Signode Corporation

Andrzej M Chudy

Janusz Figiel

Peter Drabarek

A strapping tool is disclosed as being of the type used to apply a steel strap in a tensioned loop around a package and to join the strap by a series of interlocking joints comprising interlockable shoulders punched into overlapped ends of the strap. A base of the strapping tool extends longitudinally and defines a pair of recesses. A frame upstanding from the base is integrally mounted upon the base. In a mechanism for admitting the overlapped ends of the straps into the tool, for retaining the overlapped ends of the straps, and for releasing the overlapped ends of the straps from the tool, a pair of latches having hooked ends are pivotably mounted upon the base so as to be pivotable between closed positions wherein the latches are positioned with the hooked ends extending into the recesses so as to retain the overlapped ends of the straps between the latch and the base and between the hooked ends and the frame, and opened positions wherein the latches are displaced angularly from the closed positions so as to admit the overlapped ends of the straps into the tool and to release the overlapped ends of the straps from the tool. The latches are biased to the closed positions. Coacting elements including a lever, which can be manually squeezed toward an actuating handle of the strapping tool, and a camming member, which is arranged to cam the latches, are provided for pivoting the latches from the closed positions to the opened positions.

Strapping tool with mechanism for admitting, retaining, and releasing

A mechanism is disclosed for converting oscillatory rotation of an input shaft to unidirectional rotation of an output shaft. An input shaft journalled to a frame is rotatable about an input axis, over a range of rotational positions, between a forward limit and a reverse limit. An output shaft journalled to the frame is rotatable about an output axis, which is normal to the input axis. Three bevel gears are employed, namely a first gear coupled to the input shaft, a second gear coupled to the input shaft and spaced axially from the first gear, and a third gear coupled to the output shaft. The bevel teeth of the three gears are arranged in peripheral arrays covering cover less than one half of the entire periphery of each gear, so that the bevel teeth of the third gear intermesh only with the bevel teeth of the first gear whenever the input shaft rotates from the reverse limit toward the forward limit, and so that the bevel teeth of the third gear intermesh only with the bevel teeth of the second gear whenever the input shaft rotates from the forward limit toward the reverse limit.

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Grayslake, IL, United States of America

Andrzej M Chudy