus¬ pended from the square bars 42. The angle sections are so situated that between these and the square bar there is formed a groove 47 which is adapted to form a guide for the band 7 which is adapted to be fed along the groove . Situated in this is a slot-shaped elonga¬ ted opening 36 which is adapted to widen when the band is drawn - up through the capacity of the angle sections 43 to spring down¬ wards . In its outer end, a portion 48 of each angle section 43 is bent upwards somewhat to prevent damage to the band during the banding operation. These upwards bent portions may also occur with advantage in each joint between the various band guide sections . As indicated above, the bent portions 64 of the band' guide have a somewhat different construction . Here the angle sections 43 are re¬ placed by fixed side members 65 which are sufficient to guide' the band 7.

As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the supporting arms 31 overlap one another in each pair of rocker arms 24, while the band guide sections have substantially the same length as each of the sup¬ porting arms , however, the band guide sections 35 extend somewhat outside the supporting arms 31 so that the space between the band guide sections may be as small .as possible. Here, too, the ends of the band guide sections may , as mentioned above, (at least the in¬ take ends) , comprise ^" upwardly bent portions 48 in their angle sec¬ tions to prevent the band 7 from becoming hooked up during its feed . Each rocker arm 24-27 comprises a stop element 50 (se also Figure 4) which projects downwards from one edge of the supporting arm 31 and is adapted to bear against a stop surface 51 on each supporting

element 35 in the neutral position of the device, that is to say the position shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5. This stop surface 51 is substantially plane and extends substantially parallel to the longitu¬ dinal direction of the band guide sections 37 in the position of rest. Thus , by means of the stop element, the rocker arms are held in their correct position in line with one another in the neutral position by the tendency of the springs 30 to ^" press the stop element against its stop surface 51. These or the stop elements 50 may appropriately be made of a somewhat yielding shock-absorbing material. The device according to the invention also includes a tool 52 for tightening the band 7 and fastening the ends of two bands to¬ gether. This tool can be of a completely conventional kind and there¬ fore is not described in more detail in . this application for the sake of clarity . Figures 6, 7 and 8 show examples of modified emobidments of the rocker arms which are given the reference numerals 53, 54 and 55. Their neutral positions are shown by full lines while their lowe¬ red position is shown by chain lines . All the rocker arms in Figu¬ res 6, 7 and 8, in contrast to the example of embodiment described above, are adapted so that they can be lowered in both directions , which may be of interest in certain applications , that is to say when it is desirable to render possible a displacement of a loading pallet in two opposite conveying directions . In the example shown in Figu¬ re 6, this has been rendered possible as a result of the fact that the rocker arms 53 are adapted to pivot about two fixed spindles 56 for each pair of rocker arms . Each rocker arm 53 is provided, at its end adjacent to the spindles 56, 57 with two recesses 66 which form the bearing points for the pivoting of the rocker arms between their positions . Springs , not shown, are provided in each pair of rocker arms 53 and tend to pull the rocker arms towards one another into their neutral position. In the example shown in Figure 7, each rocker arm 54 is pivotally mounted on a spindle 58 provided separa¬ tely for each rocker arm . Thus included in each pair of rocker arms 54 are two spindles 58 which, in the exemple shown, are situated in hne with one another so that pivoting is permitted in both directions of pivoting. The rocker arms can be acted upon by means of springs and guides , not shown, in a manner known per se, so that they

tend to assume their neutral position . In the example shown in Fi¬ gure 8, the two rocker arms 55 in each pair are mounted in a com¬ mon spindle 59 like the rocker arms in the example of embodiment previously described with reference to Figures 1-5 , but in the examp- le shown in Figure 8, the spindles 59 cross the longitudinal axis of the rocker arms , as a result of which a symmetrical movement can be obtained in both directions of pivoting. In the embodiment shown in Figure 8, spring mechanisms and guides are included in a manner known per se, so that the rocker arms may tend to assume their neutral position.

Figure 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the guide device according to the invention which is here designated by 68. In this example, it is substantially composed of an elongated section, the cross-sectional shape of which can be seen from the Figure. The section is made with two flexible walls 69 which are movable in rela¬ tion to a bottom portion 71 connected to the walls . The walls 69 and the bottom portion 71 are adapted together to surround the groove 72 through which the band 7 is adapted to run . The band is ^' indicated in the Figure by chain lines and is adapted to be supported by a supporting element 74, which in the example shown, is made of a wear-resistant material, for example in the form of a flat iron, which rests against the inside 73 of the bottom portion 71 and is connected to this in a suitable manner, for example by means of a binding agent. The flexible walls 69 are made with a lateral portion 70 exten- ding from the bottom portion 71 and an oblique portion 79. ^' In the example shown, the walls 69 are provided, at ^' the bottom, with a fillet 76 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the section and is adapted to facilitate the flexibility of the walls .

In the example shown, the section with the bottom portion 71 and the walls 69 is made of a flexible material, for example polypro¬ pylene, poly vinyl chloride or the like, so that the walls are given elastic characteristics and can be deformed in the desired manner and resume their position of rest shown in Figure 9 in a manner which will be described in more detail below. Each of -the walls 69 comprises , at the top , a lip-like portion 77, which two lip-like por¬ tions bound a slot-shaped discharge opening 80 which, in the examp¬ le shown, is held completely closed in the position of rest of the

guide device but is adapted to open ^' in a manner which will be descri bed in more detail below. In the exemple shown, the walls 69 compris a lining 75- in the form of a bent metal sheet for exemple which extends along the inside of the walls and surrounds the lip-like por- tions 77. By this means , a wear-resistant reinforcement is obtained which considerably increases the life of the guide device when a ban of metal is used. At the bottom, each lining 75 comprises a portion 7 at an angle, as a result of which the lining 75 is held in position without any need for binding agents between the lining and the walls 69. The supporting element 74 also serves as a lining when a metal band 7 is used and eliminates the risk of the band becoming hooked up in the lower edge of the lining -75 as a result of the fact that the band is given raised position in relation to this . The section can be secured to a support by means of screws , for example, which are countersunk in the flat iron 74 or by means of staples which are inserted in the fillet 76. It is also conceivable for the section to be glued to its support.

The operation of the device will be described with reference to ^' the example of embodiment as shown in Figures 1-5. Normally, there- fore, the device is in its neutral position shown in Figures 1 and 2, with the rocker arms 24-27 substantially in line with one another under the influence of the associated springs 30 which thus tend to hold the rocker arms in this position with the stop elements 50 bea¬ ring against their stop surfaces 51. The band 7 is , for example, somewhat inserted in the band guide 16 through its feed end 41. To secure in item of goods 2, for. example, to a loading pallet 3, the loading pallet, with its goods, is conveyed forwards along the con¬ veyor 1 , for example as a result of the fact that its rollers 13 are driven or by hand if the rollers are not driven . When the loading pallet reaches the rocker arms 24-27 with its front end, seen in the conveying direction (see arrow. 60 in Figure 3) , the rocker arms swing down against the action of their springs 30 about the associa¬ ted spindles 28, 29. This is brought about as a result of the fact that the loading pallet 3 strikes with its front spacing blocks 21 , seen in the direction of conveying, against the rocker arms 24-27, as can be seen _. from Figure 3, and more specifically against a stop portion 61 of each rocker arm, facing the loading pallet, as a result

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of which the rocker arm is swung downwards and affords passage to the front spacing blocks 21 as a result of the fact that the rocker arms swing- down into the gap present between the front spacing blocks . As mentioned above, it is important that the rocker arms should be situated at such a height that they do not come into con¬ flict with the upper portion of the loading pallet, the units 23 of which extend transversely over the whole width of the loading pal¬ let. Thus , as a result of the swinging down of the rocker arms , three open gaps are formed which allow the spacing blocks of the loading pallet to pass the laterally directed portion 6 of the guide device 4. When the front spacing blocks 21 of the loading pallet 3 - have passed the rocker arms 24-27, these swing back under the in¬ fluence of their springs 30 to their, neutral position as shown in Figures 1 , 2, 4 and 5, with their stop elements 50 bearing against the stop surfaces 51 on the supporting element 35. The loading pal¬ let 3 is thus pushed forwards into a securing position immediately in front of the guide device 4 for the required placing of the band 7 which is to be laid round the goods 2, see Figure 5.

With the rocker arms 24-27 in their neutral position, the guide device forms a continous guide by means of its groove 47, along which the band 7 can now be fed. This can be effected manually, for example, as a result of the fact that the band is fed in by hand through the feed opening 41 , band being unwound from the band reel 8. In practise, however, this is effected by means of a feed mechanism which is mounted, for example, at the feed opening 41. ^' Thus the band is taken through the various parts of the guide de¬ vice, first its oblique portion 16, then its upright portion 5 and then to the band guide sections 37 in the rocker arms 24-27. As a result of the fact that these sections are now completely in line with one another and as a result of the fact that the distance between the adjacent ends of the sections is relatively small, the front end of the band is guided reliably through all the band guide sections and is discharged through the discharge opening 19. When the end of the band has come through this opening, the band is caught by hand for example and when the necessary length of band has been pulled out, the fed end of the band is laid together with the band portion present in front of the feed opening 41. Then recourse is had to

the tool 52 (see Figure 5) which is activated by swinging over its control arms 63, wherupon the band 7 is forcibly tightened. In the course of this , the band is pulled up out of the band guide of the guide device 4 transversely to its longitudinal direction and over 5 the whole length of the band guide, that is to say right from the feed opening 41 to the discharge opening 19, through the slot- shaped opening 26 in the band guide, which expands to the full width of the band as a result of the fact that the two angle irons 43 spring apart against the action of the springs 46. As a result of 10 this, the band 7 is thus applied on the one hand against the goods 2 and on the other hand against the under side of the upper por¬ tion 22 of the loading pallet 3. After the necessary tightening, the band portions are connected to one another in the tool 52 by means of special joint sheet metal or by stamping out and pressing down

1 5 tabs, welding together or the like, in a manner knows per se. At the same time tha band 7 is cut off in the portion situated in front of the feed opening 41 , as a result of which a union of combined band ends is obtained. Thus the goods 2 are . securely held to the loading pallet 3 as a result of the fact that the band runs round

20 the goods and in under the upper portion 22, 23 of the loading pal¬ let and bears against the under side of the units 22.

After the banding of the goods to the loading pallet at a first point, a corresponding procedure is followed if it is desired to place further bands round, for example between the middle spacing blocks

25. 67 of the loading pallet and its back spacing blocks, seen in the ^' conveying direction . In Figure .5, both the goods and the loading pallet are shown broken so that the back spacing blocks are not shown on the drawing. Nevertheless , the procedure described above is repeated in precisely the same manner, that is to say that the

30 middle spacing blocks 64 strike against the rocker arms 24-27 which swing down and resume their neutral position when the middle spa¬ cing blocks have passed the rocker arms , after which the banding operation can be carried out.

The modified embodiments shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8 act in a 5 corresponding manner when the loading pallet strikes against the rocker arms , the difference, as mentioned above, lying in that the rocker arms can be lowered even if the loading pallet is displaced in the opposite conveying direction .

The guide device shown in Figure 9 works in the following man¬ ner. When the band 7 is tightened by means of the tool 52 shown in Figure 5, the band is lifted transversely to its longitudinal direction so that it is pressed from below against the obliquely directed por- tions 79 of the walls 69 with the lining 75 situated in between. As a result of the upwardly directed compressive force which is caused by the band, the walls 69 are parted, and the lip-like portions 77 are separated and the opening 80 is formed or widened . When the opening 80 has acquired a width corresponding to the width of the band 7, this can pass through the opening and bear agains the un¬ der side of the upper portion of the loading pallet and against the goods 2 carried by the loading pallet as in the example described above . When the band has passed, the guide device immediately re¬ turns to its position of rest shown in Figure 9 with the opening 80 substantially closed or at least considerably narrowed in relation to the width, of the band 7. Thus the walls 69 are resiliently flexible, that is to say are lowered and return to their position of rest as a result of the spring action of the material. In the example shown, this spring action is brought about primarily by deformation in the region of the fillet 75 which thus acts as a sprung folding joint. The lining 75 may possibly likewise be so deformable that the walls 69 are deformed to a greater or lesser extent over their whole height.

The invention is not limited to the examples of embodiment described above and shown in the drawings but can be varied with¬ in the scope of the following patent claims . For example the number of rocker arms can be more or fewer than four depending on the construction of the loading pallet. With so-called half-pallets with two rows of spacing blocks , two rocker arms are sufficient. Further- more, the band guide can have another design. The band guide shown is preferably made of metal so as to withstand the wear which is caused by metal band. If synthetic band, that is to say plastics band, is used, a band guide of a resilient plastics material may be sufficient for example, and the band guide can be made as a single section with bending flexible walls , which allow the band to be lifted up out of the section and mean that the section then resu¬ mes its original shape . Furthermore, it is conceivable that the rocker

arms may be designed in another manner. For example, the band guide sections can be designed in such a manner that no separate supporting arms 31 are required, but the sections themselves are mounted for direct swinging in their support, the swinging down being brought about as a result of the fact that the spacing blocks of the loading pallet strike directly against the band guide sections or possibly against a reinforcing strip provided at one side thereof. Furthermore, the stop elements and stop surfaces as well as the springs 30 can be designed in several different ways . For example it is conceivable to design springs in such a manner that the springs themselves tend to hold the rocker arms in their neutral position, in which case no separate stop elements or stop surfaces are required. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the feed and laying round of the band may be automated to a great extent. It is further conceivable that the rocker arms may be lowered in a man¬ ner other than that according to the example described. This can be brought about, for example, by means of a separate drive mechanism for the rocker arms , for example via a pedal which can be acted upon by an operator or by means of a separate drive motor The extent of the band guide at the side of the conveyor and the goods may be different from what is shown in the drawings . Further more, it is conceivable that the device according to the invention is not installed at a conveyor, but the device may be provided with a separate device to cause a relative movement between loading pallet and goods on the one hand and the device according to the ^' inventio on the other hand. For example, a short section of conveyor may be provided solely for the purpose of banding. In principle, it is also conceivable that . the loading pallet and goods may stand still while the device according to the invention can be displaced in re- lation to the loading pallet and goods from a position beside the loading pallet and to the required banding positions . This can be brought about as a result of the fact that the device is displaceable on a carriage, truck ^" or the like which can move in the longitudinal direction of the loading pallet. For example, the rocker arms may be carried by forks which are introduced into the gap between the spacing blocks . In this case, the column can be mounted on an arm which extends from the carriage, truck or the like and which is

adapted to be taken along the outside of the loading pallet on the introduction of the forks. Instead of band 7, another suitable con¬ necting element may be selected such as thread, wire or the like. The band guide shown in Figure 9 can be designed in another man- ner. For example, if synthetic band is used, the metal lining 75 and also the flat iron 74 may be omitted. The fillet 76 may also be omitted, in which case the flexibility is not obtained by a joint move¬ ment but more by deformation over a large part of the walls 70. The lip-like portions 77 may be at a certain distance apart even in the position of rest.

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