Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Discontinuous or differential coating – impregnation or bond
Reexamination Certificate
1994-08-15
2001-03-27
Zirker, Daniel (Department: 1771)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond
C428S043000, C428S343000, C428S537500, C428S906000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06207257
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a roll product comprised of a paper web for inputting a printer and particularly relates to a paper roll product having pressure sensitive adhesive applied in a predetermined pattern to one or both sides of the paper web whereby the paper web is fed to a printer and subsequently formed into a mailer. The present invention also relates to apparatus and methods using a pressure seal paper roll product input to the printer for forming mailers.
BACKGROUND
Traditionally, continuous self-mailers are formed by providing multiple cartons of fanfolded continuous paper web to a printer with the paper web being subsequently cut, folded and sealed to form the mailers. This requires frequent changes and vigilance due to the limited supply of the product, i.e., frequent handling and splicing of the paper of the various cartons are required to form the substantially continuous self-mailers. Typically, the fanfolded product is provided a printer where individualized or standard information, or both, is printed on the fanfolded product for subsequent formation into the desired mail product, for example, an envelope. An example of a typical product of this type and method of manufacture is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,282. In that patent, plain paper is provided from a roll through a forms press to form the fanfolded form prior to the form being input to the printer. Roll infeed equipment, however, has been developed for standard printers enabling the direct loading of printers with the paper web from large-diameter rolls for forming tens of thousands of mailers. By using roll product, handling and splicing are substantially reduced and a “hands-off” operation of the printer for extended periods of time may be provided. Thus, longer print runs, less stops for reloading cartons, less labor costs, less waste of paper and cartons are achieved by using roll infeed equipment for the printer. Various types of adhesive may be applied to the paper to form the mailer. This is conventionally accomplished on-line and downstream of the printer, typically a laser printer, during the manufacture of the mailers. The present invention, therefore, takes advantage of existing laser printer roll feed equipment, allowing self-mailers to be manufactured at the same efficiencies as standard products, but without the problems associated with applying adhesive in a laser printer environment or applying it subsequent to the printer.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a paper roll pressure seal product for forming mailers wherein pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied to at least one side of the paper web in a predetermined pattern for forming a multi-ply mailer whereby the paper web with the pressure sensitive adhesive applied thereto can be supplied from a roll directly to a printer, e.g., a laser printer. The predetermined pattern may be applied to one or both sides of the paper web, depending upon the nature of the mailer being manufactured, e.g., C-fold, Z-fold or V-fold mailers. Particularly, the pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied to the paper web by an adhesive coater. Thereafter, the paper web is wound onto a roll under a predetermined tension to form the multiple plies thereof, the magnitude of the applied tension and the weight of the roll being sufficient to avoid adhesion of the pressure-sensitive adhesive of one roll ply to an adjacent roll ply. Consequently, blocking, i.e., the tendency for the product to stick to itself and tear the paper during unwinding, is avoided i.e., the pressure-sensitive adhesive is non-tacky. It has also been found that the pressure-sensitive adhesive, after passing through the printer, remains reliable and that the printer is not contaminated by the adhesive as the paper passes through the printer.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for forming mailers from roll paper stock. Particularly, using plain paper stock, a pressure sensitive adhesive is applied to at least one side of a paper web in a pattern necessary to form the desired mailer product. Once the pressure-sensitive adhesive has been applied, the paper web is wound to form the roll product, with the pressure-sensitive adhesive in juxtaposed plies of the roll. Preferably, the winding of the paper web with the pressure-sensitive adhesive applied thereto, is accomplished using increasingly reduced tension on the roll as the roll increases in diameter to ensure a pressure between the plies insufficient to activate the adhesive and cause adhesion between adjacent plies. The paper web is then unwound from the roll and fed through a printer which prints standard or individualized information, or both, on the paper web. To complete the mailer, the forms are detached from the paper web exiting the printer and folded to produce mailers of two or more plies. Thereafter, the folded mailers are passed through a pressure sealer to seal the plies of each mailer to one another about the perimeter of the mailer.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the system for forming the mailers of the present invention includes a roll formed of a paper web wound to form multiple plies with a pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to at least one side of the paper web in a predetermined pattern for forming a multi-ply mailer. The system also includes a printer, preferably a laser printer, for receiving the paper web and printing information on the paper web, and a detacher for separating the paper web into a plurality of sheets and folding the sheets to form a plurality of mailers. The folded mailers are then passed through a pressure sealer for activating the pressure-sensitive adhesive and sealing the edges of the forms to form the completed mailer product.
Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a roll pressure seal product for forming mailers comprising a roll formed of a paper web wound to form multiple plies, a pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to portions of at least one face of the paper web and arranged in a predetermined pattern for forming a multi-ply mailer, the roll being wound under a predetermined tension and having a weight sufficient to avoid adhesion of the pressure-sensitive adhesive between adjacent roll plies at the face portions.
In a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a method of forming mailers from paper stock comprising the steps of applying a pressure seal adhesive to portions of at least one face of a paper web, winding the paper web into a roll with multiple plies and the pressure sensitive adhesive between. adjoining plies, feeding the paper web from the roll through a printer, printing information on the paper web passing through the printer, detaching sheets from the printed paper web exiting the printer, folding the sheets to produce mailers of two or more plies and passing the mailers through a pressure sealer to activate the adhesive to seal the plies of each mailer to one another.
In a still further preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a system for manufacturing mailers comprising a roll formed of a paper web wound to form multiple plies, a pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to portions of at least one face of the paper web arranged in a predetermined pattern for forming a multi-ply mailer, a printer for receiving the paper web from the roll and printing information on the paper web, means for separating the paper web into a plurality of forms and folding the forms to form a plurality of mailers and a pressure sealer for activating the pressure-sensitive adhesive for sealing the forms when folded to form the mailers.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved roll pressure seal paper product for use as the infeed for printers to form mailers, as well as novel and improved methods and systems for forming mailers using the roll pressure seal product.
REFERENCES:
patent:
Moore Business Forms Inc.
Nixon & Vanderhye PC
Zirker Daniel
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