U.S. patent application number 10/858279 was filed with the patent office on 2004-12-16 for roll end support.
Invention is credited to Bell, Norman H., Schroeder, Don, Swannell, Robert W..
Application Number | 20040251156 10/858279 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33490757 |
Filed Date | 2004-12-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040251156 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bell, Norman H. ; et
al. |
December 16, 2004 |
Roll end support
Abstract
An endboard for supporting a roll of material is provided. The
endboard consists of a substantially rigid member that is sized and
shaped to receive and support the roll of material. The endboard is
molded from a mixture of plastic and sawdust. The combination of
plastic and sawdust provides improved loading bearing strength and
allows for support of heavy rolls of material without requiring the
roll to support itself on its face. The endboard design thus
prevents damage to the rolled material stored in horizontal
fashion. In a preferred embodiment, the endboard has a series of
elongated substantially parallel recessed portions that are
vertically aligned and at least partially define vertical ribbed
portions. The recessed portions and ribbed portions thus reduce the
amount of material needed for construction of the endboards, while
maintaining the structural integrity thereof.
Inventors: |
Bell, Norman H.; (Appleton,
WI) ; Swannell, Robert W.; (Neenah, WI) ;
Schroeder, Don; (Wrightstown, WI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Joseph D. Kyuborn
ANDRUS, SCEALES, STARKE & SAWALL, LLP
Suite 1100
100 East Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee
WI
53202-4178
US
|
Family ID: |
33490757 |
Appl. No.: |
10/858279 |
Filed: |
June 1, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60477832 |
Jun 12, 2003 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/389 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 85/672 20130101;
B65D 71/0096 20130101; B65D 2571/00043 20130101; B65D 2571/00111
20130101; B65D 59/08 20130101; B65D 2571/00067 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/389 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/677; A47C
019/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An endboard for supporting a roll of material comprising: a
substantially rigid member sized and shaped to receive and support
the roll of the material in a horizontal orientation, wherein the
member is molded from a mixture of plastic and sawdust.
2. The endboard of claim 1, wherein the rigid member is
substantially planar and comprises interior and exterior faces.
3. The endboard of claim 2, wherein the rigid member further
comprises at least one recessed portion formed in either of the
interior or exterior faces.
4. The endboard of claim 3, wherein the rigid member further
comprises a pair of elongated substantially parallel recessed
portions that are generally parallel and vertically aligned when
the endboard is supporting the roll of material.
5. The endboard of claim 3, wherein the at least one recessed
portion is dumbbell-shaped.
6. The endboard of claim 3, wherein the rigid member is about 1
inch thick and the at least one recessed portion is about 5/8
inches deep.
7. The endboard of claim 3, wherein the rigid member further
comprises at last one ribbed portion, the ribbed portion at least
partially defined by the at least one recessed portion.
8. The endboard of claim 7, wherein the at least one ribbed portion
is dumbbell-shaped.
9. The endboard of claim 1, wherein the rigid member further
comprises top and bottom edges and at least one notch formed in
either the top or bottom edge.
10. The endboard of claim 9, further comprising two notches formed
in the top edge and two notches formed in the bottom edge.
11. The endboard of claim 1, wherein the plastic comprises
polyethylene.
12. The endboard of claim 11, wherein the rigid member comprises a
mixture of about 40-50% by volume of sawdust and about 50-60% by
volume of polyethylene.
13. A packaging system for supporting a roll of material in a
generally horizontal orientation, the roll of material having first
and second opposed ends, the system comprising: first and second
endboards respectively coupled to the first and second opposed ends
of the roll of material; wherein the first and second endboards are
sized and shaped to receive and support the roll of material and
are molded from a mixture of plastic and sawdust.
14. The packaging system of claim 13, wherein the first and second
endboards are substantially planar and comprise interior and
exterior faces.
15. The packaging system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the
first and second endboards further comprise at least one recessed
portion formed in either of the interior or exterior faces.
16. The packaging system of claim 15, wherein the at least one of
the first and second endboards further comprises a pair of
elongated substantially parallel recessed portions that are
generally parallel and vertically aligned when the endboards are
supporting the roll of material.
17. The packaging system of claim 15, wherein the at least one
recessed portion is dumbbell-shaped.
18. The packaging system of claim 15, wherein the at least one of
the first and second endboards is about 1 inch thick and the at
least one recessed portion is about 5/8 inch deep.
19. The packaging system of claim 15, wherein the at least one of
the first and second endboards further comprises at least one
ribbed portion, the at least one ribbed portion at least partially
defined by the at least one recessed portion.
20. The packaging system of claim 19, wherein the at least one
ribbed portion is dumbbell-shaped.
21. The packaging system of claim 13, wherein the first and second
endboards further comprise top and bottom edges and at least one
notch formed in either the top or bottom edge.
22. The packaging system of claim 21, further comprising two
notches formed in the top edge and two notches formed in the bottom
edge.
23. The packaging system of claim 13, wherein the plastic comprises
polyethylene.
24. The packaging system of claim 23, wherein the first and second
endboards comprise a mixture of about 40-50% by volume of sawdust
and about 50-60% by volume of polyethylene.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is based on and claims priority to
U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/477,832, filed on Jun. 12,
2003.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a roll end support for
packaging rolls of material. More particularly, the present
invention is directed to a molded endboard for supporting a roll of
material in horizontal orientation. The endboard is formed of a
mixture of plastic and sawdust and has at least one recessed and/or
ribbed face to provide structural support and to minimize the cost
of construction of the endboard.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Webs of materials and other types of extruded components are
commonly shipped and stored as a roll of material wound around a
cardboard, center core. These rolls of materials can be damaged by
contact during storage and shipment and, as such, are typically
shipped and stored with the center core supported along a
horizontal axis. Since these rolls of material are not stackable by
themselves, various types of packaging systems have been developed
for transport and storage of such rolls.
[0004] Various cradle-type packages have been developed that hold a
horizontal roll in place, keep it from rolling, and allow numerous
horizontal rolls to be stacked. However, these cradle-type packages
typically do not provide adequate support for a heavy roll and
often require a heavy roll to support itself on its own face
surface. Since the roll of material is typically supported along
its face, the face of the roll can be damaged or marred during
shipment and storage of the material.
[0005] Various suspension-type packages have been developed that
suspend the roll in horizontal fashion from the roll's center core.
Suspension-type packaging, however, is typically more expensive and
more difficult to use than cradle-type packages. A typical
suspension-type packaging system, such as the system shown in U.S.
Pat. Nos. 3,489,274 and 3,685,644, utilizes a particle endboard
that is typically 1/2 to 1 inch thick and has a hole cut in the
center of the board to accommodate the center core of the roll and
a core plug. The endboards are typically square shaped, each side
being approximately 1 inch longer than the diameter of the roll to
be supported.
[0006] The core plug is passed through a hole in the endboard and
into the center core of the roll material to be packaged, such that
an endboard and core plug is required for each end of the roll to
be supported. Once the pair of endboards are attached to each end
of the roll of material to be supported, the endboards can be
stacked on top of each other to create a pallet for shipment and
storage. Typically, most pallets include a series of metal or
plastic straps to hold the pallet in a secure arrangement for
shipping and storage.
[0007] It is therefore desirable to overcome the drawbacks of known
horizontal roll packaging methods by providing a simple, effective,
sturdy and cost-efficient packaging means for packaging and
stacking multiple rolls of webs of material in a horizontal
orientation. Specifically, it is desirable to provide an
inexpensive suspension-type packaging construction that provides
adequate support for a horizontally stacked roll, such that the
rolled material is not damaged. It is further desirable to provide
a packaging construction that is lightweight and that provides for
easy maneuvering of the packaged horizontal roll.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention relates to an endboard and system for
packaging a roll of material in a generally horizontal orientation.
The endboard is molded from a mixture of plastic and sawdust and
comprises a substantially rigid member that is sized and shaped to
receive and support the roll of material.
[0009] The endboard has a center hole sized to receive a core plug
that couples the endboard to an end of a web of rolled material.
The core plug is passed through the hole in the endboard and into
the core of the roll of material to be packaged--one endboard/plug
assembly for each end of the roll of material. The endboards are
typically secured to the roll by strapping.
[0010] The endboard of the present invention is easily and
inexpensively manufactured. The combination of plastic and sawdust
provides a lightweight endboard that has improved load bearing
strength and allows for support of heavy rolls of material without
requiring the roll to support itself on its face. The endboard
design thus prevents damage to rolled material stored in horizontal
fashion.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the endboard has a series of
elongated substantially parallel recessed portions that are
vertically aligned when the endboard is supporting the roll of
material. The recessed portions may define vertical ribbed
portions. The recessed portions and ribbed portions reduce the
amount of material needed for construction of the endboard, while
maintaining structural integrity of the endboard.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated
of carrying out the invention. In the drawings:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a view of the exterior face of a first embodiment
of the endboard of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a view of the exterior face of a second embodiment
of the endboard of the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a view of the interior face of either at the
endboards shown in FIG. 1 or 2.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the
packaging system of the present invention employing the endboard
embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
[0017] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the packaging system shown in
FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] In the preferred embodiments of the present invention
described in detail below, a roll end support for supporting a roll
of material is provided. It should be understood that the drawings
and specification are to be considered an exemplification of the
principles of the invention, which is more particularly defined in
the appended claims. For example, although the figures depict
various embodiments of an endboard having a certain shape and
construction, it should be understood that the overall shape, size
and design of the endboard may vary and yet still fall within the
scope of the appended claims.
[0019] The present invention relates to a roll end support for
packaging and supporting a roll of material. In the preferred
embodiments, the invention comprises a molded endboard formed from
a mixture of plastics and wood products. Preferably the endboard is
formed from a mixture of recycled plastic and scrap wood products,
such as sawdust. Preferably, the endboard is formed from a mixture
of sawdust and polyethylene. More preferably, the material used to
form the endboard consists of between 40% and 50% by volume of fine
sawdust and between 50% and 60% by volume of low-density
polyethylene. The fine sawdust can be replaced with either normal
or coarse sawdust while operating within the scope of the
invention. Likewise, it is contemplated that the low-density
polyethylene can be replaced by either high molecular weight
polyethylene or ultra high molecular weight polyethylene while
operating within the scope of the invention. Typically, low-density
polyethylene is recovered from the recycling of paper, milk and
juice cartons. Thus, the material used to form the endboard of the
present invention is typically recovered from recycled plastic
components and the waste materials from wood processing
centers.
[0020] The unique make-up and construction of the endboard of the
present invention provides several advantages. The combination of
sawdust and polyethylene provides a significant amount of
structural integrity and strength for an endboard that is
relatively small in size. The sawdust and polyethylene further
provides a lightweight endboard that is capable of securely
supporting a much heavier roll of material.
[0021] FIG. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of the endboard
10 of the present invention. The endboard 10 is generally
square-shaped and, as such, has a top edge 12, a bottom edge 14, a
left edge 16, and a right edge 18. Because in the preferred
embodiment the endboard 10 is square, the top edge 12, bottom edge
14, left edge 16 and right edge 18 have substantially the same
length. As shown most clearly in FIGS. 4 and 5, the endboard 10 is
a substantially planar rigid member that is sized and shaped to
receive and support a roll of material. In the preferred
embodiment, the endboard 10 is about 1 inch thick.
[0022] The endboard 10 has a center hole 20 that may vary in size,
but must have an appropriate diameter for receiving a core plug 21
(shown in FIGS. 4 and 5), that couples the endboard 10 to an end of
a rolled material, as is well known in the art.
[0023] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the endboard 10 has an
exterior face 11 that has a plurality of recessed areas. The form
and shape of the recessed areas may vary substantially, and it
should be recognized that the embodiments depicted in the drawings
represent preferred embodiments and do not limit the inventive
concept exemplified in the description and recited in the appended
claims. It is, however, preferable that the recessed areas are
substantially vertically elongated when the rolls are aligned in
horizontal formation. This preferred arrangement increases the load
strength of the endboard 10 and allows for heavy rolls to be
properly supported.
[0024] In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a left
recessed portion 22 and a right recessed portion 24 are formed in
the exterior face 11 of the endboard 10 on opposing sides of the
center hole 20. It is preferable that the left recessed portion 22
and the right recessed portion 24 are located equidistant from the
center hole 20, such that the structural integrity of the endboard
10 remains balanced when multiple endboards supporting rolled
material are stacked. The left recessed portion 22 and right
recessed portion 24 are uniformly cut 5/8 inches deep into the
exterior face 11 of the endboard 10.
[0025] As mentioned above, the shape of the recessed areas may
vary, however as shown, the left recessed portion 22 and right
recessed portion 24 are substantially equal in surface area and are
elongated along the vertical access of the endboard 10 such that
the left recessed portion 22 and right recessed portion 24 are
substantially parallel. As shown in FIG. 1, both of the left
recessed portion 22 and right recessed portion 24 have upper and
lower bulged portions 30, 31.
[0026] In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an upper
center recessed portion 26 and a lower center recessed portion 28
are formed in the exterior face 11 above and beneath the center
hole 20, respectively. It is preferable that the upper center
recessed portion 26 and lower center recessed portion 28 are
located equidistant from the center hole 20, such that the
structural integrity of the endboard 10 remains balanced when
multiple endboards supporting rolls of material are stacked. The
upper center recessed portion 26 and lower center recessed portion
28 are preferably uniformly cut 5/8 inches deep into the exterior
face 11 of the endboard 10. The shape of the upper center recessed
portion 26 and lower center recessed portion 28 may vary; however
as depicted, the upper center recessed portion 26 and lower center
recessed portion 28 are substantially equal in surface area and are
elongated along the vertical axis of the endboard 10.
[0027] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the top edge 12 and
bottom edge 14 of the endboard 10 are designed to matingly couple
the endboard 10 to other endboards when multiple horizontal rolls
are stacked in vertical formation. Both the top edge 12 and the
bottom edge 14 have a pair of uniformly cut notches 33 that are cut
out of the endboard 10 at a location immediately above and below
the left recess portion 22 and right recess portion 24,
respectively.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 2, an alternate embodiment of the present
invention is shown. Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the
endboard 110 is generally square-shaped and, as such, has a top
edge 12, a bottom edge 14, a left edge 16, and a right edge 18 that
are of generally the same length. As with the embodiment shown in
FIG. 1, the endboard 110 is a substantially rigid member that is
sized and shaped to receive and support a roll of material in a
horizontal orientation.
[0029] The endboard 110 has a center hole 20 that may vary in size,
but must have an appropriate diameter for receiving a core plug 21
which couples the endboard 110 to an end of a roll of material, as
is well known in the art.
[0030] The endboard 110 has a series of recessed areas that are
preferably uniformly cut 5/8 inches deep into the exterior face 111
of the endboard 110. As mentioned above, the shape of the recessed
areas may vary, however as depicted, the recessed areas are
elongated along the vertical access of the endboard 110.
[0031] More specifically, a pair of outer recessed portions 134 and
a pair of inner recessed portions 133 are cut into the exterior
face 111 of the endboard 110. The outer recessed portions 134 and
inner recessed portions 133 are sized and shaped to define ribbed
portions that are generally parallel in alignment and elongated
along the vertical access of the endboard 110. More specifically, a
left ribbed portion 136 and a right ribbed portion 138 are formed
in the exterior face 111 of the endboard 110 and defined in shape
by the inner recessed portions 133 and outer recessed portion 134.
As such, the left ribbed portion 136 and right ribbed portion 138
are formed on opposing sides of the center hole 120.
[0032] It is preferable that the left ribbed portion 136 and right
ribbed portion 138 are located equidistant from the center hole 20,
such that the structural integrity of the endboard 110 remains
balanced when multiple endboards supporting rolls of material are
stacked. The left ribbed portion 136 and right ribbed portion 138
may vary in shape, however as shown, the left ribbed portion 136
and right ribbed portion 138 are substantially equal in surface
area and are elongated along the vertical axis of the endboard 110.
Each ribbed portion has upper and lower bulged portions 140,
141.
[0033] In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 2, an upper
center ribbed portion 142 and a lower center ribbed portion 144 are
formed in the exterior face 111 above and beneath the center hole
120, respectively. It is preferable that the upper center ribbed
portion 142 and the lower center ribbed portion 144 are located
equidistant from the center hole 20, such that the structural
integrity of the endboard 110 remains balanced when multiple
endboards supporting rolls are stacked. The upper center ribbed
portion 142 and lower center ribbed portion 144 may vary in shape
and size, however as depicted, the upper center ribbed portion 142
and lower center ribbed portion 144 are substantially equal in
surface area and are elongated along the vertical axis of the
endboard 110.
[0034] As with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the endboard 110
shown in FIG. 2, has a pair of notches 33 formed in the top edge 12
and the bottom edge 14, respectively. The notches 33 are sized and
shaped to receive strapping that further secures the endboard 110
to an end of a roll of material, as will be discussed further
below.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 3, the interior face 13 of the endboard
10, 110 is shown. The interior face 13 is generally planar, square
shaped and has a center hole 20.
[0036] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown a packaging
system 50. The packaging system 50 is particularly desirable for
supporting a cylindrical roll of material in a horizontal
orientation, as illustrated. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS.
4 and 5, an upper pair of upper cylindrical rolls 52, 54 are
stacked in horizontal fashion on top of a lower pair of lower
cylindrical rolls 56, 58. In the embodiment of the invention
illustrated, the upper and lower cylindrical rolls comprise a web
of material 60 wound around a center core 62. The outer surface 64
of each cylindrical roll is spaced from the outer edges of the
packaging system 50 such that each cylindrical roll is fully
supported and spaced from other rolls packaged using the packaging
system 50.
[0037] Although the packaging system 50 shown in FIG. 4 supports a
plurality of cylindrical rolls of webbed material 60, such as
continuous sheets of plastic film, it should be understood that the
packaging system 50 may be used to support cylindrical rolls of
other types of material, such as a continuous strip of extruded
zipper closer profiles to used in the manufacture of recloseable
packaging.
[0038] Each cylindrical roll is supported at its ends by a pair of
endboards. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that
either of the endboard embodiments 10, 110 depicted in FIGS. 1 and
2, respectively, may be implemented into the system 50. In the
particular embodiment shown, the upper cylindrical roll 52 is
supported at each end by a pair of endboards 10, such as that
depicted in FIG. 1. The upper cylindrical roll 54 is supported at
each end by endboards 110, such as that depicted in FIG. 2. The
endboards 10 and 110 are aligned adjacent each other to form the
upper row in the packaging system 50.
[0039] Lower cylindrical roll 56 is supported at each end by a pair
of endboards 10, such as that depicted in FIG. 1. Lower cylindrical
roll 58 is supported at each end by a pair of endboards 110, such
as that depicted in FIG. 2. The endboards 10, 110 are aligned
adjacent each other to form the lower row in the packaging
system.
[0040] As is well known in the art, each endboard 10, 110 is
attached to a respective end of a cylindrical roll by means of a
core plug 21. More specifically, a core plug is fitted into the
center hole 20 in the endboard 10, 110 and further inserted into
the center core 62 of the web of material 60. In this manner, the
endboard 10, 110 is securably coupled to the end of the cylindrical
roll.
[0041] As is also well known in the art, the packaging system 50 is
supported by a base board 66. Further support is provided by an
intermediate base board 68 and a top board 70.
[0042] As is further well known in the art, strapping (not shown)
may be wound around the opposing endboards and secured thereto
within the notches 33. The strapping is used to further secure the
endboards to each end of the roll and thus add further stability to
the system 50.
[0043] Various alternatives and embodiments are contemplated a
being within the scope of the following claims particularly
pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as
the invention.
* * * * *