Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
1~31~34
A bracing package and a method and apparatus for manufacturing
the same
The present invention relates to a bracing package which
comprises a protective cardboard sheet-folded double like a
boQk cover, with paper strips which have been folded dGuble at
least once along a folding line parallel to the edge and attached
with glue between the halves of the packagej these paper strips
closing the side edges of the package.
Such packages are known and they are used for packaging and
mailing flat objects such as books, cassettes, phonograph records
etc. Since the product in question is mass-produced, possibly
in very large quantities, it is important that the product can
be manufactured at a high rate and at low cost. The packages
of the said type are, however, of such a structure that it is
not possible to manufacture them at a high rate by a continuous-
working manufacturing method. The machil~es used for manufacturinc~
them require stoppage periods with slowing-~own and acceleration
stages, a factor which substantially reduces the production
capacity.
2`~ll3~534
The object of the invention is to provide a package which can
be manufcatured at a high rate by a continuous-working
manufacturing method.
In one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided of
producing a folded package comprising the steps of feeding a
continuous web of a first sheet material, feeding a continuous
strip of a second sheet material along each longitudinal edge
of said web and causing it to adhere to said web in a position
wherein said strip projects partially beyond the corresponding
longitudinal edges of said web, applying adhesive intermittently
to each of said strips to produce adhesive areas having a length
corresponding substantially to the length of the side edge of
the final package alternating with non-adhesive areas of equal
length, folding each of said strips double along a Iongitudinal
folding line and causing said double folded adhesive areas to
adhere to themeselves, cutting said web transversely to the
longitudinal direction thereof to form a package blank incor-
porating one of said adhesive areas and one of said non-
adhesive areas of said strips, applying adhesive to the upper
surface of said double folded strips along their entire length,
folding said blank double along a folding line extending along
the border between said adhesive and non-adhesive areas
respectively of said strips, and causing said double folded
strips to adhere to each other.
In another aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus
for producing a folded package, comprising a first storage roll
for feeding a continuous we~ of a first sheet material, second
storage rolls for feeding a strip of a second sheet material
algng:each of the longitudinal edges of said web to project
partially beyond said edges, first adhesive applicating means
for applying an adhesive between said web and said strips, ~irst
press means for causing said strips to adhere to sai~ web,
second adhesive applicating means ~or applying adhesive to said
strips along an area having a length corresponding to the length
of the side edge of the package alternating with non-adhesive
.j
~: ~...
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2a
areas of equal length, first folding means for folding said
strips double along longitudinal folding lines, second press
means for causing each of said double folded strips to adhere
to itself in said adhesive areas, cutting means synchronized
with said second adhesive applicating means for cutting said
web transversely to its longitudinal direction to a package
blank incorporating one of said adhesive areas and one of said
non-adhesive areas of said strips, third adhesive applicating
means for applying adhesive to the upper surface of said double
folded strips of said blank along the entire length thereof,
second folding means for folding said blank along a folding
line extending along the border between said adhesive and
non-adhesive areas respectively of said strips, and third
press means for causing said strips of said folded blank to
adhere to each other.
The invention is described below in more detail with reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a side view of an
apparatus used for the manufacture of the package, at the same
time illustrating the various stages of the continuous-working
manufacturing method.
Figure 2 depicts a diagram of an apparatus according to Figure
1, as seen from above.
Figure 3 depicts a perspective view of a bracing package
according to the invention.
A continuous cardboard strip 2 is drawn from a storage roll 1,
a nd continuous paper strips 4 are drawn from storage rolls 3.
The positions of the rolls 1 and 3 have been selected so that
the paper strips 4 are guided to the edges of the cardboard
strip 2 in such a manner that the~ in part extend ~eyond the
edges of the cardboard strip 2. At point 5, glue stripes are
applied by means of glue sprays or other glue-application devices
known ~ se to the edges of the cardboard strip 2, and so the
paper strips 4 adhere to the edges of the cardboard strip between
the pressing rollers 6.
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Thereafter, at a second glueing pOsitiOIl 7, an adhesive substance
is applied to the surface of tlle paper strips 4 at points
indicated by 8 in Figure 2. At the glueing position 7, the glue
seams 8 are fed intermittently in such a manner that glued
stretches L and unglued stretches alternate. The length of the
glued stretch L substantially corresponds to the length of the
side edge of the final package.
Thereafter, at the position 9 for folding the strips 4, the
strips 4 are folded double along a longitudinal folding line,
the folding line being preferably situated somewhat inside the
edge of the cardboard 2. The folding can be effected by means
of any known guide bars and/or rollers. The pressing rollers 10
press the strips 4 in a position thus folded and cause them to
adhere at the glue seams 8. At the points at which there is
no glue seam 8 and which substantially correspond to the lengths
L of the glue seams 8, the folded edges of the strips 4, of
course, do not adhere to each other.
The web thus formed is fed continuously at a constant rate onto
a cutting roller 11, where a blade 12 cuts the web against the
roller 13. The cutting occurs at constant len~ths corresponding
to the periphery of the roll 11. In order that each cut length
have one stretch L provided with glue seams 3 and one stretch
or length to which no glue has been applied at the glueing
position, the operation of the glueing position 7,has been
synchronized with the rotational motion of the cutting roller
11, in which case glue is fed during half a revolution of the
roller 11 and no glue is fed during the second half of the
revolution. Immediately subse~uent to the cutting roller 11 there
is a third glueing position, where glue stripes 1~ are applied
to the outer surface of the folded paper strip 4; these glue
stripes can be continuous or intermittent.
During the next sta~e, the cut package blanks are folded.
Various alternative apparatus can be used for this purpose, and
therefore only a simplified principle is described be~ow.
Immediately after the cutting of the package blank, a folding
blade 16, transverse to the web, produces a downward stroke at
the middle of the package blank; that part of the blank W}liCh
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has been provided with glue seams 8 is left on one side of it
and the blank part without the glue seam is left on the other.
The folding blade 16 performs the folding with the aid of
suitable mating members 17 and feeds the folded point 2a between
pressing rollers 18, which grip the package blank. Whèh the
package blank passes between the pressing rollers 18, the final
adhering of the edges by means of glue seams 15 is effected.
The absence of a glue seam 8 on the strip 4 folded double,
adhering to the surface of the other side of the package,
enables the opening of the package in the manner illustrated
in Figure 3.
Figure 3 shows how, in a package produced by the manufacturing
method described, the paper strip 4 is folded into four layeLs,
one on top of the other, by means of two folding lines, namely,
a longitudinal folding line 4a and a transverse fold 2a. However,
owing to the glueing method disclosed, only one of these four
layers adheres to one side half of the cardboard plate 2 by
means of a glue seam 5a, produced at the first glueing position
5. The other three layers of the strip 4 adhere to the other
half of the cardboard 2. This attachment is achieved by means
of three glue seams ~a, ~, 15, which have been produced at three
glueing positions 5, 7 and 14.
Although, in the package manufactured by the manufacturing method
disclosed, part of the materia-1 of the strip 4 is waste material,
the additional cost it causes is a fraction of thè saving
achieved by the multiple increase in the manufacturing capacity
and the production rate.
The folding line 2a of the package can a7so be positioned so
that one side is longer than the other. In this case the extra
part of the longer s~de forms a flap which closes the opening
on the package, and it can be made easier to turn by means of
a transverse crease.
