FR2527167A1 - Method of wrapping load of scrap metal - uses wire mesh panels around pallet to form basket supporting wrapper whilst filled - Google Patents

Abstract

The process is used to wrap loads of scrap metal or industrial leavings for re-cycling. Initially a basket with openwork walls is formed by fitting metal mesh panels (4) around a pallet (2), thermo-shrinkable plastics wrapping (3) then being placed in the basket. The wrapping is in contact with the pallet and the mesh panels and its top sections (3a) are folded down over the tops of the mesh panels to hang down outside. The load material is placed inside the lined basket, the upper parts are folded inside to cover the top, and heat is applied to the wrapping. The mesh is removed to obtain a wrapped consignment or load mounted on a pallet and may comprise connected pairs of hinged panels (5,9). Cardboard may be used to layer the material and to separate the wrapping from the mesh.

Description

 The present invention relates to a process for the formation of bundles of objects surrounded by a cover made of heat-shrinkable material.

 It is currently known to make burdens from stable objects which have previously been placed, by stacking, on a pallet, the volume formed by all of the stacked objects then being covered by a transparent cover made of material. plastic which has the property of shrinking on heating. The objects are thus fixed on the pallet, for their handling, their shipment or their storage.

 The object of the present invention is to allow the execution of such bundles on pallets, with heat-shrinkable plastic cover, for bundling non-stackable objects, which were hitherto transported in bulk: objects having a tendency to roll on each other, or to disperse ...

 To this end, the method according to the invention, for the formation of bundles of objects placed on a pallet and surrounded by a cover made of heat-shrinkable plastic material, essentially consists in putting in place a perforated, rigid and heat-resistant belt. , around the pallet to be loaded, place the cover inside the belt, in contact with the pallet and against the inside walls of said belt, while the upper part of the cover is folded down outside the belt, to fill with objects the container thus formed by the cover, to fold above the piled up objects the upper part of the cover previously folded outside, to proceed to the heating of the cover, causing its retraction, through of the perforated belt, and finally remove this belt.

 This process, using a metal belt for example which laterally delimits a volume corresponding to the burden to be formed, makes it possible to shape this burden by placing the objects directly in the cover, while maintaining them, then retracting the cover on these objects without ceasing to maintain them, until the cover has regained the necessary resistance that it loses while it is being heated. After removing the belt which surrounds the burden during its entire formation, we obtain a perfectly made and stable burden on the pallet, whatever the shape of the objects, whereas with the current process we would have formed a heap of objects which would have collapsed, or at least strongly deformed, even before the cover had been put in place.

 The method according to the invention makes it possible to develop the use of retraction installations or apparatuses, or to make profitable those which are already in service, by considerably widening the field of application of the burdens of the kind considered here, therefore also developing considerably the use of heat shrinkable plastic covers. This process also offers new possibilities to many different industries and activities, such as the recovery of mechanical parts or industrial waste for recycling.

 According to an embodiment of the method according to the present invention, a protective sheet, made of cardboard or paper or other material, is placed internally against the cover, in contact with the parts of the latter applied against the interior walls. of the belt, before the introduction of the objects to be bundled. A sort of lateral "cladding" is thus formed, which avoids piercing the cover in the case of sharp or sharp objects, by internally reinforcing the walls of this cover, and which can also be used to hide the objects, the cover being transparent.

 In the case of certain objects, it will also be necessary to place inside the cover, during the loading of the objects to be bundled, horizontal and / or vertical separation beds, made of strong paper or corrugated cardboard or other material. likely to cancel the scattering effect of these objects which would cause too great a push on the walls of the cover.

In most cases, these beds can consist of simple horizontal rectangular sheets, each of which is placed inside the cover after loading a "slice" of objects, and before loading the "slice" next, these sheets being sufficient to prevent the dispersing effect. In the case of cylindrical objects, which tend to roll, the beds will preferably consist of a single sheet initially in roll which, as the objects are loaded, is unrolled and zigzag inside of the cover so as to wrap and separate "slices" of objects. For small wrapping objects, in particular granular or powdery products, the beds can also be in the form of superimposed light boxes, each of which is placed inside the cover to receive a layer of objects or products.

 The invention also relates to a device intended for the implementation of the burden-forming method defined above, this device essentially consisting of an openwork belt composed of four rectangular frames each supporting a trellis, these frames being hinged together in pairs, either by means of mechanical hinges, or by means of a deformable connecting element such as a metal braid. Preferably, the belt comprises two pairs of frames which can be separated from each other and which are capable of being joined together by means of elastic clips. These provisions facilitate the positioning of the belt around the pallet, as well as its removal. after the burden is formed, because the division of the belt into two halves makes it easy to handle and transportable by one person; in addition, the joints allow this belt to be folded into a tight volume, for shipping and storage.

 Finally, the subject of the invention is, as such, a burden obtained by the process defined above, and in particular a burden in which non-stackable objects are held not only by means of the cover, but also by means of beds of seperation.

In any case, the invention will be clearly understood with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended schematic drawing illustrating, by way of nonlimiting examples, some embodiments of this process for the formation of burdens objects surrounded by a shrinkable cover
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the cover disposed inside the belt placed around the pallet, for the formation of a burden according to the method according to the invention
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view, corresponding to Figure 1 but showing the cover, the belt and the pallet spaced from each other
Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the burden being formed, in the case of the use of a protective sheet or "cladding", placed internally against the side portions of the cover
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the belt, consisting of two pairs of frames supporting the trellis and separable from each other
Figures 5 and 6 show two possible embodiments of the articulation between the two frames of each pair
Figure 7 shows an elastic clip for the meeting of the two pairs of belt frames
Figure 8 is a sectional view showing the region of the junction of two frames, joined by the elastic clip of Figure 7
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a burden produced according to the invention, with placement inside the cover of beds formed by a sheet folded in a zig-zag
Figure 10 is a perspective view of another burden produced according to the invention, with placement inside the cover of beds formed by rectangular sheets
Figure 11 is an exploded perspective view showing yet another burden produced according to the invention, with placement inside the cover of beds formed by stacked boxes.

 As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the method according to the invention relates to the formation of bundles of objects I placed on a pallet 2 and surrounded by a cover 3 made of heat-shrinkable plastic, this formation being carried out using 'a perforated but rigid belt 4, initially placed around the pallet 2, and removed only at the end of the formation of the burden.

 The belt 4, the structure of which is shown in more detail in FIGS. 4 to a, comprises four faces. Each longitudinal face, intended to be placed along a long side of the pallet Z, is constituted by a rectangular frame 5 with two uprights 6 and two crosspieces 7, which support a trellis B. Similarly, each transverse face, intended to be placed along a small side of the pallet 2, is constituted by a rectangular frame 9 with two uprights 10 and two crosspieces 11, which support a trellis 12.

 As shown in FIG. 4, each pair of frames 5-9, corresponding to an adjacent longitudinal face and to a transverse face of the belt 4, is separable from the other pair of frames 5-9 In addition, the two frames 5 and 9 of each pair are hinged together, either by means of mechanical hinges 13 joining an amount 6 to an amount 10 (see FIG. 5), or by means of a metal braid 14 also joining an amount 6 to an amount 10 ( see figure 6).

For the union of the two pairs of frames 5-9, elastic clips 15 are visible here, visible in FIG. 4 but especially in FIGS. 7 and 8. Each clip 15 is constituted by a helical spring 16, one end of which is linked to a carabiner 17, and the other end of which is linked to a hook 18 provided with a gripping ring. The carabiner is for example retained on the trellis B of the frame 5, while the hook 18 is hooked on the trellis 12 of the frame 9 of the other pair of frames, when the two pairs of frames are put in place so as to form belt 4 complete. All other members such as hooks, rings, etc., of various shapes other than those shown in the drawing, can obviously be used.

 The belt 4 produced as described above being placed around the pallet 2, the cover 3 is placed inside this belt 4, the bottom of the cover coming into contact with the pallet 2 while the lateral parts of the cover apply to the inner walls of the belt 4. The upper part 3a of the cover is folded down outside the belt 4 (see Figures 1 to 3).

 As shown in FIG. 3, a protective sheet or "cladding" 19, made of cardboard or paper, can still be placed internally against the lateral parts of the cover 3, before the objects 1 are introduced according to arrow 20 , to avoid piercing the cover in the case of sharp or sharp objects. When all the objects 1 to be bundled are placed inside the container formed by the cover 3, the upper part 3a of the latter is folded over the piled objects, according to the arrows 21. The heating of the cover 3 through the trellis of the belt 4, which will obviously have to resist the heat emitted during this operation. The cover 3 then retracts around the package of objects 1, while its upper part 3a closes by welding at the top of this package of objects.

 Finally, the belt 4 is removed, after separation of its two pairs of frames 5 - 9, and a perfectly made burden is obtained on the pallet 2, although it consists of non-stackable objects.

 In the case of cylindrical objects to be bundled, having a tendency to roll: lying bottles, cardan transmissions, starters, rollers, turned parts, ... during loading, "beds" 22 will be used to prevent the dispersion of these objects. These beds 22 are made, as and when loaded, by unwinding a sheet of corrugated cardboard or reinforced paper, or a plastic film, stored in a roll, which is folded in a "zig-zag" manner alternately connecting two opposite sides of the cover 3, wrapping and separating the "slices" of objects successively introduced inside said cover (see Figure 9).

 In the case of objects or products to be wrapped such as for example: clutch discs, brake shoes, potatoes, nuts, ..., having a less strong tendency to roll, we can use "beds" 23 formed simply by rectangular sheets (see FIG. 10): after loading a "slice" of objects inside the cover 3, this slice is covered with a horizontal sheet 23, then the loading of the next section of objects, which is itself covered with a new sheet 23, and so on ....

Finally, for small granu objects or products
lometry: sand, gravel, mosaic, fertilizer, various powders, ..., the beds can be made up of strong paper boxes 24 (see Figure 11), which are superimposed inside the cover 3 , each case 24 receiving a layer of objects or products.

 It goes without saying that the invention is not limited only to the modes of implementing this process for the formation of bundles of objects surrounded by a cover made of heat-shrinkable material which have been described above by way of examples; on the contrary, it embraces all of the variants using means equivalent to those described and shown, and this regardless of the applications. In particular, the indications of materials given in the preceding description, and the particular conformation of the belt described, have no restrictive character.

Claims (12)

 1. - Process for the formation of bundles of objects placed on a pallet and surrounded by a shrinkable plastic cover, characterized in that it consists essentially in putting in place an openwork belt (4), rigid and resistant to the heat, around the pallet (2) to be loaded, to place the cover (3) inside the belt (4), in contact with the pallet (2) and against the interior walls of said belt (4) , while the upper part (3a) of the cover is folded down outside the belt (4), to fill with objects (1) the container thus formed by the cover (3), to be folded over the piled up objects (1) the upper part (3a) of the cover, to heat the cover (3), causing it to shrink, through the perforated belt (4), and finally to remove this belt (4).  2. - A method of forming bundles according to claim 1, characterized in that a protective sheet (19), of cardboard or paper or other material, is placed internally against the cover (3) in contact with the parts of it applied against the inner walls of the belt (4), before the introduction of the objects to be bundled (1).  3. - Burden formation method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that there is inside the cover (3), during the loading of the objects to be bundled (1), horizontal separation beds and / or vertical (22,23,24), in strong paper or corrugated cardboard or other material, capable of canceling the effect of dispersion of these objects (-1).  4. - method of forming burdens according to claim 3, characterized in that the aforementioned beds consist of horizontal rectangular sheets (23) each of which is placed inside the cover (3) after loading a "slice" of objects and before loading the next "slice".  5. - A method of forming burdens according to claim 3, characterized in that the aforementioned beds consist of a single sheet (22) initially in a roll which, as the objects are loaded, and unrolled and folded in a zig -zag inside the cover (3), so as to wrap and separate "slices" of objects.  6. - method of forming burdens according to claim 3, characterized in that the aforementioned beds are in the form of superimposed light boxes (24), each of which is placed inside the cover (3) for receive a layer of objects or products.  7. - Device intended for the implementation of the burden-forming process according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it consists essentially of an openwork belt (4) composed of four rectangular frames (5 , 9) each supporting a trellis (8,12), these frames (5,9) being hinged together in pairs.  8. - Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the belt (4) comprises two pairs of frames (5,9) separable from each other, and able to be joined by means of elastic fasteners (15 ).  9. - Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the two frames (5,9) of each pair are hinged together by means of mechanical hinges (13).  10. - Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the two frames (5,9) of each pair are hinged together by means of a deformable connecting element such as a metal braid (14).  11. - Device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the elastic fasteners (15) are constituted by a spring (16) having its ends linked to members such as hooks, rings or carabiners (17, 18), able to be hung on the trellis (8,12) of the two frames (5,9) to join.  12. - Burden of objects placed on a pallet and surrounded by a shrinkable plastic cover, obtained by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and more particularly burden in which layers or slices of objects non-stackable (1) are held by means of separation beds (22,23,24) arranged inside the cover (3).