Electrically powered combination hand-held notch-type strapping tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10577137-B2
Application number	US-201615369012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2016
Priority date	Dec 9, 2015
Publication date	Mar 3, 2020
Grant date	Mar 3, 2020

Abstract

A strapping tool for tensioning overlapping sections of steel strap around a load and forming a notch-type seal in a seal element positioned over the overlapping sections of steel strap includes a body having a foot, a tensioning section and a sealing section. The tensioning section has a tensioner motor assembly operably mounted to the body. The tensioner motor assembly has an electrically powered tensioner motor. A tensioning wheel is operably connected to the tensioner motor. The sealing section has a notcher assembly that includes an electrically powered notcher motor operably mounted to the body. The notcher assembly includes a linkage and at least one pair of jaw elements. The linkage is configured to pivot ends of the jaw elements toward one another in a sealing cycle to form the notch-type seal in the seal element. A control system controls operation of the tensioner motor and the notcher motor. The control system is configured to operate the strapping tool in an automatic mode in which the tensioner motor and the notcher motor are sequentially actuated by action of the control system by an operator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for tensioning a strap and cutting notches into two ends of the strap to attach the two ends of the strap to one another, the device comprising:
first and second jaw elements defining a strap path therebetween;
third and fourth jaw elements defining the strap path therebetween;
one or more plates, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth jaw elements are each mounted to at least one of the one or more plates such that the first, second, third, and fourth jaw elements are each rotatable relative to the one or more plates between respective first, second, third, and fourth jaw element rest positions and respective first, second, third, and fourth jaw element cutting positions;
a drive element rotatable about a drive element rotational axis,
wherein the drive element is engaged to the first and second jaw elements so during a sealing cycle rotation of the drive element about the drive element rotational axis in a first rotational direction results in the first and second jaw elements rotating from their respective rest positions to their respective cutting positions and, afterwards, further rotation of the drive element about the drive element rotational axis in the first rotational direction results in the first and second jaw elements rotating back to their respective rest positions; and
wherein the drive element is engageable to and disengageable from the third and fourth jaw elements so:
when the drive element is engaged to the third and fourth jaw elements, during the sealing cycle rotation of the drive element about the drive element rotational axis in the first rotational direction results in the third and fourth jaw elements rotating from their respective rest positions to their respective cutting positions and, afterwards, further rotation of the drive element about the drive element rotational axis in the first rotational direction results in the third and fourth jaw elements rotating back to their respective rest positions, and
when the drive element is disengaged from the third and fourth jaw elements, during the sealing cycle the third and fourth jaw elements remain in their respective rest positions;

a rotatable tensioning wheel;
an actuation switch; and
a control system configured to, responsive to one or more actuations of the actuation switch, cause the tensioning wheel to rotate to carry out a tensioning cycle and, afterwards, cause the drive element to rotate in the first rotational direction to carry out the sealing cycle.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to cause the tensioning wheel to rotate to carry out the tensioning cycle and, afterwards, cause the drive element to rotate in the first rotational direction to carry out the sealing cycle responsive to a single actuation of the actuation switch.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more plates comprise a first plate, a second plate, and a third plate, wherein the first and second jaw elements are between the first and second plates, wherein the third and fourth jaw elements are between the second and third plates, wherein the first and third jaw elements are mounted to the first, second, and third plates via a first connector, and wherein the second and fourth jaw elements are mounted to the first, second, and third plates via a second connector.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first connector comprises a first pin and the second connector comprises a second pin.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a housing, one or more motors operably connected to the drive element to rotate the drive element and operably connected to the tension wheel to rotate the tension wheel, and a battery receivable in the housing, wherein the one or more motors are powered by the battery and positioned between the battery and the drive element.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the one or more plates are fixed relative to the housing.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one of the one or more motors operably connected to the drive element comprises an output shaft operably connected to the drive element, wherein the output shaft is rotatable about an output shaft rotational axis.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the drive shaft rotational axis is parallel to the drive element rotational axis.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the drive shaft rotational axis is parallel to the strap path.

10. The device of claim 7 , further comprising gearing operably connecting the output shaft to the drive element.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein rotation of the drive element about the drive element rotational axis in the first rotational direction approximately 360 degrees from a starting position results in:
the first and second jaw elements rotating from their respective rest positions to their respective cutting positions and, afterwards, back to their respective rest positions; and
when the drive element is engaged to the third and fourth jaw elements, the third and fourth jaw elements rotating from their respective rest positions to their respective cutting positions and, afterwards, back to their respective rest positions.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein rotation of the drive element about the drive element rotational axis in the first rotational direction approximately 180 degrees from the starting position forces:
the first and second jaw elements to rotate from their respective rest positions to their respective cutting positions; and
when the drive element is engaged to the third and fourth jaw elements, the third and fourth jaw elements to rotate from their respective rest positions to their respective cutting positions.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the drive element is positioned so the drive element rotational axis is above and between the first and second jaw elements and above and between the third and fourth jaw elements.

14. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a first jaw linkage connected to the first jaw element, a second jaw linkage connected to the second jaw element, and a connector connected to the first and second jaw linkages, wherein the drive element comprises a cam, wherein the cam is engaged to the first and second jaw elements via the first and second jaw linkages and the connector.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the connector comprises a central linkage pinned to the cam.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first jaw element comprises a first pincer end, the second jaw element comprises a second pincer end, the third jaw element comprises a third pincer end, and the fourth jaw element comprises a fourth pincer end, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth pincer ends are not in the strap path when the first, second, third, and fourth jaw elements are in their respective rest positions and are in the strap path when the first, second, third, and fourth jaw elements are in their respective cutting positions.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the drive element is engaged to the first and second jaw elements so rotation of the drive element about the drive element rotational axis in the first rotational direction and from a starting position forces the first and second jaw elements to rotate from their respective rest positions to their respective cutting positions, wherein when the drive element is engaged to the third and fourth jaw elements, rotation of the drive element about the drive element rotational axis in the first rotational direction and from the starting position forces the third and fourth jaw elements to rotate from their respective rest posit

Assignees

• Signode Ind Group Llc

Inventors

• Nasiatka Jason R
• Figiel Janusz
• Skonieczny Jr Wayne J

Classifications

• B65B13/025 Primary

  Hand-held tools · CPC title

• B65B13/187

  Motor means · CPC title

• B65B57/02

  responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages · CPC title

• B65B13/305

  Hand tools · CPC title

• B65B65/02

  Driving gear · CPC title