EP0030572B1

EP0030572B1 - Apparatus for manually applying plastics stretch films

Info

Publication number: EP0030572B1
Application number: EP79200780A
Authority: EP
Inventors: John Charles Parry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-12-18
Filing date: 1979-12-18
Publication date: 1985-06-19
Also published as: EP0030572A1; ATE13847T1

Abstract

The invention is an improved apparatus and method for the manual application of plastics stretch films to materials and items to be packaged and secured as a unit or packaged and secured to a shipping and transporting means. The apparatus consists of an extended core (14,24) for the supply of plastics stretch film (12) and a pair of tubular-like grip means (16,26) for said extended core. Said grip means serving as a manual control means for the speed of paying out the plastics stretch film material, and as a manual means for applying tension on the film during the course of applying it to materials and items.

Description

The invention relates to an apparatus for manually applying plastic stretch films for packing units comprising a core for a roll of plastic stretch film, said core having ends which extend beyond each side of said roll, a pair of handgrips being turnable on the extended ends of the core and an adjustable drag arrangement provided between the handgrips and said extended ends of said core.
Such an apparatus is known from U.S.-A-4,166,589.
The known device is complicated and difficult to handle. In this known device roll plugs have to be placed on each end of the roll including the penetration of pins in the cardboard center tube, then a bar has to be inserted through the roll plugs and the roll, next handle pieces have to be attached to each end bar together with a washer and wing nut for fixing the handle and threadably the handle has to be put into the collar of the bar.
According to the invention an improvement is obtained in that said extended ends are cylindrical and said handgrips are radially flexible bushes on the extended ends representing the adjustable drag arrangement. The radially flexible bushes permit for individual friction by more or less squeezing said bushes with the hand so that a more or less greater braking action can be used during unrolling the plastic film. Due to this a very simple control during the application of plastic stretch films is possible.
A very simple embodiment is obtained according to the invention if said core is a hollow cylindrical single unit core or with other words a tube. The flexible handgrips are each cylindrical and tube-like and open at each end, the inside surface of said tube sliding by interfacing with the outside diameter of the core. Said hollow cylindrical core has to be'longer than the roll and has to extend at both ends of the roll beyond said roll with a length sufficient to place the flexible bushes on it to form the handgrips. To this end the end of the core extending beyond the roll preferably is longer than the length of each bush.
Instead of a single unit core it is also possible to use a normal core having a length substantially equal to the length of the roll which core is extended by a pair of adapters beyond each side of said roll, each adapter consisting of a washer-like plug inserted and affixed at the end of the core and of a smaller diameter extension removably affixed to the inside diameter of said washer-like plug, the extensions being cylindrical and said handgrips being turnable and formed by radially flexible bushes on the extensions representing the adjustable arrangement. Said adapters can easily be placed in standard rolls having a core of larger inner diameter than the extension for the handgrips and said extension can be longer than the length of each handgrip.
With the apparatus according to the invention a very simple device is obtained allowing a sensitive feel with the handgrips during the ap-. plication of the film which handgrips are merely squeezed with the hands to provide the braking action during holding and unrolling of the film. All problems existing with the known apparatus are eliminated.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in light of the following description of the preferred embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a pictorial view of a first embodiment of flexible handgrips on extended core ends of a roll of plastics stretch film;
Fig. 2 is an exploded pictorial view of an extended length core for plastics stretch film and flexible handgrips;
Fig. 3 is a pictorial view of a second embodiment of flexible handgrips on core extensions of a roll of plastics stretch film;
Fig. 4 is a partial exploded pictorial view of the second embodiment of a flexible handgrip on a core extension of a roll of plastics stretch film.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, a first embodiment of the system for plastics stretch film is seen at 10 in Fig. 1, and a second embodiment of the system for plastics stretch film is seen at 20 in Fig. 3.
In Fig. 1 a roll of plastics stretch film 12 is shown on a core 14. The direction of the core wrap of the roll of plastics stretch film 12 is shown by the arrow thereon, however, it is to be understood that the direction of the arrow on such a drawing could be reversed without changing the concept of this invention.
A pair of cylindrical flexible tube-like hand grips 16 are shown in Fig. 1 on the ends of said core 14 of said roll of plastics stretch film 12.
The inside diameter 18 of hand grips 16 is a close fit over the outside diameter of core 14, but with sufficient clearance so that the core 14 can turn easily within the hand grip 16.
In Fig. 2 the length of core 14 can be seen to be in one piece. The hand grips 16 are shown in an exploded view in relation to the core 14. The inside diameter 18 of hand grip 16 is shown in relation to the outside diameter of the core 14.
The extension of the core 14 on each side the roll of plastics stretch film 12 for a distance on each side thereof that is slightly more than the length of the hand grip 16 is a part of this first embodiment of this invention. Thus, the extended length core 14, or in other words, the core 14 with extended ends, is an element of this invention.
It is to be noted that a hollow tube-like core is illustrated but it is to be understood that a solid rod-like core is within the scope and intent of this invention.
It is to be noted that the outside diameter of core 14 is smaller than the usual or normal diameter of prior art cores of rolls of plastics stretch film. The usual or normal diameter of prior art cores is shown as core 32 of the roll of plastics stretch film 22 in Fig. 3, which will be described hereinafter.
It is to be understood that the possible chance existence of a small diameter core for a roll of plastics stretch film in no way precludes the present invention. Cores for rolls of plastics stretch film are normally of a length approximating the width of the plastics stretch film wrapped thereon, and this invention includes the extension of the length of the core to provide extended ends as hereinbefore described for the first embodiment.
Turning now to the second embodiment of the system for plastics stretch film 20, the following description relates to Figs. 3 and 4.
The second embodiment of the system for plastics stretch film 20 provides a means for using rolls of plastics stretch film 22 on core 32 where the length of the core 32 is approximately the same as the width of the roll of plastics stretch film 22. This second embodiment provides a means of using the roll of plastics stretch film 22 on a core 32 without the need for rerolling the plastics stretch film 22 off of a short length core such as core 32 on to a larger length core such as core 14 in Figs. 1 and 2.
As noted thereinbefore, the usual or normal outside diameter of core 32 is larger than the outside diameter of core 14 of the first embodiment.
The second embodiment 20 provides a pair of adapters so that core 32 can be used with the same pair of handgrips 16 that are used in the first embodiment 10. In Figs. 3 and 4 the handgrips 16 of the first embodiment 10 are shown as handgrips 26 for clarity when speaking of the second embodiment 20. Handgrips 16 of the first embodiment 10 and handgrips 26 of the second embodiment 20 are exactly alike and can be considered one and the same concept.
The aforementioned adapter is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 at 30. It is to be noted that the adapter 30, one for each handgrip, may be constructed in two ways.
The first construction of adapter 30 is as a single washer-like plug. The outside diameter of adapter 30 is a very close and tight fit for the inside diameter 34 of core 32 of the roll of plastics stretch film 22. The outside surface of adapter 30 has a very slight taper in order to introduce it easily into the inside diameter 34 of core 32. A short length of core 24 (the size of core 24 being exactly the same as core 14 of the first embodiment as far as the diameter is concerned) is inserted into the inside diameter of the washer-like adapter 30 for a very tight friction held fit. This first construction is shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
The second construction of adapter 30 is as a single piece unit where both the element 30 and the element 24 are of one-piece construction, the total being of the same overall configuration as the first construction, but not illustrated on the drawings. In this second construction the shape and taper of the element 30 for fitting the inside diameter 34 of core 32 are exactly the same as described for the first construction hereinbefore. In this second construction, the outside diameter of the element 24 is exactly the same as described for the first construction hereinbefore.
Handgrips 26 are placed on the adapter element 24 (either first or second construction) the same as handgrips 16 were placed on the extensions of core 14 in the first embodiment. The inside diameter 28 of handgrips 26 is a close fit over the outside diameter element 24, but with sufficient clearance so that element 24 can turn easily within the handgrip 26, the same as core 14 turns easily within handgrip 26 in the first embodiment.
As to the materials: the cores 14 and 32 are usually of cardboard-like or fiber material, but could be wood in rod-like configuration or could be any similar or suitable materials; the material of the adapter 30 may be. wood, fiber, plastics or any similar or suitable material for the second construction or combination thereof for elements 30 and 24 of the first construction;..the material for the handgrips 16 and 26 may be any flexible rubber-like material; flexible plastics type material, flexible paper or fiber-like material, or any similar or suitable material, as long as the material will be flexible when squeezed.
In operation, the user grips the handgrips 16 (for first embodiment) or 26 (for second embodiment) on the extension of core 14 or core extension 24, respectively, and gives a slight squeeze to the handgrips 16 (or 26) in order to "feel" the extension of core 14 (or core extension 24). In the description of the operation which follows, only the first embodiment 10 will be described, the description for the second embodiment 20 is exactly the same.
In case where the initial friction between the handgrips 16 or 26 and the cores 14 and 24 is too great to obtain a satisfactory "feel" or a free movement, a suitable lubricant, such as a light coating of powder or a wax may be used.
As the operator plays out the plastics stretch film 12 during the wrapping of a unit or the securing of a unit to a transporting means, a sufficient grip is maintained on the handgrips 16 to provide the necessary control of tension on the plastics stretch film 22. This control of tension is gaged by the "feel" of the extension of core 14 through the soft flexible handgrips 16. The operator can make a full stop of the turning by a tight squeeze on handgrips 16 or the operator can have a free running play out of plastics stretch film 12 as the plastics stretch film unrolls by loosening the squeeze on handgrips 16. Varying of hand squeeze pressure on handgrips 16 permits the control of the play out of plastics stretch film 12 while also controlling how tightly the plastics stretch film 12 is pulled to provide the wrap or securing of the unit being packaged or secured. The squeezing of the handgrips 16 provides a braking action that has controlled instantaneous results.
The use of this system may be practiced by a manufacturer involving the plastics stretch film on cores as illustrated in this invention, or by a user rewinding the film on a core of his choosing from a supply unit.
As can be readily understood from the foregoing description of the invention, the present structure and system can be configured or operated in different modes or ways to provide the ability to use plastics stretch film to package a unit or to secure a unit to a transporting means.
Accordingly, modifications and variations to which the invention is susceptible may be practiced without departing from the scope and intent of the appended claims.

Claims

1. Apparatus for manually applying plastic stretch films for packing units comprising a core (14) for a roll (12) of plastic stretch film, said core (14) having ends which extend beyond each side of said roll, a pair of handgrips (16) being turnable on the extended ends of the core (14) and an adjustable drag arrangement provided between the handgrips (16) and said extended ends of said core (14), characterized in that said extended ends are cylindrical and said handgrips (16) are radially flexible bushes on the extended ends representing the adjustable drag arrangement.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said core (14) is a hollow cylindrical single unit core.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said pair of flexible handgrips (16) are each cylindrical and tube-like, having an outside and an inside surface being open at each end, said inside surface (18) sliding by interfacing with the outside diameter of said core (14).

4. Apparatus for manually applying plastic stretch film for packing units comprising a core (32) for a roll (22) of plastic stretch film, a pair of handgrips (26) and an adjustable drag arrangement provided between the handgrips and said core, characterized in that said core (32) is extended by a pair of adapters (30) beyond each side of said roll, each adapter consisting of a washer-like plug inserted and affixed at the end of the core (32) and of smaller diameter extension (24) removably affixed to the inside diameter of said washer-like plug, the extensions being cylindrical and said handgrips (26) being turnable and formed by radially flexible bushes on the extensions representing the adjustable arrangement.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that each smaller diameter extension (24) extends beyond each washer-like plug (30) for a distance slightly greater than the length of said handgrip (26).