AU648442B2

AU648442B2 - Newspaper wrapping

Info

Publication number: AU648442B2
Application number: AU27364/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Norman Hoskins; Anthony Radici; Kenneth William Shepherd
Original assignee: GROMARK PACKAGING Pty Ltd
Current assignee: GROMARK PACKAGING Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1991-11-19
Filing date: 1992-10-26
Publication date: 1994-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2012-10-26
Also published as: AU2736492A

Description

648442AU

AUSTRALIA

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: GROMARK PACKAGING PTY. LTD.

15 VALENTINE STREET KEWDALE W.A. 6105 NORMAN HOSKINS ANTHONY RADICI KENNETH WILLIAM SHEPHERD Actual Inventor: Address for Service:

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256 ADELAIDE TERRACE PERTH W.A. 6000 Standard Complete Specification for the invention entitled: NEWSPAPER WRAPPING Details of Associated Provisional Applications: PK9577 filed November 19, 1991 by GROMARK PACKAGING PTY. LTD.

Details of Parent Application for Divisional Applications: 0*000: The following is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:oo* 2 NEWSPAPER WRAPPING The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for wrapping newspapers, magazines and similar printed articles.

For many years now newspapers, magazines and other printed articles have been home delivered. In some cases, home delivery is provided through the postal service, in other cases it is provided by the retailer, distributor or newsagent. For example, newspaper home deliveries are commonly performed by a delivery person who distributes the newspapers by bicycle or motor vehicle in an allocated area. One of the problems with home delivery is ensuring the printed article is delivered in good condition, particularly with home delivery of newspapers, which are prone to fall apart and get damaged by wind and rain 15 or by rough handling.

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Recently, newsagents have commenced wrapping the newspapers in stretch-wrap plastics material in order to protect the printed article from moisture and contaminants.

r. Typically, the newspaper is rolled into a roll of reduced S 20 circumference and a length of the stretch-wrap plastics S" material is wound about the roll. The stretch-wrap plastics material clings to itself and effectively protects the newspaper and also keeps it rolled up tightly in an easily Shandled form, ready for distribution by hand delivery. A 25 disadvantage of this method of wrapping a printed article is the difficulty in subsequently removing the stretch-wrap 555 plastics material. The plastics material is generally quite Ce.. thin and clings tightly to itself so that it can be difficult S* to locate the ottcr edge, and then prise the edge of the 30 material loose so that the fingers can be inserted to start the unwrapping process. This task is practically impossible for V o• elderly citizens who may be hard of sight and who are unable to manipulate their fingers to the degree required to remove the plastic wrap.

The present invention was developed with a view to 3 providing an improved method and apparatus for wrapping newspapers, magazines and similar printed articles which enables the stretch-wrap plastics material to be more easily removed.

-According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of wrapping a newspaper, magazine or similar printed article in a web of stretch-wrap plastics material, the method comprising the steps of: forming the printed article into a form of reduced circumference; wrapping the formed printed article in a web of said stretch-wrap plastics material to form an outer wrap about said printed article; and, simultaneously with said step of wrapping, providing a web of dissimilar material inside said outer wrap so as to form an inner wrap about said printed article, wherein said dissimilar material does not cling to the stretch-wrap plastics material of the outer wrap to the same degree as the outer wrap whereby, in use, the outer wrap can be more easily removed by *20 first separating the inner wrap from the outer qrap.

Typically the web of stretch-wrap plastics material of the outer wrap is a relatively low linear density plastics material with cling additive. Advantageously, said web of dissimilar material of the inner wrap is a relatively high density plastics material without cling additive. Preferably both outer wrap and inner wrap are formed from polyethylene film, although other materials could be employed, for example, paper for the inner wrap.

0S@0 Typically said step of wrapping comprises feeding a substantially continuous web of said stretch-wrap plastics material to said printed article, winding said web of plastics material about said printed article and cutting said web of plastics material transverse to the direction of winding when a sufficient length of said web of plastics material has been 35 wound about the printed article. Auvantageously, said step of providing said web of dissimilar material comprises simultaneously with said steps of feeding, winding and cutting said web of plastics material, the steps of feeding, winding 4 and cutting substantially continuous web of said dissimilar material wherein the length of said inner wrap when cut is substantially the same as the length of the outer wrap when cut.

Advantageously, if said outer wrap has been stretched in the process of wrapping and is of a plastics mdterial having a lower linear density than the material of the inner wrap, an outer edge of the outer wrap will shrink back slightly to expose an outer edge of the inner wrap, further facilitating the easy removal of the outer wrap.

Typically said step of forming the printed article involves rolling the printed article into a tight roll.

Preferably the inner wrap has a width dimension not greater than 25% of the width of the outer wrap whereby, in use, a sufficient area of said outer wrap is still in direct contact with itself in order to cling together and to seal the printed article from moisture and contaminants. Typically, the inner wrap is positioned proximate the centre of the formed 66@6 printed article.

20 According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for wrapping a newspaper, magazine or similar printed article in a web of stretch-wrap plastics material, the apparatus comprising: means for forming the printed article to a form of reduced circumference; means for wrapping the formed printed article in a web of said stretch-wrap plastics material to form an outer wrap about said printed article; and, 6:1 means for providing a web of dissimilar material, said providing means cooperating with said wrapping means to provide said web of dissimilar material inside said outer wrap so as to form an inner wrap about said printed article, and wherein said dissimilar material does not cling to the stretchwrap plastics material of the outer wrap to the same degree as S. 35 the outer wrap whereby, in use, the outer wrap can be more easily removed by first separating the inner wrap from the outer wrap.

Typically said wrapping means comprises means for feeding a substantially continuous web of said stretch-wrap plastics material to said printed article; means for winding said web of plastics material about said printed article; and, means for cutting said web of plastics material transverse to the direction of winding when a sufficient length of said web of plastics material has been wound about the printed article.

Advantageously said providing means comprises means for feeding a substantially continuous web of said dissimilar material through the winding means and cutting means of said wrapping means simultaneously with the feeding of said substantially continuous web of stretch-wrap plastics material, wherein the length of said inner wrap when cut is substantially the same as the length of the outer wrap when cut.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided a reel attachment for a conventional apparatus for wrapping a newspaper, magazine or 6r** o similar printed article in a web of stretch-wrap plastics 20 material, the attachment comprising: *see an arm for rotatably supporting a reel having a roll thereon of material dissimilar to the stretch-wrap plastics material which forms an outer wrap about the printed article, 00 S. wherein said arm can rotatably support the roll of dissimilar material in a position to enable a web of said dissimilar material to be fed to the wrapping apparatus for wrapping about said article inside said outer wrap to form an inner wrap, and 0* S. wherein said dissimilar material does not cling to the stretch- 0.00 "wrap plastics material of the outer wrap to the same degree as 30 the outer wrap whereby, in use, the outer wrap can be more 00*0 easily removed by first separating the inner wrap from the outer wrap.

Advantageously, said supporting arm rotatably supports the roll of dissimilar material in a position above 35 a roll of said stretch-wrap plastics material rotatably supported in the wrapping apparatus.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a newspaper, magazine or similar 6 printed article wrapped in a web of stretch-wrap plastics material forming an outer wrap about the printed article, and having an inner wrap formed by a web of dissimilar material provided inside said outer wrap, wherein said dissimilar material does not cling to the stretch-wrap plastics material of the outer wrap to the same degree as the outer wrap whereby, in use, the outer wrap can be more easily removed by first separating the inner wrap from the outer wrap.

In order to facilitate a better understanding of the nature of the present invention, a preferred embodiment of a method and apparatus for wrapping newspapers will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates schematically a newspaper wrapping apparatus provided with an example of a reel attachment according to the invention; Figure 2 is a section view through part of the apparatus of Figure 1 illustrating a preferred method of wrapping according to the invention; and, 20 Figure 3 illustrates a newspaper wrapped using the SoSo apparatus and method of Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated schematically a newspaper wrapping machine of the kind presently manufactured by ALDUS ENGINEERING of West Ryde, New South Wales under the name RONAI. The RONAI magazine and newspaper wrapping machine is used by many newsagents for wrapping newspapers in stretch-wrap plastics film. Basically, S"a conventional RONAI wrapping machine comprises a reel containing a roll 12 of stretch-wrap plastics material, for example, polyethylene film of low linear density and having a oleo cling additive. The reel 10 is rotatably supported on a reel shaft 14 and can be replaced once the reel is empty.

The wrappi machine further comprises a pair of see dancer rollers 16, 18 which help to maintain the correct 35 tensioning on the web of stretch-wrap plastics material as the web is fed to the feed rollers 20 (not visible in Figure 1).

A plurality of rolling forks 22 roll the newspaper prior to wrapping of the rolled newspaper by a plurality of wrapping 7 forks 24. As the newspaper is wrapped, it is guided by a curved pressure plate 26. The wrapping machine operates as follows.

A newspaper to be wrapped is fed into the machine by a sweeping motion from the right hand side between the forks and above the pressure plate 26. The newspaper abuts against side and back stops which are set according to the size of the paper to be wrapped. With the paper correctly positioned, a trip lever is activated and the machine starts wrapping the newspaper. The rolling forks 22 roll the newspaper into a tight roll while the feed rollers 20 feed the web 28 of the stretch-wrap plastics material to the wrapping forks 24. The web of plastics material is wound about the rolled newspaper by the wrapping forks 24 and the web is then cut transversely by a cut-off hot wire (not visible in the drawings). The cut edge of the plastic wrap is then pressed against the newspaper in direct contact with itself, and due to the cling additive in the plastics material it clings thereto and seals the .me.

newspaper in the plastic wrap. The machine then ejects the S 20 wrapped newspaper in the direction of arrow A in Figure 1 and *6eO s stops ready for insertion of the next newspaper.

The method of wrapping according to the invention comprises, simultaneously with the step of wrapping the .4 newspaper in the outer wrap formed by the stretch-wrap plastics material, providing a web of dissimilar material inside the outer wrap so as to form an inner wrap about the newspaper.

Referring to Figure 2, the web 30 of dissimilar material is fed Se to the wrapping machine and is wound about the newspaper and

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a cut simultaneously with the feeding, winding and cutting of the 30 web 28 of stretch-wrap plastics material. Typically, the web 00*0 30 of dissimilar material of the inner wrap is a relatively high density plastics material without cling additive, for example high density polyethylene film. As the dissimilar o. material does not cling to the stretch-wrap plastics material 35 of the outer wrap to the same degree as the outer wrap, the outer wrap can be more easily removed by first separating the inner wrap from the outer wrap. Frequently, the outer wrap is stretched in the process of wranyming. and hecraise it is of a 8 plastics material having a lower linear density than the material of the inner wrap, the outer edge of the outer wrap shrinks back slightly to expose an outer edge of the inner wrap which can be easily lifted with the finger because it does not cling to the stretch-wrap material of the outer wrap. However, even if an edge of the inner wrap is not exposed, easy removal of the outer wrap is still facilitated, as the outer wrap in direct contact with the inner wrap can be easily lifted by pinching the stretch-wrap plastics material since it does not cling to the same degree to the dissimilar material of the inner wrap.

In order to effect the improved method of wrapping newspapers or similar printed articles in a conventional wrapping machine, a reel attachment 32 may be retrofitted to the wrapping machine as illustrated in Figure 1. The reel attachment comprises an arm 34 for rotatably supporting a reel 36 having a roll 38 thereon of material dissimilar to the stretch-wrap plastics material which forms the outer wrap about the newspaper. The arm 34 rotatably supports the roll 38 of 20 dissimilar material in a position above the roll 12 of stretchwrap plastics material, so that the web 30 of dissimilar material can be fed over the dancer roller 18 into the feed rollers 20 of the wrapping apparatus for wrapping about the newspaper inside the web 28 of the outer wrap.

Advantageously, because the web 30 forming the inner wrap follows the same feed path as the web 28 forming the outer wrap, after both webs pass over the dancer roller 18, no further modifications to the RONAI machine are required to wrap the inner wrap about the newspaper. Some adjustment of the tensioning provided by the dancer rollers 16, 18 may be required, but otherwise noc further adjustments to the machine are necessary. The web 30 of dissimilar material is fed, wound and cut with the web 28 of the outer wrap so that the length of the inner wrap when cut is substantially the same as the 35 length of the outer wrap when cut. The feed rollers 20 include a plurality of smaller, spaced apart pinch rollers, and it is important that when setting up the reel 36 on the support arm 34 that the roll 'i is nrsiti nne(9 n tha- the weh 11l nf 9 dissimilar material is aligned with one of the pinch rollers and is therefore properly fed together with the web of stretchwrap material 28 to the wrapping forks 24 of the machine.

Typically, the roll 38 of dissimilar material is positioned centrally of the roll 12 of stretch-wrap material so that in the wrapped printed article, the inner wrap is positioned near the centre of the rolled article.

As noted above, the stretch-wrap plastics material on roll 12 is typically a polyethylene film of relatively low linear density and having a cli,- additive. Advantageously, the web of dissimilar material is also a polyethylene film of relatively high density, compared to the stretch-wrap film, without a cling additive. However, the dissimilar material of the inner wrap may be any suitable material which does not cling to the stretch-wrap plastics uaterial of the outer wrap to the same degree as the outer wrap itself. Hence, for example, paper could also be used for the material of the inner wrap if desired.

~A significant advantage of using an inner wrap as 20 described above, is that the material of the inner wrap can be r used for carrying advertising space. Once the outer wrap has been removed from the newspaper the inner wrap forms a small 04 Cam slip which can be conveniently folded and placed in a purse or handbag, or pinned onto a notice board for future reference.

Techniques for printing on high density polyethylene film are currently available, whereas the ability to print directly onto the low density polyethylene forming the outer wrap is currently not technically feasible. Typically the material of ae ~the outer wrap is transparent, whereas the material of the 16 inner wrap is substantially opaque and therefore clearly .visible through the outer wrap. Hence, not only can the edge of the inner wrap be easily located for removal, but advertising material appearing on the inner wrap may also be

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S* visible through the outer wrap. The inner wrap may, for 35 example, also include instructions on how to remove the outer wrap printed thereon.

Typically, the aidth of the roll 38 of dissimilar material is not greater than 25% of the width of the roll 12 10 of stretch-wrap plastics material, so that in use sufficient area of the outer wrap is in direct contact with itself in order to cling together and to seal the printed article from moisture and contaminants. However, the width of the inner wrap may be greater than 25% if desired. Likewise, the length of the inner wrap may be shorter than the length of the outer wrap if desired.

Figure 3 illustrates a printed article, namely a rolled newspaper 40 wrapped in a web of stretch-wrap plastics material forming an outer wrap 42 about the newspaper. A web of dissimilar material is also wrapped about the newspaper forming an inner wrap 44 inside the outer wrap 42. In this embodiment, the outer edge 46 of the outer wrap 42 has shrunk back to expose an outer edge 48 of the inner wrap 44. The outer wrap 42 can be easily removed by lifting the edge 48 of the inner wrap and inserting one or more fingers beneath, and then progressively separating the edge 46 of the outer wrap in both directions.

Now that a preferred embodiment of the modified k. r 20 wrapping apparatus and improved method of wrapping a newspaper or similar printed article have been described in detail, it will be obvious that the provision of an inner wrap has substantial advantages over the current method of wrapping using only an outer wrap of stretch-wrap plastics material.

Numerous variations and modifications can be made to the apparatus and method described above, other than those already described, without departing from the basic inventive concepts. For example, it is not essential that the web of a866V dissimilar material forming the inner wrap be provided in a continuous roll as in the illustrated embodiment. In an .alternative arrangement the inner wrap may already be cut into suitable lengths, for example strips of paper, with printed matter thereon, which are then fed to the wrapping machine so 06 as to be wrapped around the priinted article inside the outer 35 wrap. Alternatively, the material of the inner wrap may be wound on the same reel as the material of the outer wiap so that no attachment or modifications are required at all to the wrapping machine. Obviously, the method of the invention is 11 not limited to the RONAI type wrapping machine, but may be used with any wrapping machine for wrapping newspapers, magazines or similar printed articles in stretch-wrap plastics material.

All such variations and modifications as would suggest themselves to the skilled addressee are to be considered within the scope of the present invention, the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description and the appended claims.

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Claims

2. A method of wrapping a newspaper, magazine or similar printed article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner wrap has a width dimension which is less than that of the outer wrap 20 whereby, in use, a sufficient area of said outer wrap is still in direct contact with itself in order to seal the printed article from moisture and contaminants. S. S. 3. A method of wrapping a newspaper, magazine or similar printed article as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inner wrap 25 has a width dimension not greater than 25% of the width of the as"00 outer wrap. 0:0004
4. A method of wrapping a newspaper, magazine or similar printed article as claime.d in any one of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein said step of wrapping comprises feeding a substantially continuous web of said stretch-wrap plastics material to said printed article, winding said web of plastics material about said printed article and cutting said web of plastics material transverse to the direction of winding when a sufficient length of said web of plastics material has been wound about the printed article. 13 A method of wrapping a newspaper, magazine or similar printed article as claimed in claim 4, wherein said step of providing said web of dissimilar material comprises simultaneously with said steps of feeding, winding and cutting said web of plastics material, the steps of feeding, winding and cutting a substantially continuous web of said dissimilar material wherein the length of said inner wrap when cut is substantially the same as the length of the outer wrap when cut.
6. A method of wrapping a newspaper, magazine or similar printed article as claimed in claim 5, wherein said step of forming the printed article involves rolling the printed article into a tight roll. ~e oee
7. An apparatus for wrapping a newspaper, magazine or 15 similar printed article in a web of stretch-wrap plastics material, the apparatus comprising: means for forming the printed article to a form of reduced circumference; means for wrapping the formed printed article in a web of said stretch-wrap plastics material to form an outer wrap about said printed article; and, means for providing a web of dissimilar material, said providing means cooperating with said wrapping means to e• S provide said web of dissimilar material inside said outer wrap
9.55 25 so as to form an inner wrap about said printed article, and t wherein said dissimilar material does not cling to the stretch- wrap plastics material of the outer wrap to the same degree as S the outer wrap whereby, in use, the outer wrap can be more easily removed by first separating the inner wrap ftcom the outer wrap. 8. An apparatus for wrapping a newspaper, magazine or similar printed article as claimed in claim 7, wherein said wrapping means comprises means for feeding a substantially continuous web of said stretch-wrap plastics material to said 14 printed article; means for winding said web of plastics material about said printed article; and, means for cutting said web of plastics material transverse to the direction of winding when a sufficient length of said web of plastics material has been wound about the printed article. 9. An apparatus for wrapping a newspaper, magazine or similar printed article as claimed in claim 8, wherein said providing means comprises means for feeding a substantially continuous web of said dissimilar material through the winding means and cutting means of said wrapping means simultaneously with the feeding ot said substantially continuous web of stretch-wrap plastics material, wherein the length of said 15 inner wr'ap when cut is substantially the same as the length of the outer wrap when cut. A reel attachment for a conventional apparatus for a wrapping a newspaper, magazine or similar printed article in S. a web of stretch-wrap plastics material, the attachment comprising: an arm for rotatably supporting a reel having a roll thereon of material dissimilar to the stretch-wrap plastics S. material which forms an outer wrap about the printed articl' "wherein said arm can rotatably support the roll of dissimilar 25 material in a position to enable a web of said dissimilar ~material to be fed to the wrapping apparatus for wrapping about said article inside said outer wrap to form an inner wrap, and wherein said dissimilar mater.al does not cling to the stretch- wrap plastics material of the outer wrap to the same degree as 30 the outer wrap whereby, in use, the outer wrap can be more easily removed by first separating the inner wrap from the outer wrap.
11. A reel attachment as claimed in claim 10, wherein said supporting arm rotatably supports the roll of dissimilar material in a position above a roll of said stretch-wrap 15 plastics material rotatably supported in the wrapping apparatus.
12. A newspaper, magazine or similar printed article wrapped in a web of stretch-wrap plastics material forming an outer wrap about the printed article, and having an inner wrap formed by a web of dissimilar material provided inside said outer wrap, wherein said dissimilar material does not cling to the stretch-wrap plastics material of the outer wrap to the same degree as the outer wrap whereby, in use, the outer wrap can be more easily removed by first separating the inner wrap from the outer wrap.
13. A newspaper, magazine or similar printed article as claimed in claim 12, wherein the printed article has been formed into a roll prior to or during wrapping. 0ee* ooo
14. A newspaper, magazine or similar printed article as Sclaimed in claim 13, wherein the inner wrap has a width 4. dimension which is less than that of the outer wrap whereby, S• in use, a sufficient area of said outer wrap is still in direct contact with itself in order to seal the printed article from moisture and contaminants. S. 15. A newspaper, magazine or similar printed article as claimed in claim 14, wherein the inner wrap has a width 5* 5 dimension not greater than 25% of the width of the outer wrap. SS9S
16. A newspaper, magazine or similar printed article as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the web of stretch-wrap plastics material of the outer wrap is a relatively low linear densityh plastics material with cling additive, and the web of dissimilar material of the inner wrap is a relatively high density plastics material without cling additive.
17. A method of wrapping a newspaper, magazine or similar printed article, substantially as herein described with 16 reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
18. An apparatus for wrapping a newspaper, magazine or similar printed article, substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
19. A reel attachment for a conventional apparatus for wrapping a newspaper, magazine or similar printed article, substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. A newspaper, magazine or similar printed article, substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Dated this 26th day of October, 1992. GROMARK PACKAGING PTY. LTD. By Their Patent Attorneys: i GRIFFITH HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia. *00 S GROMARK PACKAGING PTY. LTD. By Their Patent Attorneys: GRIFFITH HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia. Oee* S 5 5 ABSTRACT An apparatus and method of wrapping a newspaper, magazine or similar printed article in a web of stretch-wrap plastics material for example, polyethylene film of low linear density and having a cling additive, comprises forming the printed article in a form of reduced circumference; wrapping the formed printed article (40) in a web of said stretch-wrap plastics material (12) to form an outer wrap (42) about the printed article and, simultaneously providing a web of dissimilar material (38) inside said outer wrap (42) so as to form an inner wrap (44) about the printed article The dissimilar material (38) may be, for example, a relatively high density plastics material without cling additive which does not cling to the stretch-wrap plastics material (12) of the outer wrap (42) to the same degree as the outer wrap Hence, the outer wrap (42) can be more easily removed by first separating the inner wrap (44) from the outer wrap (42). *oe S* *0S*