Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Signode Industrial Group LLC

Premark Packaging LLC

Signode International IP Holdings LLC

Christopher S Krohn

James A Haberstroh

Dustin D Elliott

Timothy B Pearson

Allan J Bobren

Lemuel J Bell, Jr

Sergio Falbo

Darryl Devine

Jr Lemuel J Bell

A modular strapping machine feeds steel strapping material around a load, tensions the strapping material and welds the strapping material to itself in an end-to-end weld. The modular strapping machine includes a frame, a feed head removably mounted to the frame, a tension head removably mounted to the frame, a sealing head removably mounted to the frame and a strap chute. A strap straightener is mounted between the tension head and the sealing head. A leading end of the steel strapping material is conveyed from the feed head, through the tension head and the sealing head, through the strap chute and back to the sealing head. The sealing head is configured to grip the leading end, grip and sever a trailing end of the strapping material to form a loop end and weld the leading end to the loop end in an end-to-end weld.

Modular strapping machine for steel strap

A sealing head for a strapping machine welds steel strapping material to itself in an end-to-end weld. The sealing head includes a body, a drive, an end grip at the inlet to the body, a cutter, a grip clamp and a loop grip downstream of the end grip. The loop grip is carried on a carriage that is movable in a direction along the strap path. A leading end of strap is secured by the end grip and a loop portion of the strap is gripped by the loop grip and severed by the cutter to form a loop end. The loop end is secured by the grip clamp. The loop grip carriage moves the loop end toward the leading end as current is passed though the loop end and the leading end to weld the ends to one another in an end-to-end weld.

Sealing head for modular steel strapping machine

A modular strapping head assembly includes a body, a weld head assembly, a drive motor configured to control the weld head assembly to grip and seal strapping material, a transformer assembly, and a single power interface configured to direct power from a source to the drive motor and the transformer assembly. The transformer assembly is configured to supply current to the weld head assembly and the weld head assembly is configured to seal a lagging end of the strapping material and a leading end of the strapping material together. Each of the transformer assembly, the drive motor, the weld head assembly, and the power interface are mounted to the body and removable from the strapping machine as an integral unit.

Modular strapping head with heat blade

A refeed system for use in a strapping machine for feeding a strapping material around a load, positioning, tensioning and sealing the strapping material around the load. The refeed system refeeds strapping material into feed elements. The refeed system includes a driven, rotatable boost wheel having a first diameter when in a stationary mode and a second, larger diameter when in a second, rotating mode and an idler element opposite of the boost wheel. When the boost wheel is in the stationary mode, a first gap is defined between the boost wheel and the idler element to permit the free conveyance of strap through the gap and when the boost wheel is in the second rotating mode a strap, positioned in the gap is engaged by the boost wheel and is conveyed through the gap.

Centrifugal boost wheel for strapping machine

A strapping machine configured to feed a strapping material around a load, position, tension and seal the strapping material around the load, includes hinged, readily removable in-feed and out-feed work surfaces with integral conveyors. The strapping machine includes a machine frame, the in-feed and out-feed work surfaces mounted to the frame and a strap chute mounted to the frame for carrying the strap around the load and for releasing the strap material from the strap chute. A feed assembly and a weld head are disposed below the work surfaces. The in-feed and out-feed surfaces are on opposite sides of the strap chute and are separated from one another by a lower portion of the chute. Integral conveyors for in-feeding the load into the strapping machine and for out-feeding the load from the strapping machine are formed in the work surfaces. The work surfaces are hingedly mounted for pivoting upwardly and outwardly for maintenance of the machine and for removing the surfaces and conveyors from the machine.

Strapping machine with pivotal work surfaces having integral conveyors

A strapping machine for positioning a strap material around an associated load, tensioning the strap material and sealing the strap material to itself around the load has an improved strap chute release system. Such a machine includes a frame, a strapping head mounted to the frame including at least a pair of wheels for feeding strap material and for retracting strap material and configured to seal a first course of strap material onto an overlying second course of strap material, and a strap chute mounted to the frame and configured for receiving the strap material from the strapping head and positioning the strap material around the load. The strap chute is configured to release the strap therefrom as the strap material is pulled to the load. The strap chute has an inner wall and a transverse wall defining a strap track from which the strap material is released. The inner wall is moveable away from the transverse wall for releasing the strap. The chute includes at least one torsion element operably connected to the inner wall to urge the inner wall from the transverse wall to a form a gap between the inner wall and the transverse wall.

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Grayslake, IL, United States of America

Christopher S Krohn