FI95685C - film Dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

A film dispenser comprises a holder for a roll (11) of packaging material. The holder is carried by a support (10) which includes a handle (12). A brake roller (13) is carried by the support (10) and engages the peripheral surface of the roll (11). Biasing springs (14) bias the roll (11) and brake roller (13) together whereby a braking force is established on the roll (11) restricting rotation thereof and facilitating stretching of the packaging material when it is withdrawn from the roll (11) and around the brake rollers (13).

Description

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FILM DISTRIBUTOR

The present invention relates to packaging and in particular to a device for facilitating the packaging of pieces with a plastic wrapping material or a synthetic plastic bonding material.

A so-called "stretch film" - generally made of a synthetic plastic material such as straight polyethylene with inherent "adhesion" properties - has been used to wrap and package a wide variety of items, such as palletized items such as bricks, glass containers, beverage containers, such as beer and space-consuming and / or heavy products such as large rolls of newsprint, kraft paper and the like. The tension film binds the pieces together into one unit for easy handling and transport. Special machines have been developed for wrapping such groups of pieces into a "stretching package".

20 In many cases, it may be desirable to pack together, for example, for delivery or sale, many identical or different pieces, with or without a pallet. For example, in areas such as food distribution, hardware deliveries, etc., it may be desirable to pack several items together for sale as a single unit.

Prior to such applications, multiple pieces, which may be separate or individually packaged in carton or boxes, could be packed together with cellulose tape, string, rope, bandage, metal or plastic threading, or the like! binders.

Such packaging methods are time consuming and labor intensive and therefore relatively expensive.

Several different machines have been proposed to assist in coating the pieces with a stretch film.

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Australian Patent No. 511,642 discloses an automatic packaging machine for wrapping film strip layers around a hood. When working with this machine, the turntable holds the furrow in place and rotates relative to the support-5 tension film roll. A brake is arranged on the roll to apply tension to the film strip so that the strip is stretched while being fed to the rotating canopy.

This machine is designed for relatively large 10 hoops and is therefore quite expensive to manufacture.

Australian Patent No. 519,486 discloses a manufacturing process using a similar packaging machine, while Australian Patent No. 505,121 discloses a different apparatus for packaging a plurality of loads into a standard hood. Similarly, U.S. Patent Nos. 4,050,221, 4,271,657 and 4,432,185 all disclose other types of tension packaging machines for packaging multiple packages into a single unit or for packaging palletized pallets.

20 The use of such machines requires that the loads be transported, loaded, secured or supported in some way on the machine when the machine wraps a stretchable film around the wrapper. U.S. Patent 4,102,513 discloses a portable, hand-held dispenser for wrapping a roll of stretchable plastic film around an object. The dispenser has a coil arrangement on which a roll of stretch film is mounted. Two handles are attached to the spool arrangement to support it during use. The support arrangement includes a support shaft 30 attached to the washer and having an opposed pair of rotating end supports mounted on the shaft for rotation. The supports are connected to the ends of the plastic tension film roll. At least one of the supports has a friction brake portion that can be used to act as a brake and limit the rotation of the tension film roll on the support shaft. The second handle is operatively connected to the rotating end supports to increase or ii 'iti · im too * 3 95685 to reduce the tensile strength of the roll and thus to vary the stretch of the film during packaging. However, this dispenser requires two hands to operate and requires that the braking of the film roll be monitored by the user 5 during use.

European Patent No. 0 081 328, dated November 26, 1982, discloses yet another type of film dispensing device in which the film passes around a pair of rollers mounted to rotate on a shaft 10 in a film roll. The tension applied to the film causes the second roll to be pressed against the surface of the film roll, and the rolls are connected so that one roll rotates at a higher speed than the other, in which way the film is stretched longitudinally between the rolls 15. The dispenser has a wheeled base for rotating a palletized load. When this dispenser is portable, it must be transported on the floor around the palletized load, and a handle is provided at the top to facilitate this movement. In addition, the tension of the film 20 is monitored by the difference between the circumferential speeds of the two rolls. As soon as the film tension is reduced, the forces holding the second roll against the surface of the film roll also decrease, thus allowing unrestricted movement of the roll and reducing the tension between the rolls.

; U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,656 relates to a wall-mounted paper roll dispenser comprising a support body, a shaft extending from the body and supporting the paper roll, and a compression arm spring-loaded in contact with the paper roll to provide a tensioning effect.

,! Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved device for packaging articles in which at least some of the prior packaging problems are avoided.

It is also desirable to provide a packaging device that facilitates the use of a plastic film, preferably a straight, low density polyethylene film, as the packaging material.

It is an object of the invention to provide a portable film dispensing device which can be operated with one hand and which allows the user to tightly pack one object or group of objects.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a film dispensing device having a relatively simple structure with relatively few moving parts and which is quite easy to use.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a film dispensing device in which the stretching of a film fed to an article can be monitored in a desired manner.

The dispensing device according to the invention is characterized by what is stated in claim 15 1.

According to the invention, there is provided a dispensing device for a roll of packaging material, the device comprising a frame for supporting the roll of packaging material, a handle and a brake roller rotatably mounted on the frame, a biasing member for tensioning the brake roller and the roller against each other so that the brake roller contacts the surface of the packaging roll) with a force proportional to the biasing force, in which opposite conductor channels are formed in the body to receive and rotatably support the packing roll. the opposite ends of the alga support member biasing the roller against the brake roller, the body including a dispensing opening through which the packaging material is dispensed, the opening being arranged to allow the packaging material 30 to pass through the nip between the roller and the brake roller and thus contact and travel that it restricts the pulling of the packaging material from the roll.

Preferably, the guide channels in the body include opposed channels formed on opposite sides of the body and extending from said first end 95585 towards the rear end of the body, the channels being adapted to receive the ends of the support member for rotatably supporting the packer roll while allowing the packer roll to move from said first end.

Preferably, the support member is a mandrel or core tube that supports the roll of packaging material.

The brake roller may include, as an integral part, a jar roller device which restricts the free rotation of the brake roller.

The brake device may be adjustable and preferably includes an end flange which frictionally contacts the end of the brake roller as the brake biasing members press against the flange against that end. In embodiments of the invention, when the plastic material is pulled from the roll, the brake-15a limits the rotation of the roll, which causes the material to tension and therefore stretch. The magnitude of the tension, and thus the elongation, may be adjustable by adjusting the biasing means, preferably the spring tension.

When using the device according to the invention, the end of the plastic tension wrapping material on a roller mounted for rotation on the holding means is applied to the objects to be wrapped and held in place when the device and the objects are moved apart. The movement of the subject-25 causes the plastic material to stretch when it is simultaneously wrapped around the object. When the film tension reaches a predetermined minimum, sufficient force is applied to stretch the film and at the same time overcome the effect of the braking device to pull the film off the roll.

30 A straight polyethylene film can be stretched several times to its original length '.' depending on the application. Due to the inherent elasticity of some types of film, a stretched film may tend to return to its unstretched size or state, in which way compression is directed to articles or articles packaged in the film to hold the articles tightly together.

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If desired, the dispenser can be manufactured as a wall-mounted stretch film dispenser having the same properties as outlined above.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, certain embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic side perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the mandrel,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of another embodiment;

Figure 4 is a top view of a sectional view of a further embodiment example.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing yet another embodiment of the invention,

Figure 6 is a partial sectional top view of the dispenser of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 shows a modified structure of the brake roller.

Figure 1 shows a stretch film dispenser 25 that can be operated with one hand. This application ·; The device according to the drawing example comprises a spindle 8 - which will be described later with reference to Fig. 2 - which is mounted for rotation in a frame 10. The spindle is such that it can be passed through the non-hollow core 30 of the tension film roll.

At the end of the frame 10 remote from the roller 11 and the mandrel 8 there is a handle or handle 12. The dispenser has a brake roller 13, preferably a rough-surfaced rubber roller supported by the arms 6, and 35 has a main pin 16 which can be slid in the grooves 7 The roller 13 is prestressed by springs 14 so that a substantially constant braking force can be maintained by the roller 11.

7 95685 This braking force is sufficient to achieve a sufficient degree of stretch of the roll film when the machine is put into operation. The other end of each prestressing spring is attached, e.g. holes 15 on the sides of the frame 10, while the other end is attached to the pin 16 of the brake roller 13. Alternatively, a compression spring device could be used to ensure the required degree of prestressing of the brake roller of the tension film roll. Ideally, in order to suitably adjust the springs, adjustment means, such as a plurality of holes 15, are provided in the various embodiments of the invention.

Referring to Figure 2, which figure shows the telescopic structure of the mandrel 8. The inner part 18 is fitted in a sleeve 17, the inner part of which has an end 19, the diameter-15 of which is equal to the diameter of the sleeve 17. A compression spring (not shown) is also present in the sleeve 17 at the end remote from the end 19, which spring biases the pins 20 to co-operate with the sockets in the frame 10. The cam or barrier 21 acts in the groove 22 of the sleeve 17 to prevent the inner part 18 from coming out of the sleeve 17. In use, the spindle 8 is simply removed from the body 10 by mutual movement of the sleeve 17 and the inner part 18 to move the pins 20 out of the frame 10 sockets. Alternatively, the handle 12 may include interlocking housing and pin portions that allow the handle to be detached, providing access to the spindle 8.

Figure 3 is a top view of a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a mandrel, which may be similar to that shown in Figure 2 or which may be attached to the frame 23, passes through the non-stick core of the roll of tension film 24.

The frame 23 has a handle or handle 25 and the dispenser is provided with a biased brake roller 35 26. The brake roller 26 is supported by a wire frame 35 held in the frame 23 by a pair of loops 28. A torsion spring 27 belonging to the frame 35 provides 95785 biasing force to the brake roller 26.

Referring to Figure 4, a further embodiment of a hand-held dispensing device 31 is shown, from which a plastic film is provided from a roll 32, which film is wound on a core 30 of cardboard or other material. The core 30 is supported on pins 33 and 34, which are integral with the frame side portions 36 and 37, respectively. The frame side portion 36 has a structural handle 38 that is substantially coaxial with the pins 33 and 34. At the free end of the handle 38 there is an extension 39 which is fitted by pressing into a housing 41 formed in the side part 37 to hold the frame parts together.

The roll 42, which is preferably a rubber compound or the like, is supported by springs 43 and 44 so as to press against the surface of the film roll 32. The springs 43 and 44 are attached to tension adjusting members 46 and 47, respectively, located in the side portions 36 and 37 of the frame. Each adjusting member has a pin 48, 49 which can be connected to one or more recesses 51 arranged in a side wall groove 52 formed on each side portion 36 and 37 of the frame.

The side portion 36 of the frame has a cutting blade 53 attached thereto and protected by a cover 54, 25 which allows the film to contact the blade 53 while inadvertently preventing the user from inadvertently contacting it.

The plastic film can be formed into a tape, rope or "cord" for certain applications. For this purpose 30, the dispensing device 31 is provided with a loop 56 resting on a wire support 57 or the like so as to be spaced from the roll 42.

When the plastic film is passed through the loop 56, the compression of the loop, together with the tension applied to the film and also with its inherent "adhesion" properties, causes the film to form a very strong cord.

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Referring to Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8, a dispenser according to this embodiment includes a body 62 molded from a synthetic plastic material and having a front portion 63 and a back portion 64 hinged together to a shaft 66. A holder 67 holds the two body portions in operation. , as shown in Figure 5.

The body is provided on opposite sides with pairs of guides 68 into which the ends of the core or core tube 69 of the film roll can be fitted so that it can be moved along the guides 68 while allowing the roll of film material 11 to rotate.

The rear portion 64 of the body is formed integrally with the handle 71, and the front portion 63 of the body has a brake roller 72. The brake roller 72 comprises a shaft 73 mounted on the front portion 63, bearing sleeves 74 mounted at each end of the shaft 73, and a substantially rigid PVC roll 76 rotatably mounted on bearing bushes 74.

A pair of biasing springs 78 are mounted on an axle pin ak-20 coaxial with the pivot shaft 66. One arm 81 of each spring 78 is supported on a rod 82 at the rear of the body 64, and the other arm 83 of each prestressing spring 78 rests against a core tube 69 fitted to the guides 68. The prestressing springs 78 thus press the core tube 69 and thus the roller 11 brake roller 72 in the direction of. During use, the film material passes from the roll 11 between a press formed by the attachment of the roll 11 and the brake roller 72 to be fed with the tension film material to the body or group of pieces to be packaged. The braking force provided by the brake roller 72 allows the film to be stretched as it is applied to the pieces, and the degree of stretching depends on both the biasing force and the freedom of rotation of the brake roller 72. By passing the tension film 35 through the press, the material is held firmly by the roller li at all times, and a constant tension can be maintained during packaging.

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Referring to Figure 8, the bias roller 72 may have a built-in clutch mechanism that can be adjusted to change the freedom of rotation of the brake roller 72 during operation. The structure shown in Figure 8 includes flange-5 papers 86 and 87 adapted to engage the ends of the brake roller 72. The flanges 86 and 87 are held together by a spring 88 and a threaded shaft pin 89 connected to the handle 91. By adjusting the axial position of the shaft pin 89 by the rotational movement of the handle 91 and the shaft pin 89 10, the tension of the spring 88 can be varied, changing the pressure on the brake roller ends and thus its freedom of rotation is varied.

Claims (12)

A dispensing device for a packaging roll (11), the device comprising a body (62) for supporting the packaging roll 5 (11), a handle (71) in the body sa (62), a brake roller (72) rotatably mounted on the body, a biasing member (78) ), which tensions the brake roller (72) and the roller (11) against each other so that the brake roller (72) contacts the surface 10 of the packaging roll (11) with a force proportional to the biasing force, characterized in that opposite guide channels are formed in the body (62) (68) receiving and rotatably supporting the opposite ends of the support roll support member (69) as the biasing member (78) biases the roller (11) against the brake roller (72), and that the body (62) includes a dispensing opening through which the packaging material is dispensed, which the opening is arranged to allow the packaging material to pass through the nip between the roller (11) and the brake roller (72) and to be distributed and touched around the surface portion of the brake roller (72) in which case the brake roller (72) acts in such a way as to limit the pulling of the packaging material from the roll (11). Dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support member (69) is a spindle rotatably supported on guide channels (68) in the body. Dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support member (69) is a relatively rigid core tube supporting the packaging material, and the ends of the core tube are rotatably supported by a guide. channels (68). Dispensing device according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the brake roller 35 (72) comprises, as an integral part, a brake device (86-89, 91) which restricts the free rotation of the brake roller. Dispensing device according to claim 4, 95685, characterized in that the two prestressing springs (78) are formed so as to contact the protruding end portions of the support member (69), supporting the roller to prestress the roller against the brake roller (72). Dispensing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the prestressing springs (78) comprise a pair of spring members supported by the body, each spring member having a pair of arms, one arm (81) of each arm being supported on the frame 10 and the other arm (83) attached to the support member. to press the roller towards the brake roller. Dispensing device according to Claim 7, characterized in that the braking device is adjustable. Dispensing device according to one of Claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the braking device comprises an end flange (86, 87) which frictionally contacts the end of the brake roller (72) when the brake biasing members press against the flange. Dispensing device according to claim 8, characterized in that the pair of flanges (86, 87) contact the opposite ends of the brake roller. Dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the guide channels (68) in the body comprise opposite channels formed on opposite sides of the body and extending towards said rear end of said first end, the channels being adapted to receive the ends of the support member (69) to rotatably support the packer roll (11) while allowing the packer roll to move said first end thereof by the biasing members. Dispensing device according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the body is formed by two parts which are articulated 35 and movable between an open position, in which the roll of packaging material is accessible, and a closed position. 95685 Dispensing device according to one of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the packaging material is a stretchable synthetic plastic film. 14 95685