GB2087354A

GB2087354A - Packaging coils of wire or cable

Info

Publication number: GB2087354A
Application number: GB8134824A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: BICC PLC
Current assignee: Balfour Beatty PLC
Priority date: 1980-11-19
Filing date: 1981-11-19
Publication date: 1982-05-26
Also published as: GB2087354B

Abstract

In the manufacture of a stackable coil package, a cardboard blank is folded to form a closable carton 1 having a pair of oppositely disposed major side walls 2 lying in parallel planes, each of which major side walls has an aperture 5 in axial alignment with the aperture of the other major side wall. A coil of wire 9 is fed into the carton 1, such that the coil bounds the apertures 5 in the major side walls 2 and, after the carton has been closed and the coil centred at station 21 by radially movable cylinders 30, a preformed rigid hollow hub 6 is introduced into the apertures at station 22 such that the hub extends between, and protrudes beyond the outer surfaces of, the major side walls. The protruding end parts 8 of the hub 6 are then distorted at station 23 in such a way and under such a pressure from presses 28, 29 that the distorted protruding end parts bear against the outer surfaces of the major side walls and the major side walls are pressed inwardly to such a dish-like shape that no part of the hub protrudes beyond planes containing the boundary edges 4 of the major side walls. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to packaging coils of wire or cable This invention relates to the packaging of wire or cable and more particularly to the packaging of coils of bare or insulated electric wire or cable, for example wire or cable of the kinds used in house wiring systems, all such bare and insulated wire and cable hereinafter, for convenience, being included in the generic term ' "wire".

The interests of the manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer, and user of wire are in conflict insofar as packaging and transportation of wire are concerned. For ease of manufacture and transportation within the factory, it is in the interests of the manufacturer that wire used within the factory be in coil form.

From the point of view of the wholesaler or retailer who has to keep a large stock of wires of different kinds from one another, storage of wire is facilitated if it is supplied in packages of a shape and size such that they can be readily stacked. On the other hand, the user prefers wire to be.supplied on a reel from which wire can be readily unwound as and when required.

Generally, wire is marketed either in coils which are covered by a toroidal lapping of paper or cheap fabric or on non-returnable reels. The former type of packaging is cheap but it is not popular with wholesalers and retailers because such packaged coils are not readily stackable and is not popular with users because a wire cannot be readily withdrawn from a coil and because once the toroidal lapping is removed to enable wire to be withdrawn from the coil, the balance of the coil is left unprotected and may become tangled, as replacement of the toroidal lapping is usually too tiresome to be undertaken by the user. The alternative form of packing in nonreturnable reels is unpopular with the wire manufacturer because it is more labour intensive and costly and is disliked by the wholesaler and retailer because reels cannot be readily stacked.

In the specification of our co-pending Patent Application No. 8134419 filed on November 16th 1981, there is described an improved coil package comprising a closable carton which is formed from at least one folded blank of cardboard or plastics material and is of a shape suitable for housing a coil of wire and which has a pair of oppositely disposed major side walls whose boundary edges lie substantially parallel planes, each of which major side walls has an aperture in axial alignment with the aperture of the other major side wall and, extending between parts of the major side walls bounding said aligned apertures, a substantially rigid hollow hub, wherein no part of the rigid hollow hub protrudes beyond the planes containing the boundary edges of the major side walls of the carton.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of manufacturing the preferred coil package as described in the specification of our aforesaid co-pending patent application According to the invention, the method comprises at least partly folding or otherwise shaping at least one blank of cardboard or plastics material to form partly or in whole a closable carton having a pair of oppositely disposed major side walls lying in substantially parallel planes, each of which major side walls has an aperture in axial alignment with the aperture of the other major side wall; feeding a coil of wire into the carton to such an extent that the coil substantially bounds the apertures in the major side walls; closing the carton; introducing into the apertures in the carton a preformed substantially rigid hollow hub in such a way that the hub extends between, and protrudes beyond the outer surfaces of, the major side walls; and distorting the protruding end parts of the hub in such a way and under such a pressure that said distorted protruding end parts bear against the outer surfaces of the major side walls and the major side walls are pressed inwardly to such a dish-like shape that no part of the hub protrudes beyond the planes containing the boundary edges of the major side walls.

Preferably, during loading of the coil the closable carton is arranged in such a way that the common axis of the apertures in the major side walls extends substantially horizontally and the coil of wire is fed into the carton in a substantially vertical direction with its axis substantially horizontal. It is to be understood, however, that the closable carton may be arranged in such a way that the common axis of the apertures in the major side walls lies substantially vertical or in any other plane inclined to the vertical and the coil of wire is fed into the carton in a substantially horizontal direction with its axis lying substantially vertical or is fed into the carton with its axis lying in a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane containing the common axis of the apertures.

The protruding end parts of the preformed rigid hollow hub may be distorted to bear against the outer faces of the major side walls in any convenient manner but, preferably, each protruding end part is folded radially outwardly to form a flange which bears against the outer surface of, and whose extreme edge bites into, one of the major side walls.

Preferably, the preformed rigid hollow hub has, spaced inwardly from its ends, outwardly extending circumferential ribs which are of such a height and shape that they will pass through the aperture in one of the major side walls when the hub is positioned in the carton and which, when pressure is imparted to distort the protruding end parts of the hub, will be distorted to form outwardly extending circumferential shoulders bearing against the inner faces of the major side walls, the distance between the shoulders being such that the major side walls pressed inwardly against the shoulders and gripped between the shoulders and the flanged end parts are of dish-like shape and no part of the flanged end parts of the hub protrudes beyond the planes containing the boundary edges of the major side walls, The operations of feeding a coil of wire into a carton and, when necessary, substantially centering the coil in the carton so that its axis is approximately co-linear with the axis of the apertures in the major side walls of the carton, introducing a preformed rigid hub into the carton, distorting the protruding end parts of the hub, and closing the carton may be effected in sequence at a single operating station but, preferably, cartons are conveyed in turn between two or more mutually spaced stations at each of which one or more of these operations is effected, the or an operation at each of the stations preferably being effected substantially simultaneously so that, at any one time, operations are being effected on two or cartons.In this latter case, the stations are preferably in alignment and the cartons conveyed along a substantially rectilinear path from station to station or, if desired, the stations may be arranged at circumferentially spaced positions around a circle and the cartons conveyed from station to station either by means of a rotatable turntable or by a rotating spider having a plurality of radially extending arms, each carrying means for supporting a carton. In all cases, conveying of cartons from one station to a succeeding station or succeeding stations and the operation or operations at each station are effected automatically and in the appropriate sequence.

The invention also includes apparatus for use in the improved method as herein before described of manufacturing the preferred coil package as described in the specification of our aforesaid co-pending patent application.

The invention will be further illustrated by a description, by way of example, of two preferred methods of and apparatus for manufacturing a preferred coil package with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,: Figure lis an isometric view of the coil package.

Figure 2 is an end view, partly in section and paitl in elevation. of the coil package; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of one preferred form of apparatus for manufacturing the coil package shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a front view of a second form of apparatus r manufacturing the coil package shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and Figures 5 and 6 are diagrammatic side elevations of the major devices of the second form of apparatus shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the coil package comprises a closable carton 1 which is formed from a single folded blank of cardboard and which has a pair of oppositely disposed major side walls 2 and an outer peripheral wall 3 separated by boundary edges 4 which lie in two substantially parallel planes.

Each major side wall 2 has a central aperture 5 which is in axial alignment with the central aperture in the other major side wall.

Extending between the major side walls 2 is a separately formed substantially rigid hollow metal hub 6 of circular cross-section which, near each of its ends, has a circumferential shoulder 7 which bears against the inner face of one of the major side walls. End portions 8 of the hub 6 protrude through the apertures 5 and are pressed radially outwardly to bear against outer parts of the major side walls 2 bounding the apertures to secure the hub firmly to the major side walls. The hub 6 carries a coil 9 of wire.

As will be seen more clearly in Fig. 2, the major side walls 2 are each of a dish-like shape such that no part of the radially outwardly pressed protruding portions 8 of the hub 6 protrudes beyond the planes containing the boundary edges 4 of the major side walls.

Consequently, cartons 1 can be readily stacked one on top of another during transportation and storage.

Each major side wall 2 has around its boundary edges 4 and across its corners an endless perforation 10 to facilitate removable of the outer peripheral wall 3 and corner portions of the major side walls to convert the carton into a reel from which wire from the coil 9 can be readily unwound.

The first form of apparatus shown in Fig. 3 comprises a conveyor 20, operating stations 21, 22 and 23 at mutually spaced positions along the route of the conveyor and, associated with operating station 22, a hub-locating device 24. The conveyor 20 extends horizontally and conveys cartons with the axis of their apertures substantially vertical, from one operating station to another in a substantially rectilinear direction. A main plate 25, which can be caused to reciprocate in a vertical direction between upper and lower positions by pneumatic means, is common to the three operating stations 21, 22 and 23 and supports, at station 21 a coil-centering device 26, at station 22 a hub-clamping device 27 and, at station 23 a hub press 28 of a pair of hub presses 28 and 29. The hub-locating device 24 is positioned below the conveyor 20 and is axially aligned with respect to the hubclamping device 27.

The coil centering device 26 comprises three vertical cylinders 30 each of circular cross-section, arranged with their axes circumferentially spaced around the circle and each radially movable with respect to the circumscribing circle of the device by pneumatic means to engage the inner surface of a coil of wire and so centre it with respect to the apertures of a carton 1 when positioned at station 21.

The hub-clamping device 27 is arranged with its axis vertical and can be reciprocated by pneumatic means with respect to the main plate 25 between upper and lower positions.

The hub-clamping device 27 is built up of a number of separate vertical elements 31, each having a transverse cross-section of circular shape, and, at its lower end an outwardly extending lug 32, which can be urged radially outwardly by pneumatic means to engage the inner and bottom surfaces of a preformed hub supported by the hub-locating device 24 below station 22 with the axis of the hub colinear with the axis of the hub-clamping device 27.

The hub press 28 carried by the main plate 25 at station 23 can be caused to reciprocate vertically with respect to the main plate by pneumatic means between upper and lower positions; the hub press 29 is positioned below the conveyor 20 at station 23 and can be caused to reciprocate vertically between lower and upper positions by pneumatic means, the arrangement being such that both hub presses either move towards one another or move away from one another.

A description of the operating sequences of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3 will now be given starting from the stage illustrated in the Figure at which a first carton 1' with a hub 6' fitted in the apertures in the major side walls of the carton is positioned at station 23; a second carton 1", with a coil of wire 9" centrally located within the carton, is positioned at station 22; a third carton 1"', with a coil of wire 9"' in the carton but not yet centrally located with respect to the axis of the apertures in the major side walls of the carton, is positioned at station 21; and the hub-locating device 24 supporting a hub 6" is positioned axially beneath the station 22.

In the first sequence of operations, the main plate 25 is caused to move downwardly to its lower position at which the coil-centering device 26 passes into the carton 1"'; the hubclamping device 27 passes into the carton 1" and the hub press 28 is positioned adjacent the upper end of the hub 6'. At the same time the hub-clamping device 27 is also caused to move downwardly with respect to the main plate 25 so that the hub-clamping device passes into the hub 6" supported by the hublocating device 24.

In the second sequence of operations, the cylinders 30 of the coil-centering device 26 are caused to move radially outwardly to engage the inner surface of the coil of wire 9"' in the carton 1"' and move it horizontally with respect to the carton so that it is centrally located within the carton. At the same time, the hub press 28 is moved downwardly with respect to the main plate 25 and the hub press 29 is moved upwardly to distort the protruding end parts 8' of the hub 6' radially outwardly to engage the outer surfaces of the major side walls of the carton 1', to compress circumferentially extending ribs 7' on the hub 6' to form circumferential shoulders, and to press the major side walls against the shoulders so that the major side walls are gripped between the shoulders and the flanged end parts 8' of the hub 6' to such an extent that the major side walls are of dish-like shape and no part of the hub 6' protrudes beyond the planes containing the boundary edges of the carton 1', as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the third sequence of operations, the vertical cylinders 30 of the coil-centering device 26 move radially inwardly to disengage from the coil 9"' in the carton 1"', the hub press 28 moves upwardly with respect to the main plate 25 and the hub press 29 moves downwardly to disengage from the hub 6', and the elements 31 of the hub-clamping device 27 move radially outwardly to engage and grip the hub 6" supported by the hublocating device 24.

In the fourth sequence of operations, the hub-locating device 24 releases the hub 6" and retracts for collecting another hub from a source of hubs (not shown).

In the fifth sequence of operations, the hubclamping device 27 is caused to move vertically upwards with respect to the main plate 25 to draw the hub 6" upwardly into position with the carton 1".

In the sixth sequence of operations, the elements 31 of the hub-clamping device 27 are caused to move radially inward to disengage from the hub 6".

In the seventh sequence of operations, the main plate 25 is raised to withdraw the coilcentering device 26 from the carton 1"', to withdraw the hub-clamping device 27 from within the hub 6" and to raise the hub press 28 from the hub 6'. At the same time, the hub-locating device 24 has engaged another hub and has returned to a position axially below station 22.

The conveyor 20 is then caused to move so that the carton 1' is conveyed clear of station 23, the carton 1' is moved from station 22 to station 23, the carton 1"' is moved from station 21 to station 22 and a new carton with a coil housed therein is moved into position at station 21. The above sequence of operations is then repeated.

All of the above operations are effected automatically and in the required sequence under the control of a fluid- actuated system controlling actuation of the several pneumatic means. If desired, instead of pneumatic means, some or all of the operations of the apparatus may be controlled by hydraulic means.

In the second form of apparatus shown in Figs. 4 to 6, cartons containing coils are fed in turn into the apparatus with the common axis of the apertures in the major side walls of each carton substantially horizontal and at right angles to the direction of travel of the carton. The apparatus comprises two operating stations, namely a hub-locating station 42 and a hub-distorting station 43. A carton at hub-operating station 42 is transferred when required to hub-distorting station 43 by means of a reciprocating slide (not shown ) on which the carton is supported and which operates periodically to move a carton from station 42 to station 43.

The hub-locating station 42 includes a horizontal pneumatically operated mandrel 44 which consists of a plurality of elements 45 which can be urged radially outwardly of the mandrel, and a pneumatrically operated tubular pusher 46 which is designed to push a preformed hub into the aligned apertures of a carton positioned at the hub-locating station.

A carton is supported in position at the station 42 by pneumatically operated pads 47.

The hub-distorting station 43 includes a pair of oppositely disposed hub presses 49 which are pneumatically operated to move towards and away from a carton positioned at the station to distort radially outwardly the protruding end parts of the hub of a carton and press the major side walls of the carton to a dish-like form.

A description of the operating sequences of the apparatus shown in Figs. 4 to 6 will now be given starting from the stage shown in Figs. 5 and 6 in which a carton 40' is positioned at station 42, and a carton 40", with an hub 41" inserted therein is positioned at station 43.

The carton 40' housing a coil of wire 50' is positioned at the hub-locating station 42 with the pneumatically controlled pads 47 operated to support the carton with its axis substantially horizontal. The mandrel 44 is then pneumatically operated to pass through the apertures in the major side walls of the carton 40' to engage the coil 50' and the segments 45 of the mandrel are then caused to move radially outwardly to raise the coil of wire centrally within the carton. During this operation a hub 41' has been positioned between the tubular pusher 46 and the carton 40' for insertion into the carton.The pusher 46 is then caused to move towards the carton 40' by its associated pneumatic means to push the hub 41' through the apertures of the carton and the centre of the coil so that end parts of the hub protrude from the major side walls of the carton and, at the same time, the hub presses 49 of the hub-distorting station 43 are pneumatically driven towards the carton 40" located in that station to distort the protruding end parts of the hub 41" of that carton to press them radially outwardly against the outer surfaces of the major end walls and to form shoulders in the hub against which the major side walls are urged, the major side walls being gripped between the shoulders and the flanged end parts and being distorted to a dish-like shape so that no part of the flanged end parts of the hub protrude beyond the planes containing the boundary edges of the carton. The elements 45 of the mandrel 44 are then caused to move radially inwardly and the mandrel is withdrawn from the carton 40' at station 42, and the hub presses 49 are caused to withdraw from the carton 40" at station 43. The slide (not shown) controlling feed of cartons is then operated so that the carton 40" station 43 is conveyed from that station to a store and the carton 40' at station 42 is moved into position at station 43. At the same time, a fresh carton containing a coil of wire is moved into position at station 42.

The sequence of operations of the two component devices this apparatus is then repeated.

All of the operations of the apparatus shown in Figs. 4 to 6 are effected automatically in sequence under the control of a fluidactuated system controlling actuation of the severat pneumatic means.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a coil package which comprises at least partly folding or otherwise shaping at least one blank of cardboard or plastics material to form partly or in whole a closable carton having a pair of oppositely disposed major side walls lying in substantially parallel planes, each of which major side walls has an aperture in axial alignment with the aperture of the other major side wall; feeding a coil of wire into the carton to such an extent that the coil substantially bounds the apertures in the major side walls; closing the carton; introducing into the apertures in the carton a preformed substantially rigid hollow hub in such a way that the hub extends between, and protrudes beyond the outer surfaces of, the major side walls; and distorting the protruding end parts of the hub in such a way and under such a pressure that said distorted protruding end parts bear against the outer surfaces of the major side walls and the major sidewalls are pressed inwardly to such a dish-like shape that no part of the hub protrudes beyond the planes containing the boundary edges of the major side walls.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the protruding end parts of the preformed rigid hollow hub are each folded radially outwardly to form a flange which bears against the outer surface of, and whose ex treme edge bites into, one of the major side walls.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the preformed rigid hollow hub has, spaced inwardly from its ends, outwardly extending circumferential ribs which are of such a height and shape that they will pass through the aperture in one of the major side walls when the hub is introduced into the carton and which, when pressure is imparted to distort the protruding end parts of the hub, will be distorted to form outwardly extending circumferential shoulders bearing against the inner surfaces of the major side walls, the distance between the shoulders being such that the major side walls pressed inwardly against the shoulders and gripped between the shoulders and the flanged end parts are of dish-like shape and no part of the distorted end parts of the hub protrudes beyond the planes containing the boundary edges of the major side walls.

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the operations of feeding a coil of wire into the carton to such an extent that it bounds the apertures in the major side walls, introducing a preformed rigid hub into the carton, distorting the protruding end parts of the hub, and closing the cartons are effected in sequence at a single operating station.

5. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein cartons are conveyed in turn between two or more mutually spaced stations at each of which is or are effected one or more of the operations of feeding a coil into a carton to such an extent that the coil bounds the apertures in the major side walls, introducing a preformed rigid hub into the carton, distorting the protruding end parts of the hub, and closing the carton, the or an operation at each of the stations being effected substantially simultaneously so that, at any one time, operations are effected on two or more cartons.

6. A method as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the operating stations are in substantial alignment and cartons are conveyed along a substantially rectilinear path from station to station.

7. A method as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the operating stations are arranged at circumferentially spaced positions around a circle and cartons are conveyed from station to station either by means of a rotatable turntable or by a rotatable spider having a plurality of radially extending arms each carrying means for supporting a carton.

8. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the or each carton is arranged with the common axis of the apertures in the major side walls extending substantially horizontally and the coil of wire is fed into the carton in a substantially vertical direction with its axis substantially horizontal.

9. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the or each carton is arranged with the common axis of the apertures in the major side walls lying substantially vertical and the coil of wire is fed into the carton in a substantially horizontal direction with its axis lying substantially vertical.

10. Apparatus for use in the manufacture by the method claimed in any one of the preceding Claims of a coil package comprising a closed carton which houses a coil of wire and which has a pair of oppositely disposed major side walls, each of which major side walls has an aperture in axial alignment with the aperture of the other major side wall and which has, extending between parts of the major side walls bounding said aligned apertures, a substantially rigid hollow hub, which apparatus comprises means for introducing into the apertures in the carton a preformed substantially rigid hollow hub in such a way that the hub will extend between, and protrude beyond the outer surfaces of, the major side walls, and means for distorting the protruding end parts of the hub in such a way and under such a pressure that said distorted protruding end parts will bear against the outer surfaces of the major side walls and the major side walls will be pressed inwardly to such a dish-like shape that no part of the hub will protrude beyond the planes containing the boundary edges of the major side walls.

11. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10, which apparatus also includes means for centering the coil of wire in the carton with respect to the apertures in the major side walls.

12. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10 or 11, wherein the hub-introducing means and the hub-distorting means, and when present the coil-centering means, are positioned at two or more mutually spaced operating stations and means is provided for conveying closed cartons in turn from one station to the other or another in sequence.

1 3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the operating stations are arranged at circumferentially spaced positions around a circle and the conveying means comprises a rotatable turntable or a rotatable spider having a plurality of radially extending arms each carrying means for supporting a carton.

1 4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the hub-introducing means and the hub-distorting means, and when present the coil-centering means, are operable automatically in the required sequence by pneumatic or hydraulic means.

1 5. Apparatus for use in the manufacture of a coil package substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, or Figs. 1, 2 and 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

1 6. A method of manufacturing a coil package substantially as hereinbefore de scribed with reference to Figs. 1 to 3, or Figs 1, 2 and 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.