US2782479A - Bundle tie - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 26, 1957 R. w. FRENCH BUNDLE TIE Filed Dec. 1, 195s I'IIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII w" INVENTOR. A), jZM/Z 26? Mig I I r a. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Affomeys BUNDLE TIE Ralph W. French, Ludlow, Mass., assignor to Ludlow Manufacturing & Sales Co., Boston, Mass., 2 corporation of Massachusetts Application December 1, 1953, Serial No. 395,340

1 Claim. (Cl. 24-18) This invention relates to ties for bundles and packages and is concerned more particularly with a novel bundle tie, which holds the bundle tightly, is not like to be broken, even though the bundle is roughly handled, and is inexpensive.

The new bundle tie comprises a length of relatively soft compressible twine wrapped about the bundle and having its end sections extending side by side in opposite directions. The end sections of the twine are held against relative movement by a metallic clamp, which compresses the sections against each other, so that they are held in contact over an area of substantial width running lengthwise of the sections. The clamp holds the sections without abrupt bends and, at its ends, the internal surfaces of the clamp flare outwardly, so that the twine is not in contact with a sharp edge on the metal and not liable to injury by abrasion in the handling of the bundle. This tie can be applied rapidly by machine and a suitable machine for the purpose is that disclosed and claimed in the copending application of French, Shields, and Pond, Serial No. 355,036, filed May 14, 1953.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a portion of the new bundle tie including the clamp;

Fig. 2'is a longitudinal sectional view through the clamp on the line 22 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a bundle having a pair of the new ties applied thereto at right angles to each other.

The tie of the invention comprises a length of twine 10, which is wrapped about the bundle and has its end sections 11, 11 extending side by side in opposite directions. The twine is relatively compressible and it is preferably made up of a plurality of singles yarns plied together with a low twist, the yarns being made of a relatively soft fiber, such as jute, as distinguished from a hard fiber like sisal or istle.

The end sections 11 of the twine are secured together and held against relative movement by a clamp 12, which is made of sheet metal and encloses the end sections through more than 360. The clamp compresses the end sections of the twine into contact over an area 13, which is of substantial width and runs lengthwise of the end sections from one end of the clamp to the other. The clamp is so formed as to define a straight passage of substantially uniform cross-section for the major portion of its length and, at the ends of the clip, its inner surfaces 14 are curved outwardly on a relatively long radius, so that the surfaces flare away from the axis of the passage.

In the application of the clamp by machine, as, for example, that shown in the co-pending application, Serial No. 355,036, referred to above, the end sections of the twine in the tie are held side by side within a die and a sheet metal blank is forced edgewise into the die and formed into a clamp tightly enclosing and compressing the end sections of the twine. The blank is preferably States Patent Patented Feb. 26, 1957 made of sheet steel of about 24 ga. and, as the blank is forced into the die, the marginal portion 15 of the blank along its leading edge retains its initial fiat condition. Inwardly from the fiat marginal portion, the blank is bent within the die to form an intermediate curved portion and the flat and curved portions lie opposed in the completed clamp and compress the two end sections of the twine into tight contact. The clamp has a marginal portion along the trailing edge of the blank, which was not curved by the action of the die and forms a fiat portion 16 lying inward from the outer edge 17 of the clamp. The edge 17 bears against the outer surface of the clamp adjacent the inner edge 15a of the flat marginal portion 15.

The inner surfaces of the clamp in contact with the end sections of the twine define a passage within which the end sections are compressed and forced into tight contact over an area of substantial width running longitudinally of the twine. The inter-fiber friction between the contacting surfaces of the twine holds the end sections of the twine against relative movement and the clamp thus, in efiect, provides a joint between the end sections. The strength of the joint is derived mainly from the friction, and the length of the clamp is, accordingly, chosen, in view of the purpose for which the bundle tie is to be used, so that the joint will be of adequate strength. Since the passage through the clamp is straight and of substantially uniform cross-section between the inner ends of the flaring surfaces 14 at opposite ends of the clamp, the compression of the twine within the clamp is not likely to do injury to any of the fibers of the twine. The inner surfaces of the clamp are smooth and there can thus be no damage to the fibers of the twine such as would result, if the surfaces were scored or roughened, as in prior clamps, The portions of the twine within the clamp are not in contact with sharp edges or surfaces abruptly changing direction, which might injure the twine by abrasion during the handling of the bundle, and the flaring surfaces 14 at the ends of the clamp likewise protect the fibers against abrasion damage. With the fibers in the portions of the twine within the clamp thus protected, the fibers are not likely to be progressively broken during bundle handling with ultimate breaking of the twine and release of the bundle.

I claim:

A tie for a bundle, which comprises a length of relatively soft compressible twine adapted to be wrapped about the bundle and having sections at its ends extending in opposite directions and lying side by side, and a clamp made of a smooth strip of sheet metal wrapped about the end sections of the twine and extending through more than 360", the strip having a flat portion adjacent its inner end and a curved portion joined to and facing the fiat portion, said portions of the strip wholly enclosing the end sections of the twine and compressing the end sec tions toward the longitudinal axis of the space defined by the portions to distort and force the end sections together with flat surfaces thereof in close contact, the strip having a flat portion adjacent its outer end joined to the curved portion and overlying the inner flat portion, with the free end edge of the outer flat portion lying close to the junction between the inner fiat portion and the curved portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 676,415 Brooks June 18, 1901 1,783,967 Kearney Dec. 9, 1930 2,598,334 Ahlburg May 27, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 634,726 Germany Sept. 2, 1936 377,934 Italy Ian. 16, 1940

Images