MXPA00010481A - Hand strapping tool - Google Patents

Abstract

A hand strapping tool (110) has a two-piece outer link (122) assembly wherein a first upper outer link member (122U) is mounted upon a pivot shaft (136) of the tool, while a second lower outer link member (122L) is mounted upon the distal end portion of the feedwheel shaft (116) so as to maintain the feedwheel (118) upon the feedwheel shaft (116). The second lower outer link member (122L) is removably fastened to the first upper outer link member (122U) by suitable fasteners (152) whereby when the feedwheel (118) is to be replaced as a result of, for example, wear thereof only the lower outer link member (122L) needs to be disconnected from the upper outer link member (122U) so as to provide access to the feedwheel (118).

Description

MANUAL STRAPPING TOOL TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to manual strapping tools, and more particularly to a new and improved manual strapping tool, where the mounting structure of the feeder wheel inside the tool facilitates and simplifies the replacement of the feeder wheel when necessary, for example, due to normal wear of the wheel as a result of its use in normal strapping tools under strapping tension conditions. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Manual strapping tools are conventionally used to apply strip material, made of plastic, steel or similar materials, around various articles, packages or loads. By operating this manual strapping tool, the feeder wheel, which is an element or component of the tool tensioning unit, is driven by a suitable motor, and functions to tension the strip material to a predetermined amount of tension, as determined by when the motor stops when the predetermined amount of voltage level is obtained. Subsequently, the strap is attached and cut, and a new article, package, cargo or the like is prepared for a felting operation. As a result of these multiple felting operations involving these tensioning processes, the feeder wheels suffer wear and therefore must be replaced. However, with manual strapping tools, the replacement of the feeder wheel is not especially convenient and is especially prolonged, as can be better appreciated as a result of referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 and 2 reveal a conventional manual strapping tool which is generally indicated by the reference number 10. Briefly, the manual strapping tool 10 comprises a tensioning unit 12 which includes a drive motor, which is not shown, and a housing speeds 14 operatively connected with the driving motor of the tensioning unit. A feed wheel output shaft 16 projects laterally outwardly from one side of the gearbox portion 14 of the tensioning unit 12, and a portion of the outer periphery of the feed wheel shaft 16 has a hexagonal configuration. A feeder wheel 18, which has a complementary internal hexagonal peripheral surface, is adapted to be mounted on the feed wheel shaft 16 to be driven by the feed wheel shaft 16 as a result of the driving force generated by the driving motor of the unit. tensioner, and transmitted by the gearbox 14. The feed wheel shaft 16 passes through an opening 19 of a fracturing bracket 20, and the feed wheel 18 is maintained at the outer or distal end of the feed wheel shaft 16 by a external articulation 22, wherein the external articulation 22 is also provided with an opening 23 through which the free or distal end of the feed wheel shaft 16 passes. The external articulation 22 is in turn mounted on a position joint 24 by a pin 26, where the position 24 joint and the pin 26 comprise a subassembly. The position joint 24 is mounted on a support roller 28 by another bolt 30. A suspension roller 32, as shown in Figure 2, has hollow rims or mounting brackets 34, of which only one is shown. in Figure 2, mounted on the roller, on the respective opposite sides of the tool. The tensioning unit 12, the feed wheel assembly comprising the feed wheel shaft 16 and the feed wheel 18, and the outer hinge 22 are mounted on hollow flanges 34 by a pivot shaft 36 and a nut 38. The pivot shaft 36 and the nut 38 allow the tensioning unit 12, the feed wheel assembly comprising the feed wheel shaft 16 and the feed wheel 18, and the outer hinge 22 to be moved by pivoting between operative and inoperative positions with respect to upper and lower strips. lower to tense and join together, and they are shown respectively at 42 and 44. It can be seen that the pivot axis 36 extends or passes through the openings 37, 39, 41 and. 43, respectively provided within the emptied rim 34, the outer hinge 22, the fracture holder 20 and the gearbox portion 14 of the tension unit 12. The drive motor of the tensioning unit 12 is activated by a manual trigger lever 40. It can therefore be appreciated that when the feed wheel 18 needs to be replaced, the pivot shaft 36 must be first removed from the the tool 10, whereby also the entire tension unit assembly comprising the tension unit 12, the feed wheel shaft 16 and the feed wheel 18, in addition to the outer hinge 22, of the hollow rims 34 must be separated. external articulation 22 and pin 26 must then be separated as a subassembly of position link 24, whereby access to feeder wheel 18 is achieved on feeder wheel shaft 16, so that the feeder wheel 18 can be replaced. weathered Once the new feeder wheel has been replaced on the feed wheel shaft 16, the inverse procedures related to the arrangement or assembly of the external articulation 22 and the pin 26 on the position articulation 24 must be carried out, as well as the arrangement or assembly of all the tension unit assembly on the hollow rims 34 by the pivot shaft 36. It can therefore be appreciated that the replacement procedures related to the feeder wheel 18, which comprise disassembling the component parts of the tool, and the reassembly of these parts, As noted above, they can be extremely long. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a manual strapping tool where the structural assembly of the tensioning unit and, in particular, the mounting of the feeder wheel thereon, is such that the replacement of the feeder wheel is necessarily produced by the wear or other conditions, is considerably simplified in order to make the procedure of replacement of the feed wheel relatively easy, simple and fast, with a minimum of downtime in production. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved manual strapping tool. Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved manual strapping tool that effectively solves the various structural disadvantages of conventional hand-held strapping tools. Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved manual strapping tool where the structural assembly of the feeder wheel on the tensioning unit is such as to make the exchange or replacement of the feeder wheel relatively simple, easy and fast, to reduce to the minimum dead times of production. Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved manual strapping tool wherein the improved structural assembly of the feed wheel on the tensioning unit comprises a minimum amount of component parts, such that manual strapping tools can be easily retrofitted. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the teachings of the present invention by providing a new and improved manual strapping tool where the mounting structure for the feeder wheel assembly comprises an external articulation of two parts or two pieces that it comprises an upper external joint member and a lower external joint member. The upper external link member is mounted on the pivot shaft in a manner similar to the external link members of the existing or conventional manual strapping tools, wherein the lower link member is disposed on the outer or distal end of the feed wheel shaft, to keep the feed wheel mounted on the feed wheel shaft. The lower link member is fixedly secured to the upper link member by two bolts or rope fasteners. Accordingly, when the feeder wheel is to be replaced, the two bolts or rope fasteners are simply removed from the outer joint assembly comprising the upper external joint member and the lower external joint member, whereby the external joint member The upper portion may be removed from the upper outer hinge member, as well as the distal or outer end of the feed wheel shaft, thereby exposing or giving access to the feed wheel, which may already be replaced. When the feeder wheel is replaced, the lower external link member is simply replaced on the outer or distal end of the feed wheel shaft, and the two bolts or rope fasteners are reinserted to securely mount the lower outer link member on the member. of external upper articulation, and in this way maintain the lower external articulation member on the feed wheel shaft, in turn to keep the feed wheel on the feed wheel shaft. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Many other objects, features and consequent advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated from the following detailed description when considered in relation to the accompanying drawings, where like reference numbers designate similar or corresponding parts in the various views, and where: Figure 1 is an enlarged and perspective view of some parts comprising a conventional and existing manual strapping tool of the prior art. Figure 2 is a partial perspective view showing the manual strapping tool of Figure 1 in its assembled state. Figure 3 is a partial perspective view similar to that of Figure 2, but where a manual strapping tool constructed in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention is disclosed, and which incorporates a new feeder wheel mounting system. and perfected. Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the upper external joint component of the new and improved feeder wheel mounting system of the present invention, as incorporated in the manual strapping tool of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a view side elevation of the upper outer articulation component of the new and improved feeder wheel mounting system of the present invention, as shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a front elevated view of the lower external joint component of the mounting system of The new and improved feeder wheel of the present invention, as incorporated in the manual strapping tool of Figure 3. Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the lower external hinge component of the new and improved feeder wheel mounting system of FIG. the present invention, as shown in Figure 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERI MODALITY DA Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 3, the new and improved manual strapping tool constructed according to the teachings and principles of the present invention, indicated generally by the reference number, is disclosed. 110, while FIGS. 4 to 7 disclose the details of the upper and lower external link components, which comprise the essential component parts of the new and improved feeder wheel mounting system incorporated in the tool 110. It is also noted that the manual strapping tool 110 disclosed in Figure 3 is essentially the same as that shown in Figure 2, except as specifically noted hereinafter, and consequently the tool parts 110 corresponding to similar parts of the tool 10 disclosed in Figure 2 will be designated by like reference numbers, except that the reference numbers of the tool parts 110 disclosed in Figure 3 will be in the series of 100. Referring now to Figure 3, it can be seen that the manual strapping tool 110 comprises the tensioning unit 112 possessed by the gearbox 114 operatively associated with unit. The feeder wheel 118 is mounted on the feed wheel shaft 116, and the pivot shaft is shown at 136. However, it is critical to note that instead of the single external joint member or member that mounts the tensioning unit 12 on the pivot shaft 36, as disclosed in accordance with the structural arrangement of the manual strapping tool 10 of the prior art disclosed in Figures 1 and 2, provides an external joint subassembly of two parts or two parts, comprising a member of upper external articulation 122U and a lower external articulation member 122L.

More particularly, with further reference to Figure 4, it can be seen that the upper outer hinge member 122U is provided with an opening 139 through which the pivot shaft 136 is inserted to mount the upper outer hinge member 122U, as well as the fracture bracket 120 and the gearbox portion 114 of the tensioning unit 112 on the casting rim or mounting bracket 134. As can also be seen as a result of making additional reference to Figure 5, the lower portion of the upper outer articulation member 122U also comprises a portion with dependent flange 146 that is positioned rearwardly, with respect to the front face of the upper external articulation member 122U, within which a pair of openings 148, 148 is provided. further to Figures 6 and 7, it can be seen that the lower external link member 122L is provided with an erect flange portion 150 disposed forward, relative to the front face of the lower external link member 122L, within which is provided a pair of openings 152, 152. The flanged portions 46 and 150 of the upper and lower external link members 122U, 1 22L, respectively, comprise complementary structural configurations such that the upper and lower external link members 122U, 122L, can be fixedly fixed to one another when the flange portions 146 and 150 of these are disposed in a protruding overlapping arrangement with respect to each other, and suitable bolts or fasteners 154, 154 are inserted through the openings 148 and 152, as shown in Figure 3. Lastly making particular reference to the Figure 3, it can therefore be readily appreciated that, as a result of the particular structural arrangement developed in accordance with the teachings and principles of the present invention, by which the two-piece or two-part external joint assembly comprising the member is provided of upper external articulation 122U and lower external articulation member 122L for mounting and retaining the arrangement of the feed wheel 118 on the manual strapping tool 110, when the feed wheel 118 is to be replaced, this procedure is easily and quickly accomplished by removing the lower external joint member 122L of upper external joint member 122U as a result of removing the fasteners 154, 154. The lower external link member 122L can then be easily removed from the free or distal end portion of the feed wheel shaft 116, and the feed wheel 118 can then be similarly removed and replaced with a new feed wheel. The lower outer hinge member 122L can then easily be reassembled on the upper outer hinge member 122U as a result of reinserting the fasteners 154, 154. Accordingly, it is not necessary to remove the pivot shaft 136 from the tool assembly and, similarly, it is not necessary to remove from the tool the entire assembly of the tensioning unit, including the upper external articulation member 122U, ie, and for example, the emptied flanges 134, 134, as well as the position joint 124 Accordingly, it can be seen that, as a result of the aforesaid structural system or arrangement, the replacement of the feeder wheel is greatly simplified, it can be carried out easily and quickly, and production downtimes are minimized. In addition, by replacing the one-piece external joint members currently used in conventional hand-held strapping tools of the prior art, with the new and improved two-piece or two-part external joint structural system, these conventional manual strapping tools of the Prior art can be readjusted to essentially improve the utility and service of these tools from the point of view of production. Obviously, many variations and modifications of the present invention are possible in light of the teachings described above. Accordingly, it should be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced in other ways than those specifically described herein.

Claims (6)

1. CLAIMS 1. A manual strapping tool comprising: a mounting bracket; a tensioning unit; a feeder wheel shaft operatively connected in a first proximal end portion thereof with the tensioning unit, and having a second distal end portion; a feeder wheel mounted on the feed wheel shaft; a pivot shaft for pivotally mounting the tensioning unit on the mounting bracket; and an external hinge for holding the feed wheel on the feed wheel shaft, wherein the outer hinge comprises a first external hinge member mounted on the distal end portion of the feed wheel shaft and releasably fastened with the first hinge member, where if the feeder wheel must be removed from the feeder wheel shaft, it is only necessary to disconnect the second external articulation member from the first external articulation member. The manual strapping tool specified in claim 1, wherein: the first outer articulation member comprises a dependent flange portion; and the second outer articulation member comprises an erect flange portion complementary to the flange portion dependent on the first outer articulation member. 3. The manual strapping tool specified in claim 2, wherein: the first outer articulation member comprises a first pair of defined openings within the dependent flange portion for receiving fasteners for holding the first and second outer articulation members together.; and the second outer articulation member comprises a pair of defined openings within the erect flange portion for receiving the fasteners to hold the first and second outer articulation members together. The manual strapping tool specified in claim 2, wherein: the first outer hinge member has a front surface, and wherein the first ridge portion dependent on the first outer hinge member is placed rearwardly of the front surface of the first member of external articulation; and the second outer articulation member has a rear surface, and the second erect flange portion of the second external articulation member is disposed rearwardly relative to the rear surface of the second external articulation member. The manual strapping tool specified in claim 1, wherein: the first outer articulation member comprises an upper external articulation member; and the second external joint member comprises a lower external joint member. 6. The specified manual strapping tool 5 in claim 1, further comprising: fastening devices for securely holding the second external joint member with the first articulation member V. external.