Package banding apparatus

Claim 1

In banding apparatus for wrapping a continuous tensioned band about at least one article to form a package, comprising: support means for an article to be banded; means for moving the article in a path along said support means; a pair of supply roller means each carrying a supply of banding material joined to each other by a transverse weld seam, said supply of banding material extending in a path intersecting the path through which said article is moved on the support means, said supply roller means being journaled for free rotation as the banding material is payed therefrom whereby movement of the article on the support surface and through the path intersected by the supply of banding material causes the banding material to be draped about the article being banded; and means for securing the banding material in circumposed, tensioned relation about said article, the improvement in which said last-mentioned means comprises: a pair of rollers disposed transversely in spaced relation relative to the path through which said article is moved at the side of the banding material opposite that toward which the article is moved; means for moving said rollers in juxtaposed relation to substantially pinch the band of material about the article being banded; means for tensioning the band of material draped about the article and pinched by the rollers; means for clamping the band of material while tensioned and retaining it pinched; and means for sealing and severing the band of material while tensioned for forming the continuous band about the article and forming the transverse weld seam in the band for subsequent wrapping operation, said means for tensioning the band of material comprising means for reversing the rotation of one of said rollers, said means including a fluid-pressure-operated, piston-cylinder unit operatively connected to said one roller and adjustable valve means operatively connected to the piston-cylinder unit for controlling the maximum tension that can be directed to the band of material through said one roller to which the piston-cylinder unit is operatively connected.