The present invention is for a device for wrapping band around pallet loads. A special case is the problem to move a elongated, flexible and thin web of material through a narrow, elongated space.

In the packaging technology the band-wrapping of loads on pallets involves an often reccuring problem when it is necessary to move the band, which is made of a textile or a plastic material, underneath the pallet from one side thereof to the other, whereat the band has to pass through the narrow and elongated space existing between the deck of the pallet and the transverse support beams thereof. In those cases where the band-wrapping is made with stiff bands, such as steel bands or the like, it is possible to push the band in from one side of the pallet, whereat the stiffness of the band contributes to the band being capable of being moved straight through the open space and out at the other side of the pallet without any greater problems. However, this is not possible with flexible textile and plastic bands which completely lack the necessary self guiding ability. For the band-wrapping with such materials there have previously been developed various band-wrapping machines provided with band movers , band tensioners, coupling members and band cutting means. In these older machines the band movers are often stationary, i.e. they are connected to the band-wrapping machine and provided with fixed guides , which entails that the objects which are to be band-wrapped must be brought to an exact position with respect to the stationary band-wrapping machine, which may involve definite displacement problems in the case of unstable, unwrapped goods. Other solutions have comprised conveyors or guide tracks which have been moved into position, often in a considerably complicated manner, in order to thereafter, with varying results, perform a displacement of the leading end of the band through the space between the pallet deck and ^* support beams from one side of the pallet to the other.

"BUR EA OMPI

The object of the present invention is to offer a device of the kind initially defined which is of simple construction and easy to handle, which has the ability to perform, in a reliable manner, a rectilinear, longitudinal movement of great length with a driving movement of limited length, and which device may be completely mobile and not limited to the use at a predetermined, exact position of work. This has been attained according to the invention in that the device comprises a mobile, wheel-born support with a substantially horizontal shaft for rotatably carrying a supply roll of the band-wrapping material, the support further being provided with an elongated, substantially horizontal band mover arranged at right angles to the roll-carrying shaft and made in the form of a telescopic arm which is provided, at its outermost part, with a gripping member for the end of the band-wrapping material, and that the device is equipped with a driving means adapted to provide a rectilinear displacement of the outer end of the telescopic arm a distance at least corresponding to the largest width of a pallet.

The invention will be more closely explained in the following with reference to an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings .

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view in perspective of a device according to the invention in a position of use,

Figure 2 is a front view of the main parts of the device according to the invention in its initial postion,

Figure 3 is a view corresponding to figure 2 showing the device in its maximum extended position.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the principle arrangement of three cooperating parts of an arm forming part of the device according to the invention, and

Figure 5 illustrates the structure of the arm more in detail, but still diagrammatically.

Figure 1 shows a pallet 1 indicated in broken lines and a device 2 according to the invention placed adjacent the

pallet. In the embodiment the device comprises a wheel-born support 3 which carries a supply roll for a band 5. The band

5 has its leading, free end attached in a band gripper 6 of a arbitrary kind which is carried by the outer end of a band-moving arm 7 which in turn is carried by the support and secured thereto. As is more clearly apparent from figures 2 and 3, the band-moving arm 7 comprises in the example shown, four sections 7a-7d which are telescopically arranged in each other. The band gripper 6 is provided at the outer end of the outermost section 7d. The sections 7a-7d are of equal length and at least the inner sections are tubular. The telescopic movement of the band-moving arm 7 is obtained by means of a driving device 8 secured to the support 3 and to the inner arm section 7a, respectively. In the example illustrated the driving device is shown as a electro-mechanical displacing device, but the driving device may alternatively be a pneumatically, hydraulically or manually driven longitudinal displacement means.

As will appear from figures 2 and 3 the driving device is provided with an arm 8a which extends in the longitudinal direction of the band-moving arm and carries an actuating rod 8b displaceable in the arm 8a, the free end of the actuacting rod being connected to the front end of the second section 7b of the band-moving arm.

The arm sections 7a-7d are interconnected two and two by means of a cable arrangement, which will hereinafter be described more in detail, and by means of which all sections are influenced to be displaced relative to its immediate preceeding section, when the driving device is activated for actuating the section 7b. In this manner the comparatively small movement effected by the driving device will make the band moving arm 7 to be .extended to its maximum length such as shown in figure 3 and also in figure 1. From figure 1 it can also be seen that the outer section of the band moving* arm 7 and the band gripper 6 attached thereto can reach from one side of the pallet through the space between the pallet deck

and its support beams and out on the opposite side of the pallet, where the-band which has thus been moved under the pallet can be manually or automatically released from the band gripper 6 for thereupon manually or by aid of a band-wrapping machine being moved over the pallet load, which is not shown in the figure, and to the side of the pallet at which the device 2 is situated. The band is thereupon tightened and attached to the end of the band section cut from the supply roll . The device 2 according to the invention can thus be used separately and manually as well as in a band-wrapping machine in which it forms an integral or separable part of the machine.

The device 2 has in figure 2 and 3 only been shown with its main components, but it is to be understood that ^" the device incorporates a support of arbitrary type and a control equipment and the like.

In figure 4 is shown in a diagrammactic explanatory view the interconnection between the different sections 7a-7d of the band moving arm 7. The first section 7a is, as mentioned above, vigidly attached to support of arbitrary type. The second section 7b is, as can be seen in the figure, telescopingly displaceable in the tubular section 7a. This second section 7b is near its outer and equipped with a pulley 9- or alternatively a sliding surface - over which a cable 10 or a similar pliable member is arranged. The cable is at once of its ends attached to _χ the rigidly attached section 7a and at its other end to the rearmost portion of the third, section 7c, which is telescopingly displaceable in the second section 7b. This third section 7c is also provided with a pulley 11 , which acts as a deflection point for a cable 12, which is a corresponding manner connects the forward end of the second section 7b to the rearmost end of the fourth section 7d , which is telescopingly removable is the third, tubular section 7c.

Due to this interconnection of the sections a comparatively short movement will be required at the actuating member (not

shown in the figure) , which is rigidly fitted relative to the fixed first arm section 7a and at activations rushes the second section 7b out of the first section 7a toward the right hand side in the figure. The pulley ^~ hereby will be displaced in the same direction whereby the cable 10 will pull the third section 7c in the same direction. The pulley 11 on the forward portion of the. third section 7c hereby will be displaced in the same direction whereby the cable 12 pulls out the fourth section 7d to its outermost 7 position such as shown in figure 3 as furthermore intimated in figure 4 there are preferably arranged sliding members 13 between the surface of the sections sliding in each other, which sliding members can be blocks of PTFE or the like. The play between the sections 7a-7d of the band-moving arm is for the matter of clearness exaggerated in the figure, and the sized of the sliding members 13 is in accordance therewith also shown to be bigger than in reality, and the play between the sections is in practical embodiments very small, which means that the band-moving arm also in its maximum extended position has rather a by stiffness. The sliding members, hereby only form small embossments in the section surfaces.

In figure 5 finally is shown a somewhat more detailed arrangement of a device according to the invention. Also this device incorporates four band-moving arm sections 17a-17d, the first sections 17a of which is secured to a support and carries a driving device 18 of an arbitrary type (in the case shown a pneumatic or hydraulic piston cylinder) , said driving device being adapted to act against a flange 19 extending from the second section 17b at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the section. In this flange it is arranged a pulley 20 which serves as a deflection point for a cable 21 or the like which connects the fixed section 17a with the third section 17c. The third s'ection 17c likewise has a flange 22 extending therefrom and having provided thereon a second pulley 23 around which there is provided a second cable 24 which connects the second section 17b with the fourth section 17d. In the figure, the band-moving arm is shown in its

inactive position, to which it is moved by a draw spring 25 connected to the end walls of the first 17a and fourth sections 17d, respectively, as soon as the actuation of the driving device 18 on the flange 19 is discontinued. For the sake of clarity, the length of the various sections 17a-17d have been shown smaller than in practice.

The invention may of course also be embodied in other ways than what has been shown and described, within the scope of the appended claims. Thus, the number of sections may of course be greater as well as less than four, and at the same time individual details and part solutions may be replaced by other equivalent components or structures.