STRAPPING APPARATUS FOR PACKAGES AND STRAPPING METHOD

Abstract

A strapping apparatus (10) for packages, has a packing table (11) on which the package (13) to be strapped lies. The apparatus has vertically oriented supports (17) which are arranged laterally on the packing table (11), a horizontally oriented pressing plate (18) which is arranged on the vertical supports (11) and which is movable in a vertical direction, and a device, situated on the pressing plate (18), for the arrangement of an edge protection means on the package (13) lying on the packing table (11). The device for the arrangement of the edge protection means can be moved from an initial position remote from the package into an arrangement position close to the package (13). The device includes at least one magazine (19), arranged on the pressing plate (18), for the supply of edge protection means and has a first clearance outline profile which is delimited by the packing table (11), the vertical supports (17), the pressing plate (18) and the at least one magazine (19). The magazine (19) has a normal position which, for the transfer of an edge protection means, corresponds to the initial position of the arrangement device, and the magazine (19) is a part of a first clearance outline profile. The magazine (19) has a deflected position into which it can be moved from the normal position and in which the magazine (19) is part of a second, wider clearance outline profile. A method for strapping packages in a strapping apparatus is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A strapping apparatus (10) for packages, comprising: a packing table (11) on which the package (13) to be strapped lies, having vertically oriented supports (17) which are arranged laterally on the packing table (11); a horizontally oriented pressing plate (18) which is arranged on the vertical supports (17) and which is movable in a vertical direction V; a device, situated on the pressing plate (18), for the arrangement of an edge protection means on the package (13) lying on the packing table (11), wherein the device for the arrangement of an edge protection means can be moved from an initial position remote from the package into an arrangement position close to the package, at least one magazine (19), arranged on the pressing plate (18), for the supply of edge protection means; a first clearance outline profile which is delimited by the packing table (11), the vertical supports (17), the pressing plate (18) and the at least one magazine (19), wherein the magazine (19) has a normal position which, for the transfer of an edge protection means, corresponds to the initial position of the arrangement device, and said magazine is a part of a first clearance outline profile, and wherein the magazine (19) has a deflected position into which it can be moved from the normal position and in which said magazine is part of a second, wider clearance outline profile.

2. The strapping apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that the magazine (19) is movable horizontally or vertically from the normal position into the deflected position.

3. The strapping apparatus (10) of claim 1, characterized in that the magazine (19) is movable by way of a spindle drive from its normal position into its deflected position.

4. The strapping apparatus (10) of claim 1, characterized in that the magazine (19) is, in its deflected position, arranged behind or in front of one of the vertical supports (17) in relation to a movement path of the package (13) through the strapping apparatus (10).

5. The strapping apparatus (10) of claim 1, characterized in that the magazine (19), in its deflected position, is arranged vertically above a package contact surface of the pressing plate (18).

6. A method for strapping packages in a strapping apparatus (10), comprising: a) arranging the package (13) under a pressing plate (18); b) transferring an edge protection means from the magazine (19) to an arrangement device; c) moving the arrangement device into an arrangement position; d) moving the magazine (19) from a normal position into a deflected position; e) lowering the pressing plate (18) onto the package (13) and holding the edge protection means between itself and the package (13); and e) applying a strapping means around the package (13).

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0026] Further advantages and improved understanding of the device and method will emerge from the following description of the drawing, in which:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a strapping apparatus, illustrated with magazines in a normal position;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows the strapping apparatus as per FIG. 1 with magazines in a deflected position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In the figures, an embodiment of a strapping apparatus is denoted as a whole by the reference designation 10.

[0030] The strapping apparatus 10 firstly has a packing table 11 which bears drums 12 on which a package 13 can be moved through the apparatus 10. In the present example, the package 13 is composed of a load carrier 14 in the form of a pallet 15, on which there are arranged cardboard boxes 16 (illustrated merely schematically).

[0031] To the left and to the right of the packing table 11 there is situated in each case one vertical support 17, which vertical supports hold a horizontally oriented pressing plate 18 which is arranged above the packing table 11. The pressing plate 18 is movable along the vertical supports 17 in a vertical direction V upward and downward in the direction of the packing table 11.

[0032] To the pressing plate 18, close to each vertical support 17, there is fastened in each case one magazine 19 which serves for the supply of edge protection means (not illustrated). The pressing plate 18, above its underside 20 which is provided for making contact with the package 11, has running rails on which arrangement devices (not illustrated) for edge protection means are arranged in movable fashion. Two such arrangement means are provided, which, in their initial position, are arranged behind the respective magazines 19 in relation to the drawing plane of FIG. 1. Said arrangement means receive edge protection means from a discharging element (not illustrated) of the respective magazine 19, which edge protection means are conveyed by said arrangement means to an arrangement position on the package.

[0033] The strapping apparatus 10 then has a strapping means channel which surrounds the package and which runs in the pressing plate 18, along the vertical supports 17 and in the region of the packing table 11, wherein the channel section in the region of the package 13 may alternatively be formed by a horizontally insertable bayonet.

[0034] The reference designation 21 denotes the band stores of the strapping apparatus, which hold a supply of strapping means.

[0035] In FIG. 1, the strapping apparatus 10 has a first clearance outline profile, the dimensions of which define the maximum size of a package to be processed. It is clear from FIG. 1 that, in the case of the magazines 19 being arranged in a normal position, said magazines define the width B.sub.n of the first clearance outline profile. The width B.sub.n of the first clearance outline profile is in this case thus defined by the spacing of the magazines 19 to one another, because the discharging elements thereof are arranged below the underside 20 of the pressing plate 18. It can also be seen from FIG. 1 that the package 13 positioned there exceeds the width B.sub.n of the first clearance outline profile and thus cannot be processed with magazines 19 in the normal position.

[0036] In an embodiment of the strapping apparatus 10, it is possible for the magazines 19 to be moved from their normal position illustrated in FIG. 1, which is required for the transfer of edge protection means to the arrangement device, into a deflected position illustrated in FIG. 2. In the exemplary embodiment, a movement in a horizontal direction has been realized, in the case of which the deflected position has been assumed when the magazines 19 are arranged in front of the vertical supports 17 with respect to the plane of the paper. In their deflected position, the magazines 19 are arranged outside the movement path of the package 11 through the device 10, such that the magazines 19 now define a second clearance outline profile with the width B.sub.a. Said width B.sub.a is considerably greater than the width B.sub.n illustrated in FIG. 1, such that the package 13 can be processed in the installation with magazines in the deflected position as per FIG. 2. In this way, it is possible for the variability of the strapping apparatus 10 with regard to processable package sizes to be increased.

[0037] In the exemplary embodiment, the horizontal movement of the magazines 19 into the deflected position is realized by way of a spindle drive. Alternative drives are self-evidently conceivable. It is also readily possible to provide not a horizontal, sidewardly directed movement of the magazines but also a vertically upwardly directed movement, such that the deflected position of the magazines 19 would then be situated above the underside 20 of the package.

[0038] The conventional strapping process with magazines 19 in the normal position as per FIG. 1, and with a package adapted to the first clearance outline profile, takes place as follows:

[0039] The package 13 is placed onto the packing table 11 and is moved under the pressing plate 18 in the region of the strapping channel. Edge protection means are conveyed from the magazines 19 to the respective arrangement device. The arrangement devices move into an arrangement position in which the edge protection means can be arranged on the package. The pressing plate 18 is lowered onto the package 13. The edge protection means are now held, in the region of the package edges, between pressing plate 18 and package 13. The arrangement devices move back into their initial position.

[0040] A feed and sealing element (not illustrated) situated in the pressing plate 18 pushes the strapping means along the channel sections, which are situated in the pressing plate 18, arranged on the vertical supports 17 and situated in the packing table 11, and around the package 13. The end of the feeding process is reached when the band end arrives at the feed and sealing element again. There, the band end is held, and the band is retracted and stretched around the package. Here, the band is pulled out of the strapping means channel, which for this purpose may have various opening mechanisms. After the strapping means has been stretched around the package 13, the band ends are connected to one another by the feed and sealing element, and the strapping process is complete.

[0041] In relation to this, an embodiment of the strapping process of the device 10, changes as follows if it is necessary for the magazines 19 to be moved into deflected positions:

[0042] As described above, with the magazines 19 in the normal position, the edge protection means are transferred to the arrangement devices, which are situated in their initial position. Before the lowering of the pressing plate 18 onto the package 13, the magazines 19 are then moved into their deflected position in order to widen the clearance outline profile. Then, the pressing plate 18 is lowered onto the package 13, and the strapping process is then performed as described above. At the end of the strapping process, the pressing plate 18 is raised, wherein then, in preparation for the processing of the next package 13, the magazines 19 are moved back into their normal position.

[0043] The strapping apparatus according to the present disclosure can be used expediently whenever oversized packages 13, which cannot be processed when the magazines 19 are in the normal position, make up a relatively small fraction of the strapping processes, such that the use of an apparatus 10 with a relatively large clearance outline profile is not expedient. Said strapping apparatus is thus suitable whenever the conflict of aims mentioned above cannot be solved in a satisfactory manner.

LIST OF REFERENCE DESIGNATIONS

[0044] 10 Strapping apparatus [0045] 11 Packing table [0046] 12 Drums [0047] 13 Package [0048] 14 Load carrier [0049] 15 Pallet [0050] 16 Cardboard packaging [0051] 17 Vertical supports [0052] 18 Pressing plate [0053] 19 Magazine [0054] 20 Underside of 18 [0055] 21 Band store [0056] B.sub.a Width of the clearance outline profile in the deflected position of 19 [0057] B.sub.n Width of the clearance outline profile in the normal position of 19 [0058] V Vertical direction