Apparatus for heat shrinking material about loaded pallet

Claim 1

A device for heat shrinking a loaded pallet having a bag of shrinkable plastic film which has been previously pulled over the load comprising a housing; said housing having closed side walls, closed end walls, a closed top and an open bottom; said walls and said top of said housing being insulated said housing having sufficient internal dimensions to enclose a loaded pallet with the inner walls spaced from all the load; said housing being supported substantially centrally from its top by means of flexible means which has one end attached to the top of the housing; electric hoist means positioned above said housing; the other end of said flexible means being attached to said electric hoist means adapted to be selectively wound and unwound thereby, whereby the housing is selectively moved along a vertical plane; first elongated electric heating means positioned horizontally internally with respect to each end wall at the lower portion thereof; said first heating means extending for a major portion of the width of said each end wall; second elongated electric heating means positioned horizontally internally with respect to each side wall at the lower portion thereof; said second heating means extending for a major portion of the width of said each side wall; third elongated electric heating means positioned horizontally internally with respect to each side wall at the upper portion thereof; said third heating means extending for a major portion of the width of said each side wall; elongated concave reflector means positioned behind each of said heating means; each of the reflector means of said first and secoNd heating means adapted to direct reflections therefrom generally upwardly; each of the reflectors of the third heating means adapted to direct reflections therefrom generally downwardly; said electric hoist means having timer means whereby the housing may enclose a loaded pallet for a predetermined period of time; and means for preselecting and controlling the electric energy supplied to said heating means to maintain temperature conditions within said housing within a preselected level.

Claim 2

A device for heat shrinking a loaded pallet having a bag of shrinkable plastic film which has been previously pulled over the load comprising a housing; said housing having closed side walls, closed end walls, a closed top and an open bottom; said walls and said top of said housing being insulated said housing having sufficient internal dimensions to enclose a loaded pallet with the inner walls spaced from all the load; said housing being supported substantially centrally from its top by means of flexible means which has one end attached to the top of the housing; electric hoist means positioned above said housing; the other end of said flexible means being attached to said electric hoist means adapted to be selectively wound and unwound thereby, whereby the housing is selectively moved along a vertical plane; first elongated electric heating means positioned horizontally internally with respect to each end wall at the lower portion thereof; said first heating means extending for a major portion of the width of said each end wall; second elongated electric heating means positioned horizontally internally with respect to each side wall at the lower portion thereof; said second heating means extending for a major portion of the width of said each side wall; third elongated electric heating means positioned horizontally internally with respect to each side wall at the upper portion thereof; said third heating means extending for a major portion of the width of said each side wall; elongated concave reflector means positioned behind each of said heating means; each of the reflector means of said first and secoNd heating means adapted to direct reflections therefrom generally upwardly; each of the reflectors of the third heating means adapted to direct reflections therefrom generally downwardly; said electric hoist means having timer means whereby the housing may enclose a loaded pallet for a predetermined period of time; and means for preselecting and controlling the electric energy supplied to said heating means to maintain temperature conditions within said housing within a preselected level.