Method of applying a finishing layer in a corrugator line

• US 5,147,480 A
• Filed: 05/16/1990
• Issued: 09/15/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lin Pac Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lin Pac Incorporated
• Inventors: Lang, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ball, Michael W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YODER, MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US07/524,352
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 156/205, 156/210, 156/207, 156/277, 156/470, 156/471, 156/472, 156/324, 156/64, 493/463, 428/182, 428/186
• US Class Current: 156/64
• CPC Class Codes: B31F 1/2822 involving additional operations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/102 with deformation or cutting of corrugated lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1025 to form undulated to corrugated sheet and securing to base with parts of shaped areas out of contact

Abstract

Preparation of laminated corrugated material at the dry end of a corrugating line, and products so formed. Processes of the present invention laminate one or more finish layers of paper, thermoplastic, metal, foil, cloth, film or other thin material of any required width to suit a customer'"'"'s needs, preferably between the rotary shear and the slitter/scorer station. The finish layers may be single layer or composite material and are preferably, but not necessarily preprinted, reverse printed, etched or otherwise the recipient of graphic images prior to the corrugation operation. The finish layers may be produced, supplied and run in any desired width to suit a customer'"'"'s needs, without the need to engage in the planning, expense and scheduling necessary to run an entire full width roll of preprint material as single face or double face liner on the corrugator, and without the problems inherent in applying graphics to containers or cartons during the conversion process.

Claims

1. A process for producing corrugated product on a corrugator line for an inventory of outstanding jobs, each job having board grade, blank width, blank length, finish layer and number of containers ordered requirements, and the corrugator line having a wet end and a dry end, comprising the steps of:

(a) reviewing the inventory of outstanding jobs, selecting jobs which require common board grade and selecting a width of board with which to produce the selected jobs;

(b) scheduling for production the selection jobs which require common board grade and board width, according to blank width, in order to maximize efficient use of the width of the corrugator line;

(c) in conjunction with the previous step, scheduling the jobs according to blank length and number of containers required in order to maximize efficiencies associated with long production runs;

(d) producing corrugated paperboard on the corrugator line according to the schedule of selected jobs, the corrugated paperboard comprising single face liner, medium and double face liner;

(e) laminating onto the corrugated paperboard, in coordination with the scheduled production of the corrugated paperboard and at the dry end of the corrugator line, at least one finish layer of predetermined width and length at at least one desired location across as the width and along the length of the corrugator line as the portion of the corrugated paper board which corresponds to the job requiring the finish layer passes such locations; and

(f) cutting the corrugated paperboard, in synchronization with the scheduled production of the corrugated paperboard, and in registration with the finish layer in width and length, to desired length and width requirements in order to simultaneously form at least two sets of blanks, at least one set of which blanks bears a finish layer.

2. A process according to claim 1 in which the step of laminating at least one finish layer onto the corrugated paperboard includes laminating a finish layer across only a portion of the width of the corrugated paperboard.

3. A process according to claim 2 in which the step of laminating at least one finish layer onto the corrugated paperboard leaves a portion of the width of the corrugated paperboard corresponding to a set of blanks without a laminated finish layer.

4. A process according to claim 2 in which the step of laminating at least one finish layer onto the corrugated paperboard includes the step of laminating a graphics-bearing finish layer onto the corrugated paperboard.

5. A process according to claim 1 in which the step of laminating at least one finish layer onto the corrugated paperboard is performed with at least one roll-fed laminator.

6. A process according to claim 1 in which the step of laminating at lest one finish layer onto the corrugated paperboard is performed with at least one sheet-fed laminator.

7. A process for producing corrugated product on a corrugator line for an inventory of outstanding jobs, each job having board grade, blank width, blank length, finish layer and number of containers ordered requirements, and the corrugator line having a wet end and a dry end, comprising the steps of:

(a) reviewing the inventory of outstanding jobs, selecting jobs which require common board grade and selecting a width of board from which to produce the selected jobs;

(b) scheduling for production the selected jobs which require common board grade, according to blank width, in order to maximize efficient use of the width of the corrugator line;

(c) in conjunction with the previous step, scheduling the jobs according to blank length and number of containers required in order to maximize efficiencies associated with long production runs;

(d) producing corrugated paperboard on the corrugator line according to the schedule of selected jobs, the corrugated paperboard comprising single face liner, medium and double face liner;

(e) laminating onto a portion of the width of the corrugated paperboard, in coordination with the scheduled production of the corrugated paperboard and at the dry end of the corrugator line, at least one finish layer of predetermined width and length at at lest one desired location across the width and along the length of the corrugator, as the portion of the corrugated paperboard which corresponds to the job requiring the finish layer passes such locations; and

(f) cutting the corrugated paperboard, in synchronization with the scheduled production of the corrugated paperboard, and in registration with the finish layer in width and length, to desired length and width requirements in order to simultaneously form at least two sets of blanks, at least one set of which blanks bears a finish layer.

8. A process according to claim 7 in which the step of cutting the corrugated paperboard includes the step of cutting portions of the corrugated paperboard which have not been laminated with finish layer in order to form at least one set of blanks.

9. A process according to claim 7 in which the step of cutting the corrugated paperboard includes the step of cutting portions of the corrugated paperboard which have been laminated with finish layer, in order to form at least two sets of blanks.

10. A process according to claim 7 further including the step of placing graphics on the finish layer before the finish layer is laminated onto the corrugated paperboard.

11. A process according to claim 7 in which the step of laminating at least one finish layer onto the corrugated paperboard is performed with at least one roll-fed laminator.

12. A process according to claim 7 in which the step of laminating at least one finish layer onto the corrugated paperboard is performed with at least one sheet-fed laminator.

13. A process according to claim 7 in which the step of laminating at least one finish layer onto the corrugated paperboard includes laminating at least one graphics-bearing finish layer.

14. A process according to claim 7 in which the step of laminating at least one finish layer onto the corrugated paperboard includes laminating at least one heat-sensitive finish layer.

15. A process for producing corrugated product on a corrugator line for an inventory of outstanding jobs, each job having board grade, blank width, blank length, finish layer and number of containers ordered requirements, and the corrugator line having a wet end and a dry end, comprising the steps of:

(a) reviewing the inventory of outstanding jobs, selecting jobs which require common board grade and selecting a width of board from which to produce the jobs;

(b) scheduling for production the selected jobs which require common board grade, according to blank width, in order to maximize efficient use of the width of the corrugator line;

(c) in conjunction with the previous step, scheduling the jobs according to blank length and number of containers required in order to maximize efficiencies associated with long production runs;

(d) producing corrugated paperboard on the corrugator line according to the schedule of selected jobs, the corrugated paperboard comprising single face liner, medium and double face liner;

(e) laminating onto a portion of the width of the corrugated paperboard, in coordination with the scheduled production of the corrugated paperboard and at the dry end of the corrugator line, at least one graphics-bearing finish layer of predetermined width and length at at least one desired location across the width and along the length of the corrugator, at its dry end, as the portion of the corrugated paperboard which corresponds to the job requiring the finish layer passes such locations; and

(f) cutting the corrugated paperboard, in synchronization with the scheduled production of the corrugated paperboard, and in registration with the graphics on the finish layer in width and length, to desired length and width requirements in order to simultaneously form at least two sets of blanks, at least one set of which blanks bears a finish layer.

16. A process according to claim 15 in which the step of cutting the corrugated paperboard includes the step of cutting portions of the corrugated paperboard which have not been laminated with finish layer in order to form at least one set of blanks.

17. A process according to claim 15 in which the step of cutting the corrugated paperboard includes the step of cutting portions of the corrugated paperboard which have been laminated with finish layer, in order to form at least two sets of blanks.

18. A process for producing corrugated product on a corrugator line for an inventory of outstanding jobs, each job having board grade, blank width, blank length, finish layer and number of containers ordered requirements, and the corrugator line having a wet and a dry end, comprising the steps of:

(a) reviewing the inventory of outstanding jobs, selecting jobs which require common board grade and selecting a width of board from which to produce the selected jobs;

(b) scheduling for production the selection jobs which require common board grade, according to blank width, in order to maximize efficient use of the width of the corrugator line;

(c) in conjunction with the previous step, scheduling the jobs according to blank length and number of containers required in order to maximize efficiencies associated with long production runs;

(d) producing corrugated paperboard on the corrugator line according to the schedule of selected jobs, the corrugated paperboard comprising single face liner, medium and double face liner;

(e) laminating onto a portion of the width of the corrugated paperboard, in coordination with the scheduled production of the corrugated paperboard and at the dry end of the corrugator line, at least two finish layers of predetermined width and length at at least two desired locations across the width and along the length of the corrugator, as the portions of the corrugated paperboard which corresponds to the jobs requiring the finish layer pass such locations; and

(f) cutting the corrugated paperboard, in synchronization with the scheduled production of the corrugated paperboard, and in registration with the finish layer in width and length, to desired length and width requirements in order to simultaneously form at least two sets of blanks, at least two sets of which blanks bear a finish layer.