616,989. Banding-machines. FROMM GES., A. Sept. 18, 1946, No. 27935. Convention date, Sept. 19, 1945. [Class 45] [Also in Group XV] In a banding-machine adapted to join the ends of a metal band by means of a sealing sleeve which together with the ends is notched on opposite sides by a sealing tool, the tool is now made adjustable to enable it to join the ends of bands of various widths. Operation. In use, a band is passed from left to right over the base plate 1, Fig. 1, of the device, thence around the package and again from left to right over the base plate. A sealing sleeve is passed over the superimposed lengths of band and positioned beneath a pair of sealing tools 6, 7 carried by a vertically movable cutter head 4. The positioning of the band on the base presses a control bolt 44 into the frame and releases a handle 36, clockwise rotation of which (1) frees the cutter head to the action of a spring 27 which presses the sealing tools against the sealing sleeve to hold the band in position, and (2) lowers a band-tensioning roller 61 into engagement with the upper length of band. By oscillation of a lever 64, the tensioning roller is rotated counterclockwise to stress the band. When the band has been tensioned to the required degree, a lever 18 is rocked counterclockwise to press the cutter head firmly down, thus deforming the sleeve and band to form a seal and, by a cutter 30, partially severing the upper length of band. Upon the return of the lever 36 a supporting bolt 55 slides into a base thus enabling the device to be rocked about the chamfered edge 2 of the base and be readily released from the band. Sealing and severing means : The cutter head 4, Figs. 4 and 5, carries the cutter 30 and a rotatable shaft 5 on which the two sealing tools 6, 7 are fixed. Each sealing tool has three cutting surfaces 8, 9, 10 to accommodate different sizes of seals and banding strip. The shaft 5 projects through a slot in the wall 3 and carries a setting head 12 to select the desired cutting surfaces, a pointer being provided on the wall 3. The cutter head is normally held against the pressure of the spring 27 by a spring-pressed pawl 15 which is mounted on a shaft 16 in the cutter head and engages a pin 19 on the lever 18. Counterclockwise rotation of the lever 18, after the cutter head has been released as described below, forces the cutter head down to deform the seals and partially sever the band by the action of a cam surface 17, at the end of lever 18, on a roller 14 journalled on a shaft 16 in the cutter head. Restoration of the lever 18 to its original position raises the cutter head against the action of the spring 27 by the engagement of the pin 19 with the pawl 15. Straining means. The band-tensioning roller 61, Fig. 2, is fixed to a shaft 60 rotatable in an eccentric hole in a shaft 35. A ratchet wheel 62 is fixed to the other end of shaft 60 and is driven by a pawl 65 on a fork-ended lever 64 freely mounted on shaft 60. Rotation of shaft 35 by handle 36 which is fixed to it, lowers the roller 61 on to the band. Interlocks : Clockwise operation of handle 36 releases pawl 15 from pin 19 by means of a pin 58 on a spring-retained lever 42 actuated by a pin on shaft 35. This shaft also carries a control cam 37 locked by the control bolt 44 until the bolt is pushed inwards by the band, thus placing a reduced portion of its length under the cam 37 and releasing it. Cam 37 also operates the supporting bolt 55 which normally keeps the device from tilting about the chamfered edge 2.