A method of packaging a cylindrical object (1) for impact resistance characterised by wrapping the reel with cellulose wadding (6).
A method of packaging a cylindrical object (1) for impact resistance characterised by wrapping the reel with cellulose wadding (6).
This invention relates to improvements in protective packaging for cylindrical objects such as paper reels, and more particularly for reels of pressure-sensitive copying paper.
European Patent Application No. 88310778.2 (Publication No. 0 276 174) is directed to a process and apparatus for protectively packaging a roll or pressure-sensitive sheet material and to a roll of such material so packaged. More particularly, the aforesaid patent application proposes the wrapping of such a reel with interleaved sheet foam and synthetic plastics film material, the foam preferably being a polyolefin packaging foam and the synthetic plastics film preferably being a polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride stretch film.
Whilst the packaging system described in the above numbered patent application provided adequate protection for the reel or pressure-sensitive paper, it has now beer found that the polyolefin sheet foam or the polyurethane sheet foam which is also sometimes used in such packaging, may present environmental problems during disposal after removal from the reel by the user.
It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a protective packaging system for carbonless reels or other cylindrical objects including a cushioning material which does not present the same difficulties in disposal.
According to the present invention a method of packaging a cylindrical object for impact resistance is characterised by wrapping the reel with cellulosic wadding. The object can comprise a reel of pressure-sensitive material such as carbonless copying paper. Typically the wadding would be circumferentially or helically wrapped around the object or reel.
The wadding may be faced on one or both sides with a paper sheet which may optionally comprise a stretchable paper such as crepe paper. The packaging may also comprise a film, for example a stretch film, which is applied over or interleaved with the cellulosic wadding.
The wadding and film may extend over the edges of the reel at each end so as to partially cover the end faces of the reel and provide protection for the edges.
The paper wadding may for example comprise a 40 gm² paper sheet and 8 plies of 22.5 gm² recycled unbleached tissue laminated together by a starch size adhesive, the sheet wadding having a width of 330 mn. A suitable wadding is available from Papierfabrik Hedwigsthal, D-5419 Raubach (Westerwald), Federal Republic of Germany.
An alternative paper wadding which may be used comprises a 45 g/m² paper sheet, for example imitation embossed parchment and 4 plies of 25 g/m² recycled unbleached tissue laminated together by embossing with a series of circular hatched patterns approximately 8 mm in size and at a spacing of 5 cms in both cross and machine directions. This wadding is available from Jiffy Packaging Co. Ltd., Industrial Estate, Winsford, Cheshire, CW7 3QJ, United Kingdom.
A suitable stretch film is 30 micron unpigmented polyethylene film having a width of 460 mm and available from DRG Plastic Films, Carsons Road, Mengotsfield, Bristol BS17 3LN, United Kingdom.
The invention also includes a cylindrical object such as a reel of pressure sensitive copying paper packaged for impact resistance, the packaging comprising cellulosic sheet wadding wrapped around the object.
The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Referring first to Figure 1, this shows a reel 1 of pressure-sensitive copying paper in packaging 2 which is wrapped circumferentially or helically around the reel 1 as indicated by reference numeral 13 and which extends over the end edges 3 and partially radially inwardly at 4 over the end faces 5 of the reel.
Figure 2 shows a first packaging configuration according to the invention in which paper reel 1 is wrapped with alternating interleaved layers of cellulosic sheet wadding 6 and stretch film 7. Figure 3 shows a second packaging configuration in which the reel is sequentially wrapped with layers of cellulosic sheet wadding 8 and stretch film 9.
The paper wadding layers 6 and 8 of figures 2 and 3 may for example comprise a wadding layer 10, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, adhered to a paper surfacing layer 11 on one side as shown in Figure 4 or paper surfacing layers 12 on both sides as shown in Figure 5. To facilitate differential stretching during helical wrapping, the paper layers 11 and 12 may be formed of crepe paper which provides some degree of stretchability.