Apparatus and method for forming and applying edge protectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10099808-B2
Application number	US-201514863763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2015
Priority date	Dec 1, 2014
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A device forms and applies an edge protector to a corner of a load as strap is positioned and tensioned around the load, to position the edge protector between the strap and the load. The device includes a shuttle movable between a home position away from the load and an application position near the load. The shuttle includes a breaker assembly having a fixed portion and a movable portion. The movable portion is movable between a position in which it is generally planar with the fixed portion and another position in which it is transverse to the fixed portion. The breaker assembly includes a shoe that defines a receiving region between the shoe and the fixed and movable portions. The shuttle includes a load contact portion. Movement of the shuttle from the home position moves the movable portion from the first to the second position to fold the edge protector. Further movement of the shuttle and contact of the load contact portion with the load discharges the edge protector for receipt on the load as the strap is positioned and tensioned around the load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for forming an edge protector and applying the edge protector to a corner of a load, the device, comprising:
a shuttle movable between a home position distal from the load and an application position proximal to the load, the shuttle including:
a breaker assembly having a fixed member and a movable member that is movable relative to the fixed member between a first position in which the movable member is coplanar with the fixed member and a second position in which the movable member is transverse to the fixed member, the breaker assembly also including a shoe, and a receiving region between the shoe and the fixed and movable members; and
a load contact member,

wherein movement of the shuttle from the home position toward the application position causes the movable member to move from the first position to the second position to fold the edge protector, and
wherein further movement of the shuttle and contact of the load contact member with the load causes the folded edge protector to be discharged onto the corner of the load.

2. The device of claim 1 , further including a support defining a track, the shuttle being movably mounted to the support, wherein the movable member includes a track engaging member cooperating with the track to cause the movable member to move from the first position to the second position as the shuttle moves from the home position to the application position.

3. The device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a rail mounted to the support and to which the shuttle is mounted; and
a drive to move the shuttle along the rail and relative to the support between the home position and the application position.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the shuttle includes a threaded receiver, the device further comprising a threaded drive shaft threadably received in the threaded receiver, wherein the drive is operably connected to the threaded drive shaft to rotate the threaded drive shaft to cause the shuttle to move along the rail between the home position and the application position.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the movable member is pivotably mounted to the fixed member to enable the movable member to pivot between the first and second positions.

6. The device of claim 1 , the shuttle further including a pusher element connected to the load contact member to push the edge protector from the receiving region in a direction transverse to a direction of movement of the shuttle between the home position and the application position when the load contact member contacts the load.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the pusher element is a pusher finger.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the shuttle includes a pivot member to which the load contact member and the pusher element are connected, wherein the pivot member is pivotably connected to the fixed member and movable between a retain position and a discharge position.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the fixed member defines a curved slot therethrough and the pusher element extends through the curved slot.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein movement of the pivot member from the retain position to the eject position when the edge protector is received in the receiving region causes the pusher element to contact and discharge the edge protector from the receiving region.

11. The device of claim 1 , the shuttle further including a retention element to hold the edge protector in the receiving region.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the retention element is a spring loaded finger, a ramped projection or both.

13. The device of claim 1 , further including an edge protector magazine to store a plurality of edge protectors and to sequentially feed the edge protectors to the breaker assembly.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the edge protector magazine includes a reciprocating element to separate individual edge protectors from the plurality of edge protectors and to sequentially feed the individual edge protectors to the breaker assembly.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the edge protector magazine further includes a drive to move the reciprocating element in a reciprocating fashion.

16. The device of claim 14 , wherein reciprocating element comprises a rack gear, and wherein the drive is operably connected to a drive gear that drivingly engages the rack gear.

17. The device of claim 13 , further including multiple breaker assemblies and multiple edge protector magazines to sequentially feed edge protectors to a different one of the breaker assemblies.

18. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a drive operably connected to the shuttle to move the shuttle; and
a controller configured to control the drive to move the shuttle between the home position and the application position.

19. The device of claim 18 , further comprising a strapping system to position a strap around the edge protector and the load, tension the strap, and seal the strap to itself.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the controller controls the strapping system to tension the strap around the edge protector and the load after controlling the shuttle to discharge the edge protector onto the load.

Assignees

• Signode Ind Group Llc

Inventors

• Termanas Jeffrey D
• Thomas David C
• Ciurkot Janusz

Classifications

• B65B25/026

  Packaging flower pots · CPC title

• B65B13/181 Primary

  applying edge protecting members during bundling · CPC title