MOTORIZED BANDING TOOL WITH ROTATING BAND GUIDE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001]The entire disclosure of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 64/433,287, filed Dec. 16, 2022, and U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 18/542,244, filed Dec. 15, 2023, are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0002]This U.S. non-provisional patent application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/742,268 filed Jan. 6, 2025, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003]Embodiments of the present invention are related generally to banding tools, and in particular to a banding tool with a rotatable band guide.

BACKGROUND

[0004]Band clamps are provided in a variety of configurations to meet different needs. In one example, a band is secured about one or more objects and locked relative to a buckle by using a punch to deform the band relative to the buckle. In another example, the band is bent over the buckle and back on to itself to lock the band relative to the buckle. Other examples of band clamp locking mechanisms exist as is known to those of skill in the art.

[0005]Banding tools are widely used in a variety of situations to set and secure a band about one or more objects. Many banding tools are manually powered; therefore, the operation of such banding tools is highly subjective to the installer's personal judgment. Subjectivity can also play a role when using automated banding tools but to a lesser extent. The installer's subjective judgment is frequently involved in the case of band clamps where the band is folded over the buckle in order to lock the band relative to the buckle.

[0006]Installation by banding tools requires the installer to first apply tension to the band to tighten the band around the one or more banded objects. In the case of bands that are locked by bending the band over the buckle and back onto itself, the next step is to back off or reduce the tension on the band during the rolling-over step to avoid the band being stretched beyond its yield point to the point of fracture when the tool is used to fold the band over the buckle. The rolling-over step increases the tension borne by the band as this step typically stretches the band to accommodate the rollover of the tool. Because the tensioning back-off step is up to the installer's subjective judgment, frequently the band tension either has not been sufficiently released prior to the rolling step or too much tension is released and following the rolling step the band clamp is under-tensioned. In the first scenario, further stretching and bending during the rolling step may subsequently result in the band breaking. In the second scenario, the installation may fail because the band is too loose. The entire process is highly subjective to the installer to decide how much tension to use and how much tension to back off while rolling the tool and locking the band relative to the buckle. Human judgment often errs in achieving the desired final tension borne by the band and results in inconsistent installations. Experimental data has also shown that, when a band has been tensioned to its yield point, upon cutting off the free end of the band, the tension applied to the banded object drastically decreases.

[0007]One example of a tool to address the subjectivity and variability in tensioning a band is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 12,336,647 assigned to the assignee of the present application, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. This patent describes the problems associated with achieving repeatability in band tensioning a band and discloses a buckle with a tension indicator that assists in reducing operator subjectivity.

SUMMARY

[0008]There is a long-felt and not-met need in the area of banding tools that minimizes subjective judgment in the installation of a band clamp. Minimizing or removing subjectivity in band clamp installation improves installation consistency and achievement of targeted results and reduces, if not effectively prevents, band breakage.

[0009]It is one objective when installing band clamps to ensure that the band is tensioned properly about a workpiece prior to locking the band relative to the buckle associated with the band, with the correct targeted tension being applied to each band in each instance. Unlike the '647 patent identified above, which addresses improvement in buckle design, the present application addresses improvement in tool design. According to the present disclosure, some embodiments comprise a powered motor coupled with the banding tool, such as a hand-held drill. Because many hand-held drills included a variable torque setting, by coupling the banding tool with the drilling tool, the installer can preset a targeted torque without any need for the installer to subjectively judge the tensioned state of the band. Consequently, every band is tensioned with standardized tension.

[0010]In some other embodiments according to the present disclosure, using a motorized banding tool with a pre-set or targeted torque calculated to avoid the band from reaching its yield point, reduces, if not eliminates, an installer over-tensioning a band and applying a tension at or above the yield point for the band. In scenarios where locking the style of buckle requires the band to be rolled over the buckle to achieve a locking state, having a pre-set targeted tension less than the yield point eliminates the need for an installer to back off the tension prior to band roll over. Not only will this increase the accuracy of the installation, but it also eliminates a subjective step from the installation process and improves installation consistency and efficiency.

[0011]Some embodiments according to the present disclosure comprise a tool with a bearing and an associated rotatable band guide or nose. The bearing defines an axis of rotation. The band guide or nose includes a slot or channel that receives and guides a band relative to the tool. In operation, a band is wrapped around one or more objects with the free end of the band passing through a buckle. The tool is positioned with the band guide or nose proximate the buckle. A portion of the free end of the band is positioned in the channel or recess of the nose and a separate portion of the free end of the band is engaged by a tensioning mechanism. When the band is tightened to a pre-set targeted torque, the tensioning motor will stop the tensioning, and the bearing assembly will rotate the nose facilitating roll over of the band without having to roll over the entire tool. As a result of rotating the band guide or nose, the band is bent over the buckle. In addition, the nose may preferably rotate between approximately 90 degrees to about 135 degrees, although the range may be altered as needed. Comparing FIGS. 10 and 11, the nose rotates about 135 degrees, e.g., from a starting position at about 90 degrees (FIG. 10) and an ending position at about 225 degrees (FIG. 11). The combination of pre-set torque and the fixed rotation range without a backing-off step results in minimum installer subjectivity in the installation process.

[0012]Another aspect of at least some embodiments according to the present disclosure is to prevent over tensioning and even breakage of the band as part of the installation process where the band is rolled over the buckle for purposes of locking the band relative to the buckle. As aforementioned, some embodiments comprise a bearing assembly and an associated rotatable band guide or nose. The bearing assembly includes at least one bearing, preferably two. The geometry of the band guide or nose and associated bearing assembly prevents increasing tension on the band during the band rollover step. More particularly, the channel of the band guide or nose is spaced radially outward of the rotational axis of the at least one bearing. During rotation of the bearing assembly and the band guide, the band guide or nose moves rearwardly, relative to the longitudinal axis of the tool and relative to the rotational axis of the at least one bearing, from an initial first position as shown for example in FIG. 10 to a second rotated position as shown for example in FIG. 11. Because the position of the channel is off centered or spaced radially outwardly from the axis of rotation of the bearing, the band is not stretched as the nose, including the channel, rotates and changes position. When the banding tool is initially tensioning a band about a workpiece, the nose is located forward of the bearing axis of rotation and the band is substantially linearly oriented from the forward end of the nose through the channel or recess of the nose and through the clamping assembly. The band gripper or clamping assembly of the banding tool initially moves rearward relative to the tool during band tensioning but remains stationary during the rollover step. When the bearing assembly is rotated, the nose turns from a forward orientation to a downward and rearward orientation and moves rearwardly, relative to the frame of the tool and relative to the rotational axis of the one or more bearings, toward the fixed rotational axis of the bearing or relative to the stationary position of the clamping assembly because of the offset positioning of the nose relative to the bearing axis of rotation. Thus, the band will be bent without being stretched, and the tension borne by the band essentially remains the same or is reduced but is not substantially increased. The pre-set torque and the elimination of additional band stretching during the rolling step work individually and in combination to remove installer subjectivity and prevent breakage of the band.

[0013]It is yet another aspect of embodiments according to the present disclosure to maintain sufficient targeted tension applied to the banded object following completion of the band clamp installation process. When the band is tensioned to a yield point, the band may release a stored reactive force, which results in loss of the compression tension of the band on the banded object. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, because the combination of a preset targeted torque and a rearwardly moving rotatable nose prevent the band from reaching the yield point, the loss of the compression tension is reduced when cutting off the free end of the band following band roll over and completion of the installation process.

[0014]It is yet another aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure to facilitate use of the tool by a single operator. In such embodiments, the banding tool has a lever lock arm pivotally attached to the clamp assembly and movable between a first engaged or deployed position and a second disengaged or stowed position. When the lever lock arm is at the first position, the clamp lever is held in an open position for receiving and loading the band. In the second position, the lever lock arm is stowed or disengaged from the clamp lever allowing the gripper to engage the band for tensioning.

[0015]It is yet another aspect of the present disclosure to prevent damage to the tool. In embodiments, the banding tool has apertures formed in the frame to create a tether attaching point on the frame for attaching a tether. Alternatively, a bracket may be attached to the frame for engaging a tether. The opposite end of the tether is attached to a workbench or other structure. In the event the banding tool is dropped or knocked off of the workbench, the tether prevents the banding tool from striking the floor.

[0016]While specific embodiments and applications have been illustrated and described, the present disclosure is not limited to the precise configuration and components described herein. Various modifications, changes, and variations which will be apparent to those skilled in the art may be made in the arrangement, operation, and details of the methods and systems disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the overall disclosure.

[0017]As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the terms “about,” “approximately,” “substantially,” “generally,” etc., when used in relation to numerical limitations or ranges, mean that the recited limitation or range may vary by up to 10%. By way of non-limiting example, “about 750” can mean as little as 675 or as much as 825, or any value therebetween. When used in relation to ratios or relationships between two or more numerical limitations or ranges, the terms “about,” “approximately,” “substantially,” “generally,” etc. mean that each of the limitations or ranges may vary by up to 10%; by way of non-limiting example, a statement that two quantities are “approximately equal” can mean that a ratio between the two quantities is as little as 0.9:1.1 or as much as 1.1:0.9 (or any value therebetween), and a statement that a four-way ratio is “about 5:3:1:1” can mean that the first number in the ratio can be any value of at least 4.5 and no more than 5.5, the second number in the ratio can be any value of at least 2.7 and no more than 3.3, and so on.

[0018]The embodiments, configurations and examples described herein are not exhaustive. As will be appreciated, other embodiments are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below, particularly as will be understood by those of skill in the art following review of the present disclosure.

[0019]The details of one or more aspects of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the techniques described in this disclosure will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

[0020]The phrases “at least one,” “one or more,” and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together. When each one of A, B, and C in the above expressions refers to an element, such as X, Y, and Z, or class of elements, such as X1-Xn, Y1-Ym, and Z1-Zo, the phrase is intended to refer to a single element selected from X, Y, and Z, a combination of elements selected from the same class (e.g., X1 and X2) as well as a combination of elements selected from two or more classes (e.g., Y1 and Zo).

[0021]The term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” can be used interchangeably.

[0022]The preceding is a simplified summary of the disclosure to provide an understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. This summary is neither an extensive nor exhaustive overview of the disclosure and its various aspects, embodiments, and configurations. As will be appreciated, other aspects, embodiments, and configurations of the disclosure are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below.

[0023]Numerous additional features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the embodiment descriptions provided hereinbelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024]The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of these inventions. It should be understood, of course, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.

[0025]FIG. 1 is a rearward looking perspective view of a banding tool of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026]FIG. 2 is a forward looking perspective view of the banding tool of FIG. 1, with the nose is first non-rotated position.

[0027]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the banding tool of FIG. 1.

[0028]FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the banding tool of FIG. 1.

[0029]FIG. 5 is a partial forward looking perspective view of the banding tool of FIG. 1, with certain components removed for clarity.

[0030]FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of an embodiment of the nose of the banding tool of FIG. 1.

[0031]FIG. 7 is a bottom-perspective view of the banding tool of FIG. 1.

[0032]FIG. 8 is a left side view of the banding tool of FIG. 1.

[0033]FIG. 9 is a front view of the banding tool of FIG. 1.

[0034]FIG. 10 is a right side view of the banding tool of FIG. 1.

[0035]FIG. 11 is a right side view of the banding tool of FIG. 1 with a rotated nose.

[0036]FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a clamping assembly, bearing assembly and nose of a banding tool where the nose is in a non-rotated position (top view) and a rotated position (bottom view) according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037]FIG. 13 is a Clamp Compressive Load Comparison graph presenting compression tension loss upon cutoff of the free end of a band following tensioning about a workpiece.

[0038]FIG. 14 is a side sectional view of a banding tool in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0039]FIG. 15A is a detailed side sectional view of a clamp assembly of the banding tool of FIG. 14 with a lever lock arm placed at a first engaged position;

[0040]FIG. 15B is a side view of the banding tool of FIG. 14 with the lever lock arm placed at a second disengaged position; and

[0041]FIG. 16 is a bottom-perspective view of the banding tool of FIG. 14 with a tether attached.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042]The following description recites various aspects and embodiments as disclosed herein. The embodiments provide non-limiting examples of various compositions, and methods that are included within the scope of the claimed disclosure. The description is to be read from the perspective of one of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, information that is well known to the ordinarily skilled artisan is not necessarily included.

[0043]FIGS. 1-11 illustrate one embodiment of a banding tool 100 used to install a band and a buckle, also known as a band clamp, to a workpiece. The workpiece may comprise one or more objects. The tension applied by the tool 100 can be motorized or manual. The tool 100 may be hand-held or mounted to a fixed structure. In the present embodiment, the tension applied by the banding tool is activated by a motor and, in at least one specific embodiment, a conventional hand-held drill is used.

[0044]FIG. 3 provides an exploded view and FIG. 4 provides a cross-sectional view of the banding tool 100 comprising a frame 102, a band tensioning assembly 104, a band clamping assembly 106 operatively associated with the tensioning assembly 104, a bearing assembly 108, a band guide or nose 110 operatively associated with the bearing assembly, and a band cut-off assembly 112. The tensioning assembly 104 comprises a threaded rod 114 rotatably positioned within a cavity 116 defined by the frame 102. When assembled, the forward end 118 of the rod 114 rotates within a recess or bushing 120 which is located in the frame 102 at the forward end of the cavity 116 and the rearward end 122 of the rod 114 rotates in an aperture 124 positioned at the rearward end of the frame 102. In the present embodiment, the cavity 116 defined by the frame member 102 is generally cylindrical and extends along a longitudinal axis A_Long of the tool 100. It is appreciated that in other embodiments, the frame member may comprise different shapes.

[0045]When mounted to the frame 102, the rearward end 122 of the rod 114 extends rearwardly from the frame 102 through the aperture 124. As best seen in FIG. 4, the rearward end 122 of the rod 114 also extends through a bearing 126 positioned adjacent to the aperture 124 outside of the frame 102. A lock ring 128 is positioned adjacent to the bearing 126. The lock ring 128 is fixed to the rod 114 by a pin 130 and includes outwardly extending posts or protrusions 132 that engage complimentary shaped slots 134 [not shown] in a connector 136. The rearward end of connector 136 comprises a post or stud 138 configured to be received within and secured by a chuck of a traditional motorized drill. A shroud or protective housing 140 surrounds the connector 136 and is affixed to the rearward end of the frame 102 by screws 142 or by other means known to those of skill in the art. A bearing 144 is secured in the rearward end of the shroud 140 and supports rotation of the post 138 within the tool 100. A coiled expansion spring 146 surrounds the post 138 and maintains axial contact among the connector 136, the lock ring 128, the bearing 126 and the frame 102. As best seen in FIG. 4, a plurality of Belleville washers 148 surround the rod 114 within the cavity 116 on the inside of aperture 124. Here, three washers are depicted. The washers 148 are secured between the frame 102 and a clip 150 attached to the rod 114. In operation, rotation of the post 138 causes rotation of the rod 114 due to the connection of the connector 136 to the rod 114 by the lock ring 128. Bearing 126 permits the rod 114 to rotate relative to the fixed frame 102.

[0046]The clamping assembly 106, in at least one embodiment, comprises body 152 that is operatively connected to the rod 114 by an internally threaded sleeve 154. As seen in FIG. 5, the sleeve 154 surrounds the threaded rod 114 allowing the body 152 to move forward and rearward along the threaded rod 114 relative to the frame 102 based upon the direction of rotation of the threaded rod 114. A clamp lever 156 is pivotally connected to the body 152. Rotating the lever 156 forward causes the forward end 158 of the lever to press against an anvil 160. (See, FIG. 10.) A spring 162, secured in a compressed state to the body 152 by set screw 164, pushes forward end 158 against a band during tensioning of a band. Arcuate plate 166 assists in disengaging a drill when the gripper body 152 is in the rearward most position, e.g., fully retracted. The plate 166 also partially or fully enclose the cavity 116. In some instances, the installer may wish to be able to view the rod 114. In operation, the free end of a band is engaged by the clamp assembly 106 by pinching the band between the forward end 158 of the lever 156 and the anvil 160. When the banding tool is connected to a motor, such as a drill, the drill will engage the post 138 causing the connector 136 to rotate the lock ring 132 and simultaneously the threaded rod 114, pulling or pushing the body 152 by way of the threaded sleeve 154 of the clamping assembly 106 depending upon the direction of rotation. In turn, the free end of the band is pulled rearward to tension the band about a workpiece or the free end is pushed forward and tension is relaxed. When the gripper body 152 is fully forward within the cavity 116, the Belleville washers 148 compress the prevent the gripper body 152 from traveling farther.

[0047]The bearing assembly 108, in at least one embodiment, comprises a bearing lever 168, a rotatable cylindrical body 170, a pair of spaced apart bearings 172 and 174, and a pair of seals 176 and 178. The body 170 is positioned in a cylindrical cavity or opening 180 formed at the forward end of frame 102. The first and second bearings 172 and 174 are positioned on opposite sides of the cavity 180 and receive the bearing body 170 allowing the bearing body to rotate within the cavity 180. The bearing lever 168 is inserted through a slot 184 in the forward end of the frame 102 and through a slot 186 in the bearing body 168. A pair of apertures 188 and 190 are formed in a first end of the bearing lever 168 and receive bolts 192 and 194. (See, FIG. 5.) The distal ends of the bolts 192 and 194 are secured to threaded apertures 196 and 198 in a bearing interface 200 interconnected with the nose 110. The nose and bearing interface may be a single integral component or separate components connected together. The bolts 192 and 194 mount the bearing assembly 108 and nose 110 to the frame 102. The opposite or second end of the bearing lever 168 is a free end configured to be grasped and moved by an installer. When the installer applies a pushing or pulling force to the bearing lever 168, the bearing lever rotates the bearing body 170 clockwise or counterclockwise respectively within the bearings 172 and 174 and simultaneously rotates and repositions the nose relative to the frame 102. In the present embodiments, the bearing lever can rotate from about 0 degrees to about 180 degrees. It is appreciated that the rotation angle of the bearing lever and bearing body 164 may have different ranges. In other embodiments, the bearing assembly may comprise a single bearing or three or more bearings associated with a bearing body.

[0048]The band guide or nose 110 is generally wedge shaped and includes a slot or channel 202 through which the free end of the band is passed prior to the band being secured or grasped by the clamping assembly 106. As seen in FIG. 6, the band guide or nose 110 is integrally formed with a bearing interface 200 which secures the band guide 110 to the bearing body 170. As seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 6, 7 and 10, the interface 182 includes an aperture 204 which receives the distal end 206 of cutting bar 208 of a band cutoff assembly 112. As seen in FIG. 3, the cutting bar 208 includes a knife edge 210 at the distal end and a cut-off lever 212 is secured to the opposite end of the cutting bar 208. The knife or blade edge 210 is configured to cut off the free end of the band. When the cut off lever 212 is rotated, the knife 210 cuts off the band at the location of the nose 110. When rotated in the opposite direction, the cut off lever 212 returns to its first or initial position. In the present embodiments, the cut off lever 212 can rotate from about 0 degrees to about 160 degrees. It is appreciated that the rotation angle of the bearing lever may have different ranges.

[0049]A handle 214 may be affixed to the tool 100 to facilitate an installer's use of the tool.

[0050]As previously noted, the embodiments according to the present disclosure may be connected to a motor, e.g., a drilling tool. Many drilling tools include the ability to set a torque over a range of available torque settings. Therefore, an installer can preset a torque for tensioning a band about a workpiece. With the pre-set torque, the drilling tool will cease tensioning of the band once it detects that the drilling tool has reached the pre-set torque, which prevents the band from reaching its yield point if the pre-set torque is correctly set. Further, because the band is properly tensioned and tightened around the workpiece, no tension backing off step is required prior to rolling over the band onto itself and cutting the band. And because the band is not over tensioned, the loss of post-cutoff compression tension is reduced.

[0051]FIGS. 10-11 illustrate the banding tool 100 at the default (non-rotated) state and the rotated state.

[0052]In the default state of FIG. 10, the band guide or nose 110, the threaded rod 114, the connector post 138, and the frame 102 are aligned on the same longitudinal axis A_L. In the default state, the bearing lever 168 and the clamp lever 156 both have their hand-held ends above the frame 102. (See also, FIG. 8.) The cut-off lever 212 is positioned below the frame 102. It is appreciated that in other embodiments, the orientations and placements of the levers may be different at the default state.

[0053]FIG. 11 depicts a rotated state of the banding tool 100. In the present embodiment, location 220 is the rotational axis of the bearing body 170. As can also be seen, the band guide or nose 110 is radially offset from the axis 220. When applying a forward pushing force toward the bearing lever 168, the bearing lever 168 engages the bearing body 170 and rotates the bearing body 170 clockwise. The same movement also results in the nose 110 rotating clockwise at a maximum angle (α) of approximately 160 degrees. During the rotary movement, the frame 102, the clamp lever 156, and the gripping end 158 of the clamp lever 156 remain stationary. In contrast, the cut-off lever 212 also rotates clockwise at approximately 180 degrees. Because the nose 110 rotates without rotating the frame 102 and clamping assembly 106, the position of the nose 110 is relocated and the band is not stretched but only bends. In other words, tension in the band is not increased by rotation of the tool 100 or rollover of the band. Therefore, repositioning and rotating the nose in this fashion prevents additional tension force applied to the band as part of the rollover step, which further prevents the breakage of the band, as well as reducing variation in the compression tension in the band upon band cutoff by eliminating operator induced variation from the tension backing off step that is no longer required prior to rolling over the band.

[0054]FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram that illustrates the repositioning of the band guide or nose shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The upper view in FIG. 12 is exemplary of the tool of FIG. 10 and the lower view in FIG. 12 is exemplary of the tool of FIG. 11. As seen in both views, the clamping assembly 106 secures the free end of a band and remains in a fixed position. In the upper view, the band guide or nose 110 is oriented in a forward facing position and the band is linearly oriented from the forward end of the nose 110 through the clamping assembly 106. In the lower view the bearing body 170 has been rotated and the position of the band guide or nose 110 is changed. Here, the nose 110 is downward and rearwardly facing and the band has been bent. Importantly, the position of nose 110 also has shifted rearwardly. The arrow demarked by reference number 222 shows the dimension of rearward movement based upon where the band exists the rear face of the nose F_R. Point 220 is the rotational axis of the bearing body 170. Because the nose 110 has moved rearward relative to the fixed positioned clamping assembly, rotation of the nose 110 and the band does not increase tension in the band during or as part of the rolling step.

[0055]FIG. 13 is a comparison graph showing the compression tension endured by a banded object in two different scenarios. In the graph, the upper line 230 represents compression tension endured by a banded object when installing the band with a manual banding tool where a rollover step is involved and the nose does not rotate relative to the tool. The lower line 232 represents compression tension endured by a banded object when installing the band by an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, using a motorized tensioning mechanism with a rotating bearing assembly and nose.

[0056]As shown in FIG. 13, from approximately 10 seconds to approximately 25 seconds, the compression load on both banded objects increases by tensioning the band. In comparison, the lower line 232 has a smoother increasing trend than the upper line 230, as the motorized tension mechanism can apply more consistent force than the manually operated banding tool. At around 30 seconds, the line 230 reached its peak at around 1900 pound-force (lbf), and at around 32 seconds, the line 232 reached its peak at around 1800 lbf. Upon cutting off the band at around 40 seconds, line 230 dropped to 361 lbf and line 232 only dropped to 1022 lbf. In other words, the manual-powered banding tool system endured nearly 80% of compression tension loss, while the motorized banding tool system is able to maintain 50% of the compression load upon completion of a banding operation.

[0057]FIGS. 14-15 illustrate one embodiment of a banding tool 300 used to install a band and a buckle to a workpiece, which may comprise one or more objects. The tension applied by the tool 300 can also be motorized or manual. The tool 300 may be hand-held or mounted to a fixed structure. In the present embodiment, the tension applied by the banding tool is activated by a motor and, in at least one specific embodiment, a conventional hand-held drill is used.

[0058]Similar to the banding tool 100, the banding tool 300 also has a clamping assembly 306. The clamping assembly 306 has a body 352 and a clamp lever 356. The clamp lever 356 is pivotally connected to the body 352. The clamping assembly 306 further includes a lever lock arm 400 that extends outwardly from the banding tool 300. The arm 400 has a first end 402A pivotally connected to the body 352. A torsion spring 404 biases the arm 400 to a stowed or undeployed position as seen in FIGS. 14 and 15B. The arm 400 also has a second end 402B distal or opposite from the first end 402A.

[0059]To hold the clamp lever 356 in an open position, allowing an operator to load a band into the tool, an operator manually rotates the lever lock arm 400 clockwise (relative to FIG. 15B, causing the second end 402B to engage a bottom side of the clamp lever 356 and move the clamp lever 356 to an open position as shown in FIG. 15A. When the clamp lever 356 is in the open position, the forward end 358 of the clamp lever 356 is spaced from the anvil 360 so that the operator may load a band in the channel 322 of the gripper (or nose) 310 and position the free end of the band in the clamping assembly 306 between the forward end 358 of the clamp lever 356 and the anvil 360. Raising the clamp lever 356 disengages the clamp lever 356 from the second end 402B of the lock lever arm 400 causing the torsion spring 404 to rotate the lever arm 402 back to the stowed or disengaged position, as shown in FIG. 15B. The clamp lever 356 then may be rotated counterclockwise (relative to FIG. 14) causing the forward end 358 of the lever to press the band against the anvil 360. With the band engaged, the motor (handheld drill) is activated to pull the body 352 of the clamp assembly 306 rearwardly and tension the band.

[0060]To prevent damage to the banding tool and surrounding objects, the tether may be attached to the tool in the event an operator drops the tool or should the tool be knocked off a work bench or tool holder. For example, as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, apertures 240 and 242 may be formed in the frame 102 such that one end of a tether (not shown) may be threaded through the apertures and secured to the tool frame 102 with the opposite end of the tether secured to a stable structure. In an alternative embodiment, FIG. 16 provides a bottom-perspective view of the banding tool 300. The banding tool 300 has a frame 302 and a tether bracket 406 secured to the frame. In the non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, the frame 302 has a flat bottom panel 408. The tether bracket 406 is generally “U”-shaped with two extensions 410A and 410B to facilitate securement of the tether bracket 406 to the frame 302 by fasteners 412A and 412B. In operation, the first end of a tether is attached to the tether bracket 406 and the second end of the tether is secured to a stable structure that can support the weight of the banding tool 300. The tether has a length that prevents the tool from striking the floor should it be dropped by the operator.

[0061]Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to various specific and preferred embodiments and techniques. Nevertheless, it is understood that many variations and modifications may be made while remaining within the spirit and scope of embodiments of the present disclosure. The X-axis of the chart is the passage of the installation time, and the Y-axis of the chart represents compression load (or compression tension).

[0062]While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claimed subject matter in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the described embodiment or embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope defined by the claims, which includes known equivalents and foreseeable equivalents at the time of filing this patent application.

[0063]While various embodiments of the system and method have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and alterations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. It is to be expressly understood that such modifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Further, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein are meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof, as well as additional items. Further, it is to be understood that the claims are not necessarily limited to the specific features or steps described herein. Rather, the specific features and steps are disclosed as embodiments of implementing the claimed systems and methods.

[0064]One aspect of the disclosure comprises any one or more of the aspects/embodiments as substantially disclosed herein.

[0065]Another aspect of the disclosure is any one or more of the aspects/embodiments as substantially disclosed herein optionally in combination with any one or more other aspects/embodiments as substantially disclosed herein.

[0066]It is another aspect of the present disclosure to provide one or more means adapted to perform any one or more of the above aspects/embodiments as substantially disclosed herein.