Strapping machine

Claim 1

THE COMBINATION IN A STRAPPING MACHINE COMPRISING, GRIPPING MEANS FOR GRIPPING THE LEADING END OF A LENGTH OF STRAP ENCIRCLED INTO A STRAP LOOP ABOUT AN OBJECT TO BE STRAPPED WITH THE LEADING END OF THE STRAP OVERLAPPING ITS SUPPLY END, TENSIONING MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING THE SUPPLY END OF THE STRAP LOOP RELATIVE TO THE LEADING END OF THE STRAP LOOP WHILE THE GRIPPING MEANS HOLDS THE LEADING END STATIONARY IN ORDER TO SHRINK AND TENSION THE STRAP LOOP ONTO THE OBJECT, JOINT FORMING MEANS FOR FORMING A JOINT BETWEEN THE OVERLAPPING PORTIONS OF THE STRAP, SAID TENSIONING MEANS HAVING A ROTARY FEED WHEEL AND AN IDLER WHEEL BETWEEN WHICH THE STRAP PASSES WHILE BEING TENSIONED, SAID ROTARY FEED WHEEL SUPPORTED ON A SHAFT DRIVEN BY A POWER MEANS FOR TENSIONING, SAID IDLER WHEEL BEING MOUNTED ON AN ECCENTRIC SHAFT WHICH IS SO ALIGNED RELATIVE TO THE ROTARY FEED WHEEL THAT TENSION IN THE STRAP URGES ROTATION OF THE ECCENTRIC SHAFT AND THEREBY URGES THE IDLER WHEEL BODILY TOWARD THE ROTARY FEED WHEEL TO INCREASE THE GRIP ON THE STRAP PASSED THEREBETWEEN AS STRAP TENSION INCREASES, CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF SAID JOINT FORMING MEANS, SAID CONTROL MEANS HAVING A PORTION INTERCONNECTED TO SAID ECCENTRIC SHAFT PROVIDING MOVEMENT OF SAID PORTION IN RESPONSE TO SAID ROTATION OF THE ECCENTRIC SHAFT AS TENSION IN THE STRAP INCREASES, THE MOVEMENT OF SAID PORTION BEING SUFFICIENT TO OPERATE THE CONTROL MEANS AND CAUSE OPERATION OF THE JOINT FORMING MEANS.