Strand Package

Abstract

In a shipping and dispensing package for wire, a reel is fitted into a fiberboard carton of which the cover is formed by foldable extensions of the carton walls. When wire is being dereeled these are held open by stiffeners and support an eyelet for the wire at the proper distance above the upper flange of the reel.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the dispensing of strands of various types it is known to supply the strand in multiple layers of windings on flanged spools or reels and to lift the strand over an upper of the flanges while the reel stands stationary on the lower flange. This has the advantage over pulling the strand from a rotating reel mounted on a shaft, that no problems are created by the rotational inertia of the loaded reel in starting, stopping, or changing speed. The most troublesome of these problems relate to the stress generated in the strand when the reel is being accelerated, as it must because of the increasingly smaller diameter, and entanglements created if the reel is not braked rapidly enough when strand withdrawal is stopped or slowed. Pulling of strand over a flange of a stationary reel has particular advantages for magnet wire that is being paid into coiling machines, due to the fact that such wire is dereeled at very high speed and at varying rates. Dereeling apparatus for paying magnet wire into coiling machines usually requires that the reels be removed from their shipping cartons. This adds to operating costs and, more importantly, may cause delays in the operation of the coiling machines when the reels run out. Various suggestions have been offered for dispensing magnet wire from reels within their shipping cartons but these suggestions have generally entailed complex carton and/or reel structures which added to costs, or cylindrical carton components which cannot be folded flat.

SUMMARY

By means of our invention we propose to provide a single strand package useful both for shipping and dispensing and comprised of inexpensive components.

By means of our invention we propose to utilize a carton that has the advantage of folding flat for initial delivery and storage.

By means of our invention we propose to confine strand balloning during high-speed dereeling.

By means of our invention we propose a structure whereby guide means for the strand is supported on the shipping container at the proper height for dereeling.

Our strand shipping and dispensing package, achieving the proposals hereinabove listed, comprises a reel, comprising a vertical drum and upper and lower flanges, which supports the strand in a plurality of layers of helical windings. Our package also comprises a fiberboard carton comprising a square base, four vertical side walls and a top portion. The carton contains the reel and the base is sufficiently larger than the upper flange to allow the free passage of the strand between the upper flange and the walls. The top portion of our package comprises four extensions of the four walls, connected to the walls by horizontal scores in the fiberboard. Each of the extensions is foldably connected to two other of the extensions, and two opposing of the extensions comprise diagonal scores for inward folding so that the top portion of our carton closes closely over the upper flange of our reel. Our package also comprises means such as split cylindrical stiffeners that grip the edges of the opposing extensions across their diagonal scores, for holding the top portion open with the extensions substantially vertical.

Our package also comprises guide means for the strand, supported on the open top portion of our carton centrally over the reel. Advantageously the guide means may comprise an eyelet mounted on a square fiberboard cover that fits the extensions when they are in an open, vertical position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The FIGURE shows a pictorial view, partly sectionalized, of the package of our invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the FIGURE, a package, indicated generally by the numeral 10 comprises a fiberboard carton 11 containing a reel 12, having a lower flange 13, upper flange 14 and vertical drum 17. The package 10 is used both for shipping and dispensing or dereeling a wire strand 17 that is wound around the drum 16 in a plurality of layers 18, 19 of windings. We have referred to the drum 16 as vertical since our package is dereeled with the drum in that position and with the flange 14 uppermost. During shipment and storage it will be understood that our package may be laid on one side with the drum horizontal or placed upside down, with the flange 14 lowermost, within the scope of the present invention. The carton 11 has a square base 21 formed in any suitable manner and not comprising a novel feature of the present invention. Four vertical side walls 22, 23, 24, 25 rise from the base 21 which is sufficiently larger than the flange 14 to form a peripheral space 26 between the flange 14 and the walls 22-25 for free passage of the wire 17 to an eyelet 30 mounted at a spaced distance above the flange 14. The flange 13 may be the same size as the flange 14 or it may be larger in diameter to equal the side of the base 21. The height of the reel 12 approximates that of the walls 22-25 so that extensions 27, 28, 29, 31 of these walls can fold down upon the flange 14 to form a closure of the carton for shipping. The extensions are connected to each other by creases or scores 32, 33, 34, 36 or by tapes at their vertical edges and diagonal scores 37, 38 in the extension 27 and 39, 41 in the extension 29 permit the extensions to be so folded. For dereeling, however, the extensions are opened to the vertical position shown in the Drawing and are prevented from collapsing by split cylindrical clips or stiffeners 42, 43 fixed over their edges and across the scores 37, 38 and 39, 41. Suitable stiffeners 42, 43 are made by cutting short pieces from the plastic wall board edging that is widely available at home building supply stores. A fiberboard cover 44 which may be formed of the same fiberboard stock as the carton 11 is perforated at its center 46 to accept the eyelet 30 and support it centrally at the proper height over the reel 12. Suitable for the eyelet 30 is a ceramic eyelet supplied by the Page Maddon Co. of Belleville, New Jersey as catalog number 4268W which is retained by a C-clip 47. When the extensions 27, 28, 29, 31 are open they combine with the cover 44 to form a compartment above the reel confining the balloning wire 17 so that it can be paid out at very high and irregular speeds without entanglement.

The foregoing description of our new and useful package has been exemplary rather than definitive of our invention for which we desire an award of Letters Patent as defined in the following claims.

Claims

We claim:

1. A strand shipping and dispensing package comprising:

A. a reel comprising a vertical drum and upper and lower flanges, said reel supporting said strand in a plurality of layers of helical windings,

B. a fiberboard carton comprising a square base, four vertical side walls, and a top portion, said carton containing said reel, said base being sufficiently larger than at least the upper of said flanges to allow the free passage of said strand between said upper flange and said walls,

C. said top portion comprising four extensions of said four walls, said extensions being connected to said walls by horizontal scores in said fiberboard, each of said extensions being foldably connected to two other of said extensions, and two opposing of said extensions comprising diagonal scores for inward folding of said opposing extensions, thereby closing said top portion closely over said upper flange, and

D. means for holding open said top portion with said extensions substantially vertical, said top portion forming a continuous wall confining the ballooning of said strand, and

E. guide means for said strand supported over said reel.

2. The package of claim 1 wherein said holding means comprises split cylindrical stiffeners gripping the edges of said opposing extensions across said diagonal scores.

3. The package of claim 1 comprising a square, fiberboard cover, fitting said extensions, said extensions being vertical, said cover comprising a central perforation, and said guide means comprising an eyelet mounted on said cover for guiding strand through said perforation.