U.S. patent application number 10/366738 was filed with the patent office on 2003-06-26 for method of wrapping a pot with a cover having adhesive or cohesive thereon.
Invention is credited to Straeter, Joseph G., Weder, Donald E..
Application Number | 20030116268 10/366738 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27357481 |
Filed Date | 2003-06-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030116268 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Weder, Donald E. ; et
al. |
June 26, 2003 |
Method of wrapping a pot with a cover having adhesive or cohesive
thereon
Abstract
An adhesive and material dispenser for dispensing single sheets
of material from stacks of sheets of material or from rolls of
material and applying an adhesive to the sheet. The adhesive is
applied by contacting the adhesive portion of an adhesive transfer
tape to the sheet. The sheet of material with the adhesive applied
thereto can be used to wrap floral arrangements or flower pots or
other articles. The dispenser may be combined with an automatic pot
wrapping apparatus so the adhesive application and decorative pot
wrapping sequence can be combined into one continuous
operation.
Inventors: |
Weder, Donald E.; (Highland,
IL) ; Straeter, Joseph G.; (Highland, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Dunlap, Codding & Rogers, P.C.
P. O. Box 16370
Oklahoma City
OK
73113
US
|
Family ID: |
27357481 |
Appl. No.: |
10/366738 |
Filed: |
February 14, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10366738 |
Feb 14, 2003 |
|
|
|
09819309 |
Mar 28, 2001 |
|
|
|
6533886 |
|
|
|
|
09819309 |
Mar 28, 2001 |
|
|
|
09056522 |
Apr 7, 1998 |
|
|
|
09056522 |
Apr 7, 1998 |
|
|
|
08440038 |
May 12, 1995 |
|
|
|
5820712 |
|
|
|
|
08440038 |
May 12, 1995 |
|
|
|
08003777 |
Jan 13, 1993 |
|
|
|
5459976 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
156/293 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C 53/40 20130101;
B29C 66/1122 20130101; B29C 66/4322 20130101; B29K 2313/00
20130101; B65H 3/00 20130101; B29C 65/5092 20130101; B29C 66/5326
20130101; Y10T 156/1062 20150115; Y10T 156/103 20150115; B29C 66/49
20130101; B29C 66/4722 20130101; B65H 2701/3772 20130101; B65H
37/04 20130101; B29C 66/496 20130101; B65D 85/505 20130101; B65H
35/0033 20130101; B29K 2311/10 20130101; Y10T 156/1028 20150115;
B29C 66/729 20130101; Y10T 156/1033 20150115; B29C 66/432 20130101;
B65H 16/00 20130101; B29C 65/4825 20130101; B65H 2701/1944
20130101; B29K 2105/0854 20130101; Y10T 156/1031 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
156/293 |
International
Class: |
B32B 031/00 |
Claims
1. A method for covering a flower pot, comprising: providing a
preformed pot cover having an inner surface, a bottom surface, an
opening, and an adhesive disposed upon a portion of at least one of
the inner surface and bottom surface; providing a pot having an
outer surface and a bottom surface; placing the pot into the
opening of the preformed pot cover; and bondingly connecting the
inner surface of the preformed pot cover to the pot via the
adhesive thereby securing a wall of the preformed pot cover about
the pot.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step of providing a
preformed pot cover, the adhesive is disposed upon the inner
surface of the base.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step of providing a
preformed pot cover, the adhesive is disposed upon the inner
surface of the preformed pot cover in a vertical strip.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step of providing a
preformed pot cover, the adhesive is disposed upon the inner
surface in a circumferentially-oriented strip.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step of providing a
preformed pot cover, the adhesive is disposed upon the bottom
surface of the preformed pot cover.
6. The method claim 1 wherein, in the step of providing a pot, the
pot has an adhesive disposed upon a portion of the outer surface
thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step of providing a pot,
the pot has a floral grouping disposed therein.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step of providing a
preformed pot cover, the preformed pot cover further comprises a
skirt extending from the upper end of the preformed pot cover.
9. A method for covering a flower pot, comprising: providing a
preformed pot cover having an inner surface, a bottom surface, an
opening, and an adhesive disposed upon a portion of at least one of
the inner surface and bottom surface and wherein the adhesive has a
release material disposed thereon; providing a pot having an outer
surface and a bottom surface; removing the release material from
the adhesive; disposing the pot into the opening of the base of the
preformed pot cover; and bondingly connecting the inner surface of
the preformed pot cover to the pot via the adhesive securing a wall
of the preformed pot cover about the pot wherein the adhesive
constitutes the only means for securing the preformed pot cover
about the pot.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein in the step of providing a
preformed pot cover, the adhesive is disposed upon the inner
surface of the base of the preformed pot cover.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein in the step of providing a
preformed pot cover the adhesive is disposed upon the inner surface
in a vertical strip.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein in the step of providing a
preformed pot cover the adhesive is disposed upon the inner surface
in a circumferentially-oriented strip.
13. The method of claim 9 wherein in the step of providing a
preformed pot cover the adhesive is disposed upon the bottom
surface of the base.
14. The method of claim 9 wherein in the step of providing a pot,
the pot has an adhesive disposed upon a portion of the outer
surface thereof.
15. The method of claim 9 wherein in the step of providing a pot,
the pot has a floral grouping disposed therein.
16. The method of claim 9 wherein in the step of providing a
preformed pot cover, the preformed pot cover further comprises a
skirt extending from the opening of the preformed pot cover.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of copending U.S.
application Ser. No. 09/819,309, filed Mar. 28, 2001, entitled
"METHOD OF WRAPPING A POT WITH A COVER HAVING ADHESIVE OR COHESIVE
THEREON", which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.
09/056,522, filed Apr. 7, 1998, which is a continuation of U.S.
Ser. No. 08/440,038, filed May 12, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No.
5,820,712, issued on Oct. 13, 1998, which is a continuation of U.S.
Ser. No. 08/003,777, filed Jan. 13, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No.
5,459,976. Each of the before-mentioned are hereby expressly
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to dispensers for dispensing
sheets of material wherein a sheet of material is passed through an
adhesive strip dispenser system for applying an adhesive strip to
at least a portion of the sheet of material, and more particularly,
but not by way of limitation to such dispensers for wrapping a
floral grouping or for providing a decorative cover for a flower
pot.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sheet of material
constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing an
adhesive strip disposed upon the upper surface.
[0004] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a plurality of sheets of
material constructed in accordance with the present invention and
forming a continuous roll of material.
[0005] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a plurality of sheets of
material, each having two adhesive strips, constructed in
accordance with the present invention forming a continuous roll,
the roll partially unrolled to reveal a single sheet still attached
thereto.
[0006] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a plurality of sheets of
material forming a continuous roll of material disposed in a
dispenser, prior to the application of an adhesive strip.
[0007] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a partially unrolled roll of
adhesive strip tape.
[0008] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a floral arrangement
disposed on the sheet of material.
[0009] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the floral arrangement of
FIG. 6 being wrapped in one method of wrapping.
[0010] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the floral arrangement
wrapped in a conical fashion.
[0011] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another method of using the
sheet of material to wrap a floral arrangement.
[0012] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
sheet of material of the present invention, showing three adhesive
strips disposed on the upper surface of the sheet of material, and
a pot disposed upon the sheet.
[0013] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the sheet of material of
FIG. 10, showing the method of disposing the sheet of material
about a flower pot.
[0014] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the sheet of material of
FIG. 10 after the sheet of material has been wrapped about a flower
pot.
[0015] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another version of the
present invention, showing a flower pot having an adhesive strip on
the outer surface and disposed upon a sheet of material having an
adhesive strip thereupon.
[0016] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another version of the
present invention, showing a flower pot having adhesive strips
disposed thereupon and disposed upon another version of the sheet
of material of the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of another version of the
present invention, wherein adhesive strips are disposed about the
outer surface of the flower pot and the pot is disposed upon a
sheet of material having no adhesive strips thereupon.
[0018] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a pre-formed decorative pot
cover having an adhesive strip disposed upon the inner surface of
the pot cover.
[0019] FIG. 17 is a plan view of the pot cover shown in FIG.
16.
[0020] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the pot cover shown in
FIGS. 16 and 17.
[0021] FIG. 19 is a plan view of a pre-formed pot cover having an
adhesive strip disposed in a circumferential orientation about the
inner surface of the cover.
[0022] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the pot cover shown in
FIG. 19.
[0023] FIG. 21 is a cutaway perspective view of a material
dispenser constructed in accordance with the present invention,
wherein the material is supplied as pre-cut sheets.
[0024] FIG. 22 is an elevational view of a modified material
dispenser, similar to the material dispenser of FIG. 21, but
showing a curved material support base.
[0025] FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of an adhesive strip
applicator like the apparatus shown in FIG. 21 except it also has a
cutting assembly, and the sheets of material are cut from rolls of
material.
[0026] FIG. 24 is an elevational view of an apparatus similar to
the apparatus in FIG. 23 except it is equipped with a cover former
for forming the sheet of material about a pot using a cover forming
system having pivoting forming members.
DESCRIPTION
The Embodiments of FIGS. 1-5
[0027] Referring to FIG. 1, designated generally by the reference
numeral 10 is a wrapping material which is constructed in
accordance with the present invention. The wrapping material 10
comprises at least one sheet of material 12. The sheet of material
12 has an upper surface 14, a lower surface 16, and an outer
periphery 18 (an edge of which is lifted for illustration purposes
only). As shown in FIG. 1, the outer periphery 18 of the sheet of
material 12 comprises a first side 20, a second side 22, a third
side 24, and fourth side 26. An adhesive strip 28 is disposed on at
least a portion of one surface of the sheet of material 12, as is
illustrated in FIG. 1 and which will be described in further detail
below.
[0028] The sheet of material 12 can be utilized to wrap a floral
arrangement or a flower pot. The term "flower pot" refers to any
type of container used for holding a floral arrangement or a potted
plant. "Floral arrangement" as used herein means cut fresh flowers,
artificial flowers, other fresh and/or artificial plants or other
floral materials and may include other secondary plants and/or
ornamentation or artificial or natural materials which add to the
aesthetics of the overall floral arrangement. The floral
arrangement comprises a bloom or foliage portion and a stem
portion. However, it will be appreciated that the floral
arrangement may consist of only a single bloom or only foliage (not
shown). The term "floral arrangement" may be used interchangeably
herein with the term "floral grouping".
[0029] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the sheet of material 12 is
square. It will be appreciated, however, that any shape or size of
sheet 12 may be used to wrap a flower pot or a floral arrangement
as long as it is sufficiently sized and shaped to wrap and
encompass the flower pot or floral arrangement. For example, the
sheet 12 may also comprise other shapes, i.e., rectangular, round,
oval, octagonal, asymmetrical, or the like. And multiple sheets of
material 12 may be used. Moreover, when multiple sheets of material
12 are used in combination, the sheets of material 12 need not be
uniform in size or shape. Finally, it will be appreciated that the
sheet of material 12 shown in all embodiments herein is
substantially flat.
[0030] The sheet of material 12 may be constructed of a single
sheet of material or a plurality of sheets. Any thickness of the
sheet of material 12 may be utilized in accordance with the present
invention as long as the sheet of material 12 may be wrapped about
at least a portion of a flower pot or a floral arrangement, as
described herein. The sheet of material 12 has a thickness of less
than about 1 mil to about 30 mils. Typically, the sheet of material
12 has a thickness in a range of less than about 0.2 mil to about
30 mils. In a preferred embodiment, the sheet of material 12 is
constructed from one sheet of polymer film having a thickness in a
range of from less than about 0.5 mil to about 2.5 mils.
[0031] The sheet of material 12 is constructed from any suitable
wrapping material that is capable of being wrapped about a flower
pot or floral arrangement. Preferably, the wrapping material 10
comprises paper (untreated or treated in any manner), cellophane,
foil, polymer film, fabric (woven or nonwoven or synthetic or
natural), burlap, or combinations thereof.
[0032] The term "polymer film" means a man-made polymer such as a
polypropylene or a naturally occurring polymer such as cellophane.
A polymer film is relatively strong and not as subject to tearing
(substantially non-earable), as might be the case with paper or
foil.
[0033] The sheet of material 12 may vary in color. Further, the
sheet of material 12 may consist of designs which are printed,
etched, and/or embossed thereon; in addition, the sheet of material
12 may have various colorings, coatings, flocking and/or metallic
finishes, applied separately or simultaneously or may be
characterized totally or partially by pearlescent, translucent,
transparent, iridescent or the like, qualities. Each of the
above-named characteristics may occur alone or in combination.
Moreover, each surface of the sheet of material 12 may vary in the
combination of such characteristics.
[0034] The sheet of material 12 has a width 30 (FIG. 1) extending
generally between the first side 20 and the second side 22,
respectively, sufficiently sized whereby the sheet of material 12
can be wrapped about and encompass a floral arrangement or a flower
pot. The sheet of material 12 has a length 32 (FIG. 1) extending
generally between the third side 24 and the fourth side 26,
respectively, sufficiently sized whereby the sheet of material 12
extends over a substantial portion of the floral arrangement when
the sheet of material 12 has been wrapped about the floral
arrangement in accordance with the present invention, as described
in detail below. The sheet of material 12 may be wrapped about a
flower pot to substantially wrap and cover the flower pot in
accordance with the present invention.
[0035] The wrapping material 10 may comprise a plurality of sheets
of material 12 connected together to form a roll 34, as shown in
FIGS. 2-4. Preferably, the plurality of sheets of material 12 in
the roll 34 are connected by perforations 36, as illustrated in
FIGS. 3 and 4. Such a roll 34 permits one sheet of material 12 to
be withdrawn from the roll 34, the sheet of material 12 being
severed from the roll 34. Alternatively, the roll 34 may simply be
formed as a continuous roll 34 of wrapping material 10 without
perforations, wherein a plurality of sheets of material 12 may be
withdrawn from the roll 34 by unrolling a portion of the wrapping
material 10 from the roll 34, and using a separate cutting element
to sever the unrolled portion of the wrapping material 10 from the
roll 34 to form the sheet of material 12. The roll 34 may also be
contained within a dispenser 38, as illustrated in FIG. 4. When the
roll 34 is disposed in the dispenser 38, a portion of the wrapping
material 10 is again unrolled, and a serrated cutting edge (not
shown) contained within the dispenser 38, or a separate cutting
element (not shown) severs the unrolled portion of the wrapping
material 10 from the roll 34 to form a sheet of material 12. Any
number of sheets of material 12 may form the roll 34 as long as it
is possible to withdraw at least one sheet 12 from the roll 34 as
described herein.
[0036] Referring again to FIG. 1, the adhesive strip 28 is disposed
upon the sheet of material 12, preferably on the upper surface 14
of the sheet 12. The adhesive strip 28 covers at least a portion of
the upper surface 14 of the sheet 12. Alternatively, the adhesive
-strip 28 could be applied only to the lower surface 16 of the
sheet of material 12 (not shown), the adhesive strip 28 could be
applied to both the upper surface 14 and the lower surface 16 of
the sheet of material 12 (not shown), or the adhesive strip 28
could be disposed upon only selected portions of the sheet of
material 12, as described below. "Adhesive strip", as used herein,
means any adhesive, or any adhesive/cohesive combination, having
adhesive qualities (i.e., qualities of adhesion or
adhesion/cohesion, respectively) sufficient to cause the attachment
of a portion of the sheet 12 to itself, to a flower arrangement, or
to a flower pot. Since the adhesive strip 28 may comprise either an
adhesive or an adhesive/cohesive combination, it will be
appreciated that both adhesives and cohesives are known in the art,
and both are commercially available.
[0037] The adhesive strip 28 is disposed upon a surface of a sheet
of material 12 by appressing a length of a commercially available
adhesive transfer tape 40 (FIG. 5) against a portion of the upper
surface 14 or lower surface 16 of the sheet of material 12. For
example, a commercially available form of the adhesive transfer
tape 40 is available from 3M Company in St. Paul, Minn. under the
trade name "Scotch ATG Tapes." By "adhesive transfer tape" is meant
a tape which has a backing or release strip 42 and an adhesive
layer 44 which is readily detachable from the backing or release
strip 42, thereby enabling the "transfer" of the adhesive layer 44
to another surface.
[0038] When the adhesive transfer tape 40 is appressed to the
surface of the sheet 12, the adhesive layer 44 on the adhesive
transfer tape 40 is caused to adhere to the portion of the sheet of
material 12. When the backing or release strip 42 of the adhesive
transfer tape 40 is peeled away and removed, the adhesive layer 44
remains in contact with the sheet of material 12 and thereby leaves
the adhesive strip 28 exposed. The exposed surface of the adhesive
strip 28 is then available for adherence to another surface such as
the outer peripheral surface of a flower pot.
[0039] The adhesive strip 28 may be disposed upon a surface of the
sheet of material 12 during the process of manufacturing the sheet
of material 12, or immediately after the sheet of material 12 has
been manufactured, by any method described herein wherein the
backing 42 is left covering the adhesive strip 28 on the sheet of
material 12. The backing or release strip 42 is removed from the
sheet of material 12 before the sheet of material 12 is disposed
upon a flower pot or wrapped about a floral arrangement.
[0040] In the preferred version of the present invention, the
adhesive strip 28 is disposed upon the sheet of material 12 just
prior to the use of the sheet of material 12 to wrap a floral
arrangement, or to decoratively cover a flower pot.
[0041] The adhesive strip 28 may also comprise an antimicrobial
agent. "Antimicrobial Agent," as used herein, means an agent
possessing antifungal and/or antibacterial and/or known
antimicrobial properties. A complete disclosure of such
antimicrobial agents is contained within U.S. Ser. No. 07/538,293
filed Jun. 14, 1990 entitled "Antimicrobial Materials and Methods"
which is hereby incorporated by reference into the present
application.
[0042] Ink, dye, pigment, or any combination thereof can be mixed
with the adhesive strip 28 to create a colored adhesive strip 28.
"Color" as defined herein means any color, combination of colors,
mixture of colors, no color, or any combination thereof. Examples
of such colors include blue, purple, green, yellow, red, orange,
pink, colorless, white, black, gray, brown, or any combination
thereof. The above defined colors may be utilized alone, or in any
combination.
[0043] The colored adhesive strip 28 may also comprise a "spot" or
a tab attached to the sheet of material 12. Such as spot or tab
designates an edge of the sheet of material 12, so that when a
sheet of material 12 is removed from a surface or from being
wrapped about an item (for example, a floral arrangement) an
operator can easily identify the outer periphery 18 of the sheet of
material 12 by the spot or tab, and thus lift the outer periphery
18 of the sheet of material 12 at the spot or tab, to remove the
sheet of material 12 from a surface or an item.
[0044] The adhesive strip 28 may further comprise, in a preferred
embodiment, a scent or fragrance pleasant to humans. Such scents
are known in the art, and are commercially available.
[0045] The adhesive strip 28 may further comprise, in another
version, an insect attracting scent. "Insect attracting scents" as
used herein means any scent or combination of scents that are known
to attract insects. Examples of such scents include flowers, plants
(such as fruits and vegetables), foods (for example, breads,
cereals, candies), grasses, food condiments (such as honey, sugar,
salt), herbs, spices, woods, roots, and the like. Such scents are
known in the art, and are commercially available. An insecticide
may also be mixed with the adhesive strip 28. It will be
appreciated that insecticides are also well-nown in the art, and
commercially available.
[0046] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
adhesive strip 28 is disposed upon a portion of at least one
surface of the sheet of material 12. Any thickness of the adhesive
strip 28 may be disposed upon a surface of the sheet of material 12
in accordance with the present invention as long as the adhesive
strip 28 functions as described herein. The adhesive strip 28, when
disposed upon the sheet of material 12, has a thickness of less
than about 1 mil to about 30 mils. Typically, the adhesive strip 28
has a thickness in a range of less than about 0.2 mil to about 30
mils. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive strip 28 is disposed
upon one surface of the sheet of material 12 comprising polymer
film, the adhesive layer 44 having a thickness in a range of from
less than about 0.5 mil to about 2.5 mils.
[0047] The adhesive strip 28 may comprise at least a portion of the
decoration on the sheet of material 12. That is, any geometric,
nongeometric, asymmetrical, or fanciful design ("design" as used
herein means "decoration") on the sheet of material 12 may
comprise, at least in part, an adhesive strip 28. The adhesive
strip 28, when disposed upon the sheet of material 12, may comprise
a non-geometric, asymmetrical or fanciful design, or a portion of a
design, such as flowers, lace, hearts, ribbons, slogans, logos,
and/or any series of letters and/or numbers, and the like (not
shown), or any geometric form, for example, triangles, rectangles,
octagonals, bands, or pairs of strips, illustrated in FIG. 3 (the
foregoing designs hereinafter collectively referred to as "spot" or
"spots" of adhesive strip 28).
[0048] It will be appreciated, however, that the adhesive strip 28
may comprise one "spot" of adhesive strip 28, or a plurality of
"spots" of adhesive strip 28, spread substantially over at least a
portion of the upper surface 14 of the sheet of material 12, as
long as the plurality of spots of adhesive strip 28 create a
sufficient area of adhesion in order to cause the sheet of material
12 to adhere to itself or to another object.
[0049] The backing or release strip 42 may be left applied for a
period of time to the adhesive strip 28 after it is disposed on a
surface of the sheet of material 12 prior to its use as a wrapping
material, to protect the adhesive qualities of the adhesive strip
28.
Embodiments of FIGS. 6-9
[0050] FIGS. 6-9 illustrate the use of the present invention in
wrapping a floral arrangement. A sheet of material 12a with an
adhesive strip 28a disposed upon an upper surface 14a is withdrawn
and detached from the roll 34 (not shown) by any means described
herein, the sheet 12a and the adhesive strip 28a are similar to the
sheet 12 and strip 28 described previously. An operator may dispose
the sheet of material 12a on a support surface (not shown); the
lower surface 16a of the sheet of material 12a contacting the
support surface. A floral arrangement 46 is then provided, and
disposed upon the upper surface 14a of the sheet of material 12a.
The floral arrangement generally has a bloom or foliage portion 47a
and a stem portion 47b (shown in FIG. 6). The floral arrangement 46
may be disposed upon the sheet 12a in a diagonal orientation as
shown in FIGS. 6-8. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the sheet of
material 12a is then wrapped about the floral arrangement 46 by the
operator, the operator overlapping a portion of the sheet of
material 12a over another portion of the sheet of material 12a.
That is, for example, the operator places the third side 24a of the
sheet of material 12a over the floral arrangement 46, as shown in
FIG. 7. The operator continues to roll the floral arrangement 46 in
the direction toward the adhesive strip 28a until the adhesive
strip 28a firmly engages the lower surface 16a of the sheet 12a,
wherein the floral arrangement 46 is substantially encompassed by
the sheet of material 12a, and wherein the adhesive strip 28a on
the sheet of material 12a may contact both the sheet 12a and
portions of the floral arrangement 46 to substantially encompass
and surround a substantial portion of the floral arrangement
46.
[0051] It will also be appreciated that a floral arrangement may
also have an adhesive strip 28 disposed thereon (not shown) by any
method described herein, and be wrapped by a sheet of material 12
having an adhesive strip 28 on a portion of a surface thereof. For
instance, the adhesive strip 28 disposed on a portion of the upper
surface 14 of the sheet of material 12 may be caused to at least
partially contact the adhesive strip 28 on the floral arrangement
(not shown) by any method described herein, the sheet of material
12 substantially wrapping and encompassing the floral arrangement.
Similarly, it will be appreciated that a surface, for example, a
floral arrangement (not shown), or any other surface or object
described herein, having an adhesive strip 28 thereon, may be
wrapped and/or substantially covered by any method described herein
by a sheet of material 12 which has no adhesive strip thereon.
[0052] In one preferred embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 9, the
sheet of material 12a having an adhesive strip 28a applied near and
along third side 24a thereof is utilized to wrap a floral
arrangement 46a. The floral arrangement 46a is disposed upon the
sheet 12a approximately parallel of the adhesive strip 28a. The
sheet of material 12a is wrapped generally about the stem portion
47b of the floral arrangement 46a to a position wherein the third
side 24a generally overlaps the fourth side 26a. It should be noted
that the sheet of material 12a may be wrapped a plurality of times
about the stem portion 47b of the floral arrangement 46a before the
overlapping of the third side 24a and the fourth side 26a. In this
position, the portion of the sheet of material 12a near the fourth
side 26a thereof having the adhesive strip 28a thereon is disposed
generally adjacent another portion of the sheet of material 12a and
the two adjacent portions then are brought into contact and
adhesively connected, thereby securing the sheet of material 12a
generally about the floral arrangement 46a shown in FIG. 9.
Embodiments of FIGS. 10-12
[0053] In another version of the present invention, a sheet of
material 12b having one or more adhesive strips 28b disposed on an
upper surface 14b of the sheet 12b is used to wrap or decoratively
cover a flower pot 50 having an outer surface 52. The flower pot 50
is placed upon the upper surface 14b of the sheet 12b as shown in
FIG. 10.
[0054] The sheet of material 12b is then manually wrapped around
the flower pot 50 by being formed and molded upward around the
flower pot 50 by the operator, the upper surface 14b and the one or
more adhesive strips 28b thereon contacting the outer surface 52 of
the flower pot 50 (FIG. 11). The sheet of material 12b is thereby
formed about the flower pot 50 and the sheet of material 12b
substantially surrounds and covers the outer surface 52 of the
flower pot 50 (FIG. 12). The sheet of material 12b may also be
wrapped about the pot 50 by an automatic wrapping apparatus, such
as the article forming system with pivoting forming members
described in greater detail below.
The Embodiment of FIGS. 13-15
[0055] In an alternative embodiment and method shown in FIG. 13 a
flower pot 50a having an outer surface 52a and an adhesive strip
54a disposed thereon is provided. A sheet of material 12c, which is
constructed similar to the sheet of material shown in FIG. 1, is
also provided, an adhesive strip 28c being disposed by any method
described herein on the upper surface 14c of the sheet of material
12c. The operator disposes the sheet of material 12c on a support
surface (not shown). The operator then disposes the flower pot 50a
upon the upper surface 14c of the sheet of material 12c and upon or
adjacent the adhesive strip 28c thereon. The operator then causes
the sheet of material 12c to contactingly engage the outer surface
52a of the flower pot 50a, and the adhesive strip 54a thereon. The
sheet of material 12c is thereby caused to substantially surround
and cover the outer surface 52a of the flower pot 50a, wherein said
adhesive strip 54a on the flower pot 50a contactingly engages the
sheet of material 12c, and the adhesive strip, respectively,
thereon to effectively cause a firm engagement of the sheet of
material 12c to the outer surface 52a of the flower pot 50a.
[0056] The flower pot 50a of FIG. 13 shows the adhesive strip 54a
in a circumferential position about the outer surface 52a of the
pot 50a. Alternatively, the adhesive strip may be positioned in a
vertical manner such as the adhesive strip 54b in FIG. 14 or in
other positions such as diagonal (not shown) or spiral (not
shown).
[0057] In an alternative embodiment and method of use a flower pot
50c has at least one adhesive strip 54a disposed thereon (or two as
shown in FIG. 15) and the flower pot 50c is substantially wrapped
by a sheet of material 12d having no adhesive strip thereon but
otherwise constructed similar to the same as the sheet of material
in FIG. 1. The flower pot 50c is wrapped by any method described
herein.
Embodiments of FIGS. 16-20
[0058] In an alternative embodiment and method shown in FIGS.
16-20, a sheet of material 12e, which is constructed similar to the
sheet of material 12 shown in FIG. 1, has been preformed into a
flower pot cover 60 having overlapping folds 61. The flower pot
cover 60 (also referred to as a preformed flower pot cover) has an
inner surface 62 and a bottom surface 64 (FIGS. 16-8) and may have
a skirt 63. An adhesive strip 66 is disposed manually or
automatically upon a portion of the inner surface 62 of the flower
pot cover 60. The adhesive strip 66 may remain covered by a backing
or release strip (not shown) which covers the adhesive of the
adhesive strip 66 and prevents the adhesive strip 66 from adhering
to an object until so desired. The operator may manually or
automatically dispose the flower pot cover 60 on a support surface
(not shown). The release strip, if present, is removed to expose
the adhesive strip 66. The flower pot (not shown) is then manually
or automatically inserted into an opening 68 (shown in FIG. 18)
provided in the flower pot cover 60. The adhesive strip 66 on the
inner surface 62 of the flower pot cover 60 is made to contactingly
engage the outer surface of the flower pot inserted into the
opening 68 (for example by applying gentle pressure to the external
surface of the flower pot cover 60 corresponding to the area of the
adhesive strip 66. The flower pot cover 60 substantially surrounds
and covers the outer surface of the flower pot, wherein said
adhesive strips 66 on the flower pot cover 60 effectively cause the
attachment of the flower pot cover 60 to the flower pot. The
adhesive strip 66 is shown in the version in FIGS. 16-8 as
vertically oriented upon the inner surface 62 of the flower pot
cover 60. One or more adhesive strips 66 may be thus applied.
Additionally, a portion of the adhesive strip 66 may be positioned
upon the bottom surface 64 of the flower pot cover 60 to enhance
attachment of the flower pot cover 60 to a flower pot disposed
therein.
[0059] In another version of the invention, an adhesive strip 66a
may be disposed in a flower pot cover 60a having an inner surface
62a, a bottom 64a, and an adhesive strip 66a positioned
circumferentially on the inner surface 62a below the opening 68a of
the flower pot cover 60a, such as shown in FIGS. 19-20. There may
be one or more adhesive strips 66a positioned in such a manner upon
the inner surface 62a of the flower pot cover 60a. Alternatively,
the adhesive strips 66 or 66a may be segmented such that the
adhesive strips 66 and 66a are not continuous (not shown).
Additionally, the adhesive strips 66 and 66a may be covered with a
backing or release strip (not shown) which must be removed, as
discussed above, prior to the adhesion of the adhesive strip to an
object, such as a flower pot, disposed therein.
[0060] In an alternative embodiment and method of use, a flower pot
having an adhesive strip disposed thereon, such as the flower pots
50a-50c in FIGS. 13-15, is substantially covered by a flower pot
cover having an adhesive strip 66-66a thereon, such as the flower
pot covers 60-60a in FIGS. 16-20. A flower pot (not shown) is
disposed in the opening of the flower pot cover 60-60a. Gentle
pressure exerted against the flower pot cover 60-60a causes the
adhesive strip 66-66a of the flower pot cover 60-60a to
contactingly engage the outer surface of the flower pot and
similarly causes the adhesive strip of the flower pot to
contactingly engage the flower pot cover 60-0a thereby causing the
attachment of the flower pot cover 60-60a to the flower pot.
Similarly, the adhesive strip 66-66a of the flower pot cover 60-60a
may contactingly engage the adhesive strip of the flower pot.
Embodiment of FIG. 21
[0061] Shown in FIG. 21 and designated therein by the general
reference numeral 110 is a material and adhesive strip dispenser
constructed in accordance with the present invention. The material
and adhesive strip dispenser 110 basically comprises a material
support 112 having a support surface 114 which is adapted to
support a plurality of sheets of material stacked one on top of the
other to form a stack of sheets of material (each sheet of material
being designated in FIG. 21 by the reference numeral 116 and the
stack of sheets of material being designated in FIG. 21 by the
general reference numeral 118) and adhesive strip applicators 120
and 120a having contact assemblies 122 and 122a (FIG. 21). The
stack of sheets of material 118 has a top sheet of material 116a
which is the sheet of material 116 disposed on top of the stack of
sheets of material 118. The contact assembly 122 of the adhesive
strip applicator 120 serves to appress a portion of an adhesive
transfer tape 123 between the contact portion and the sheet of
material 116a which causes the adhesive transfer tape 123 to
contactingly engage a portion of the top sheet of material
116a.
[0062] In operation, an operator grips the top sheet of material
116a and pulls the top sheet of material 116a in a direction 124,
thereby pulling the top sheet of material 116a generally through or
under the adhesive strip applicator 120. As the top sheet of
material 116a is pulled through the adhesive strip applicator 120,
the contact assembly 122 appresses the adhesive transfer tape 123
against the top sheet of material 116a being passed therethrough
and applies an adhesive strip 125 to the top sheet of material 116a
thereby providing a sheet of material 116a with an adhesive strip
125 applied to at least one portion thereof and causing the next
sheet of material 116 in the stack of sheets of material 118 to
form a new or another top sheet of material 116a.
[0063] Each sheet of material 116 has an upper surface 126, a lower
surface (not shown), a left edge 130, a right edge 132, a front
edge 134 and a rear edge 136. The stack of sheets of material 118
is positioned on the support surface 114 with a portion of the
stack of sheets of material 118 being positioned generally beneath
or in close proximity to the adhesive strip applicator 120 so that
the contact assembly 122 of the adhesive strip applicator 120
contacts a portion of the upper surface 126 of the top sheet of
material 116a at a position generally between the front edge 134
and the rear edge 136 and, more particularly, at a position spaced
a distance 138 from the rear edge 136 of the top sheet of material
116a. Thus, as the top sheet of material 116a is pulled in the
direction 124, the adhesive strip applicator 120 applies an
adhesive strip 125 to a portion of the upper surface 126 of the top
sheet of material 116a.
[0064] The material support 112 includes a guide assembly 140 which
is connected to the support surface 114 and adapted to guidingly
position the stack of sheets of material 118 at a predetermined
position on the support surface 114 so that the contact assembly
122 of the adhesive strip applicator 120 contacts a predetermined
portion of the upper surface 126 of the top sheet of material 116a
at the position spaced the distance 138 from the rear edge 136 of
the top sheet of material 116a. The guide assembly 140 comprises a
front edge guide 142 which is movably connected to the support
surface 114. More particularly, the material support 112 includes a
table 144 with the support surface 114 formed on a portion of the
table 144 and the table 144 has a lower surface 146.
[0065] The front edge guide 142 comprises a top bar 148 having a
front edge guide surface 150 positioned on the support surface 114
and extending generally between opposite sides 152 and 154 of the
table 144. The front edge guide 142 also includes a lower bar 156
which is positioned generally on the support surface 114 of the
table 144 and extends generally between the opposite sides 152 and
154 of the table 144. The top bar 148 is connected to the lower bar
156 via a pair of bolts 158 and 160. In operation, the bolts 158
and 160 each are loosened and the top bar 148 and lower bar 156 are
slidingly moved on the table 144 to position the front edge guide
surface 150 at a predetermined position for engaging the front edge
134 of the stack of sheets of material 118 for positioning the
stack of sheets of material 118 in a predetermined position in one
direction.
[0066] The guide assembly 140 also includes a left edge guide 162
which is positioned on the support surface 114 for engaging the
left edges 130 of the sheets of material 116 in the stack of sheets
of material 118 for positioning the stack of sheets of material 118
on the support surface 114 in one other direction. The left edge
guide 162 comprises a first guide plate 164 having a left edge
guide surface 166 and a second guide plate 168 having a left edge
guide surface 170. The first guide plate 164 is movably and
adjustably supported on the support surface 114 of the table 144
via a pair of bolts 172 and 174 so that the bolts 172 and 174 may
be loosened and the first guide plate 164 moved in a direction 176
or 178 to adjustably position the left edge guide surface 166. The
second guide plate 168 is movably and adjustably supported on the
top bar 148 via a pair of bolts 180 and 182 so that the bolts 180
and 182 may be loosened and the second guide plate 168 moved in the
direction 176 or 178 to adjustably position the left edge guide
surface 170 on the support surface 114 of the table 144. The left
edge guide surfaces 166 and 170 of the first and the second guide
plates 164 and 168 each engage the left edges 130 of the sheets of
material 116 and the stack of sheets of material 118 for
positioning the stack of sheets of material 118 in one direction on
the support surface 114 of the table 144.
[0067] The adhesive strip applicator 120 may comprise a weight or
spring (not shown) disposed thereupon to bias the contact assembly
122 in a position which ensures that the contact assembly 122
maintains contacting engagement with the top sheet of material 116a
in the stack of sheets of material 118.
[0068] The adhesive strip applicator 120, examples of which are
commercially available, comprises a feed roller 190 upon which is
disposed the roll of adhesive transfer tape 40 (FIG. 5). A portion
of adhesive transfer tape 123 is fed in direction 192 to the
contact assembly 122. As the contact assembly 122 appresses the
adhesive transfer tape 123 against the sheet 116a, the adhesive
layer 44 of the adhesive transfer tape 123 peels away from the
backing 42 forming the adhesive strip 125 on the sheet 116a. The
backing 42 which is now separate from the adhesive layer 44 is
taken up by the take up roller 194.
[0069] A support assembly 200 is secured to the support surface 114
of the table 144. The support assembly 200 comprises a support post
202 and pair of armatures 204 and 206. Each armature 204 and 206 is
pivotally connected on the first end 208 to the support post 202
and pivotally connected on the second end 210 to the adhesive strip
applicator 120.
[0070] The pivotal connection 212 of the armatures 204 and 206 to
the support post 202 and to the adhesive strip applicator 120
permit the adhesive strip applicator 120 to be moved in the upward
direction 214 or the downward direction 216 to accommodate
different thicknesses of stacks of sheets of material 118 while
maintaining the contact assembly 122 disposed in a plane generally
coplanar with the planer disposition of the top sheet of material
116a or the support surface 114 of the table 144.
[0071] In operation, the adhesive strip applicator 120 is moved in
the upward direction 214 and the stack of sheets of material 118 is
positioned on the support surface 114 of the table 144. The
adhesive strip applicator 120 then is moved in the direction 216 to
a position wherein the contact assembly 122 engages the top sheet
of material 116a. The top sheet of material 116a then is gripped by
an individual and pulled in the direction 124. As the top sheet of
material 116a is pulled in the direction 124, the contact assembly
122 contactingly engages a portion of the top sheet of material
116a and applies an adhesive strip 125 thereto as the top sheet of
material 116a passes adjacent the applicator 120, thereby providing
a top sheet of material 116a having an adhesive strip 125 formed on
a predetermined portion thereof as shown in FIG. 21.
[0072] As the sheet of material 116a is pulled and passed adjacent
adhesive strip applicator 120, the contact assembly 122 of the
adhesive strip applicator 120 applies an adhesive strip 125 to the
sheet of material 116a.
[0073] The material and adhesive strip dispenser 110 is shown in
FIG. 21 as having a pair of adhesive strip applicators 120 and
120a. It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art
that the material and adhesive strip dispenser 110 may be equipped
with a single adhesive strip applicator 120 in certain applications
but may be equipped with two or more adhesive strip applicators 120
in certain other applications.
[0074] The positions of the support assemblies 200 may be adjusted
to suit the particular adhesive layer applications desired. For
example, the support assembly 200 may be adjusted in direction 218
to move the adhesive strip applicator 120 to a position more
central to the sheet of material 116a. Similarly, the support
assembly 200a may be moved in direction 222 to move the adhesive
strip applicator 120a to a position more central to the sheet of
material 116a.
[0075] Another embodiment of the material and adhesive strip
dispenser (not shown) may comprise adhesive strip applicators
oriented in diagonal positions. Another embodiment of the material
and adhesive strip dispenser may comprise adhesive strip
applicators which are perpendicular to one another and thus apply
adhesive strips which are perpendicular.
[0076] Another version of the material and adhesive strip dispenser
may comprise movable adhesive strip applicators which themselves
move during application of the adhesive strip which the sheet of
material 116a remains stationary beneath the adhesive strip
applicators.
[0077] The material and adhesive strip dispenser 110 may be located
near the place where the floral arrangements 46 are located. In
this case, it is contemplated that the adhesive strip 28 is applied
to the sheet of material 12 and the sheet of material 12 then is
wrapped about the floral arrangement 46 in a continuous
process.
Embodiments of FIGS. 22-24
[0078] Turning now to FIG. 22, a modified material and adhesive
strip dispenser is represented by the reference numeral 110a. The
modified material and adhesive strip dispenser 110a is constructed
similar to the material and adhesive strip dispenser 110 described
in detail before, except the support surface 114a of the table 144a
is formed on a curved path to facilitate the wrapping of a floral
arrangement (not shown) in the manner like that described before
with respect to FIG. 21.
[0079] Shown in FIG. 23 is a version of the material and adhesive
strip dispenser designated by the reference numeral 110b. The
adhesive strip applicator 120b is constructed similar to the
adhesive strip applicator 120 described in detail before. The
material and adhesive strip dispenser 110b includes a material
support 112b having a support surface 114b and a rod 240 which is
supported in a position generally spaced a distance above the
support surface 114b. A roll of material 242 is supported on the
rod 240. The roll of material 242 has a leading end 244.
[0080] The material and adhesive strip dispenser 110b includes a
support post 246 pivotally connected by a first arm 248 and a
second arm 250 to the adhesive strip applicator 120b. The adhesive
strip applicator 120b may be pivotally adjusted on the support post
246 connected thereto in an upward direction 252 or in a downward
direction 254.
[0081] The material and adhesive strip dispenser 110b also includes
a knife 260 and a hydraulic cylinder 262 having a cylinder rod 264
reciprocatingly disposed therein. One end of the cylinder rod 264
is connected to the knife 260. The hydraulic cylinder 262 is
connected to a fluid or air supply (not shown) for controlling the
hydraulic cylinder 262 to move the cylinder rod 264 and the knife
260 connected thereto in the direction 252 or the direction
254.
[0082] In operation, the adhesive strip applicator 120b is disposed
a distance above the support surface 114b of the material support
112b. In a similar manner, the hydraulic cylinder 262 is actuated
to move the knife 260 in the direction 252 to a position wherein
the knife 260 is spaced a distance above the support surface 114b.
In this position of the adhesive strip applicator 120b and the
knife 260, a manual or automatic operator grips the leading end 244
of the roll of material 242 and unrolls a portion of material 266
from the roll of material 242, passing the material generally
between the adhesive strip applicator 120b, the knife 260 and the
support surface 114b.
[0083] After a predetermined amount of material 266 has been
unrolled from the roll of material 242, the adhesive strip
applicator 120b is moved in the downward direction 254 to a
position wherein the contact assembly 122b of the adhesive strip
applicator 120b contactingly engages the material 266 disposed
thereunder. In this position of the adhesive strip applicator 120b,
the material 266 is pulled from the roll of material 242 passing a
predetermined amount of material 266 under the adhesive strip
applicator 120b and the adhesive strip applicator 120b applies an
adhesive strip 125 to the material 266 passed thereunder. After the
adhesive strip 125 has been applied to a predetermined length of
material via the adhesive strip applicator 120b, the operator may
then actuate the adhesive strip applicator 120b in an upward
direction 252 to a position wherein the adhesive strip applicator
120b again is spaced a distance above the support surface 114b and
the material 266 supported thereon. The material 266 then is
unrolled from the roll of material 242 thereby passing under the
knife 260 the length of material 266 to which the adhesive strip
125 has been applied. After the portion of the material 266 having
the adhesive strip 125 applied thereto has been passed under the
knife 260, the hydraulic cylinder 262 then is actuated to move the
knife 260 in the downward direction 254 to a position wherein the
knife 260 cuttingly engages the material 266 disposed thereunder to
provide a separate sheet of material having an adhesive strip
applied to a portion thereof in a manner like that described
previously.
[0084] The material 266 can be automatically unrolled from the roll
of material 242, via feed rollers (not shown) for example. The
actuation of the adhesive strip applicator 120b and the hydraulic
cylinder 262 and the knife 260 can be controlled along with the
feed rollers to automate the application of the adhesive strip 125
application and cutting process described before.
[0085] Although the material dispensers described herein
specifically have been described as providing a sheet of material
with an adhesive strip thereon for wrapping a floral arrangement,
the sheets of material with adhesive thereon could be used to wrap
other floral items or non-floral items.
[0086] An adhesive strip applicator could be constructed to apply
an adhesive strip only to the left edge or the right edge or both
the left edge and the right edges of the sheet of material by
changing the position of the adhesive strip applicator or by
attaching one or more additional adhesive strip applicators to the
material dispenser. In addition, an adhesive strip applicator could
be connected to a hydraulic cylinder and controlled so that one or
more adhesive strip applicators could be controllingly moved into
and out of engagement with the sheet of material to apply adhesive
strips at selective spots or portions on the sheet of material
which may be desirable in some applications. Also, the armatures
204 and 206 in FIG. 21 and first arm 248 and second arm 250 in FIG.
23 could be connected via a linkage to a foot operated pedal (not
shown) for manually moving the armatures thereby moving the
adhesive strip applicators into and out of engagement with the
sheet of material for selectively applying the adhesive to selected
portions of the sheet of material. In lieu of a foot operated
mechanism, the linkage could be powered via various driving
means.
[0087] Another version of the material and adhesive strip dispenser
is shown in FIG. 24 and is designated by the reference numeral
110c. In this version, the dispenser 110c is similar to the
dispenser 110b shown in FIG. 23 except that the dispenser 110c is
equipped with a cover forming apparatus 270 with pivoting members
272 which, in operation, cause the sheet of material 266 to be
automatically formed around the outer peripheral surface of a
flower pot (not visible) which is disposed upon the sheet of
material 266 as it rests upon the cover forming apparatus 270.
Examples of various embodiments of such a cover forming apparatus
270 are described in the co-pending U.S. patent application Ser.
Number 07/927,891, entitled "Cover Forming Apparatus Having
Pivoting Forming Members", filed Aug. 10, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No.
5,291,721, issued Mar. 8, 1994, and hereby specifically
incorporated herein by reference.
[0088] The adhesive strip applicator can be constructed in various
sizes and shapes to apply different patterns, thickness and widths
of adhesives on the sheet of material. By varying the direction of
the pull of the sheet of material under the adhesive strip
applicator for example, the adhesive strip pattern placed on the
sheet of material can be spots, bars, stripes, swirls, circles or
any other specific pattern. The adhesive strip pattern placed on
the sheet of material can be adapted to facilitate any special wrap
or package shape. For example, the adhesive strip pattern could be
placed on all edges of the sheet of material, across the sheet of
material diagonally and various other patterns. Also, the pattern
of adhesive strips on the sheet of material could be placed on the
sheet of material so as to avoid or correspond to special printing
on the sheet of material. In addition, pigments and/or glitter or
other decorative compositions could be added to the adhesive strip
to obtain different or various visual or aesthetic effects.
[0089] Changes may be made in the various components, elements and
assemblies described herein and changes may be made in the steps or
sequence of steps of the methods described herein without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the
following claims.
* * * * *