Package making – Methods – With contents treating
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-10
2003-09-02
Gerrity, Stephen F. (Department: 3721)
Package making
Methods
With contents treating
C053S434000, C053S438000, C053S449000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06612097
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Previously packages of a continuous strip of material have been formed using a technique known as “festooning” in which the strip is folded back and forth to lay a series of strip portions back and forth with each portion being folded relative to the next about a line transverse to the strip. The technique of festooning has been available for many years and is used in packaging many different types of material but particularly material of a fibrous nature such as fabric, non-woven strips and the like. In this technique, the strip is conventionally guided into a receptacle such as a cardboard box while a first reciprocating movement causes portions of the strip to be laid across the receptacle and folded back and forth and a second reciprocating movement causes the positions of the portions to be traversed relative to the receptacle transversely to the portions. Normally the receptacle comprises a rigid rectangular container at least partly of cardboard having a base and four upstanding sides.
In an alternative arrangement the strip is packaged by rolling the strip into a cylindrical pad having a width equal to the width of the strip or is wound into a cylindrical traverse package having a width greater than the width of the strip.
In PCT International Application No. PCT/CA98/00592 published on Dec. 30, 1998 under publication No. WO 98/58864 of the present Applicant is disclosed details of an improved method of forming a package of a strip in which a plurality of strips is formed side by side and simultaneously folded to form a plurality of stacks side by side. Splice tail portions are provided which allow the end of each stack to be connected to the next adjacent stack by a splice to form a continuous strip.
One problem which arises in the manufacture of a package of this type is in simultaneously folding the strips side by side to form simultaneously the side by side stacks of the finished package. For economic production, it is highly desirable that the folding is effected at a relatively high rate generally greater than 500 feet per minute, preferably of the order of 750 feet per minute and even up to 1200 feet per minute at which some lines currently operate. These higher rates allows the folding machine to be provided directly behind the manufacturing line thus avoiding necessity for packaging the material in web form prior to manufacture of the package of the type set forth above.
One arrangement for folding paper sheet into a single stack of zig zag folded sheet portion is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,670 (Felix) assigned to Jos. Hunkeler AG of Switzerland. Later patents U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,624 (Felix) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,789 (Hediger) are also relevant to this machine.
In this machine there is provided a carriage which moves horizontally back and forth underneath a stack of the sheets of paper. The carriage defines a transverse slot which is moved back and forth underneath the stack so that a supply of the paper sheet fed from beneath the stack through the slot is folded back and forth as the slot is moved back and forth under the package.
The package is supported on two belts each of which wraps around a respective one of a pair of rollers defining a slot. The upper run of each of the belts is thus in effect stationary holding and supporting the package in stationary position as the slot defined by the belts in the roller is moved back and forth. This arrangement as shown in the patents has led to a successful machine which folds paper sheet into a single stack at a relatively slow speed of the order of 200 feet per minute.
This machine is however unsuitable for and has not been in any way used for the manufacture of packages defined by a plurality of side by side stacks of strip material of relatively narrow width.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improved arrangement for forming a package of the type generally described above and an improved package formed by the method.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of forming a package of a strip comprising:
forming a plurality of stacks of the strip;
in each stack repeatedly folding the strip back and forth so that the stack contains a plurality of folded overlying strip portions of the strip, with each strip portion being folded relative to one next adjacent strip portion about a first fold line transverse to the strip and relative to a second next adjacent strip portion about a second fold line transverse to the strip and spaced from the first fold line;
arranging the strip portions of each stack to form a plurality of first fold lines at one end of the stack and a plurality of second fold lines at an opposed end of the stack;
arranging the strip portions of each stack such that the first surface of each strip portion lies directly in contact with the first surface of one next adjacent strip portion and such that the second surface of each strip portion lies directly in contact with the second surface of the other next adjacent strip portion;
arranging the strip portions of each stack with the first side edges thereof lying directly on top of and aligned with the first side edges of others of the strip portions of the stack and with the second side edges thereof lying directly on top of and aligned with the second side edges of others of the strip portions of the stack;
arranging the strip portions of each stack with the first and second surfaces thereof generally parallel to a top surface and a bottom surface of the stack, with the strip of each stack continuous through the stack between a bottom strip portion and a top strip portion;
and arranging the plurality of stacks side by side with the side edges of the strip portions of each stack adjacent the side edges of a next adjacent stack;
wherein the step of folding the strip in the stacks includes:
simultaneously supplying the strips side by side;
feeding the side by side strips through a guide slot in a carriage moveable parallel to the bottom surface of the stacks and moving the slot back and forth between the ends of the stacks so as to form the stacks on top of the carriage;
and maintaining the stacks parallel and side by side.
Preferably the stacks are held stationary while the carriage and the slot move.
Preferably the carriage includes a first belt and a second belt defining the slot between one end of the first belt and an adjacent end of the second belt and wherein the stacks are held stationary on top of an upper run of the belts while the slot moves back and forth across the bottom of the stacks.
Preferably the method includes providing guide surfaces engaging side edges of two outermost stacks of the package to maintain the stacks parallel and side by side.
Preferably the guide surfaces are fixed rigid side walls over which the side edges slide.
Preferably the guide surfaces comprise side walls of a container for receiving and packaging the side by side stacks, the container having an open mouth and side walls; and supporting the container with the open mouth facing the carriage such that as the stacks are formed the stacks are forced into the open mouth to engage and be surrounded by the side walls of the container to be received within the container to be packaged by the container for transportation.
Preferably the stacks are maintained parallel and side by side by interconnecting tabs formed between the strip of each stack and the strip of the next adjacent stack, the tabs being formed by partially slitting each strip from the next.
Preferably the strips are formed by at least partially slitting the strips from a web and wherein the slitting is effected on the carriage immediately upstream of the slot.
Preferably the stacks are divided between two of the stacks such that those of the stacks on one side of the division form a first package and those of the stacks on the other side of the division form a second package.
Preferably the stacks are divided by a dividing plate located between the stacks and over which the divided sta
BKJ Holding Corporation
Darby & Darby
LandOfFree
Packaging a strip of material does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Packaging a strip of material, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Packaging a strip of material will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3105930