As known heretofore, a strap guide of the type noted above comprises an elongate channel, which is supported from a proximal end as a cantilever as the strap guide is directed through aligned openings in spaced stringers of a shipping pallet. It is known to direct such a strap guide manually. It also is known to direct such a strap guide via an automated mechanism.
In certain industries including the fine paper industry, shipping pallets (or skids) having very small openings (e.g. about 1.5 inches in width and about 1.25 inches in height) are employed. Such small openings may be widely spaced (e.g. by about four to eight feet) in such a pallet.
Because the opposite or distal end of a strap guide of the type noted above tends to be downwardly deflected by gravity as the strap guide is supported from the proximal end as a cantilever, it can be very difficult to direct the strap guide through such small, widely spaced openings in spaced stringers of a shipping pallet, whether manually or via an automated mechanism.
Generally, as known heretofore, strap guides of the type noted above cannot be effectively employed with shipping pallets having spaced stringers with such small, widely spaced openings. Hence, there has been a need, to which this invention is addressed, for an improved strap guide that can be effectively employed with a shipping pallet having spaced stringers with such small, widely spaced openings.