Packaging a strip of material by folding and cutting the folded package
First Claim
1. A method of forming a package of a strip of sheet material comprising:
- providing a strip of the sheet material from a supply thereof, the strip having a first surface, a second surface, a first side edge and a second side edge;
forming the strip into a stack having two opposed first sides, two opposed second sides and two opposed ends by repeatedly folding the strip back and forth to form a plurality of folded strip portions of the strip, with each folded strip portion being folded relative to one next folded strip portion about a first fold line transverse to the strip and relative to a second next adjacent folded strip portion about a second fold line transverse to the strip and spaced from the first line such that,the folded strip portions thus form a plurality of first fold lines arranged at one of the first sides of the stack and a plurality of second fold lines arranged at the other of the first sides;
the folded strip portions of the stack each have the first side edges thereof aligned and the second side edges thereof aligned;
the strip is traversed across the stack from one of the first sides of the stack to the other of the first sides of the stack; and
the strip has the first and second surfaces thereof generally parallel to the ends of the stack;
and, after the stack is completed, in a single cutting stroke cutting completely through all the folded strip portions in the stack along a cutting plane which extends from one first side to the opposed first side and from one end to the opposed end, so as to divide the stack into separate portions, the cutting plane extending in a direction generally parallel to the second sides.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A package of a continuous strip of material includes a plurality of parallel side by side stacks each containing a length of the strip which is folded back and forth such that each folded portion of the stack is folded relative to the next portion about a line transverse to the strip and such that the side edges of the strip portions are aligned. The strip is continuous through each stack and is connected by a splice from the end of one stack to beginning of the next stack. The package can be compressed to reduce the height of the stacks and maintained in the compressed condition by an evacuated sealed bag. The package can be formed by folding a wide web of material back and forth and by slicing the folded web in a direction parallel to the sides of the web to form one or more stacks of a strip of width less than that of the web. The stack can be used to form the above package or can be used in a further processing by unfolding slitting and winding.
32 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of forming a package of a strip of sheet material comprising:
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providing a strip of the sheet material from a supply thereof, the strip having a first surface, a second surface, a first side edge and a second side edge; forming the strip into a stack having two opposed first sides, two opposed second sides and two opposed ends by repeatedly folding the strip back and forth to form a plurality of folded strip portions of the strip, with each folded strip portion being folded relative to one next folded strip portion about a first fold line transverse to the strip and relative to a second next adjacent folded strip portion about a second fold line transverse to the strip and spaced from the first line such that, the folded strip portions thus form a plurality of first fold lines arranged at one of the first sides of the stack and a plurality of second fold lines arranged at the other of the first sides; the folded strip portions of the stack each have the first side edges thereof aligned and the second side edges thereof aligned; the strip is traversed across the stack from one of the first sides of the stack to the other of the first sides of the stack; and the strip has the first and second surfaces thereof generally parallel to the ends of the stack; and, after the stack is completed, in a single cutting stroke cutting completely through all the folded strip portions in the stack along a cutting plane which extends from one first side to the opposed first side and from one end to the opposed end, so as to divide the stack into separate portions, the cutting plane extending in a direction generally parallel to the second sides.
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2. A method of forming at least one package of a strip of sheet material comprising:
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providing a strip of the sheet material from a supply thereof, the strip having a first surface, a second surface, a first side edge and a second side edge; forming the strip into a stack having two opposed first sides, two opposed second sides and two opposed ends by repeatedly folding the strip back and forth to form a plurality of folded strip portions of the strip, with each folded strip portion being folded relative to one next folded strip portion about a first fold line transverse to the strip and relative to a second next adjacent folded strip portion about a second fold line transverse to the strip and spaced from the first line such that, the portions thus form a plurality of first fold lines arranged at one of the first sides of the stack and a plurality of second fold lines arranged at the other of the first sides; the folded strip portions have the first side edges thereof aligned and the second side edges thereof aligned; the strip is traversed across the stack from one of the first sides of the stack to the other of the first sides of the stack; and the strip has the first and second surfaces thereof generally parallel to the ends of the stack; and, after the stack is completed, cutting a plurality of cutting planes through the stack from one first side to the opposed first side and from one end to the opposed end at spaced positions across the stack so as to divide the stack into a plurality of separate stack portions each having a separate strip therein, the cutting of each cutting plane being arranged so as to effect cutting in a single cutting stroke completely through all the folded strip portions of the stack. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of using a strip of sheet material comprising:
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providing a strip of the sheet material from a supply thereof, the strip having a first surface, a second surface, a first side edge and a second side edge; forming the strip into a stack having two opposed first sides, two opposed second sides and two opposed ends by repeatedly folding the strip back and forth to form a plurality of folded strip portions of the strip, with each folded strip portion being folded relative to one next folded strip portion about a first fold line transverse to the strip and relative to a second next adjacent folded strip portion about a second fold line transverse to the strip and spaced from the first line such that, the folded strip portions thus form a plurality of first fold lines arranged at one of the first sides of the stack and a plurality of second fold lines arranged at the other of the first sides; the folded strip portions of the stack each have the first side edges thereof aligned and the second side edges thereof aligned; the strip is traversed across the stack from one of the first sides of the stack to the other of the first sides of the stack; and the strip has the first and second surfaces thereof generally parallel to the ends of the stack; cutting through the stack along a cutting plane from one first side to the opposed first side and from one end to the opposed end, so as to divide the stack into separate stack portions each containing a strip portion, the cutting plane extending in a direction generally parallel to the second sides; taking one of the stack portions and withdrawing the strip portion therefrom; and slitting the strip portion longitudinally at a plurality of transversely spaced locations on the strip portion to form a plurality of narrower strips side by side. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification