Strapping machine

Claim 1

A STRAPPING MACHINE FOR LONGITUDINALLY FEEDING A FREE END OF STRAP FORWARDLY INTO A LOOP WITH OVERLAPPING PORTIONS OF STRAP ABOVE AN ENCLOSED ARTICLE, FOR WITHDRAWING THE STRAP FOR TENSIONING THE LOOP ABOVE THE ARTICLE AND FOR SEALING AND SHEARING THE LOOP FROM THE REMAINING STRAP, COMPRISING IN OPERATIVE AND SEQUENTIAL LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT A STRAP FEED AND TENSIONING MECHANSIM, A FIRST CLAMPING DEVICE FOR CLAMPING THE FREE END OF THE LOOP OF STRAP, A STRAP SEALER HAVING A CRIMPING JAW MECHANISM RECIPROCABLE BETWEEN A RETRACTED POSITION AND AN EXTENED OPERATIVE POSITION, A SECOND CLAMPING DEVICE FOR CLAMPING THE OPPOSITE END OF THE LOOP OF STRAP, AND A SEAL MAGAZINE AND FEED MECHANISM ADAPTED FOR FEEDING A SEAL FROM THE MAGAZINE TO THE STRAP SEALER WITH THE CRIMPING JAW MECHANISM IN ITS RETRACTED POSITION, SAID STRAP SEALER BEING ADAPTED FOR CRIMPING THE SEAL ONTO THE OVERLAPPING PORTIONS OF STRAPS AS THE CRIMPING JAW MECHANISM IS RECIPROCATED TO ITS EXTENED OPERATIVE POSITION, SAID CRIMPING JAW MECHANISM BEING POSITIONED LONGITUDINALLY INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST AND SECOND CLAMPING DEVICES, AND SAID FIRST AND SECOND CLAMPING DEVICES BEING OPERATIVE INDEPENDENTLY OF THE STRAP SEALER TO CLAMP SAID FREE AND SAID OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE LOOP OF STRAP PRIOR TO THE CRIMPING OF THE OVERLAPPING PORTIONS OF STRAP INTERMEDIATE THE FIRST AND SECOND CLAMPING DEVICES WHEREBY SAID INTERMEDIATE OVERLAPPING PORTIONS OF STRAP ARE SEALED WITHOUT BEING UNDER LONGITUDINAL TENSION.