Abstract

A rigidity testing apparatus may be used to test the rigidity of a multi-unit package. The apparatus may, while applying a compression force along a first direction between opposing sides of the multi-unit package, apply a shear force to the multi-unit package in a second direction generally transverse to the first direction such that rigidity may be determined based at least in part on the amount of displacement of the multi-unite package along the second direction relative to the amount of force used to generate the displacement.

IPC Classes  ?

• G01M 5/00 - Investigating the elasticity of structures, e.g. deflection of bridges or aircraft wings
• G01N 3/12 - Pressure-testing
• G01N 3/24 - Investigating strength properties of solid materials by application of mechanical stress by applying steady shearing forces
• G01L 5/00 - Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes
• G01N 3/06 - Special adaptations of indicating or recording means

Abstract

A stretch film supply roll used in stretch wrapping palletized loads includes a plurality of lengths of stretch film wound into a roll form and joined to one another using a plurality of lap seals that forms a continuous web of stretch film on the roll form. Such a stretch film supply roll may be useful, for example, in reuse applications where stretch film is reused multiple times to wrap different loads. In some instances, the lengths of stretch film may have been used to previously wrap different loads, and in some instances, the lengths of stretch film may have differing characteristics such as materials and/or thicknesses

IPC Classes  ?

• B65H 18/28 - Wound package of webs

Abstract

A method and unwrapping apparatus collect stretch film spirally wrapped around a load by generating relative rotation between a take up device and the load over a plurality of relative rotations between the take up device and the load. In some instances, the collected stretch film may be recycled, while in other instances, the collected stretch film may be reused to wrap another load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 69/00 - Unpacking of articles or materials, not otherwise provided for
• B65H 18/08 - Web-winding mechanisms
• B65H 23/02 - Registering, tensioning, smoothing, or guiding webs transversely

Abstract

A stretch wrapping apparatus, unwrapping apparatus, system, and/or method suitable for use in recycling and/or reuse applications associated with palletized loads that are wrapped with stretch film. In recycling applications, various unwrapping apparatus designs may be utilized to collect stretch film spirally wrapped around a load, generally by unwrapping the stretch film over the course of multiple revolutions. In reuse applications, various stretch wrapping apparatus designs may be used to wrap stretch film around a load in a manner that conditions the stretch film for reusability, while various unwrapping apparatus designs may be utilized to collect the stretch film from a load into a roll form that is suitable for use in wrapping other loads.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 69/00 - Unpacking of articles or materials, not otherwise provided for
• B65D 71/00 - Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottlesBales of material
• B65H 18/08 - Web-winding mechanisms

Abstract

A stretch wrapping apparatus, unwrapping apparatus, system, and/or method suitable for use in recycling and/or reuse applications associated with palletized loads that are wrapped with stretch film. In recycling applications, various unwrapping apparatus designs may be utilized to collect stretch film spirally wrapped around a load, generally by unwrapping the stretch film over the course of multiple revolutions. In reuse applications, various stretch wrapping apparatus designs may be used to wrap stretch film around a load in a manner that conditions the stretch film for reusability, while various unwrapping apparatus designs may be utilized to collect the stretch film from a load into a roll form that is suitable for use in wrapping other loads.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 69/00 - Unpacking of articles or materials, not otherwise provided for
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages

Abstract

Compressive forces are applied across opposing sides of a palletized load either before, after, or during stretch wrapping to generate a load having a desirable shape profile once wrapped. The compressive forces may be used, for example, in some instances to overcompress a load in one or more lateral directions beyond desired finished dimensions, such that once the load is thereafter allowed to recover or relax, the load assumes the desired finished dimensions.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 63/02 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged for compressing or compacting articles or materials prior to wrapping or insertion in containers or receptacles
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 61/24 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for shaping or reshaping completed packages

Abstract

Compressive forces are applied across opposing sides of a palletized load either before, after, or during stretch wrapping to generate a load having a desirable shape profile once wrapped. The compressive forces may be used, for example, in some instances to overcompress a load in one or more lateral directions beyond desired finished dimensions, such that once the load is thereafter allowed to recover or relax, the load assumes the desired finished dimensions.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 63/02 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged for compressing or compacting articles or materials prior to wrapping or insertion in containers or receptacles
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 25/00 - Packaging other articles presenting special problems
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

A stretch film supply roll used in stretch wrapping palletized loads includes a plurality of lengths of stretch film wound into a roll form and joined to one another using a plurality of lap seals that forms a continuous web of stretch film on the roll form. Such a stretch film supply roll may be useful, for example, in reuse applications where stretch film is reused multiple times to wrap different loads. In some instances, the lengths of stretch film may have been used to previously wrap different loads, and in some instances, the lengths of stretch film may have differing characteristics such as materials and/or thicknesses.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65H 18/00 - Winding webs
• B65H 18/28 - Wound package of webs

Abstract

An apparatus and method for wrapping a load with paper-based packaging material include one or more of a paper-based packaging material holder, a paper-based packaging material roping mechanism and a paper-based packaging material pressing mechanism.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 51/02 - Applying adhesives or sealing liquids

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product monitor a wrap force during a wrap cycle to dynamically control the dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser to meet a desired containment force to be applied to a load. A conversion may be performed between wrap force and containment force for the monitored wrap force or a containment force parameter to facilitate the performance of a comparison between the monitored wrap force and a containment force parameter associated with the desired containment force to be applied to the load. A wrap force parameter may also be dynamically adjusted, and in some instances, the dynamic adjustment may be responsive to monitored wrap force, and may be used to meet a load containment force requirement for a load. In other instances, the dynamic adjustment may be responsive to monitored packaging material breaks to reduce the occurrence of packaging material breaks.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated

Abstract

An apparatus for wrapping a load, comprising: a self-balancing paper-based packaging material dispenser configured to dispense paper-based packaging material to the load, the self-balancing paper-based packaging material dispenser including an exit point configured to tilt to compensate for a force imbalance between opposing edges of a web of the paper-based packaging material extending between the load and the exit point of the self-balancing paper-based packaging material dispenser; and a rotational drive configured to generate relative rotation between the self-balancing paper-based packaging material dispenser and the load about an axis of rotation.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product monitor a wrap force during a wrap cycle to dynamically control the dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser to meet a desired containment force to be applied to a load. A conversion may be performed between wrap force and containment force for the monitored wrap force or a containment force parameter to facilitate the performance of a comparison between the monitored wrap force and a containment force parameter associated with the desired containment force to be applied to the load. A wrap force parameter may also be dynamically adjusted, and in some instances, the dynamic adjustment may be responsive to monitored wrap force, and may be used to meet a load containment force requirement for a load. In other instances, the dynamic adjustment may be responsive to monitored packaging material breaks to reduce the occurrence of packaging material breaks.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated

Abstract

A method and load wrapping apparatus in some instances may utilize a flow stabilized high speed axial fan blower to direct a flow of fluid towards a packaging material tail to assist in adhering a packaging material tail to the side of a load at the completion of a wrapping operation.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 51/20 - Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof by fluid pressure acting directly on folds or on opposed surfaces, e.g. using hot-air jets
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 41/12 - Feeding webs from rolls
• B65B 61/06 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for severing webs, or for separating joined packages by cutting

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 49/16 - Pneumatic means, e.g. air jets

Abstract

A method and load wrapping may utilize a flow device disposed downstream of a wrap position at which the load is wrapped to direct a flow of fluid towards a packaging material tail to increase adherence of the packaging material tail to the side of a load after the load has been wrapped and conveyed away from the wrap position.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 51/20 - Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof by fluid pressure acting directly on folds or on opposed surfaces, e.g. using hot-air jets
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 41/12 - Feeding webs from rolls
• B65B 61/06 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for severing webs, or for separating joined packages by cutting

Abstract

A method and load wrapping apparatus in some instances may utilize a flow stabilized high speed axial fan blower to direct a flow of fluid towards a packaging material tail to assist in adhering a packaging material tail to the side of a load at the completion of a wrapping operation. In addition, in some instances a method and load wrapping apparatus may utilize a flow device disposed downstream of a wrap position at which the load is wrapped to direct a flow of fluid towards a packaging material tail to increase adherence of the packaging material tail to the side of a load after the load has been wrapped and conveyed away from the wrap position.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 49/16 - Pneumatic means, e.g. air jets
• F04D 25/00 - Pumping installations or systems specially adapted for elastic fluids

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. An apparatus may be used to sense flaws in packaging material, and in some instances, to accommodate such flaws by temporarily increasing a dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65H 26/02 - Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms responsive to presence of irregularities in running webs
• G01L 5/102 - Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes for measuring tension in flexible members, e.g. ropes, cables, wires, threads, belts or bands using electrical means using sensors located at a non-interrupted part of the flexible member

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product utilize pressurized fluid flow from a position generally upstream of a free end of a packaging material tail and at an acute angle relative to the side of a load while the free end of the packaging material tail is unsupported and/or utilize pressurized fluid flow in two or more directions and from two or more positions to assist in adhering a packaging material tail to the side of a load at the completion of a wrapping operation.

IPC Classes  ?

• F16K 3/316 - Guiding of the slide
• F16K 3/02 - Gate valves or sliding valves, i.e. cut-off apparatus with closing members having a sliding movement along the seat for opening and closing with flat sealing facesPackings therefor
• F16K 27/04 - Construction of housingsUse of materials therefor of sliding valves

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product perform automatic load profiling to optimize a wrapping operation performed with a stretch wrapping machine. Automatic load profiling may be performed, for example, to determine a density parameter for a load that is indicative of load stability such that one or more control parameters may be configured for a wrapping operation based upon the density parameter. Automatic load profiling may also be performed, for example, to detect a load with a nonstandard top layer, e.g., a load with a top or slip sheet, a load with an easily deformable top layer, a load with a ragged top surface topography and/or a load with an inboard portion, such that a top layer containment operation may be activated during wrapping to optimize containment for the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/14 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• B65B 57/16 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to stop, or to control the speed of, the machine as a whole
• B65D 71/00 - Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottlesBales of material
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

An apparatus and method for wrapping a load with paper-based packaging material include one or more of a paper-based packaging material holder, a paper-based packaging material roping mechanism and a paper-based packaging material pressing mechanism.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 45/00 - Apparatus or devices for supporting or holding wrappers during wrapping operation
• B65B 51/02 - Applying adhesives or sealing liquids
• B65B 51/14 - Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof by reciprocating or oscillating members
• B65B 61/06 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for severing webs, or for separating joined packages by cutting

Abstract

An apparatus and method for wrapping a load with paper-based packaging material include one or more of a paper-based packaging material holder, a paper-based packaging material roping mechanism and a paper-based packaging material pressing mechanism.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 45/00 - Apparatus or devices for supporting or holding wrappers during wrapping operation
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 51/02 - Applying adhesives or sealing liquids
• B65B 51/14 - Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof by reciprocating or oscillating members
• B65B 61/06 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for severing webs, or for separating joined packages by cutting
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product monitor a wrap force during a wrap cycle to dynamically control the dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser to meet a desired containment force to be applied to a load. A conversion may be performed between wrap force and containment force for the monitored wrap force or a containment force parameter to facilitate the performance of a comparison between the monitored wrap force and a containment force parameter associated with the desired containment force to be applied to the load. A wrap force parameter may also be dynamically adjusted, and in some instances, the dynamic adjustment may be responsive to monitored wrap force, and may be used to meet a load containment force requirement for a load. In other instances, the dynamic adjustment may be responsive to monitored packaging material breaks to reduce the occurrence of packaging material breaks.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated

Abstract

An apparatus for wrapping a load, comprising: a self-balancing paper-based packaging material dispenser configured to dispense paper-based packaging material to the load, the self-balancing paper-based packaging material dispenser including an exit point configured to tilt to compensate for a force imbalance between opposing edges of a web of the paper-based packaging material extending between the load and the exit point of the self-balancing paper-based packaging material dispenser; and a rotational drive configured to generate relative rotation between the self-balancing paper-based packaging material dispenser and the load about an axis of rotation.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 67/08 - Wrapping of articles

Abstract

An apparatus for wrapping a load, comprising: a self-balancing paper-based packaging material dispenser configured to dispense paper-based packaging material to the load, the self-balancing paper-based packaging material dispenser including an exit point configured to tilt to compensate for a force imbalance between opposing edges of a web of the paper-based packaging material extending between the load and the exit point of the self-balancing paper-based packaging material dispenser; and a rotational drive configured to generate relative rotation between the self-balancing paper-based packaging material dispenser and the load about an axis of rotation.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 13/18 - Details of, or auxiliary devices used in, bundling machines
• B65B 67/08 - Wrapping of articles

Goods & Services

Device for stretch-wrapping machines in the nature of a blower for attaching the film tail to a load, sold as a feature of stretch-wrapping machines; device for stretch-wrapping machines in the nature of a blower for attaching the film tail to a load, sold as an integral component of stretch-wrapping machines

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may utilize packaging material quality compensation to sense changes in certain characteristics of a packaging material that can be associated with increased risks of film breaks, and automatically make certain changes in machine settings to mitigate the impact of those enhanced risks.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/14 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• B65B 57/18 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices causing operation of audible or visible alarm signals
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

Control of a load wrapping apparatus may be based at least in part on packaging material grading and/or factory profiles.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 59/00 - Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes

Abstract

Control of a wrapping apparatus is facilitated by enabling an operator to input a load containment force requirement and/or a minimum number of layers of packaging material to be applied to a load, with a wrap control system automatically determining wrap force and other parameters required to meet user input requirements and/or parameters to minimize the expertise required of an operator and to provide more consistent and reliable wrapping of loads. In addition, a wrapping apparatus may be controlled to apply at least a minimum number of layers of packaging material to a load throughout a contiguous region thereof.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/58 - Applying two or more wrappers, e.g. in succession
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 59/00 - Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes
• B65B 59/02 - Arrangements to enable adjustments to be made while the machine is running

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may utilize various approaches for adapting stretch wrapping to accommodate lower quality packaging materials such as packaging materials including recycled content, including heating a web of packaging material prior to or during pre-stretching, utilizing multiple pre-stretch zones and/or reducing surface adhesion of one or more pre-stretch rollers used by a load wrapping apparatus.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 41/12 - Feeding webs from rolls

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product utilize pressurized fluid flow from a position generally upstream of a free end of a packaging material tail and at an acute angle relative to the side of a load while the free end of the packaging material tail is unsupported and/or utilize pressurized fluid flow in two or more directions and from two or more positions to assist in adhering a packaging material tail to the side of a load at the completion of a wrapping operation.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 45/00 - Apparatus or devices for supporting or holding wrappers during wrapping operation
• B65B 49/00 - Devices for folding or bending wrappers around contents
• B65B 51/20 - Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof by fluid pressure acting directly on folds or on opposed surfaces, e.g. using hot-air jets

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product utilize pressurized fluid flow from a position generally upstream of a free end of a packaging material tail and at an acute angle relative to the side of a load while the free end of the packaging material tail is unsupported and/or utilize pressurized fluid flow in two or more directions and from two or more positions to assist in adhering a packaging material tail to the side of a load at the completion of a wrapping operation.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 45/00 - Apparatus or devices for supporting or holding wrappers during wrapping operation
• B65B 49/00 - Devices for folding or bending wrappers around contents
• B65B 51/20 - Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof by fluid pressure acting directly on folds or on opposed surfaces, e.g. using hot-air jets

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product utilize pressurized fluid flow from a position generally upstream of a free end of a packaging material tail and at an acute angle relative to the side of a load while the free end of the packaging material tail is unsupported and/or utilize pressurized fluid flow in two or more directions and from two or more positions to assist in adhering a packaging material tail to the side of a load at the completion of a wrapping operation.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 51/16 - Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof by rotary members
• B65B 61/06 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for severing webs, or for separating joined packages by cutting
• B65B 41/12 - Feeding webs from rolls

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may utilize various approaches for adapting stretch wrapping to accommodate lower quality packaging materials such as packaging materials including recycled content, including heating a web of packaging material prior to or during pre-stretching, utilizing multiple pre-stretch zones and/or reducing surface adhesion of one or more pre-stretch rollers used by a load wrapping apparatus.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 63/08 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged for heating or cooling articles or materials to facilitate packaging
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 41/12 - Feeding webs from rolls
• B65B 45/00 - Apparatus or devices for supporting or holding wrappers during wrapping operation
• B65B 53/00 - Shrinking wrappers, containers, container covers or container cover securing members during or after packaging

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may utilize various approaches for adapting stretch wrapping to accommodate lower quality packaging materials such as packaging materials including recycled content, including heating a web of packaging material prior to or during pre-stretching, utilizing multiple pre-stretch zones and/or reducing surface adhesion of one or more pre-stretch rollers used by a load wrapping apparatus.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 41/12 - Feeding webs from rolls
• B65B 63/08 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged for heating or cooling articles or materials to facilitate packaging

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product perform automatic load profiling to optimize a wrapping operation performed with a stretch wrapping machine. Automatic load profiling may be performed, for example, to determine a density parameter for a load that is indicative of load stability such that one or more control parameters may be configured for a wrapping operation based upon the density parameter. Automatic load profiling may also be performed, for example, to detect a load with a nonstandard top layer, e.g., a load with a top or slip sheet, a load with an easily deformable top layer, a load with a ragged top surface topography and/or a load with an inboard portion, such that a top layer containment operation may be activated during wrapping to optimize containment for the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/16 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to stop, or to control the speed of, the machine as a whole
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/14 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• B65D 71/00 - Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottlesBales of material
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Goods & Services

Software as a Service (SAAS) services featuring software for remote monitoring, management of equipment and consumables, maintenance, analysis, alerts regarding, and troubleshooting of packaging equipment, material handling equipment, stretch wrapping equipment, conveyor systems, case handling equipment, and material handling machine operations, and for remote access to equipment and machine data, information, and analysis; equipment as a Service (EAAS) services, namely, providing temporary use of online, non-downloadable software for remote monitoring, management of equipment and consumables, maintenance, analysis, alerts regarding, and troubleshooting of packaging equipment, material handling equipment, stretch wrapping equipment, conveyor systems, case handling equipment, and material handling machine operations, and for remote access to equipment and machine data, information, and analysis

Goods & Services

Software as a Service (SAAS) services featuring software for remote monitoring, management of equipment and consumables, maintenance, analysis, alerts regarding, and troubleshooting of packaging equipment, material handling equipment, stretch wrapping equipment, conveyor systems, case handling equipment, and material handling machine operations, and for remote access to equipment and machine data, information, and analysis; equipment as a Service (EAAS) services, namely, providing temporary use of online, non-downloadable software for remote monitoring, management of equipment and consumables, maintenance, analysis, alerts regarding, and troubleshooting of packaging equipment, material handling equipment, stretch wrapping equipment, conveyor systems, case handling equipment, and material handling machine operations, and for remote access to equipment and machine data, information, and analysis

Goods & Services

Software as a Service (SAAS) services featuring software for remote monitoring, management of equipment and consumables, maintenance, analysis, alerts regarding, and troubleshooting of packaging equipment, material handling equipment, stretch wrapping equipment, conveyor systems, case handling equipment, and material handling machine operations, and for remote access to equipment and machine data, information, and analysis; Equipment as a Service (EAAS) services, namely, providing temporary use of online, non-downloadable software for remote monitoring, management of equipment and consumables, maintenance, analysis, alerts regarding, and troubleshooting of packaging equipment, material handling equipment, stretch wrapping equipment, conveyor systems, case handling equipment, and material handling machine operations, and for remote access to equipment and machine data, information, and analysis

Goods & Services

Software as a Service (SAAS) services featuring software for remote monitoring, management of equipment and consumables, maintenance, analysis, alerts regarding, and troubleshooting of packaging equipment, material handling equipment, stretch wrapping equipment, conveyor systems, case handling equipment, and material handling machine operations, and for remote access to equipment and machine data, information, and analysis; Equipment as a Service (EAAS) services, namely, providing temporary use of online, non-downloadable software for remote monitoring, management of equipment and consumables, maintenance, analysis, alerts regarding, and troubleshooting of packaging equipment, material handling equipment, stretch wrapping equipment, conveyor systems, case handling equipment, and material handling machine operations, and for remote access to equipment and machine data, information, and analysis

Abstract

Control of a load wrapping apparatus may be based at least in part on the relative stability of a load, such as based upon one or more load stability types that categorize the relative stability of the load. A graphical depiction of a wrap profile may also be used in some instances to facilitate operator set up of the wrap profile.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 41/12 - Feeding webs from rolls
• B65B 11/58 - Applying two or more wrappers, e.g. in succession
• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/18 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices causing operation of audible or visible alarm signals
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 59/00 - Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes
• B65B 57/16 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to stop, or to control the speed of, the machine as a whole
• G06F 3/0481 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• G06F 3/0482 - Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• G06F 3/0484 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may determine load stability for a load to be wrapped based upon sensing the response or reaction of the load to a disturbance applied to the load, e.g., through intentionally moving, shaking, tilting, pushing, impacting or otherwise applying an input force to the load and sensing the response using one or more sensors. The sensed response may then be used to determine a load stability parameter that may be used in the control of a load wrapping apparatus when wrapping the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• B65D 71/00 - Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottlesBales of material
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/14 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• B65B 57/16 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to stop, or to control the speed of, the machine as a whole
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

An automatic roll change system for a stretch wrapping machine may include multiple mechanically-actuated load stations capable of being actuated by a common actuator assembly, as well as pivotable support members for use in positioning packaging material in a tortuous path for loading into a packaging material dispenser.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 65/00 - Details peculiar to packaging machines and not otherwise provided forArrangements of such details
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

Described are various methods of controlling a load wrapping apparatus of the type configured to wrap a load on a load support with packaging material dispensed from a packaging material dispenser through relative rotation between the dispenser and the support. One embodiment comprises receiving first and second input data, each of the first and second input data selecting a packaging material thickness, a packaging material grade, or a packaging material model, wherein the first and second input data are different from one another; determining an incremental containment force using the first and second input data; determining a wrap force parameter for use in wrapping the load using the incremental containment force determined using the first and second input data; and controlling a dispense rate of the packaging material dispenser during the relative rotation based on the determined wrap force parameter. Related apparatuses and program products are also disclosed.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. A test apparatus may be used to evaluate packaging material using a take up drum capable of sensing containment force imparted upon the drum by packaging material applied thereto, and in some instances, simulated flaws may be formed in a web of packaging material to evaluate a packaging materials response to such flaws when under tension.

IPC Classes  ?

• G01S 7/521 - Constructional features
• B65H 23/188 - Registering, tensioning, smoothing, or guiding webs longitudinally by controlling or regulating the web-advancing mechanism, e.g. mechanism acting on the running web in connection with running-web
• G01S 15/08 - Systems for measuring distance only

Abstract

Control of a load wrapping apparatus may be based at least in part on packaging material grading and/or factory profiles.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. A test apparatus may be used to evaluate packaging material using a take up drum capable of sensing containment force imparted upon the drum by packaging material applied thereto, and in some instances, simulated flaws may be formed in a web of packaging material to evaluate a packaging materials response to such flaws when under tension.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 65/02 - Driving gear

Abstract

Control of a load wrapping apparatus may be based at least in part on packaging material grading and/or factory profiles.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 59/00 - Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. A test apparatus may be used to evaluate packaging material using a take up drum capable of sensing containment force imparted upon the drum by packaging material applied thereto, and in some instances, simulated flaws may be formed in a web of packaging material to evaluate a packaging materials response to such flaws when under tension.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 65/02 - Driving gear

Abstract

One embodiment provides a method of wrapping a load with packaging material (PM) using a wrapping apparatus of a type including a packaging material dispenser for dispensing PM to the load, comprising: generating relative rotation between the dispenser and the load about a center of rotation (COR); sensing a rate of the PM exiting the dispenser; and controlling a dispense rate of the dispenser during the relative rotation based at least in part on a geometric relationship between the dispenser and a calculated location of at least one corner of the load within a plane perpendicular to the COR, and further based at least in part on the sensed rate of the PM exiting the dispenser. In this embodiment, the calculated location of the at least one corner is calculated independent of the sensed rate of the PM exiting the dispenser. Other embodiments provide related methods, apparatuses and program products.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product control a dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser of a stretch wrapping apparatus by utilizing a combination of a sensed rate of packaging material exiting the dispenser and a predicted geometric relationship between the packaging material dispenser and the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product control a dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser of a stretch wrapping apparatus by utilizing a combination of a sensed rate of packaging material exiting the dispenser and a predicted geometric relationship between the packaging material dispenser and the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/06 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Goods & Services

(1) Component part of wrapping machines, namely, device for stretchwrapping machines for locking loads to pallets

Goods & Services

Component part of wrapping machines, namely, device for stretchwrapping machines for locking loads to pallets

Abstract

A packaging material dispenser of a stretch wrapping machine supports multiple discrete amounts of pre-stretch in a reliable and cost-effective manner in part by incorporating a loop drive assembly with multiple pre-stretch rate wheels capable of being used to drive a driven wheel associated with a pre-stretch roller at different discrete rates of rotation relative to another pre-stretch roller.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages

Abstract

A packaging material dispenser of a stretch wrapping machine supports multiple discrete amounts of pre-stretch in a reliable and cost-effective manner in part by incorporating a loop drive assembly with multiple pre-stretch rate wheels capable of being used to drive a driven wheel associated with a pre-stretch roller at different discrete rates of rotation relative to another pre-stretch roller.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages

Abstract

A packaging material dispenser of a stretch wrapping machine supports multiple discrete amounts of pre-stretch in a reliable and cost-effective manner in part by incorporating a loop drive assembly with multiple pre-stretch rate wheels capable of being used to drive a driven wheel associated with a pre-stretch roller at different discrete rates of rotation relative to another pre-stretch roller.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may utilize packaging material quality compensation to sense changes in certain characteristics of a packaging material that can be associated with increased risks of film breaks, and automatically make certain changes in machine settings to mitigate the impact of those enhanced risks.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/14 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• B65B 57/18 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices causing operation of audible or visible alarm signals
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

Control of a wrapping apparatus is facilitated by enabling an operator to input a load containment force requirement and/or a minimum number of layers of packaging material to be applied to a load, with a wrap control system automatically determining wrap force and other parameters required to meet user input requirements and/or parameters to minimize the expertise required of an operator and to provide more consistent and reliable wrapping of loads. In addition, a wrapping apparatus may be controlled to apply at least a minimum number of layers of packaging material to a load throughout a contiguous region thereof.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/58 - Applying two or more wrappers, e.g. in succession
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 59/00 - Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes
• B65B 59/02 - Arrangements to enable adjustments to be made while the machine is running

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. A test apparatus may be used to evaluate packaging material using a take up drum capable of sensing containment force imparted upon the drum by packaging material applied thereto, and in some instances, simulated flaws may be formed in a web of packaging material to evaluate a packaging materials response to such flaws when under tension.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65H 18/08 - Web-winding mechanisms
• B65H 18/26 - Mechanisms for controlling contact pressure on winding-web package, e.g. for regulating the quantity of air between web layers
• B65H 23/188 - Registering, tensioning, smoothing, or guiding webs longitudinally by controlling or regulating the web-advancing mechanism, e.g. mechanism acting on the running web in connection with running-web
• B65H 26/00 - Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms
• B65H 26/02 - Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms responsive to presence of irregularities in running webs
• G01G 17/02 - Apparatus for, or methods of, weighing material of special form or property for weighing material of filamentary or sheet form
• G01L 5/04 - Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes for measuring tension in flexible members, e.g. ropes, cables, wires, threads, belts or bands
• G01N 3/08 - Investigating strength properties of solid materials by application of mechanical stress by applying steady tensile or compressive forces

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. A test apparatus may be used to evaluate packaging material using a take up drum capable of sensing containment force imparted upon the drum by packaging material applied thereto, and in some instances, simulated flaws may be formed in a web of packaging material to evaluate a packaging materials response to such flaws when under tension.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65H 18/08 - Web-winding mechanisms

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. An apparatus may be used to sense flaws in packaging material, and in some instances, to accommodate such flaws by temporarily increasing a dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65H 18/08 - Web-winding mechanisms
• B65H 18/26 - Mechanisms for controlling contact pressure on winding-web package, e.g. for regulating the quantity of air between web layers
• B65H 23/188 - Registering, tensioning, smoothing, or guiding webs longitudinally by controlling or regulating the web-advancing mechanism, e.g. mechanism acting on the running web in connection with running-web
• B65H 26/00 - Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms
• B65H 26/02 - Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms responsive to presence of irregularities in running webs
• G01N 3/08 - Investigating strength properties of solid materials by application of mechanical stress by applying steady tensile or compressive forces

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. A test apparatus may be used to evaluate packaging material using a take up drum capable of sensing containment force imparted upon the drum by packaging material applied thereto, and in some instances, simulated flaws may be formed in a web of packaging material to evaluate a packaging materials response to such flaws when under tension.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65H 26/02 - Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms responsive to presence of irregularities in running webs
• G01L 5/102 - Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes for measuring tension in flexible members, e.g. ropes, cables, wires, threads, belts or bands using electrical means using sensors located at a non-interrupted part of the flexible member
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. A test apparatus may be used to evaluate packaging material using a take up drum capable of sensing containment force imparted upon the drum by packaging material applied thereto, and in some instances, simulated flaws may be formed in a web of packaging material to evaluate a packaging materials response to such flaws when under tension.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65H 26/02 - Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms responsive to presence of irregularities in running webs
• G01L 5/102 - Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes for measuring tension in flexible members, e.g. ropes, cables, wires, threads, belts or bands using electrical means using sensors located at a non-interrupted part of the flexible member

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. An apparatus may be used to sense flaws in packaging material, and in some instances, to accommodate such flaws by temporarily increasing a dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65H 26/02 - Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms responsive to presence of irregularities in running webs
• G01L 5/102 - Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes for measuring tension in flexible members, e.g. ropes, cables, wires, threads, belts or bands using electrical means using sensors located at a non-interrupted part of the flexible member
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. A test apparatus may be used to evaluate packaging material using a take up drum capable of sensing containment force imparted upon the drum by packaging material applied thereto, and in some instances, simulated flaws may be formed in a web of packaging material to evaluate a packaging materials response to such flaws when under tension.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65H 26/02 - Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms responsive to presence of irregularities in running webs

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. An apparatus may be used to sense flaws in packaging material, and in some instances, to accommodate such flaws by temporarily increasing a dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65H 26/02 - Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms responsive to presence of irregularities in running webs

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product are provided that utilize wrap profiles that specify controlled wrap cycle interruptions to handle specialized load requirements for loads to be wrapped by a stretch wrapping machine. Also provided is a method of creating wrap profiles, and a plurality of wrap profiles are stored in a database.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/18 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices causing operation of audible or visible alarm signals
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product utilize a torque control algorithm constrained by a speed window to control the dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser when wrapping a non-cylindrical load with packaging material. In particular, a dispenser motor of the packaging material dispenser that is controlled by a VFD may be driven to maintain a substantially constant torque, while also constrained to operate within a speed window that is based at least in part on a rate of relative rotation between the packaging material dispenser and the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/08 - Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in defined paths in a single straight path
• B65B 11/58 - Applying two or more wrappers, e.g. in succession

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product utilize a torque control algorithm constrained by a speed window to control the dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser when wrapping a non-cylindrical load with packaging material. In particular, a dispenser motor of the packaging material dispenser that is controlled by a VFD may be driven to maintain a substantially constant torque, while also constrained to operate within a speed window that is based at least in part on a rate of relative rotation between the packaging material dispenser and the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product implement top layer containment operations to optimize containment of various types of loads such as loads with top/slip sheets, ragged topographies, and/or inboard portions. Bidirectional control of the elevation of a web of packaging material may be performed within one or more revolutions between a load and a packaging material dispenser to selectively engage one or more corners of the load with a web of packaging material while passing the web of packaging material inwardly of one or more other corners of the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/58 - Applying two or more wrappers, e.g. in succession
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• B65B 61/20 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for adding cards, coupons or other inserts to package contents
• B65B 65/02 - Driving gear
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product utilize curve fitting to control a dispense rate for a packaging material dispenser. Predicted demands at a plurality of rotational positions of a load relative to a packaging material dispenser may be used to generate one or more points to which a curve may be fit, such that dispense rates may be determined for rotational positions between those for which predicted demands have been determined using the curve.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 13/02 - Applying and securing binding material around articles or groups of articles, e.g. using strings, wires, strips, bands or tapes
• B65B 41/12 - Feeding webs from rolls
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product utilize curve fitting to control a dispense rate for a packaging material dispenser. Predicted demands at a plurality of rotational positions of a load relative to a packaging material dispenser may be used to generate one or more points to which a curve may be fit, such that dispense rates may be determined for rotational positions between those for which predicted demands have been determined using the curve.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 13/02 - Applying and securing binding material around articles or groups of articles, e.g. using strings, wires, strips, bands or tapes
• B65B 41/12 - Feeding webs from rolls
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product utilize curve fitting to control a dispense rate for a packaging material dispenser. Predicted demands at a plurality of rotational positions of a load relative to a packaging material dispenser may be used to generate one or more points to which a curve may be fit, such that dispense rates may be determined for rotational positions between those for which predicted demands have been determined using the curve.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated

Goods & Services

Control system for adjustment, monitoring, and management of containment force for stretch-wrapping machines, comprised of preinstalled and preprogrammed updatable operating software and an interactive electronic control panel, sold as an integral component of stretch-wrapping machines

Abstract

Packaging material may be profiled to generate an incremental containment force per revolution (ICF) attribute that is represented by a function that is variable as a function of wrap force. Moreover, the performance of different packaging materials, e.g., in terms of speed or cost, may be compared for a particular load through simulation of wrap operations based upon dimensions of the load and a desired load containment force requirement for the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/58 - Applying two or more wrappers, e.g. in succession
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 59/00 - Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes
• B65B 59/02 - Arrangements to enable adjustments to be made while the machine is running

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product monitor a wrap force during a wrap cycle to dynamically control the dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser to meet a desired containment force to be applied to a load. A conversion may be performed between wrap force and containment force for the monitored wrap force or a containment force parameter to facilitate the performance of a comparison between the monitored wrap force and a containment force parameter associated with the desired containment force to be applied to the load. A wrap force parameter may also be dynamically adjusted, and in some instances, the dynamic adjustment may be responsive to monitored wrap force, and may be used to meet a load containment force requirement for a load. In other instances, the dynamic adjustment may be responsive to monitored packaging material breaks to reduce the occurrence of packaging material breaks.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product monitor a wrap force during a wrap cycle to dynamically control the dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser to meet a desired containment force to be applied to a load. A conversion may be performed between wrap force and containment force for the monitored wrap force or a containment force parameter to facilitate the performance of a comparison between the monitored wrap force and a containment force parameter associated with the desired containment force to be applied to the load. A wrap force parameter may also be dynamically adjusted, and in some instances, the dynamic adjustment may be responsive to monitored wrap force, and may be used to meet a load containment force requirement for a load. In other instances, the dynamic adjustment may be responsive to monitored packaging material breaks to reduce the occurrence of packaging material breaks.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated

Abstract

An automatic roll change system for a stretch wrapping machine may include multiple mechanically-actuated load stations capable of being actuated by a common actuator assembly, as well as pivotable support members for use in positioning packaging material in a tortuous path for loading into a packaging material dispenser.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 65/00 - Details peculiar to packaging machines and not otherwise provided forArrangements of such details
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

A one-way clutch arrangement may be provided on a packaging material dispenser of a stretch wrapping machine in part to provide differing rates of rotation for upstream and downstream pre-stretch rollers in forward and reverse directions of the packaging material dispenser.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 65/00 - Details peculiar to packaging machines and not otherwise provided forArrangements of such details
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

Abstract A method is provided for controlling a load wrapping apparatus that wraps a load on a load support with packaging material dispensed from a packaging material dispenser through relative rotation between the packaging material dispenser and the load support. Input data is received selecting a wrap profile from among a plurality of wrap profiles for the load wrapping apparatus. Each of the plurality of wrap profiles includes a plurality of wrapping parameters that control operation of the load wrapping apparatus when wrapping. The selected wrap profile includes a wrapping parameter among the plurality of wrapping parameters that identifies a controlled wrap cycle interruption to be performed when wrapping the load. A wrap cycle is performed using the selected wrap profile to wrap the load with packaging material, including performing the controlled wrap cycle interruption during the wrap cycle.Date recu/Date Received 2020-04-20

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may utilize sensing an indication of a change in a packaging material characteristic during a wrap operation that wraps a load with packaging material. During the wrap operation and in response to sensing the indication, changes in a wrap parameter used to wrap the load may be made to reduce an incidence of film breaks.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65H 23/10 - Registering, tensioning, smoothing, or guiding webs longitudinally by retarding devices, e.g. acting on web-roll spindle acting on running web
• B65H 26/02 - Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms responsive to presence of irregularities in running webs

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may utilize packaging material quality compensation to sense changes in certain characteristics of a packaging material that can be associated with increased risks of film breaks, and automatically make certain changes in machine settings to mitigate the impact of those enhanced risks.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/06 - Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in defined paths
• B65B 41/12 - Feeding webs from rolls
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/14 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• B65B 57/18 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices causing operation of audible or visible alarm signals

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product are provided that utilize wrap profiles that specify controlled wrap cycle interruptions to handle specialized load requirements for loads to be wrapped by a stretch wrapping machine. Also provided is a method of creating wrap profiles, and a plurality of wrap profiles are stored in a database.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may utilize packaging material quality compensation to sense changes in certain characteristics of a packaging material that can be associated with increased risks of film breaks, and automatically make certain changes in machine settings to mitigate the impact of those enhanced risks.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/06 - Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in defined paths
• B65B 41/12 - Feeding webs from rolls
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/14 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• B65B 57/18 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices causing operation of audible or visible alarm signals

Abstract

A wrapping apparatus and method recalculate the calculated location of at least one corner of a load at one or more elevations during relative rotation between the load and a packaging material dispenser to accommodate variations in length, width and/or offset of the load at different elevations.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders

Abstract

A wrapping apparatus and method utilize a corner rotation angle-based wrap control that controls the rate at which packaging material is dispensed based on the rotational position of one or more corners of the load determined during relative rotation established between the load and a packaging material dispenser.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders

Abstract

A wrapping apparatus and method utilize a controlled intervention to vary a dispense rate relative to a predicted dispense rate calculated based upon a predicted demand for packaging material.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders

Abstract

A wrapping apparatus and method utilize a rotational data shift to a wrap speed model to offset system lag.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product perform automatic load profiling to optimize a wrapping operation performed with a stretch wrapping machine. Automatic load profiling may be performed, for example, to determine a density parameter for a load that is indicative of load stability such that one or more control parameters may be configured for a wrapping operation based upon the density parameter. Automatic load profiling may also be performed, for example, to detect a load with a nonstandard top layer, e.g., a load with a top or slip sheet, a load with an easily deformable top layer, a load with a ragged top surface topography and/or a load with an inboard portion, such that a top layer containment operation may be activated during wrapping to optimize containment for the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/16 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to stop, or to control the speed of, the machine as a whole
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/14 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• B65D 71/00 - Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottlesBales of material
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may determine load stability for a load to be wrapped based upon sensing the response or reaction of the load to a disturbance applied to the load, e.g., through intentionally moving, shaking, tilting, pushing, impacting or otherwise applying an input force to the load and sensing the response using one or more sensors. The sensed response may then be used to determine a load stability parameter that may be used in the control of a load wrapping apparatus when wrapping the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 57/14 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• B65B 57/16 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to stop, or to control the speed of, the machine as a whole
• B65D 71/00 - Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottlesBales of material
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product implement top layer containment operations to optimize containment of various types of loads such as loads with top/slip sheets, ragged topographies, and/or inboard portions. Bidirectional control of the elevation of a web of packaging material may be performed within one or more revolutions between a load and a packaging material dispenser to selectively engage one or more corners of the load with a web of packaging material while passing the web of packaging material inwardly of one or more other corners of the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/58 - Applying two or more wrappers, e.g. in succession
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 57/12 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• B65B 65/02 - Driving gear
• B65B 61/20 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for adding cards, coupons or other inserts to package contents
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material

Abstract

Control of a wrapping apparatus is facilitated by enabling an operator to input a load containment force requirement and/or a minimum number of layers of packaging material to be applied to a load, with a wrap control system automatically determining wrap force and other parameters required to meet user input requirements and/or parameters to minimize the expertise required of an operator and to provide more consistent and reliable wrapping of loads. In addition, a wrapping apparatus may be controlled to apply at least a minimum number of layers of packaging material to a load throughout a contiguous region thereof.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/58 - Applying two or more wrappers, e.g. in succession
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated

Abstract

An apparatus for wrapping a load may include a film dispenser for dispensing a film web including a film dispensing drive. The apparatus may also include a rotational drive system for providing relative rotation between the load and the dispenser during a wrapping cycle. The apparatus may further include a controller configured to operatively couple the film dispensing drive and the rotational drive system such that, for any portion of a revolution of the film dispenser relative to the load during the wrapping cycle, the film dispenser dispenses a selected length of the film web corresponding to the portion of the revolution.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 57/02 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• B65B 59/00 - Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes

Abstract

An automatic roll change system for a stretch wrapping machine may include multiple mechanically-actuated load stations capable of being actuated by a common actuator assembly, as well as pivotable support members for use in positioning packaging material in a tortuous path for loading into a packaging material dispenser.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers

Abstract

An apparatus for changing packaging material rolls includes a plurality of
load
stations, each having a roll support to support a replacement roll for loading
onto a
roll carrier, and a guide assembly defining at least one receptacle for
receiving a
plurality of rollers of a packaging material dispenser. The guide assembly
supports a
leading end of a web of packaging material from the replacement roll in a
tortuous
path corresponding to a winding of packaging material through the plurality of
rollers.
The guide assembly includes a mechanically-actuated release mechanism to
release
the leading end of the web onto the plurality of rollers when the plurality of
rollers are
within the at least one receptacle. A positioning mechanism selectively
positions the
load stations in a loading position, and an actuator assembly actuates the
mechanically-actuated release mechanism of any of the load stations when so
positioned in the loading position.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers

Abstract

An automatic roll change system for a stretch wrapping machine may include multiple mechanically-actuated load stations capable of being actuated by a common actuator assembly, as well as pivotable support members for use in positioning packaging material in a tortuous path for loading into a packaging material dispenser.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers

Abstract

A one-way clutch arrangement may be provided on a packaging material dispenser of a stretch wrapping machine in part to provide differing rates of rotation for upstream and downstream pre-stretch rollers in forward and reverse directions of the packaging material dispenser.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 41/16 - Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• B65B 11/00 - Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 13/04 - Applying and securing binding material around articles or groups of articles, e.g. using strings, wires, strips, bands or tapes with means for guiding the binding material around the articles prior to severing from supply
• B65B 41/12 - Feeding webs from rolls

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product perform automatic load profiling to optimize a wrapping operation performed with a stretch wrapping machine. Automatic load profiling may be performed, for example, to determine a density parameter for a load that is indicative of load stability such that one or more control parameters may be configured for a wrapping operation based upon the density parameter. Automatic load profiling may also be performed, for example, to detect a load with a nonstandard top layer, e.g., a load with a top or slip sheet, a load with an easily deformable top layer, a load with a ragged top surface topography and/or a load with an inboard portion, such that a top layer containment operation may be activated during wrapping to optimize containment for the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/06 - Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in defined paths

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may determine load stability for a load to be wrapped based upon sensing the response or reaction of the load to a disturbance applied to the load, e.g., through intentionally moving, shaking, tilting, pushing, impacting or otherwise applying an input force to the load and sensing the response using one or more sensors. The sensed response may then be used to determine a load stability parameter that may be used in the control of a load wrapping apparatus when wrapping the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 9/087 - Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in a longitudinally-folded web, or in a web folded into a tube about the articles or quantities of material placed upon it in a web folded and sealed transversely to form pockets which are subsequently filled and then closed by sealing the web advancing continuously
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• G01G 23/01 - Testing or calibrating of weighing apparatus

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product perform automatic load profiling to optimize a wrapping operation performed with a stretch wrapping machine. Automatic load profiling may be performed, for example, to determine a density parameter for a load that is indicative of load stability such that one or more control parameters may be configured for a wrapping operation based upon the density parameter. Automatic load profiling may also be performed, for example, to detect a load with a nonstandard top layer, e.g., a load with a top or slip sheet, a load with an easily deformable top layer, a load with a ragged top surface topography and/or a load with an inboard portion, such that a top layer containment operation may be activated during wrapping to optimize containment for the load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65B 11/02 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• B65B 11/04 - Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders the articles being rotated
• B65B 11/06 - Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in defined paths