Load positioning device for strapping machines

Claim 1

THE COMBINATION WITH A STRAPPING MACHINE ESTABLISHING A STRAPPING STATION, A STRAPPING CHUTE DISPOSED AT SAID STRAPPING STATION FOR APPLYING A STRAP TO SUCCESSIVE INDISCRIMINATE LENGTH LOADS POSITIONED AT SAID STRAPPING STATION, SAID LOADS VARYING IN LENGTH WITH RESPECT TO A PREDETERMINED MAXIMUM LENGTH LOAD, A CONVEYOR FOR TRANSPORTING THE LOADS SUCCESSIVELY FROM A LOADING STATION TO THE STRAPPING STATION, AND A MOTOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE CONVEYOR IN DRIVING RELATIONSHIP, OF A LOAD POSITIONING APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE TERMINAL POSITION OF EACH LOAD AT THE STRAPPING STATION WITH RESPECT TO THE STRAPPING CHUTE AND A LEADING AND TRAILING EDGE OF THE LOAD, SAID LOAD POSITIONING APPARATUS COMPRISING A SENSING DEVICE POSITIONED ALONG THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE LOADS AND EFFECTIVE TO SENSE SAID LEADING AND TRAILING EDGES THEREOF, THE EFFECTIVE DISTANCES BETWEEN SAID SENSING DEVICE AND THE STRAPPING CHUTE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO ONE-HALF SAID MAXIMUM LENGTH, A FIRST IMPULSE-EMITTING DEVICE EFFECTIVE WHEN ENERGIZED TO EMIT ELECTRICAL IMPULSES IN TIMED RELATION TO THE RATE OF MOVEMENT OF THE LOAD ALONG SAID PATH AND AT A RATE WHICH IS SUCH THAT DURING PASSAGE OF A MAXIMUM LENGTH LOAD PAST THE SENSING DE-