Modular strap feeder with motor for indexing and gripping

摘要

A strap feed assembly for a strapping machine reduces wear on the pinch and drive wheels of feed head components by creating a gap between the pinch and drive wheels while using a cam and an engagement surface to grip the strap during a cut-and-seal phase of a strapping cycle. In the strap feed assembly, a rocker arm has an engagement surface and a pivot axis parallel to both the axis of rotation of the pinch wheel and the axis of rotation of the drive wheel. An eccentric cam, driven by a cam motor, is engageable with the engagement surface of the rocker to move the pinch wheel into and out of engagement with the drive wheel. Thus, the pinch and drive wheels are configured to grip the strap during a strap feed phase, while the cam and the engagement surface grip the strap during the cut-and-seal phase.

主权项

1. A modular strap feeder assembly for use with a strapping machine of the type for feeding a strapping material around a load, tensioning the strapping material, and sealing the strapping material onto itself in a loop around the load, the modular strap feeder assembly comprising:
a frame; a drive wheel mounted to the frame and having a first axis of rotation, wherein the drive wheel is configured to be connected to a first drive for rotating the drive wheel; a pinch wheel having a second axis of rotation parallel to and spaced from the first axis of rotation of the drive wheel; a rocker arm mounted to the frame in communication with the pinch wheel and including an engagement surface and a pivot axis parallel to both the first and second axes of rotation; an eccentric cam coupled to the frame; and a cam motor coupled to the eccentric cam, wherein the eccentric cam, driven by the cam motor, is rotated between a first position where the eccentric cam is disengaged from the engagement surface of the rocker arm to allow movement of the pinch wheel into engagement with the drive wheel and a second position where the eccentric cam is engaged with the engagement surface to move the pinch wheel out of engagement with the drive wheel, and wherein a travel path of the strapping material is defined between the drive wheel and the pinch wheel and between the rocker arm and the eccentric cam.