Package for a Rolled Continuous Sheet Material

This invention relates to a package for a roll of continuous material.

Rolls of continuous sheet material, such as plastic film, cloth, fiber glass mat and the like, are common items of commerce.

Typically these rolls are less than 6 feet (1.83 meters) in width; thus, presenting minimal handling and packaging problems. As the width of these rolls becomes larger, i.e., about 6 to 10 feet (1.83 to 3.05 meters), the rolls tend to bow in the middle and cause deformation of the material on the roll when stacked and shipped.

Additionally, it is necessary for manufacturers of continuous sheet material to provide a plurality of different size shipping containers for the various sizes of rolls of material to be packaged, thus causing increased expense.

Glass fiber mat is produced in the form of a continuous roll of material for use in the reinforcement of resinous matrices. To provide effective reinforcement, efficient processing and minimal waste, the roll of mat must be protected from abrasion, dirt and deformation during shipment. The problem of damage to the mat becomes greater as the width of the mat roll extends beyond 72 inches (1.83 meters) because of the tendency of the rolls to sag and compress when stacked upon each other.

The instant invention provides an apparatus for packaging a roll of continuous sheet material which prevents deformation of the roll during shipping and stacking.

Further, the invention provides an adjustable shipping container for a roll of continuous sheet material which is adaptable to a plurality of different widths.

Additionally the invention provides a shipping container which protects the sheet material from dirt and abrasion.

These and other advantages of the invention will become evident with the further description thereof.

Briefly, the package of the invention is comprised of a first hollow circular core on which the sheet material is wound. A tube is provided within and concentric with the core and of greater length so that the opposing ends of the tube extend beyond the ends of the core. End plates are provided on opposing ends of the roll of sheet material and are apertured for receiving the extending sections of the tube. The end plates support the roll of sheet material so, that when two of such rolls with associated apparatus are stacked, the end plates bear substantially all of the loading force associated with the stacking. The end plates, the core with the roll of material thereon, and the hollow tube are secured in a unitary structure by fasteners attached to the opposing ends of the tube. A hollow covering member open at both ends is placed over the roll. End caps which are constructed a two hollow members, each adapted to be closed at one end over an end plate are placed over the opposing ends of the roll of material on the core and slidably enclose a portion of the hollow covering member open at both ends, thus providing a closed package for the roll of continuous sheet material.

Further aspects of the invention will become apparent with the following description of the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective of the supportive apparatus of the invention when partially disassembled.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the supportive apparatus of the invention in the assembled state.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, parts broken away, showing a roll of material in the shipping carton wherein the roll is of greater length than the rectangular, hollow covering member open at both ends.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a packaged roll where the roll of material is of the same length as the hollow rectangular covering member open at both ends and twice the length of the hollow rectangular end cap members with a closure at one end thereof.

FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of the supportive parts of the apparatus. The roll of continuous material, 1, is wound on the first cylindrical core 2. The roll of continuous material, 1, may be any sheet material such as polyethylene, cloth, glass fiber mat or the like. The first hollow cylindrical core, 2, may be constructed of a material such as cardboard or plastic. The cylindrical tube, 3, is mounted concentrically within the core, 1. The tube, 3, is of greater length than the core, 2, so that the opposing ends of the tube, 3, extend equally beyond the core, 2. The tube, 3, may be either hollow or solid and constructed to provide lateral support to the roll of continuous material, 1. In this embodiment of the invention the tube, 3, has an outside diameter of 3.95 inches (10.03 centimeters) and the first cylindrical core 2 has an inside diameter of 4.00 inches (10.16 centimeters); thus, providing a close fit between core 2 and tube 3. Also, in this embodiment of the invention the tube, 3, is 8 inches (20 centimeters) longer than the core 2 so that each end of the tube, 3, extends 4 inches (10 centimeters) beyond the core 2. The roll of continuous material, 1, is of the same width as the length of the core, 2.

The end plates, 4 and 5, have apertures, 6 and 7, constructed to receive the extending portions of the tube 3. In this embodiment of the invention, the end plates, 4 and 5, are of square configuration with the side of the square, of greater length than the diameter of the roll of continuous material, 1. The apertures, 6 and 7, in the end plates, 4 and 5, in this embodiment of the invention, are 4 inches (10.16 centimeters) in diameter while the outside diameter of the cylindrical tube, 3, is 3.95 inches (10.03 centimeters); thus, providing a tight fit between the tube, 3, and the apertures, 6 and 7, in the end plates, 4 and 5. The end plates must be constructed of a rigid material sufficient to support the weight of the roll of continuous material, 1, and also be capable of supporting the weight of a plurality of rolls of continuous material which may be stacked with end plates abutting. Wood, fiber reinforced plastic and the like material is useful in the construction of end plates 5 and 6. In this embodiment of the invention, the end plates 5 and 6 are 5/8 inch (1.59 centimeters) in thickness, hence the juxtaposed ends of the tube 3 extend 33/8 inches (8.57 centimeters) beyond the end plates, 5 and 6, when the apparatus is assembled.

The fasteners, 8 and 9, are constructed to slidably and frictionally mount on the extending ends of the tube 3 to insure the end plates 4 and 5, the tube 3, the core 2, and the roll of continuous material 1 are secured in a unitary structure. In this embodiment of the invention the fasteners 8 and 9 have an inside diameter of 4 inches (10.16 centimeters) to frictionally mount on the protruding ends of the tube 3. Other fastening means may be employed to secure the apparatus of FIG. 1 in a unitary structure such as a plug which expands the protruding ends of the tube, 3, when the tube, 3, is hollow.

FIG. 2 shows the parts shown in FIG. 1 in assembled form. The roll of continuous material, 1, is wound on the hollow cylindrical core 2 (not shown in FIG. 2). The cylindrical tube, 3, is mounted inside the hollow core, 2, with ends extending equally beyond the width of the roll of continuous material, 1, and also through the apertures 6 and 7 (7 not shown in FIG. 2) in the end plates 4 and 5. The fasteners 8 and 9 (8 not shown in FIG. 2) are frictionally mounted on the tube 3 to secure the recited parts in a unitary structure.

Turning now to FIG. 3, the assembly of FIG. 2 is shown in a shipping container. In this embodiment of the invention a hollow, rectangular covering member, 10, is shown, which is smaller in length than the roll of continuous material 1 with the hollow, rectangular end cap members, 11 and 12, each with a closure at one end thereof and being one half the length of the hollow rectangular covering member 10. The hollow, rectangular end cap members, 11 and 12, should be sufficiently large to slidably receive the hollow, rectangular covering 10. In this embodiment of the invention the members 10, 11 and 12 are square with the inside of covering member 10 being 1/8 inch (0.32 centimeter) less in length on each side than the end cap members 11 and 12 to insure a tight fit between the inside covering member 10 and the outside end cap members 11 and 12. The outside end cap members 11 and 12 have end flaps 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18, which when folded about a closure form the end of each of the end caps 11 and 12 with a central aperture in the closure for insertion of the fasteners 8 and 9. (The two end flaps complementing flaps 15 and 16 are not shown in FIG. 3). The end flaps 13 through 18 allow the end cap members 11 and 12 to be collapsible for convenient storage. When the end cap members 11 and 12 are to be assembled, the end cap members 11 and 12 are formed into a rectangular configuration and secured by pieces of pressure sensitive adhesive tape 19 through 22. The total apparatus is assembled by placing the hollow covering member 10, open at both ends, over the assembly of FIG. 2; placing the hollow end cap members open at one end, 11 and 12, over hollow covering member 10. The edges of each outside end cap members 11 and 12 are secured to the inside covering member 10 by taping the edges of the end cap members 11 and 12 to the body of the inside covering member, 10, by pieces of pressure sensitive adhesive tape, 23 and 24. The fastener, 9, on the cylindrical tube, 3, extends beyond the closure of the rectangular end cap member, 12, to facilitate in loading a plurality of the packages shown in FIG. 3. The hollow, rectangular members 10, 11 and 12 are preferably constructed of corrugated cardboard with the corrugation of the inside covering, 10, running perpendicular to the outside end cap members 11 and 12 to provide additional strength to the structure of FIG. 3.

Alternatively, the hollow, rectangular covering member 10 may be larger than the hollow, rectangular end cap members 11 and 12 so that the end cap memers 11 and 12 slidably insert inside covering member 10.

Turning now to FIG. 4, there is shown a package constructed in accordance with the invention wherein the end cap members 11 and 12 are one half the length of the continuous roll of material (not shown in FIG. 4) and are positioned on the inside covering member 10 (not shown in FIG. 4) which is twice the length of the end cap members 11 and 12. Thus, the edges of the end cap members, 11 and 12, abut and one piece of tape, 23, is utilized to secure the hollow, rectangular members 10, 11 and 12 in the rectangular configuration.

When stacking the packages of FIGS. 3 and 4, the edges of identically sized packages should be alligned in order to provide the loading of force from the upper packages to be borne by the end plates 4 and 5 of the lower packages to thereby protect the rolls of continuous material 1 contained in each package.

The apparatus of the invention has found utility in packaging glass fiber mat of over 76 inches (1.93 meters) in width. Also an apparatus with the same dimensions can be used to package mat of 120 inches (3.00 meters) in width due to the telescoping effect of the inside covering member 10, in relation to the outside end cap members 11 and 12.

The invention has been elucidated in the preferred embodiments by reference to the hollow members enclosing the roll of continuous material being rectangular in configuration. However, skilled artisons will recognize that the members (elements 10, 11 and 12 in the drawings) can be cylindrical in configuration when the end plates are annular. The closure on cylindrical end cap members, functioning as rectangular end caps 11 and 12 in the drawings, can be provided by annular discs with an aperture therein corresponding to the aperture in the end plates, with the fasteners securing the annular discs. The outside periphery of the annular discs would also contact the inside periphery of the cylindrical end cap members (corresponding to end cap members 11 and 12). Further, the cylindrical end cap members (corresponding to end cap members 11 and 12) could be provided with a closure by folding the ends of the end cap member about the end plates so that the edge of the end cap member contacts the face of the end plate proximate to the fastener. Other configurations for the end cap members can be readily recognized by skilled artisans which are in accordance with the practice of the invention.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, the invention is to be limited, only insofar as is set forth in the accompanying claims.