Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Signode Corporation

Signode International IP Holdings LLC

David E Crittenden

Janusz Figiel

Robert J Nix

Jason R Nasiatka

Joseph E Fabin

Barry R Angarola

William A Meier

Charles Pycha

Michael W Freeman

Robert Toppel

A two-piece strapping tool having a manual tensioner and a battery-operated sealer is disclosed. The tensioner is a feedwheel tensioner that uses a serrated feedwheel to grip a first portion of the strap and a tension gripper to hold a second portion of the strap in a stationary position. The tensioner is configured to matingly receive the sealer between the tensioner's support legs such that the sealer may readily engage the overlapping portions of the strap to be welded. The sealer is battery-operated and uses a vibrational-type weld assembly driven by an electrical motor to weld overlapping portions of the strap. The sealer also includes a cutting assembly to sever the welded strap from a strap source.

Two-piece strapping tool

A tensioner is disclosed for applying a non-metallic strap around a load. The tensioner includes a base and a lever that can pivot. A drive gear is mounted to the lever and rotates clockwise. A tension gear engages the drive gear and rotates counter-clockwise. A feed wheel is coupled to the tension gear and rotates counter-clockwise. A gripper is attached to the base. The strap is held stationary by the gripper, wrapped around the load, is fed underneath and is in contact with the feed wheel. When the lever is rotated down, the feed wheel rotates counter-clockwise. The strap is pulled toward a distal end of the tensioner and is tensioned in a clockwise direction around the load.

Manual tensioner for non-metallic straps

A reduced force sealless connection mechanism is used in a strapping machine for forming a sealless connection of strapping material overlapped onto itself. The mechanism includes an upper and a lower punch support. The upper punch support includes two punches for engaging the strapping material. The lower punch support includes one punch. The upper punch support incorporates a stepped design such that one of the two punches mounted to the upper punch support is at a different height than the other punch mounted to the upper punch support. Each of the punches includes a plurality of punching heads. At least one punching head of each of the plurality of punching heads is shorter than the other punching heads. A multi-step punching sequence is therefore created such that no more than two slits of any of the joints of the sealless connection are simultaneously punched during creation of the sealless connection. Thus, the operator force required to actuate the mechanism is reduced and wear on the strapping machine components is decreased.

Reduced force sealless connection mechanism

A crimping tool for installing a metal crimp seal onto overlapping layers of plastic strap material includes a tool head, at least three pairs of jaws disposed in the tool head and operably mounted thereto, each pair including opposingly oriented jaw elements and each pair being spaced from its adjacent pair, and at least two crimpers, one crimper disposed between adjacent pairs of jaw elements, the crimper extending between the jaw elements.

Manual crimping tool for plastic strap

A lock-out assembly for a strapping tool prevents inadvertent actuation of the tool sealer cycle prior to completion of the tensioning cycle. The tool includes a pneumatic module having tensioning cycle and sealer cycle valves mounted therein. The valves are actuated by overlying levers. The lock-out assembly includes an arm operably mounted to the pneumatic module having a first engaging portion for engaging the tensioning valve lever and a second blocking portion for blocking the sealer valve lever. The arm is movable between a first position in which the tensioning valve lever is in the non-actuated position and the arm block portion interferes with movement of the sealer valve lever to prevent moving the sealer valve to the actuated position, and a second position in which the tensioning valve lever engages the arm engaging portion to move the arm blocking portion from interfering with the sealer valve lever to permit moving the sealer valve lever into contact with the sealer valve to move the sealer valve to the actuated position.

Lock-out for power assisted strapping tool

A cutting mechanism for use with a strapping tool includes a cutter having a polygonal cross-sectional configuration, a plurality of cutting surfaces defining a pair of elongate cutting edges, and a plurality of retaining recessed. The cutting edges are an in-use edge and a spare edge. The cutter is engaged with a movable die holder having a support surface for the cutting body. The holder includes a slot defining a plurality of projections. The projections are configured so that the retaining recesses of the cutter fit within the support surface slot. The cutter is reversible on the die holder such that the in-use and spare cutting edges are interchangeable by rotation of the cutter.

Multi-edged cutter

A strap sealer has a dual action piston. A seal forming assembly is operably connected to the piston. The sealer includes a housing that defines a cylinder and has a penetration therein. A piston is disposed in the cylinder for reciprocating movement. The piston defines upper and lower pressure regions of the cylinder. The sealer includes a compressed air inlet, first and second flow paths between the inlet and the upper and lower pressure regions and a valve assembly for providing flow communication between the inlet to supply air to and exhaust air from the upper and lower pressure regions. A ram is mounted to the piston for reciprocating movement therewith. The ram traverses through the housing penetration. The ram has first and second cross-sectional areas that are different from each other. As the piston reciprocates, the ram traverses through the housing penetration. When the first cross-sectional area resides at the housing penetration a seal is formed and when the second cross-sectional area passes through the housing penetration a vent path is provided from the lower pressure region outwardly to vent air from the lower pressure region.

Strap sealer with fast-acting dual action piston

A sealless strapping tools and methods therefor including a feed wheel for engaging and tensioning an upper strap portion, a strap sealing actuator cam engageable with a strap sealing member to engage the strap sealing member with overlapping strap portions, a lifting cam engageable with a strap sealing member to disengage the strap sealing member from the overlapping strap portions, a release cam engageable with a pivotal link to disengage the feed wheel from the strap before the lifting cam fully disengages the strap sealing member from the overlapping strap portions.

Sealless strapping tool and method therefor

A compact hand-operated pneumatic strapping tool is disclosed. The tool has a compact arrangement of the sealing and the tensioning valves, and a combination sealing motor/valve module arrangement. A cam driven tooth terminates the sealing step. The valve/motor arrangement results in a more compact and lighter weight strapping tool, for drawing a steel strap around a load, and sealing the strap by punching interlocking slits into the strap ends.

Compact hand operated pneumatic strapping tool

Hand operated strapping tool

A timing control circuit for a pneumatically-operable device, which is manually actuable so as to provide fluid flow to a revervoir through means of a variable flow control valve and a line-pressure-operable, normally-open valve disposed within the primary fluid flow, is disclosed. The pressure operable valve is closed at a sensed line pressure so as to interrupt fluid flow to the tool so as to terminate an operating cycle.

Time-control circuit for pneumatically operable devices

A strapping tool for tensioning a strap loop around an article and for crimping or notching a push-type seal around the overlapping strap portions is provided with a frame, an arm pivotally mounted on the frame for pivoting movement in a first direction and in a second, opposite direction, an abutment nose on the arm for engaging the seal during tensioning, a spring biasing the arm in the first direction during tensioning, a motor-driven tension wheel for pulling one of the overlapping strap portions through the seal to tension the loop whereby the tension reaction urges the abutment nose against the seal and, at a predetermined tension level, causes the arm to overcome the spring and pivot relative to the frame in the second direction. A jaw assembly is provided for crimping or notching the seal and a control means is provided for actuating the jaw assembly in response to the movement of the arm in the second direction at the predetermined tension level.

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Schaumburg, IL, United States of America

David E Crittenden