Support for large rolls of material
An end cap support system for a roll of material on a core which is in a crate or carton for shipping and storage. Two end cap supports each have an opening therein in which the protruding ends of the core are received. The end cap supports are formed from first and second portions made of laminated layers of corrugated board between which is sandwiched a rigid center portion.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to very large rolls of material wound on a core and more particularly to end cap supports for the rolls of material in storage or shipping.
2. Description of Related Art
Continuous rolls of material such as tape, paper, plastic film, fabrics are stored and shipped on central cores or spools around which the material is wound. These rolls may be several feet long and may weigh about 2,000 pounds (jumbo rolls). The core protrudes beyond the outer ends of the material and the protruding core is supported by end caps within a carton, crate or shrink wrap.
At the present time, an end cap is formed from an expanded polystyrene panel which is glued to a wooden sheet. There are several problems with these end caps. The glue sometimes fails so that the foam separates from the wood. The core then rests on the foam which, by itself, is incapable of supporting the weight. The roll then rests on the shipping carton or crate and is difficult to remove. Sometimes the heavy roll shifts during transport and may damage the shipping vehicle or may damage the material on the roll. The polystyrene is not biodegradable and disposal introduces environmental problems. Further, the wooden sheet must be the same size as the polyethylene panel for maximum strength and preparation of the end cap is relatively costly since there is waste in cutting the wooden sheet to the required size. Thus, for economy, the wooden sheet is often smaller than the polystyrene panel and maximum support is not provided.
Thus, there is a need for a less expensive, biodegradable and sturdy end cap which does not fail because of gluing deficiencies.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to provide an end cap support for jumbo rolls of material which are sturdy and do not deteriorate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an end cap support which is biodegradable.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an end cap support which is less costly than the end cap supports which are presently available.
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, there is disclosed, in combination with a jumbo roll of material, wherein the roll is on a central spool having respective ends protruding beyond the roll, an end cap support for each protruding end of the spool. Each end cap support has an opening for receiving the respective protruding end of the spool. Each end cap support has a laminated structure including a central rigid panel and further includes corrugated sheets bonded on each side of the central rigid panel.
In further accordance with the teachings of the present invention, there is disclosed an end cap support system for a roll of material on a core. The core has opposite ends extending beyond the roll of material contacting the end cap system. The system has a pair of end caps. Each end cap has an opening in approximately the center thereof, wherein the opposite ends of the core are received in the respective openings in the end caps. Each end cap has a first portion and an opposite second portion, a center portion being sandwiched between the first portion and the second portion. The first portion and the second portion each are formed of a plurality of layers of corrugated board, the layers being adhered together. The center portion is formed from a rigid material.
In still further accordance with the teachings of the present invention, there is disclosed a storage and shipping container for a roll of material wound about a center core. An outer carton has a top, a bottom, a front, a back and two opposite end walls. A pair of end cap supports is provided, each end cap support being disposed adjacent to a respective end wall of the outer carton. Each end cap support has an opening therein. Each end cap has a first portion separated from a second portion. A mid-portion is sandwiched between the first portion and the second portion. The core has a first end and an opposite second end. The first end and the second end of the core protrudes beyond the roll of material. The first end of the core is received in the opening in one of the end cap supports and the second end of the core is received in the opening in the other of the end cap supports. In this manner, the core with the roll of material is supported in the end cap supports within the storage and shipping container.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the enclosed drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
As shown in
The end cap support 20 of the present invention (
Each end cap support 20 has an opening 14 formed therein. Preferably, the opening is circular and is in approximately the center of the end cap support although the opening may be in another location. The opening 14 preferably is a through opening extending through the first, second and center portions. Typically, the opening has a diameter of about 6½″ but is not so limited. However, the opening does not necessarily extend through all three portions but may be through the first portion, the center portion and partially through the third portion. In this manner, the protruding end of the core 12 is received in the opening 14 and is supported by at least the first portion and the center portion. Maximum support for the core 12 is provided with a through opening 14 so that the protruding end of the core extends completely through the end cap support 20.
In an alternate embodiment (
The use of corrugated board, paper board, fiber board, compressed newspaper, plastic or wood in the end cap supports 16 provides biodegradable materials which meet environmental needs. The polystyrene foam of the prior art is not biodegradable. The core 12 may be formed from spiral wound paper, board, plastic or other material known to persons skilled in the art. Also, the end core supports 16 of the present invention are more economical to produce than the end core supports which are presently used.
Obviously, many modifications may be made without departing from the basic spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than has been specifically described herein.
Claims
1. In combination with a jumbo roll of material, wherein the roll is on a central spool having respective ends protruding beyond the roll, an end cap support for each protruding end of the spool, each end cap support having an opening for receiving the respective protruding end of the spool, and each end cap support comprising a laminated structure including a central rigid panel and further including corrugated sheets bonded on each side of the central rigid panel.
2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the rigid panel comprises a pressed luaun rigid panel.
3. The combination of claim 1, wherein the rigid panel is formed from paper board.
4. The combination of claim 1, wherein the rigid panel is formed from fiber board.
5. The combination of claim 1, wherein the corrugated sheets comprise a plurality of corrugated sheets bonded to the central rigid panel on either side thereof.
6. The combination of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of corrugated sheets comprises a pair of folded-over double corrugated sheets.
7. An outer container for the combination of claim 6, the outer container having respective end portions.
8. The combination of claim 7, wherein the end caps are nested at each end portion of the outer container.
9. An end cap support system for a roll of material on a core, the core having opposite ends extending beyond the roll of material and contacting the end cap system, the system comprising:
- a pair of end caps,
- each end cap having an opening in approximately the center thereof, wherein the opposite ends of the core are received in the respective openings in the end caps,
- each end cap having a first portion and an opposite second portion, a center portion being sandwiched between the first portion and the second portion,
- the first portion and the second portion each being formed of a plurality of layers of corrugated board, the layers being adhered together,
- the center portion being formed from a rigid material.
10. The end cap system of claim 9, wherein the center portion is formed from plywood.
11. The end cap system of claim 9, wherein each end cap is formed from biodegradable materials.
12. The end cap system of claim 9, wherein the end caps, the core and the roll of material is disposed in a crate.
13. The end cap system of claim 9, wherein the opening in the end cap is circular.
14. The end cap system of claim 9, wherein the opening in the end cap is a U-shaped channel.
15. The end cap system of claim 9, wherein the corrugated board has vertically aligned corrugations, the vertically aligned corrugations being oriented between a top and a bottom of the end caps thereby providing support for the roll of material and the core.
16. The end cap system of claim 9, wherein the first portion, the second portion and the center portion all have approximately the same height and width.
17. A storage and shipping container for a roll of material comprising:
- an outer carton having a top, a bottom, a front, a back and two opposite end walls,
- a pair of end cap supports, each end cap support being disposed adjacent to a respective end wall of the outer carton, each end cap support having an opening therein, each end cap support having a first portion separated from a second portion, a center portion being sandwiched between the first portion and the second portion,
- a center core supported on the end cap supports the roll of material being wound around the center core,
- the core having a first end and an opposite second end, the first end and the second end of the core protruding beyond the roll of material,
- the first end of the core being received in the opening in one of the end cap supports and the second end of the core being received in the opening in the other of the end cap supports,
- wherein the core with the roll of material is supported in the end cap supports within the storage and shipping container.
18. The storage and shipping container of claim 17, wherein the first portion and the second portion of each end cap support is formed from a corrugated board.
19. The storage and shipping container of claim 18, wherein the corrugated board has a plurality of alternating ribs and channels, the end cap support has a top and a bottom, the ribs and channels of the corrugated board being oriented between the top and the bottom of the end cap support.
20. The storage and shipping container of claim 17, wherein the first portion and the second portion of each end cap support is a laminate.
21. The storage and shipping container of claim 17, wherein the center portion of each end cap support is formed from wood.
22. The storage and shipping container of claim 17, wherein the roll of material has a diameter, the end cap supports each have an equal height, the height of the end cap support being greater than the diameter of the roll of material.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 14, 2004
Publication Date: Apr 20, 2006
Inventors: Eric Smarr (Columbia, SC), Melvyn Leeb (Owings Mills, MD)
Application Number: 10/966,607
International Classification: B65D 85/676 (20060101);