Sheet-form paper and method of fabricating same

• US RE36,091 E
• Filed: 02/11/1997
• Issued: 02/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hollymatic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hollymatic Corporation, James Azzar
• Inventors: Azzar, James D., Wagner, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krynski, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahta, Abraham
• Application Number:
  US08/799,097
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 428/484, 428/486, 428/192, 428/530, 428/537.5, 428/312 R, 221/198, 221/279, 221/197, 221/26, 221/36
• US Class Current: 428/192
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/08 between layers or strips of sheet or web material, e.g. in webs folded to zig-zag form
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/42322 from bottom of the pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/56 Elements, e.g. scrapers, fingers, needles, brushes, acting on separated article or on edge of the pile B65H3/52 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24777 Edge feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31801 Of wax or waxy material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31808 Cellulosic is paper
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31964 Paper
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31993 Of paper

Abstract

A stack of paper is provided for separating portions produced by a portion control machine. The paper is dispensed from a paper feed system that feeds the bottom-most sheet from the stack along support rails that support opposite edges of the sheet. An integral stiffening strip extends between the opposite side edges of each sheet for stiffening the sheet therebetween and to minimize bowing of the sheet when supported at its opposite side edges. The stiffening strip has an arcuate cross-section, and the stiffening strip includes a rigidifying wax coating that is impregnated in the sheet at least to a greater extent in other areas of the sheet than at the strip. The invention also contemplates a method of fabricating the sheets of paper.

Claims

1. Sheet-form paper for separating portions produced by a portion control machine and dispensing from a paper feed system that feeds the bottom-most sheet of paper from a vertical stack of individual sheets of paper, the bottom-most sheet being supported by a paper feed system on opposite side edge areas of the sheet, each sheet of the sheet-form paper including at least one integral stiffening strip extending between said opposite side edge areas thereof to minimize bowing of the sheet when supported by a paper feed system.

2. The sheet-form paper as defined in claim 1, wherein said stiffening strip comprises a band having an arcuate cross-section.

3. The sheet-form paper as defined in claim 1, wherein said stiffening strip comprises a rigidifying wax coating that is impregnated in the sheet at least to a greater extent in other areas of the sheet than at the strip.

4. The sheet-form paper as defined in claim 3, wherein said stiffening strip comprises a band having an arcuate cross-section.

5. The sheet-form paper as defined in claim 1, wherein each sheet has a deformable element on at least one side edge within the stiffening strip, the deformable element being adapted to engage a vertical guide at one side of the vertical stack of individual sheets of paper.

6. The sheet-form paper as defined in claim 5, wherein said stiffening strip comprises a rigidifying wax coating that is impregnated in the sheet at least to a greater extent in other areas of the sheet than at the strip.

7. The sheet-form paper as defined in claim 6, wherein said stiffening strip comprises a band having an arcuate cross-section.

8. The sheet-form paper as defined in claim 5, wherein said deformable element comprises a notch for receiving a male guide.

9. A stack of paper for separating portions produced by a portion control machine and to be dispensed from a paper feed system that feeds the bottom-most sheet from the stack along a means for supporting opposite edges of the sheet, said stack of paper comprising:

a plurality of individual sheets of paper each having opposite side edges, and

at least one integral stiffening strip extending between the opposite side edges for stiffening the sheet therebetween and to thereby minimize bowing of the sheet when supported by a support means.

10. The stack of paper as defined in claim 9, wherein said stiffening strip comprises a band having an arcuate cross-section.

11. The stack of paper as defined in claim 9, wherein said stiffening strip comprises a rigidifying wax coating that is impregnated in the sheet at least to a greater extent in other areas of the sheet than at the strip.

12. The stack of paper as defined in claim 11, wherein said stiffening strip comprises a band having an arcuate cross-section.

13. The stack of paper as defined in claim 9, wherein each sheet has a deformable element on at least one side edge within the stiffening strip, the deformable element being adapted to engage a vertical guide at one side of the vertical stack of individual sheets of paper.

14. The stack of paper as defined in claim 13, wherein said stiffening strip comprises a rigidifying wax coating that is impregnated in the sheet at least to a greater extent in other areas of the sheet than at the strip.

15. The stack of paper as defined in claim 14, wherein said stiffening strip comprises a band having an arcuate cross-section.

16. The stack of paper as defined in claim 13, wherein said deformable element comprises a notch for receiving a male guide.

17. A stack of paper for separating portions produced by a portion control machine and to be dispensed from a paper feed system that includes a paper hopper having a front, a first sidewall and an opposed second sidewall and longitudinal vertically oriented male guides having a semicircular horizontal cross-section extending from the inside surface of each of said sidewalls, said guides having proximal ends adjacent to where the paper is dispensed which are sloped toward the front of the hopper and tapered to a greater front to back width than the remainder of said guides, said stack of paper comprising:

a plurality of individual sheets of paper each having semicircular recesses on opposite sides thereof, said sheets being in face-to-face relationship with a friction force between said faces, said recesses

being centrally located on each side of each paper sheet and substantially aligned with the recesses of the other sheets of the stack of paper,

receiving paper hopper guides when the sheets of paper are stacked in a hopper, and

having a radius only slightly greater than the cross-section of paper hopper guides when stacked in a paper hopper;

whereby the sheets at the bottom of the stack are when stacked in a paper hopper supported on their sides by proximal ends of paper hopper guides in a feathered relationship and the bottom-most individual sheet of paper is bent at an extreme angle when pulled past paper hopper guides without tearing said paper when dispensed from a hopper, the resistance of said individual sheets of paper to said bending at an extreme angle being greater than said friction force between said sheet faces. .Iadd.

18. A stack of paper for separating portions produced by a portion control machine and to be dispensed from a paper feed system that includes a paper hopper having a front, a first sidewall and an opposed second sidewall and longitudinal vertically oriented male guides having a semicircular horizontal cross-section extending from the inside surface of each of said sidewalls, said guides having proximal ends adjacent to where the paper is dispensed which are sloped toward the front of the hopper and tapered to a greater front to back width than the remainder of said guides, said stack of paper comprising:

a plurality of individual sheets of paper each having recesses on opposite sides thereof,

said sheets being in face-to-face relationship with a friction force between said faces,

said recesses being centrally located on each side of each paper sheet and substantially aligned with the recesses of the other sheets of the stack of paper,

receiving paper hopper guides when the sheets of paper are stacked in a hopper, and

having a dimension only slightly greater than the cross-section of paper hopper guides when stacked in a paper hopper;

whereby the sheets at the bottom of the stack are when stacked in a paper hopper supported on their sides by proximal ends of paper hopper guides in a feathered relationship and the bottom-most individual sheet of paper is bent at an extreme angle when pulled past paper hopper guides without tearing said paper when dispensed from a hopper, the resistance of said individual sheets of paper to said bending at an extreme angle being greater than said friction force between said sheet faces..Iaddend..Iadd.19. The stack of paper as defined in claim 18, wherein said recesses are non-rectangular..Iaddend..Iadd.20. The stack of paper as defined in claim 19, wherein said recesses are arcuate..Iaddend.