Stretch wrap film carriage

Abstract

A carriage for a stretch wrap assembly including a base, a top housing, and a pre-stretch assembly. A bottom portion of the film is formed into a roped or creased portion between an area wherein the film leaves a roll of stretch wrap and the pre-stretch assembly.

1 . A carriage for a stretch wrap assembly comprising:
 a base;   a top housing;   a pre-stretch assembly located between the base and the top housing, the pre-stretch assembly including a plurality of pre-stretch rollers; and   a gear system located for rotating the pre-stretch rollers at a desired relative speed for stretching stretch wrap film passing through the pre-stretch assembly;   the base having a top surface and the plurality of pre-stretch rollers extending substantially perpendicularly from the top surface such that axes of rotation of the plurality of pre-stretch rollers are substantially perpendicular to the top surface;   the base further including a source of stretch wrap extension platform extending laterally from a main portion of the base, the source of stretch wrap extension platform not being located under the top housing;   the source of stretch wrap extension platform having an upper surface and a mandrel extending substantially perpendicularly from the upper surface, the mandrel configured to receive a roll of stretch wrap film thereon such that an axis of rotation of the roll of stretch wrap film is substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the source of stretch wrap extension platform;   wherein the upper surface of the source of stretch wrap extension platform is located below the top surface of the base such that a bottom of the roll of stretch wrap film can be located below a bottom of the plurality of pre-stretch rollers.   
     
     
         2 . The carriage according to  claim 1 , further including:
 a roping bar located between the mandrel and the pre-stretch assembly, the roping bar being configured to such that the bottom of the film extending between the roll of stretch wrap film and the pre-stretch assembly forces the bottom upward to form the film into a bottom roping portion before the film enters the pre-stretch assembly.   
     
     
         3 . The carriage according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the pre-stretch rollers include a cylindrical lower area that is harder than the remaining portion of the pre-stretch rollers and having the same diameter.   
     
     
         4 . The carriage according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the cylindrical lower area includes a cylindrical aluminum surface.   
     
     
         5 . A carriage for a stretch wrap assembly comprising:
 a base;   a top housing;   a pre-stretch assembly located between the base and the top housing, the pre-stretch assembly including a plurality of pre-stretch rollers;   a gear system located for rotating the pre-stretch rollers at a desired relative speed for stretching stretch wrap film passing through the pre-stretch assembly;   the base having a top surface and the plurality of pre-stretch rollers extending substantially perpendicularly from the top surface such that axes of rotation of the plurality of pre-stretch rollers are substantially perpendicular to the top surface;   the base further including a source of stretch wrap extension platform extending laterally from a main portion of the base;   the source of stretch wrap extension platform having a mandrel extending substantially perpendicularly from an upper surface thereof, the mandrel configured to receive a roll of stretch wrap film thereon such that an axis of rotation of the roll of stretch wrap film is substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the source of stretch wrap extension platform; and   a roping bar located between the mandrel and the pre-stretch assembly, the roping bar being configured to such that a bottom of the film extending between the roll of stretch wrap film and the pre-stretch assembly forces the bottom upward to form the film into a bottom roping portion before the film enters the pre-stretch assembly.   
     
     
         6 . The carriage according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the pre-stretch rollers include a cylindrical lower area that is harder than the remaining portion of the pre-stretch rollers and having the same diameter.   
     
     
         7 . The carriage according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the cylindrical lower area includes a cylindrical aluminum surface.   
     
     
         8 . A method of roping at least a portion of stretch wrap film, the method comprising:
 providing a carriage having a base, a top housing, and a pre-stretch assembly located between the base and the top housing;   placing a roll of stretch wrap film on the base;   pulling film from the roll of stretch wrap film through the carriage;   pre-stretching the film passing through the carriage with the pre-stretch assembly; and   roping at least a bottom of the film from the roll of stretch wrap film at a location between the roll of stretch film wrap and the pre-stretch assembly.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further including:
 locating a roping bar between a mandrel and the pre-stretch assembly, the roping bar forcing the bottom upward to form the film into a bottom roping portion before the film enters the pre-stretch assembly.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the pre-stretch assembly includes pre-stretch rollers having a cylindrical lower area that is harder than the remaining portion of the pre-stretch rollers and having the same diameter.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the cylindrical lower area includes a cylindrical aluminum surface.