GB2515166A - A core which is reusable and which is for receiving sheet material - Google Patents

Abstract

A reusable core 72 for receiving sheet material (74 fig. 13), which may be paper or plastic, has a cover 76 made of a shrink wrap and is heat shrunk onto the core 72. The cover 76 is not able to be split by pressures when winding sheet material (74 fig. 13) over the core 72 and is removable from the core 72. The diameter of the cover 76 may enable it to shrink in a minimum time under heat application. The cover 76 may be seamless and extend the entire length of the core 72. The cover 76 may be removed by being cut from the outside. The core 72 may have a body 78, a bore 80 and first and second ends 82, 86 with flanges 90, 92 for abutting the body 78. The ends 82, 86 may include gripping means which may be slots (140 fig. 8). The body 78 of the core 72 may be made of aluminium and the ends 82, 86 may be made of polyethylene. The core 72 may include a radio frequency identification device 164 and/or earthing means 162. The shrink wrap may be polyolefin or polyvinyl. Heat shrinking may take place by using an oven or by blowing hot air.

Description

A CORE WHICH IS REUSABLE AND.

WHICH IS FORRECEIVING. SHEET MATERIAL This invention, relates to a core which is for receiving sheet material and, mere especially, this invention relates to a core which is reusable and which is for receiving sheet material.

Sheet material Which is traditionally wound on cores may be printing paper for the printing industry for printing newspapers or other products. The sheet material may be plastics material for printing packèçing, for example packaging for food. The packing for food may be, for example, the packaging for crisps, potatoes or. vegetables. The sheet material may also be sheet material for other industries such for example as sheet material in the form of fabric for use in the clothing industry.

The dores on Which the sheet material is wound have traditionallybeen thrown away after the sheet. material on the core has been used up. The cores that are used in industry are often of a large size and/or are such that their production represents a significant cost item. The disposal of the cores is wasteful bcth in terms of the need to dispose of the old cores, and in terms of the need to provide new cores. In addition, reel tracking systems are often used for tracking rolls of material as they progress from initial manufacture to warehouses, docks, pustomer stores and machines for using up the material on the cores. These tracking systems involve tagging the cores with radio frequency identification tags. The radio frequency identification tags are a significant cost item. Users are not satisfied at having to pay for the coat of radio frequency identification tags if they are to be thrown away with the used cores when the sheet material on, the cores has been used up.

In ourEP 1667927, there is disclosed apparatus whiôh addresses the above problem. More specifically, the apparatus is for refurbishing used cores for rolls of sheet material.

In EP 1667927, the apparatus comprises stripper means for stripping any: remaining sheet material from the used cores by pulling the remaining sheet materlalfrom the used cores. Feed means feeds theused coresto the stripper means Cleaning means cleans the used cores after they have been treated by the stripper means. The cleaning means: tends to present, a problem.

* More specifically, although various types of cleanirg means may be employed, it has beer found that the cleaning means needs to involve a wash station wherethe used cores are washed. The washing:may be effected by cne or more scrubbing devices: Such as scrubbing rclters: Preferably, the wash station is a hot wash station. . Irrespective of the type of wash station, substantial, amounts of water.are used in the cleaning. This ater becomes contaminated with whatever chemicals are on the core; The chemióals may * be adhesives, for example as are used for adhering a lead end àf sheet material such as paper to the core during widening of the sheet material onto * the: cOre. The contaminated water may contain high levels of contaminant * chemicals. These contaminant chemicals are usuauy not environmentally friendly. Problems ther arise in disposing of the used water. The used: water may. not be disposed of as normal sewage used water due to the contaminant chemicals. Spé..ial disposal arrangements may be. required, for example.with local water authorities. The special disposal arrangements add. to the complexity and cost of the refurbishing of the core.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a core which is reusable and which is for receiving sheet material, and the core being.sudh that: (i) the core has a cover; (ii) the cover is in contact with the core so that in use the sheet rnaterial.is wound dyer the cover.; (iii) the covéris made of a shrink wrap material; (iv) the cover is constructed such that it is not able to be split by pressures created when winding the sheet'.tnateriál. over the core; (v) the cover is farmed from a tube of the. shrink, wrap, material that has been shrunk onto the core by the application of heat and (vi) the cover isable to be removed from the, core hereby the core is then able to receive a new one of the covers and be reused.

*The core of the present invention is both surprising and. advar.tageo.us..

Tb! core j5: surprising because it is. used with the cover in place.. With other shrink wrapped products, the shrink wrap material is removed prior to use of the product. The core is advantageous in that the cover keeps thirémaindor of the core. blean. Chemicals, such for example as adhesives are provided on the cover, and not the core. The removal of the cover thus removes the chemibals and other ingredients that previously required t:he wash station disclosed in EP1667927, with its attendant problems of disposal of contaminated water Also, the core of the present invention is much simpler to clean than cleaning using a wash station. This is because it. is simply.

necessary to remove the cover from the core, whereas previously, washing of a core: waS a time consuming operation, in addition to beih,g an operation which provided the problem of disposing of used contaminated water The core of the present invention provides an elegant and cost effective solution to a éubstantial problem in the refurbishment of cores.

The core may be one in which the tube from which the cover is formed has a diameter which (a) is larger than the diameter of the core by.an amount that enables the cover to be slid over the core prior to being heat shrunk.onto the core; and (b) enables the cover to shrink onto the core in a minimum of time under the.application of heat The cover may.extend the entire length of the core.: The bover may be a seamless cover. The cover may be able tO be removed from the core by being cut. Other methods of removing the cover from the core may be employed. When the cover is able to be removed from the core by being cut, then the cut is preferably from the outside of the cover. If desired howeverthe cut could be. from the inside of the cover.

The core may be one in which the core has a bocy portion, a tore which extend.s through the, body portion, a first end member which extends into the bolre from' a first end of the body portion, and a second end member which extends into the bore from a second end of the..bo.dy portion.

The cOre mabe one in which the first end member has a first flange for abutting.against the first end of the body portion, and in which the second end member has a second flange for abutting against the second. end. of the body portiàn. . The care may include screws extending through the body portipn and into the first and second end members The core may be one in which the first end member has a lead-in Fottion fo,r facilitating, insertion Of the first. end member into the bore at the first end of the body portion, and in which the second end member has a lead-in portionfor facilitating insertion of the second end member' *into the bore at the second end of the bod.y portion.

The first and second end members may each inclUde gripping means for facilitating gripping the first and second end, members in order to locate the first and sSçopd end members in position in the bore of the body portion.

The. gripping means may be slots. The slots.may be in wall defining a bore * through each Of the first and second end members.

* The core may be one in which the central poiiicn is. made of a* metal, and in which the first and second end members are made of a plastics material. A preferred metal is aluminium but other metals may be employed.

A preferred plastics material is polyethylene but other plastics materials may be employed.

The core may include an identity tag. The identity tag is prelerably an active identity tag The active identity tag may be that known, as a radio frequency identification device The identity tag may also be a passive identity tag.

The core may be one which incJudes earthing means. The earthing means may be an electrically conducting strip. The eat-thing means may be advantageous in. removing static electricity from.. the core which is' a notorious problem in the printing industry Static electricity discharges can harm working personnel in the vicinity of the core when the sheet matenal in the form of paper is. being removed from the core and printing.. In' addition to harming personnel working in the vicinity of the machines, the static electricity, cail also cause fires on the machines. The problem of static e'lectriáity and the solving * of the problem. by eirthing means is disclosed in our EP212'1497.

The shrink wrap material may be a plastics. material. The plastics material may be' a polyolefin or a polyvinyl material. The p.olyolefin may be polyethylene or polyethylene teraphthalate (PET) Other polymer plastics materials may' be employed.

The present invention also provides a method of providing sheet material on a core and such that the core is reusable, which method comprises: (i) providing a core which is in a clean ready-for-use condition, (ii) providing the core in its clean ready-for-use condition With a cover which is made of a shrink wrap material which has been Feat shrunk onto the core, and which is such that it is not able to be split by pressures created when wind ing the sheet material around the core and over the cover, (iii) wiridingthe.sheet.rnaterialaroundthe core arid over the cover; (iv) using up the sheet material on the core, (v) removing the coverfrôm the used core; (vi) applying a new cover which is made of the shrink wrap material and whióh is heat shrunk onto the córO; (vii) reUsing:the core; and (viii) repeating (iii) -. (vii) for as many times as it is desired, to: reuse the core.

The method of the invention may be one in which the shrink wrap material is heat shrunk, onto the core by passing the core ona conveyor byor through heating means. The heating means may be an oven. Alternatively the heating means may bea hot airblOwer.

In. the method of the invention, the ôover is preferably removed from the used core by being cut. Other methods may be employed. When the cover is removed from the used core by being cut, then the cut is preferably from the outside of the cover. The cut may be from the inside of the coverif desired.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way: of example and with.reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure. 1 shows known apparatus from EP1667927 and which refurbishes cores by cleaning old cores using a wash station, Figure 2 is a side view of a first core of the present invention, Figure is an eplo déd view of the care shown In Figuré'2; FigUre 4 is an isometric view of a bbdy.portion forming pail of the core as shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is isometric view of a cover forming part of the core as shown inFigure.3; . . Figure 6 is an end view of one of the end members. of the core as shown in Figure 3; Figure 7 shows part of a second core of the present invention; Figure & shows an end member which may. form part oVa third core of the p.reset invention; Figure 9 is an end view of the core shown in Figure 8; Figure 10 shows, par of a fourth core of the present invention; 9.

Eigure 11 is an end view illustrating the removal of the cpver from the core shown in Figures 2 and 3; Figure 12 shows apparatus for shrink fifing a new cover onto a core; and Figure 13 illustrates how. the reused. cores with their sheet material are able to be used in industry.

Referring to Figure 1 * there is shown apparatus 2 for refurbishing used cores 4 for rolls of material in the form of printing paper The apparatus 2 comprises stripper means 6 for stripping remaining printed pØer 8 from.. the used cores 4 by. pulling the remaining printed paper 8 from the used cores 4.

The apparatus 2 further comprises feed means 10 for feeding the used crés 4 to the stripper mOans 6. Cleaning means 12 is provided for cleaning the used cores 4 after they have been treated by the stripper means 6 Adhesive applicator means 14 is provided for applying adhesive 16 to the used cores, whereby the used: cores.are then: ready for.reuse. as refurbished cores. for new roHs of printing plper. . . . . The. apparatus 2 includes sensor means 18 fOr measuring and recording the length of the printing paper 8 stripped from each used core 4.

The sensor means tB measures the length of the printing paper 8 in metres.

The apparatus 2 also includes a waste bin.20 for receiving the printing paper *8 stripped from each used core 4. The printing paper 8. in thewaste bin is then available:for re-useor disposal may be suitable and:appropriate.

The apparatus 2 further includes tag reader means 22 for reading identity tags (not shown) on the used áored 4. The identity gs are radig frequency identification devices. The tag reader means 22 is adapted to read the radio frequency identification devices, Each used, core 4 has a radio frequency identification device, and thus each used core can be individually identified. Particulars applicable to each core 4 pan be logged, such for example the amOunt of printing pa'per 8 remaining on the used core 4, and the passage of the, entire roll of printed paper supported on the used cOre from the paper mill to a printing press.

The stripper.rneans 6. comprIses two rollers 24 for rolating. the used cOres 4. The two rollers 24 are revirsibte drive rollers 24. The.stripper means further*comprisès endobtaining means in the form of a roller 26. The roller 26 obtains a free-end of the remaining printing paper on each, used core 4. The roller"26,iSá.btus.h:rolle.r.. . . ..

The stripperrneans6 further comprises pull means 28 forpulling the remaining printing paper 8 off each used core 4 The pull means 28 comprises two pairs of rollers 30, 32 as shown A transfer arm 34 helps to transfer the free end of the printing paper 8 from the used core 4 being treatedbythe rollers 24tbthé.rollers 30.

The feed means'. 10 is a, conveyor feed, means 10 as shown. The conveyor feed means 10 comprises a conveyor 36 and dividers38 for forming compartments 40: There is one compartment 40 for each' used. core 4 as shown.

The cleahirg means 12 is a roller. cleaning., means., 12. The roller cleaning means. 12 has scrubbing rollers 42 and a hot Wash tatioh 44. Two support rollers 46 support the used cores 4 one at a time as they pass 11* through the cleaning means 12. The support rollers 46 are then able to move the cleaned used cores 4 to the adhesive applicator means. 14. Hot water 48 from the hot wash. station 44 is collected in a container in theform of a tray 50.

The ac.hesive applicator means 14 comprises a pair cf.rollers 52 for applying the adhesive 16 to the cores 4. The cores 4 then become refurbished cores ready for receiving new rolls of paper.

The*'ápraratus may be such that the various parts are mounted On a frame 54. Refurbished cores may leave the apparatus 2 via a sloping: outlet 56. The rollers 24, 46 may be supported as shown On a pivoting arm.58 mounted on. a piston 60. The piston 60 operates in a cylinder 62 of a hydraulic lifter 64 A similar but smaller hydraulic lifter 66 having a piston 68 operating in a cylinder 70 supports the scrubbing rollers 42 and the hot wash station 48 The tray 50 contains the used water 48 employed in the hot wash station 44 Depending upon the number of used cores 4 being refurbished at any one time, the tray 50 may need to be large in order to contain all the used water 48 The water 48 will contain substantial amounts of chemicals such for example as adhesives:. The amount of adhesives and other. contaminant chemicals in the water 48 may prevent the, water 48 from the being disposed as normal sewage water in a normal method through the sewage system.

Special arrangements may need to be made with local.water authorities for the collection and disposal of the coAtaminated water:. This presents a substantial problem and also increases the cost of refurbishing thecores.

Referring now to Figures 2 -6, there is shown a first core 72 of the present invention. The core 72 is reusable and it is for receiving sheet material 74 as shown in Figure 13. The core 72 has a cover 76. The cover 76 is in contact with the core. 72so that in use the sheet material 74 is wound over the cover 76.

The cover 76 is made of a shrink wrap material The cover 76 is constructed such that it is not able to spht by pressures created when winding the sheet material over the cover 76. The cover 76 is formed from a tube of the ahrink wrap material that has been shrunk onto. the core 72, y*the application of heat. The. cover 76 is able to be removed: from the corç 72, Whereby the core 72 is then able to receive a new one of the cOvers 76. and be reused. . The tube tram. which the cover 76 is formed ha! a dianeter which is larger than the diameter of the core 72 by an amount that enables the cover 76 to be slid over the core 72 prior to being heat shrunk onto the core 72 In additiOn; the.: tube frOm which the cover 76 is formed has a diameter which enables the cover 76 tO shrink onto the cOre 72 in a minimum of time under the application cf heat..This* avoids unnecessary wastage of production time and heat in heat shrinking the cover 76 onto the core 72.

As can be seen from Figures 2 and 3, the cover 76 extends the entire length of the core 72.. The cover 76 is a seamless cOver.

The cover 76 is.able..to be removed from the core 72 by being cut. The cUt is preferably effected from the outside of the cover 76.

As can best be. appreciated, from Figure 3, the core 12 has a body portion 78, and a bore 80 which extends through the body portion 78 A first end member 82 extends into the bore from a first end 64 of the body portion 78 A second end member 86 extends into the bore 80 from a second end 88 of.the body portion 7& The first. end member 82 has.á first flange 90 for abutting a ainst the first end:84.ef the body portion. 78; The second end member 86 has a second flange 92 for abutting against the second end 88 of the body portion 78 The first and second end members 82, 86 each has an insert portion 94 for facilitating insertion of the first and second end members 82, 86 into the bore 80 of the body portion 78 Referring now to Figure 7, there is shown part of a second core 96 of the present invention Figure 7 shows the right hand part of the core 96 and shows how the core 96 has a cover 98 which is a shrunk fit over a body portion 100 The body portion 100 has a bore 102 The bore 102 has an enlarged diameter portion 104 which receives an insert portion 106 of a second end member 108 Similar to the first and second end members 82, 86, the second end member 108 has a bore 110 The bore 110 is for receiving a chuck (not shown) during use of the core 96 The bore 110 has a lead-in portion 112 for facilitating entrance of the chuck into the bore 110 The lean-in portion 112 is formed in a second flange 114 which abuts against a secord ehd 116.of the body portIon 100. . The core 96 is shown:as being provided near its séco.rd eAd 116 with three holes 118 The holes 118 are counter sunk by virtue of a recess 120 around each, hole 118. The holes 118' are eqthspaced arcuhd.. the circumference of the body portion 100. The holes 118 lineup with three equi-spaced holes 122 in the insert portion 106 of the second end member 108.

Threo screws 124 sbrew through the holes 118 and into the holes 122, and thereby retain the second end member 108 in the enlarged djanieter portion 104 of the bore 102., and prevent the second end member.108 rotating with respect to the body portion 100 during use of the core 96. The core 96 has a first end member which is like the second end member 1.08 and which extends into an enlarged diameter portion 104 at the opposite and f.irst end of the body portion 106 (not shown) The first end member is retained in position by screws, in the same manner as. the second end member 1.08.

The cover 98 is. similar to the cover 76. In Figure 2, it will be: seen how the cover 76 covers the join 126.between the first end member 82: and the first end 84!. and the join 126. between the second end member 86 and the second end 88. Contaminants such for exampl! as adhesives are thus prevented from getting into the joins 126. In Figure 7, the. cover 9.8 covers not only the joins 126 at each end of the bOdy portion 100, but also covers the screws 124, and their counter sunk recesses 120 Contaminants such for example as adhesives are thus prevented from gettinginto the threads. of the screws 124, and into the holes 118 and the recesses 120. Much time is thus saved in removing the contaminants from these various parts because, with the use of the.cover 76, 98, it is simply necessary to remove the cover 76, 98 whereupon the contaminants such for example. as adhesives are removed with the cover 76, 98.

Référring now to Figures 8 and 9, there is shown a second end member 128 which may form part of a third core of the present invention. The second end member 128 has an insert portion 130 fc.r being inserted into a bore in the core, with the insertion being from a second end of the core through the body portion of the core. A first end member (not shown) and similar to the sebond end member 128 will be inserted into the bore through the body portion from.the oppos!te and first end of the body portion:.

The second end member 128 has two lead-in portipns 132 for facilitating insertion of the second end member 128 into the bore in the body pbrtion:The léadin portions 132 are curved segments as shown.

The second end member 128 has a flange 134 for abufting against the second end of the body portion of thecore. The flange 134 hasa lead-in portion 136 for facilitating insertion of a chuck (not showr) into the bore 138 Of the secondend member 128. Slots 140 commence in the leadin portion 136 and extend longitudinally as shown The slots 140 form gripping means for facilitating gripping of the second end member 128 in order to locate the seóond end member 128 in the bore in the body portion for example with holes (not shown) in the second member 128 aligned with holes in the body portion for receiving screws as described above with reference to Figure 7.

Additionally or alternatively, the slots 140 may provide increased grip for a chuck inserted into the bore 138 and supporting the entire core during use of the core, for example during the printing of newspapers or the printing of other material including plastics sheet material for food packaging.

Referring flow to Figure 10, there is shown part of a fourth core 142 having a body portion 144. The body portion 144 has a bore 146. A first end 148 of the body portion 144 receives a first end member 150. The first end member 150 has an insert portion 152 and a flange 154. A chuck 156 is shown inserted into a bore 158 in the first end member 150.

The core 142 is shown provided with a cover 10..The.cover 1.60 is a shrink fit cover which is made Of a shrink wrap material. The core 160 may be the.same.as, ordifferentfrom, the covers 76, 98 shown in previous Figures.

The core. 142 is.SO shown with earthing means 162 The ear hing means 162 enables static electricity to be discharged via a machine having the chuck 156. The diséharge of the static electricity via the chuck 156 and its associated liar dung machine avoids the possibility of the static electricity causing fires, and also personnel working in the vicinity of the core 142 receiving possibly harmful static electricity shocks The earthing means 162 is an electrically conducting strip as shown The core 142 shown in Figure 10 is such that its second end will usually be a replica of the first end For the purposes of illustration, the body portion 144 has been shown as being provided with a radio frequency identificationtag 164 which is located in the bore 146 of the body portion 144.

Theradio frequency. identification tég 164 then extends as shown through the flange.of the second insert, member at the second end 166 of the body portion Referring now to Figure II, there is shoWn the core 72 of Figures 2 and 3 with its cover 76 over its body pdrtion 7E. Figure.11. shows. how, the * cover 76 is able to be removed by a cutting blade 166 which cuts the cover 76 * from the outside of the cover 76. A thin culling blade (not shown) could alternatively be. inserted between the core 72 an.d the.cover 76. in order to cut the cover 7 from inside if the thin cutting blade is then pushed along the length of the core 72.

Figure 12 stiàws tubular material 170 for forming, cover such as the cover 176 on a body portion 78 of a core 72. The tubular material 170 is initially wound on: a.core 1 72: which may be a core of.the. present invention or it may be a.prior art core. The tubular material 170 is unwound from the core 172 and it passes over.a guide roller 174. The tubular material 170 is then opened as shown at position 176 so that it is able to pass over the core 72 comprising the first and second end members 82, 86 and the body portion 78 When the tubular material 170 is in position on the core 72, then hot air 178 is applied from a hot air machine 1.80 such for example. as a fan. The timing of operationof the hot.airmadhine 180 is controlled by control means. 182.

As an alternative to providing hot air 178 via a hot air machine 180, the core 72 with the tubular matenal 170 in position may be passed through a heated oven or* other appropriate piece of apparétus which provides the requiredheát to heatshrinkthe tubularmaterial 170.onto the core.72.

Figure 13 showi how sheet material 74 cn the core 72 is able to be used in industry. More specifically, the sheet material 74 is shown being unwound from the àoré 72 and the cover 76 and passing over a guide roller 112. The sheet material 74 then passes in the direction shown by arrow 114 to a desired machine, for example a printing machine for printing sheet material in the form: of paper to form newspapers, or for printing plastics material for printing packaging for the food industry.

When the cOres described above reference to the drawings are used, they.may be used in a method of providing sheet material on a core and such that the core is reusable. Such a method comprises: (i) providing a core which is in a clean ready-for-use condition; (ii) providing the core in its clean ready-for-use condition with a cover which is rñade of a shrink wrap mäteriaJ which has been héatshrunk onto thecore,*and whithi.s. such.lhat it.is;no.t able to be split by pressures created when winding the sheet material around the core and Over the cover; (iii) winding the sheet material aroundthe core and over the dover; (iv) using up.the sheet material on the core; (v) removihgthè cover frOm the used core; * (vi) ipplying a new cover which is made of the shrink wrap material and which is heat shrunk onto the core; (vii) reusing the core; and (viii) repeating (iii) -(vii) for as many times as it is desired to reuse the core.

In the method of the inventioh, the shrink wrap. material may be heat shrunk onto the core by passing: the core on a conveyor by or through heating means. The heating means may be an oven or a hot air. blower. The cover is preferably removed from the used core by being cut from the outside as illustrated in Figure 11.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been öiven by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the covers 76, 96 can be made of any suitable and appropriate heat shrink material. The cérés 72 cab be made in various sizes in dependenàe upon the use for Which the: sheet màteriàI 14 is to be put. The central poion of the core is preferably made of aluminium. Other metals and. also plastics materials may be employed. The first, and second end members are preferably made. of poIyethylere Other plastics members may be employed.

Individual compánents èhcwn in the drawings. are:not limitad tc. use in their drawings and they maybe used in other drawing.s and: in all aspects of the invention.

Claims (4)

1. CLAIMSi. A core which is reusable and which is for receiving sheet material, and the core being such that: (I) the core has a cover; (ii) the cover is in contact with the core so. that in use the sheet material: is wound over the cover; (iii) the cover is made cf a shrink wrap material; * (iv) the cover is constructed such that it is nct able to be split by pressures created when winding the sheet material over the GOF, (v) the. cover is forn'ied from a tube of the shrink wrap material that has been shrunk onto the core by the application of heat; and (vi) the cover is able to be removed from the core whereby the core then ableióreaeive a new oreof the covej%and.be.reusèd.
2. 2. A core according to claim 1 in which the tube from which the cover is formed has a diameter which.: (a) is larger than the diameter of the core by an amount that enables the cover to be slid over the core ptlor to being heat shrunk onto the côré; and (b) enables the cover to shrink onto the core in a minimum of time under the appiKation of heat.
3. 3. A core accordingto claim 1 or claim 2 in Which the:cover extends the entire length of the.core.
4. 4. A core accord in9 to. any one of the preceding claims in which the cover is a seamless cover.

   A core according to any one of the preceding claims in which the cover is able to be rem: oved from the core b.y being cut.

   6 A core according to claim 5 in which the cut is from the outside of the cover.

   7 A core according to any one of the preceding claims in which the core has a body portiOn.; a.bôre which extends through the bbdypodion,. a firstend member which extends ibto the bore from a first end of.the body portion, and a second end member which extends into the bore frn* a second end ofthe body portion. . 8. A core according to claim 7 in which the first end member has a first flange for abutting against the first end of the body portion, and in which the second end member has a second flange for abutting the second end of the body portion.9*: A core according to claim 7 or claim 8 and inclUding screws extending through the body portion and into the first and second end members.A core according to any one of claims 7 -9 in which the first end memter has a lead-in portion for facilitating insertion of the first end member into the bore it the first end of the body portion, and iii which the second end member has a lead-in portion for facilitating insertion of the second end member into the bore at the second end of the body portiOn.11 A core according to any one of claims 7 -10 in which the first and second endmembers each indludes grippingmeans for facilitating gripping of the first and second end members in order to locate the first and second end members in positiOn in the bore Of the body portion.12. A core according to cllirn 11 in which the gripping means are slots.13, A core according to claim 12 in which the slots are in a walldefining. a borethrough each of the first andsecond end members.14. A core according to any one of claims 7 -13 in which the central portion is made of a metal, and in which the first and second end members are made of è plastics material.15. A core according to claim 14 in which the metal is aluminium.16. A core according claim 15 in which the plastics material, is polyethylene.17 A core according any one of the preceding claims and including a radio * frequency identification' device.18 A core according to any one of the preceding claims and including eárthing: means.19: A core *aócording tq any one of the' preceding claims in Which the shrink wrap material is a plastics material.20. A core accorting to claim 19 in which the plastics material is a polyolefin or a polyvinyl material.21. A core which *is reusable and which is for receiving sheet material, substantially has herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. * * * * 22. A method Of providing sheet material on a core and. such. that the core is reusable, which method comprises: (I) providing a core which is in a clean ready4or-use condition; (ii) providing the core in its clean ready-for-use condition with a Oover which is made of a shrink wrap material; which has been heat shrunk onto the core, and which is such thatit is not able to be split by pressures created when winding the sheet material around the core and over the cover; (iii) winding the sheet material around the core and ovör the cover; (iv) using up the sheet material on the core; (v) removing the cover from the used core; (vi) . applying a new paver which is made of the shrinK wrap máter.jal and which is heat:shrunk onto the core.: (vii) reusing the core; and (viii) repeating (iii) -(vii) for as many times as it is deéiréd to reuse the core.23. A method according to claim 22 in. which the shrink wrap, material is heat shrUnk onto the core by passing the core on a conveyer by or through heating means.24. A method according to claim 23 in which the heating means isovSn.25. A method according to claim 23 in which the heating means. is a hot air blower.26. A method according to any one of claims 22-25 in which th cover is removed from the used core by being cut.27. A method according to claim 261n which the cut is from the. outside of the cover.28. A method of próvid ing sheet material on a core and. such that the core is reusable, substantially as herein described. with reference to the accompanying drawings.