Stretching winding machine with pre-stretching roller

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a stretch winding machine having at least three pre-stretching rollers, the at least three pre-stretching rollers are sized, positioned, and otherwise configured to minimize necking and slippage when the film is stretched past and stretched by the pre-stretching rollers prior to applying the film to the load.

Description

[0001] priority

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 365,795, filed on June 3, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to stretch wrapping machines, and more particularly to stretch wrapping machines including pre-stretching rollers. Background Art

[0004] Several types of known stretch wrapping machines use stretch film to secure a cargo load to a pallet. These stretch wrapping machines include a film carrier to which a replaceable roll of stretch film is mounted. Depending on the type of stretch wrapping machine, the film carrier rotates relative to the pallet load or the pallet load rotates relative to the film carrier while the film carrier moves vertically relative to the load to wrap the load with the stretch film in a spiral pattern. For example, a turntable wrapping machine rotates a turntable carrying a pallet load while moving the film carrier vertically to wrap the load with stretch film. A ring wrapping machine rotates a film carrier on a ring surrounding the pallet load while moving the film carrier vertically to wrap the load with stretch film. A rotating arm wrapping machine rotates a cantilever carrying a film carrier around the pallet load while moving the film carrier vertically to wrap the load with stretch film.

[0005] Some stretch wrapping machines include pre-stretching assemblies that pre-stretch the film along its longitudinal axis after the film is pulled out from the film roll and before the film is applied to the load. Pre-stretching the film before the film is applied to the load has several benefits, including increasing the restraining force of the film and extending the life of the film roll. A known pre-stretching assembly includes an upstream pre-stretching roller, a downstream pre-stretching roller, and a pre-stretching drive assembly that is operably connected to the upstream pre-stretching roller and the downstream pre-stretching roller to rotate them. The diameter of the downstream pre-stretching roller is twice the diameter of the upstream pre-stretching roller. The pre-stretching drive assembly drives these rollers so that the linear speed of the downstream pre-stretching roller is higher than the linear speed of the upstream pre-stretching roller. The linear speed of the roller (alternatively referred to as the tangential speed) is a function of the diameter of the roller and the rotational speed of the roller and corresponds to the speed of the film contacting the roller. This linear speed difference causes the downstream pre-stretching roller to apply a stretching force on the film, so that the film is stretched after it detaches from the upstream pre-stretching roller and travels to the downstream pre-stretching roller. The diameter difference of the pre-stretching roller enables the pre-stretching assembly to achieve relatively high pre-stretching.

[0006] One problem with such known pre-stretch assemblies is that the effective surface area of ​​the downstream pre-stretch roller is twice the effective surface area of ​​the upstream pre-stretch roller. As used herein, the "effective surface area" of a roller refers to the surface area of ​​the roller that is in contact with the film at a given point in time. As the effective surface area of ​​the downstream pre-stretch roller increases relative to the effective surface area of ​​the upstream pre-stretch roller, the likelihood that the film will slip on the upstream pre-stretch roller increases (especially when using low-quality films). When slippage occurs, the upstream pre-stretch roller effectively "releases" the film, and the film slides on the upstream pre-stretch roller instead of traveling with the roller as it rotates, resulting in little to no stretch and defeating the purpose of the pre-stretch assembly.

[0007] While there are several benefits to pre-stretching a film, one disadvantage is necking. Necking (also called necking) refers to the narrowing of the film width that occurs when the film is pre-stretched, and the more the film is pre-stretched, the more pronounced the necking (e.g., a film pre-stretched 190% will exhibit more necking than a film pre-stretched 150%). An amplified example of the necking phenomenon is shown in Figure 1 . In this example, when a stretching force is applied to the film web FW pulled from the film roll R, the film web FW stretches longitudinally, but the width narrows from the first width W1 to the second width W2. The narrower film web results in more film being required to fully wrap the load, which partially offsets the benefits of pre-stretching. There is a continuing need to achieve the desired pre-stretching while minimizing necking to maximize film use. Summary of the invention

[0008] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a stretch wrapping machine comprising at least three pre-stretch rollers that are sized, positioned, and otherwise configured to minimize necking and slippage as a film is pulled through and stretched by the pre-stretch rollers before the film is applied to a load.

[0009] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a film support for a winding machine, wherein the film support includes: a film support frame; a first pre-stretching roller, which has a first diameter and is rotatably mounted to the film support frame; a second pre-stretching roller, which has a second diameter and is rotatably mounted to the film support frame; and a third pre-stretching roller, which has a third diameter and is rotatably mounted to the film support frame, wherein the third diameter is larger than the first diameter and the second diameter.

[0010] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a winding machine, the winding machine comprising: a winding machine frame; a guide mounted to the winding machine frame; a guide actuator operably connected to the guide to move the guide vertically relative to the winding machine frame; and a winding assembly mounted to the guide and comprising a film carrier. The film carrier comprises: a film carrier frame; a first pre-stretching roller having a first diameter and rotatably mounted to the film carrier frame; a second pre-stretching roller having a second diameter and rotatably mounted to the film carrier frame; and a third pre-stretching roller having a third diameter and rotatably mounted to the film carrier frame, wherein the third diameter is greater than the first diameter and the second diameter. The winding machine further comprises a winding assembly actuator operably connected to the winding assembly to move the winding assembly relative to the guide. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 The necking of the film web is shown when a tensile force is applied to stretch the film web.

[0012] Figure 2 is a perspective view of an example embodiment of a stretch wrapping machine of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 Block diagram of some components of a stretch wrapping machine.

[0014] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A perspective view of a portion of a film carrier of a wrapping assembly of a stretch wrapping machine.

[0015] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Schematic plan view of a film carrier with a film roll and pre-stretching rollers.

[0016] Figure 5A yes Figure 5 The enlarged part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Although the systems, devices, and methods described herein may be implemented in various forms, the drawings illustrate and the specification describes certain exemplary and non-limiting embodiments. Not all of the components shown in the drawings and described in the specification may be required, and some implementations may include additional, different, or fewer components. The arrangement and type of components; the shape, size, and material of the components; and the connection method of the components may be varied without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims. Unless otherwise specified, any direction mentioned in the specification reflects the orientation of the components shown in the corresponding drawings and does not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Further, terms related to installation methods such as installation, connection, etc. are not intended to be limited to direct installation methods, but should be broadly interpreted to include indirect and operative installation, connection, etc. installation methods. This specification is intended to be regarded as a whole and interpreted according to the principles of the present disclosure and as understood by ordinary technicians in the field.

[0018] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a stretch wrapping machine having at least three pre-stretch rollers that are sized, positioned, oriented, and otherwise configured to minimize necking and slippage as a film is pulled through and stretched by the pre-stretch rollers before the film is applied to a load.

[0019] Figure 2 and Figure 3 One embodiment of a stretch wrapping machine 1 (sometimes referred to herein as a "wrapping machine" for simplicity) of the present disclosure is shown. The wrapping machine 1 includes a wrapping machine frame 10, a circular guide 20, a guide actuator 30, a wrapping assembly 40, a cut-fix device (not shown), an operator interface 500, and a controller 600.

[0020] The wrapping machine frame 10 is formed of a plurality of tubular and / or solid members (not separately labeled) and is configured to support other components of the wrapping machine 1. The wrapping machine frame 10 defines a wrapping area therein and has an infeed area 10a where a pallet load (e.g., a load L on a pallet P) is conveyed into the wrapping area (e.g., via a conveyor C) for wrapping and an outfeed area 10b where the pallet load is conveyed out of the wrapping area (e.g., via a conveyor C) after wrapping. The wrapping machine frame 10 shown is only an example configuration and any suitable configuration may be employed.

[0021] The circular guide 20 serves as a mounting member for the winding assembly 40 and is movably mounted to the winding machine frame 10 (e.g., to one or more vertical members of the winding machine frame 10) such that the circular guide 20 is vertically movable relative to the winding machine frame 10 between an upper position and a lower position.

[0022] The guide actuator 30 is operably connected to the circular guide 20 to move the circular guide 20 between the upper position and the lower position relative to the winding machine frame 10. In some embodiments, the guide actuator 30 includes one or more motors operably connected to the circular guide 20 via one or more belt-pulley assemblies to move the circular guide 20 between the upper position and the lower position. In other embodiments, the guide actuator 30 includes one or more pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders operably connected to the circular guide 20 to move the circular guide 20 between the upper position and the lower position. These are merely examples, and the guide actuator 30 may include any suitable actuator configured to move the circular guide 20 between the upper position and the lower position.

[0023] The winding assembly 40 is movably mounted to the circular guide 20 so that the winding assembly 40 can rotate relative to the circular guide 20. The winding assembly 40 includes an annular support (not shown), a film bracket 100 ( Figure 4 ) and winding assembly actuator 400 ( Figure 3 ).

[0024] The annular support serves as a mounting for the membrane carrier 100 and is movably mounted to the circular guide 20 so that the support (and the membrane carrier 100 and other components connected to the support) can rotate relative to the circular guide 20. In this example embodiment, the support is movably mounted to the circular guide 20 via a plurality of spaced rollers (not shown) that are connected to the support and positioned on tracks (not shown) on the circular guide 20.

[0025] The film carrier 100 is fixedly connected to the support so as to move together with the support (ie, to rotate relative to the circular guide 20 and to move vertically relative to the winding machine frame 10). Figure 4 As shown, the film carrier 100 is configured to rotatably support a replaceable roll R of a film F (e.g., a plastic stretch film), pre-stretch the film F after pulling it from the roll R, and apply the pre-stretched film to the load when the film carrier 100 rotates around the load. The film carrier 100 includes: a film carrier frame 105; a film reel support (not shown); a pre-stretching assembly, which includes a first pre-stretching roller 110, a second pre-stretching roller 120, a third pre-stretching roller 130, a pre-stretching drive assembly (not shown); and a plurality of idle rollers 140A, 140B, 140C, 140D, 140E and 140F.

[0026] The membrane carrier frame 105 is formed from a plurality of tubular and / or solid members (not separately labeled) and is configured to support other components of the membrane carrier 100. The illustrated membrane carrier frame 105 is merely one exemplary configuration, and any suitable configuration may be employed.

[0027] The film reel support is mounted near one end of the film carrier frame 105, so that the roll R of film F can be rotatably mounted to the film reel support. The idler rollers 140A, 140B, 140C, 140D, 140E, 140F and the pre-stretching assembly are mounted to the film carrier frame 105 or otherwise supported by the film carrier frame. The first idler roller 140A is rotatably mounted to (e.g., via a bearing) the film carrier frame 105 downstream of the film reel support, so that the first idler roller 140A can rotate freely around the rotation axis relative to the film carrier frame 105. As used herein, "downstream" refers to the direction of travel of the film F when the film is pulled from the roll R, and "upstream" refers to the opposite direction of the direction of travel of the film F when the film is pulled from the roll R. The second idler roller 140B is rotatably mounted (e.g., via a bearing) to the film carrier frame 105 downstream of the first idler roller 140A so that the second idler roller 140B can freely rotate about the rotation axis relative to the film carrier frame 105. A slight gap (not shown) exists between the first idler roller 140A and the second idler roller 140B to enable the film F to pass therebetween.

[0028] The first pre-stretch roller 110 has a first diameter D1 and is rotatably mounted to (e.g., via bearings and / or components of a pre-stretch drive assembly) the film carrier frame 105 downstream of the second idle roller 140B so that the first pre-stretch roller 110 can rotate relative to the film carrier frame 105 (and under the control of the pre-stretch drive assembly). The outer surface of the first pre-stretch roller 110 can have a high friction coating applied. The second idle roller 140B can be spring biased to press against the first pre-stretch roller 110, and there can be a small gap (not shown) between the second idle roller 140B and the first pre-stretch roller 110 to enable the film F to pass between them. When no film passes between the second idle roller 140B and the first pre-stretch roller 110, the spring-biased second idle roller 140B can engage the first pre-stretch roller 110, thereby closing the small gap.

[0029] The second pre-stretching roller 120 has a second diameter D2 and is rotatably mounted to (e.g., via bearings and / or components of a pre-stretching drive assembly) the film carrier frame 105 downstream of the first pre-stretching roller 110 so that the second pre-stretching roller 120 can rotate relative to the film carrier frame 105 (and under the control of the pre-stretching drive assembly). The outer surface of the second pre-stretching roller 120 can have a high friction coating applied. There is a slight gap (not shown) between the first pre-stretching roller 110 and the second pre-stretching roller 120 to enable the film F to pass between them. In this example embodiment, the first diameter D1 and the second diameter D2 are substantially the same.

[0030] The third pre-stretching roller 130 has a third diameter D3 and is rotatably mounted to (e.g., via bearings and / or components of a pre-stretching drive assembly) the film carrier frame 105 downstream of the second pre-stretching roller 120 so that the third pre-stretching roller 130 can rotate relative to the film carrier frame 105 (and under the control of the pre-stretching drive assembly). The outer surface of the third pre-stretching roller 130 can have a high friction coating applied. There is a slight gap (not shown) between the second pre-stretching roller 120 and the third pre-stretching roller 130 to enable the film F to pass between them. The third diameter D3 is greater than each of the first diameter D1 and the second diameter D2 (and in this particular example is twice as large).

[0031] The third idler roller 140C is rotatably mounted (e.g., via a bearing) to the film carrier frame 105 downstream of the third pre-stretch roller 130, so that the third idler roller 140C can freely rotate about the rotation axis relative to the film carrier frame 105. The third idler roller 140C can be spring-biased to press against the third pre-stretch roller 130, and there can be a small gap (not shown) between the third pre-stretch roller 130 and the third idler roller 140C to enable the film F to pass therebetween. When no film passes between the third idler roller 140C and the third pre-stretch roller 130, the spring-biased third idler roller 140C can engage the third pre-stretch roller 130, thereby closing the small gap.

[0032] The fourth idler roller 140D is rotatably mounted (e.g., via a bearing) to the film carrier frame 105 downstream of the third idler roller 140C, so that the fourth idler roller 140D can freely rotate about the rotation axis relative to the film carrier frame 105. A small gap (not shown) exists between the third idler roller 140C and the fourth idler roller 140D to allow the film F to pass therebetween.

[0033] The fifth idler roller 140E and the sixth idler roller 140F are rotatably mounted (eg, via bearings) to the film carrier frame 105 downstream of the fourth idler roller 140D so that the fifth idler roller and the sixth idler roller can each freely rotate relative to the film carrier frame 105 .

[0034] like Figure 4 As shown, the film F extends from the roll R, passes between the first idler roller 140A and the second idler roller 140B partially around the second idler roller 140B, and contacts the first pre-stretch roller 110. The film F passes partially around the first pre-stretch roller 110, arrives on the second pre-stretch roller 120 and passes partially around the second pre-stretch roller. The film F passes partially around the second pre-stretch roller 120, arrives on the third pre-stretch roller 130 and passes partially around the third pre-stretch roller. Then, the film F passes partially around the third pre-stretch roller 130, arrives on each of the third idler roller 140C, the fourth idler roller 140D, the fifth idler roller 140E and the sixth idler roller 140F and passes partially around them, and then leaves the film carrier 100 and contacts the load L. The film F is thus wound in a serpentine manner around rollers 140A, 140B, 110, 120, 130, 140C and 140D and then contacts rollers 140E and 140F, so that: (1) a first surface of the film F contacts the first idle roller 140A, the first pre-stretch roller 110, the third pre-stretch roller 130, the fourth idle roller 140D, the fifth idle roller 140E and the sixth idle roller 140F; and (2) a second surface of the film F opposite to the first surface contacts the second idle roller 140B, the second pre-stretch roller 120 and the third idle roller 140C.

[0035] The pre-stretch drive assembly is operably connected to the pre-stretch rollers 110, 120 and 130 and is configured to drive these pre-stretch rollers so that these pre-stretch rollers stretch the film when the film F travels between the pre-stretch rollers. The pre-stretch drive assembly includes one or more pre-stretch actuators 150 operably connected to the pre-stretch rollers 110, 120 and 130 via one or more transmission systems (not shown). In this example embodiment, the pre-stretch actuators 150 include electric motors, but they can be any suitable actuators in other embodiments. The one or more transmission systems include several components (e.g., gears, gear pulleys, belts, etc.) that convert the output of the pre-stretch actuator 150 into the rotation of the first pre-stretch roller 110, the second pre-stretch roller 120 and the third pre-stretch roller 130 at different linear speeds to pre-stretch the film F, as described below.

[0036] The linear speed at the outer surface of a given pre-stretching roller (which corresponds to the speed of the film when it contacts the roller) is a function of the diameter and rotational speed of the roller. For example, two rollers having the same diameter and rotating at the same rotational speed (e.g., the same revolutions per minute) will have the same linear speed. Two rollers having different diameters and rotating at the same rotational speed will have different linear speeds: the linear speed of the larger diameter roller will be greater than the linear speed of the smaller diameter roller.

[0037] The pre-stretching drive assembly is operably connected to the pre-stretching rollers 110, 120 and 130, and is configured to drive them at a first linear speed, a second linear speed and a third linear speed, respectively. The third linear speed is greater than the second linear speed, and the second linear speed is greater than the first linear speed. This allows the pre-stretching drive assembly to pre-stretch the film F in two stages: a first pre-stretching stage when the film F transitions from the first pre-stretching roller 110 to the second pre-stretching roller 120, and a second pre-stretching stage when the film F transitions from the second pre-stretching roller 120 to the third pre-stretching roller 130. The first linear speed, the second linear speed and the third linear speed of the first pre-stretching roller 110, the second pre-stretching roller 120 and the third pre-stretching roller 130 can be controlled so that 1%-15% of the stretching of the film F occurs between the first pre-stretching roller 110 and the second pre-stretching roller 120 in the first pre-stretching stage, and 85%-99% of the stretching of the film F occurs between the second pre-stretching roller 120 and the third pre-stretching roller 130 in the second pre-stretching. The third line speed is selected based on the desired film feed speed for the specific load being wound. To achieve this stretching ratio, the first line speed is generally set to 15%-95% of the third line speed, and the second line speed is set to 101%-150% of the first line speed. Due to the fact that the third diameter D3 of the third pre-stretching roller 130 is greater than the first diameter D1 of the first pre-stretching roller 110 and the second diameter D2 of the second pre-stretching roller 120, the third pre-stretching roller 130 may not have a maximum rotation speed even if it has a maximum line speed. As a result, the pre-stretching amount can be in the range of 10% to 400%, which corresponds to the percentage of additional length added to the film during stretching. To explain using a non-limiting example, a 10% stretch corresponds to an increase in length from 10 feet to 11 feet (increasing the length by 10%), a 100% stretch corresponds to an increase in length from 10 feet to 20 feet (increasing the length by 100%), and a 400% stretch corresponds to an increase in length from 10 feet to 50 feet (increasing the length by 400%).

[0038] As used herein, the "critical distance" between two adjacent pre-stretching rollers refers to the distance at which the film travels between those pre-stretching rollers without contacting those pre-stretching rollers. In other words, the critical distance is generally equal to the length of a line extending between two adjacent pre-stretching rollers and tangent to both of the two adjacent pre-stretching rollers. The critical distance is a function of the relative diameter of the rollers and the distance between the surfaces of the rollers (i.e., the length of the line perpendicular to the surface of the roller). Keeping the diameter of the two adjacent pre-stretching rollers constant, increasing the distance between the surfaces of the rollers increases the critical distance. Keeping the distance between the surfaces of the rollers constant, increasing the diameter of one of the rollers increases the critical distance. Keeping the distance between the surfaces of the rollers constant, increasing the diameter of the two rollers increases the critical distance. The critical distance between the two adjacent pre-stretching rollers directly affects the amount of necking experienced by the film traveling from the upstream pre-stretching roller to the downstream pre-stretching roller. Specifically, the greater the critical distance (i.e., the longer the film must travel without contacting the pre-stretching rollers), the more necking there is.

[0039] Figure 5A A first critical distance C1 between the first pre-stretching roller 110 and the second pre-stretching roller 120 and a second critical distance C2 between the second pre-stretching roller 120 and the third pre-stretching roller 130 are shown. In this example embodiment, the distance between the surface of the first pre-stretching roller 110 and the surface of the second pre-stretching roller 120 and the distance between the surface of the second pre-stretching roller 120 and the surface of the third pre-stretching roller 130 are the same. Therefore, in this example embodiment, since the third diameter D3 of the third pre-stretching roller 130 is greater than the second diameter D2 of the second pre-stretching roller 120, the second critical distance C2 is greater than the first critical distance C1. In this particular embodiment where D3 is approximately 2 times greater than D2, the critical distance C2 is approximately 30% greater than the first critical distance C1. In alternative embodiments, the diameter and spacing of the pre-stretching rollers may be changed so that the first critical distance C1 is alternatively greater than the second critical distance C2.

[0040] In this example embodiment, the effective surface area of ​​the third pre-stretch roller 130 is greater than (specifically, about 2 times) the effective surface area of ​​each of the first pre-stretch roller 110 and the second pre-stretch roller 120. However, since the effective surface areas of the first pre-stretch roller 110 and the second pre-stretch roller 120 (both upstream of the third pre-stretch roller 130) add up to about the same as the effective surface area of ​​the third pre-stretch roller 130, the film does not slip during operation. The effective surface area of ​​the roller depends on the diameter of the roller and the alignment of the roller relative to adjacent rollers. Rollers that are not aligned with adjacent rollers (i.e., the centers of the rollers do not form a straight line) may cause the film to contact the roller more or less, depending on how the film zigzags through the rollers.

[0041] In operation, and as Figure 5AAs best shown in FIG. 1 (for clarity, no idler rollers are shown), after the film F is pulled from the roll R, the film engages the first pre-stretch roller 110 along its effective surface area 112. The film F then passes through a first critical distance C1 to reach the second pre-stretch roller 120 and engages along its effective surface area 122. A relatively small amount of stretching of the film F occurs within the first critical distance C1 between the first pre-stretch roller 110 and the second pre-stretch roller 120, and negligible (if any) necking occurs. However, the first pre-stretch roller 110 and the second pre-stretch roller 120 provide a combined effective surface area that approximately matches the effective surface area 132 of the third pre-stretch roller 130, thereby minimizing slippage of the film F. When the film F passes through the second critical distance C2 to reach the third pre-stretch roller 130, the majority of the pre-stretching of the film F occurs within the second critical distance C2. The combination of the two relatively small first and second pre-stretch rollers and the relatively larger third pre-stretch roller provides the desired pre-stretching with no slippage and minimal necking.

[0042] The pre-stretching assembly of the present disclosure improves upon the known pre-stretching assemblies described above because it eliminates slippage without sacrificing pre-stretching. It also improves upon pre-stretching assemblies having two relatively large pre-stretching rollers that provide the desired pre-stretching, but due to the relatively large diameters of the pre-stretching rollers, they have a large critical distance and result in significant necking.

[0043] A cutting-fixing device (not shown) is supported by the winding machine frame 10 and is configured to cut the film F at a position between the load L and the winding assembly 40 after the load L is wound to form the tail end of the film F and connect the tail end of the film F to the wound load L to complete the winding process. Cutting the film F also produces the leading end of the film F. The cutting-fixing device is also configured to hold the leading end after cutting the film F and connect the leading end of the film to the next load while the film F is wound. The cutting-fixing device can be any suitable conventional cutting-fixing device known in the art.

[0044] The winding assembly actuator 400 is operably connected to the winding assembly 40 to rotate the winding assembly 40 relative to the circular guide 20 and the load L. In some embodiments, the winding assembly actuator 400 includes one or more motors operably connected to the winding assembly 40 via one or more belt-pulley assemblies to rotate the winding assembly 40 relative to the circular guide 20 and the load L. This is merely an example, and the winding assembly actuator 400 may include any suitable actuator configured to rotate the winding assembly 40 relative to the circular guide 20 and the load L.

[0045] The operator interface 500 is configured to receive input from an operator and, in some embodiments, is configured to output information to the operator. The operator interface includes one or more input devices configured to receive input from an operator. In various embodiments, the one or more input devices include one or more buttons (such as hard keys or soft keys), one or more switches, and / or a touch panel. In various embodiments, the operator interface 500 includes a display device configured to display information to the operator, such as information about the pallet load, the status of the winding operation, or parameters of the winding machine 1 (e.g., the speed of the pre-stretching roller). The operator interface may include other output devices such as one or more speakers and / or one or more lights instead of or in addition to the display device. In some embodiments, the operator interface 500 is formed as a part of the winding machine 1 and is mounted, for example, to the winding machine frame 10. In other embodiments, the operator interface is away from the winding machine 1.

[0046] The controller 600 includes a processing device that is communicatively connected to a memory device. The processing device may include any suitable processing device, such as, but not limited to, a general purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a digital signal processor, one or more microprocessors, one or more microprocessors associated with a digital signal processor core, one or more application specific integrated circuits, one or more field programmable gate array circuits, one or more integrated circuits, and / or a state machine. The memory device may include any suitable memory device, such as, but not limited to, a read-only memory, a random access memory, one or more digital registers, a cache memory, one or more semiconductor memory devices, magnetic media such as an integrated hard disk and / or a removable memory, magneto-optical media, and / or optical media. The memory device stores instructions that can be executed by the processing device to control the operation of the winding machine 1 (such as performing winding operations, as described below).

[0047] The controller 600 is communicatively and operably connected to the guide actuator 30, the cut-fix device, the pre-tension actuator 150, and the winding assembly actuator 400 to control the operation of these components in conjunction with the winding operation, as described below. The controller 600 is communicatively connected to the operator interface 500 to: (1) receive signals from the operator interface 500 representing inputs received by the operator interface 500; and (2) send signals to the operator interface 500 to cause the operator interface 500 to output (e.g., display) information.

[0048] The wrapping operation is now partially described, in which the wrapping machine 1 is used to wrap a load L with a film F to fix the load L to a pallet P. Initially, the circular guide 20 is in its upper position, and the cutting-fixing device holds the leading end of the film F. The controller 600 controls the conveyor C to move the load L on the pallet P through the feed area 10a and into the wrapping area of ​​the wrapping machine 1. After the load L on the pallet P reaches the wrapping area, the controller 600 controls the guide actuator 30 to lower the circular guide 20 so that the wrapping assembly 40 is at least partially vertically aligned with a portion of the load L. The controller 600 controls the cutting-fixing device to hold the leading end of the film F on or near the load L, and controls the wrapping assembly actuator 400 to rotate the wrapping assembly 40 relative to the circular guide 20 and the load L. The rotation of the winding assembly 40 relative to the load L is combined with the cutting-fixing device to hold the front end of the film F on or close to the load L, so that the film F is pulled out from the roll R (optionally with the help of one or more motors to feed the film through the winding assembly 40), guided through the rollers of the film support 100 and wrapped around the load L.

[0049] Once the film F has been wound on the front end, the controller 600 controls the cutting-fixing device to release the front end and move away from the load L. The controller 600 continues to control the winding assembly actuator 400 to rotate the winding assembly 40, while controlling the guide actuator 30 to vertically move the circular guide 20 so that the load L is wound with the film F in a spiral pattern. During winding, the controller 600 controls the pre-stretching actuator 150 to rotate the first pre-stretching roller 110, the second pre-stretching roller 120, and the third pre-stretching roller 130 so that they each have an appropriate linear speed to pre-stretch the film F as it is pulled through the pre-stretching rollers 110, 120, and 130. After winding is completed, the controller 600 controls the cutting-fixing device to cut the film F from the roll R and fix the tail end of the film F to the load L, thereby completing the winding operation. The controller 600 controls the conveyor C to move the wound load L and the pallet P from the winding area and pass through the discharge area 10b.

[0050] Therefore, various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a winding machine, which includes: a winding machine frame; a guide member, which is mounted to the winding machine frame; a guide member actuator, which is operably connected to the guide member to move the guide member vertically relative to the winding machine frame; a winding assembly, which is mounted to the guide member and includes a film bracket; and a winding assembly actuator, which is operably connected to the winding assembly to move the winding assembly relative to the guide member. The film bracket includes: a film bracket frame; a first pre-stretching roller, which is rotatably mounted to the film bracket frame; a second pre-stretching roller, which is rotatably mounted to the film bracket frame; a third pre-stretching roller, which is rotatably mounted to the film bracket frame; and a plurality of idle rollers, which are rotatably mounted to the film bracket frame. The first pre-stretching roller and the second pre-stretching roller have a first diameter, and the third pre-stretching roller has a larger second diameter. The first pre-stretching roller, the second pre-stretching roller and the third pre-stretching roller are controlled to rotate with different line speeds so that a small portion of the stretching of the film (for example, less than 50%, or more specifically between 1%-15%) occurs between the first pre-stretching roller and the second pre-stretching roller, and a large portion of the stretching of the film (for example, greater than 50%, or more specifically between 85%-99%) occurs between the second pre-stretching roller and the third pre-stretching roller.

[0051] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a film carrier for the above-mentioned winding machine.

Claims

1. A film bracket for a winding machine, the film bracket comprising: Membrane bracket frame; a first pre-stretch roller having a first diameter and rotatably mounted to the film carrier frame; a second pre-stretch roller having a second diameter and rotatably mounted to the film carrier frame; as well as A third pre-stretch roller has a third diameter and is rotatably mounted to the film carrier frame, wherein the third diameter is greater than the first diameter and the second diameter.

2. The membrane support according to claim 1, wherein: The first diameter and the second diameter are substantially the same.

3. The membrane support according to claim 1, wherein: The third diameter is at least about twice as large as the second diameter.

4. The membrane support according to claim 1, wherein: The sizes and positions of the first pre-stretching roller, the second pre-stretching roller and the third pre-stretching roller are designed so that the effective surface area of ​​the third pre-stretching roller is not less than the combined effective surface area of ​​the first pre-stretching roller and the second pre-stretching roller.

5. The film support as described in claim 1 further includes a pre-stretching drive assembly, which is operably connected to the first pre-stretching roller, the second pre-stretching roller and the third pre-stretching roller so that the first pre-stretching roller rotates at 15% to 95% of the linear speed of the third pre-stretching roller.

6. The film support as described in claim 1 further includes a pre-stretching drive assembly, which is operably connected to the first pre-stretching roller, the second pre-stretching roller and the third pre-stretching roller so that the second pre-stretching roller rotates at 100% to 150% of the linear speed of the first pre-stretching roller.

7. The membrane support according to claim 1, wherein: The linear speeds of the first pre-stretching roller, the second pre-stretching roller and the third pre-stretching roller are controllable so that 1% to 15% of the total pre-stretching of the film occurs between the first pre-stretching roller and the second pre-stretching roller, and 85% to 99% of the total pre-stretching of the film occurs between the second pre-stretching roller and the third pre-stretching roller.

8. The membrane support according to claim 1, wherein: The critical distance between the first pre-stretching roller and the second pre-stretching roller is smaller than the critical distance between the second pre-stretching roller and the third pre-stretching roller.

9. The membrane support according to claim 8, wherein: The distance between the outer edge of the first pre-stretching roller and the outer edge of the second pre-stretching roller is the same as the distance between the outer edge of the second pre-stretching roller and the outer edge of the third pre-stretching roller.

10. A winding machine, comprising: Winding machine frame; a guide mounted to the wrapping machine frame; a guide actuator operably connected to the guide to vertically move the guide relative to the winding machine frame; A winding assembly mounted to the guide and comprising a membrane carrier comprising: Membrane bracket frame; a first pre-stretch roller having a first diameter and rotatably mounted to the film carrier frame; a second pre-stretch roller having a second diameter and rotatably mounted to the film carrier frame; and a third pre-stretch roller having a third diameter and rotatably mounted to the film carrier frame, wherein the third diameter is greater than the first diameter and the second diameter; and A winding assembly actuator is operably connected to the winding assembly to move the winding assembly relative to the guide.

11. The wrapping machine according to claim 10, wherein: The first diameter and the second diameter are substantially the same.

12. The wrapping machine according to claim 10, wherein: The third diameter roller is at least about twice as large as the second diameter roller.

13. The wrapping machine according to claim 10, wherein: The sizes and positions of the first pre-stretching roller, the second pre-stretching roller and the third pre-stretching roller are designed so that the effective surface area of ​​the third pre-stretching roller is not less than the combined effective surface area of ​​the first pre-stretching roller and the second pre-stretching roller.

14. The winding machine as described in claim 10 further includes a pre-stretching drive assembly, which is operably connected to the first pre-stretching roller, the second pre-stretching roller and the third pre-stretching roller to drive the first pre-stretching roller, the second pre-stretching roller and the third pre-stretching roller, so that the linear speed of the third pre-stretching roller is greater than the linear speed of the second pre-stretching roller, and the linear speed of the second pre-stretching roller is greater than the linear speed of the first pre-stretching roller.

15. The wrapping machine according to claim 14, wherein: The pre-stretching drive assembly is configured to control the first pre-stretching roller to rotate at 15% to 95% of a linear speed of the third pre-stretching roller.

16. The wrapping machine according to claim 14, wherein: The pre-stretching drive assembly is configured to control the second pre-stretching roller to rotate at 100% to 150% of the linear speed of the first pre-stretching roller.

17. The wrapping machine according to claim 14, wherein: The pre-stretch drive assembly is configured to control the linear speeds of the first pre-stretch roller, the second pre-stretch roller, and the third pre-stretch roller so that 1% to 15% of the total stretching of the film occurs between the first pre-stretch roller and the second pre-stretch roller.

18. The wrapping machine according to claim 14, wherein: The pre-stretch drive assembly is configured to control the linear speeds of the first pre-stretch roller, the second pre-stretch roller, and the third pre-stretch roller so that 85% to 99% of the total stretching of the film occurs between the second pre-stretch roller and the third pre-stretch roller.

19. The wrapping machine according to claim 10, wherein: The critical distance between the first pre-stretching roller and the second pre-stretching roller is smaller than the critical distance between the second pre-stretching roller and the third pre-stretching roller.

20. The wrapping machine according to claim 19, wherein: The distance between the outer edge of the first pre-stretching roller and the outer edge of the second pre-stretching roller is the same as the distance between the outer edge of the second pre-stretching roller and the outer edge of the third pre-stretching roller.

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