1-13. (canceled)
14. A method for strapping groups, bundles, or packaged goods, the method comprising:
placing or tensioning at least one strapping band horizontally or vertically or diagonally around an exterior of the group, bundle, or packaged good, the strapping band forming either an open or a closed ring tensioned to form a firm assembly of the group, bundle or packaged goods;
feeding the strapping band via a magazine to at least one application head for applying the strapping to the group, bundle, or packaged good, the strapping band extending and being conveyed largely without being guided or in a free-floating manner, at least within an operating range of the application head.
15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein the strapping band extends and is conveyed largely without being guided or in a free-floating manner between the magazine or a band guide section allocated to or arranged downstream from the magazine, and the application head.
16. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein the at least one application head follows the group, bundle, or packaged good being conveyed on a horizontal conveying device at least throughout a strapping or band tensioning process in a parallel orientation and an approximately synchronous movement, the at least one application head being subsequently conducted to another group, bundle, or packaged good to be strapped, and wherein a segment of the strapping band extending free-floatingly or in a largely guide-less manner is held or refed between the application head, which moves cyclically or oscillatingly, and the magazine or a band guide section allocated to or arranged downstream from the magazine, with a band tension or a band sag of the segment of the strapping band ranging within predefineable limits between a maximum permissible sag and a band tension not to be exceeded.
17. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein a band tension between the application head on the one end and the magazine or a band guide section on the other end is readjusted either on a permanent basis or at regular intervals, thereby allowing for multiple input values varying throughout the process of strapping group, bundle, or packaged good and in the process of conducting motions of the at least one application head.
18. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein a new strapping band end is fed from the magazine to the at least one application head by an automatically controlled approach or by a docking mechanism of the application head to the magazine or to a band guide section arranged downstream from the magazine and by an automatic threading of the strapping band into the application head while the strapping band is simultaneously being refed from the magazine.
19. A strapping station for strapping group, bundles, or packaged goods having at least one strapping band placed or tensioned approximately horizontally or vertically or diagonally around the exterior of a group, a bundle, or a packaged good, the strapping band forming either an open or a closed ring tensioned to form a firm assembly of the group, bundle, or packaged good, the strapping station comprising:
a horizontal conveying device for conveying the groups, bundles, or packaged goods to be strapped;
at least one application head conductable individually from above to the group, bundle, or packaged good and movable in a conveying direction in parallel and approximately in synchrony with the respective group, bundle, or packaged good to be strapped for the duration of at least one strapping and band tensioning cycle; and
a magazine having a continuous supply, the strapping band being unrolled from the continuous supply, the strapping band extending and being conveyed largely without being guided or in a free-floating manner, at least within an operating range of the application head.
20. The strapping station as recited in claim 19 further comprising a band guide section arranged between the magazine with the continuous supply of strapping band and the at least one application head, the band guide section being used for refeeding or retracting a freely conducted segment of the strapping band between the application head, the application head moving cyclically or oscillatingly, and the continuous supply of the magazine, and wherein the strapping band extends and is conveyed largely without being guided or in the free-floating manner between the magazine or the band guide section and the application head.
21. The strapping station as recited in claim 20 wherein the band guide section is associated with an adjustment device for adjusting band tension between the continuous supply or the magazine and the at least one application head, thereby taking into account application head usage of strapping band and superimposed vertical and horizontal movements while a strapping cycle is being performed or while shifting to a further group, bundle, or packaged good to be strapped.
22. An adjustment or control method for adjusting or controlling a band tension of a strapping band being freely conducted between a magazine with a continuous supply and a movable application head, a segment of the strapping band being conducted in a guide-less or free-floating manner, the method comprising:
holding or refeeding the segment within an operating range of the application head or between the between the application head, the application head moving moves cyclically or oscillatingly, and the magazine with the continuous supply or a band guide section allocated to or arranged downstream from the magazine, the band tension or a band sag of the segment ranging within predefineable limits between a maximum permissible sag and a band tension not to be exceeded.
23. The adjustment method as recited in claim 22 wherein the band tension between the application head on the one end and the magazine with the continuous supply or the band guide section on the other end is readjusted either on a permanent basis or at regular intervals, thereby allowing for multiple and variably changing input values.
24. The adjustment method as recited in claim 22 wherein a first input value is derived from a regular refeeding line section, which is required for compensating for the length of strapping band used up for strapping a group, bundle, or packaged good, or wherein a second input value is based on a timely refeeding of the band during the strapping process that is being performed by the application head.
25. The adjustment method as recited in claim 24 wherein a third input value is derived based on a temporarily fluctuating refeeding or retracting due to the oscillating movements of the application head while following the group, bundle, or packaged good to be strapped.
26. The adjustment method as recited in claim 25 wherein the band tension is adjusted by acquiring a control variable for the controlled refeeding or retracting of the strapping band in the band guide section, the control variable being based on permanently taking into account and offsetting against each other at least two of the first, second and third input values.
27. The adjustment method as recited in claim 26 wherein the control variable is based on all three of the first, second and third input values.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. In a substitutional electroless gold plating liquid for plating gold on a substrate by substitution with a metal in the substrate, the improvement comprising said gold plating liquid consisting essentially of a cyanide free water-soluble gold compound and a pyrosulfurous acid compound and, optionally, at least one of a sulfurous acid compound as a stabilizer and an aminocarboxylic acid compound as a complexing agent.
2. The substitutional electroless gold plating liquid of claim 1, further containing a sulfurous acid compound.
3. The substitutional electroless gold plating liquid of claim 1, further containing an aminocarboxylic acid compound.
4. The substitutional electroless gold plating liquid of claim 1, further containing a sulfurous acid compound and an aminocarboxylic acid compound.
5. The substitutional electroless gold plating liquid of claim 1, wherein the water-soluble gold compound is present in an amount of 0.5-20 gL, as the gold concentration in the plating liquid.