GB2598832A

GB2598832A - Stackable pails

Info

Publication number: GB2598832A
Application number: GB2110438.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Pardoe Colin
Original assignee: Fibrestar Drums Ltd
Current assignee: Fibrestar Drums Ltd
Priority date: 2020-07-20
Filing date: 2021-07-20
Publication date: 2022-03-16
Also published as: GB202011189D0; GB202110438D0; GB202020258D0

Abstract

A nestable pail comprising a wall 8, a base 6, a mouth, and a band. The wall extends between the base and a mouth edge 4 defining the mouth. The wall has an inner face and an outer face facing away from the wall. The wall comprises layers of a sheet plant-based fibrous composite material adhered to the adjacent sheet(s). The band is a continuous strip of material at least partially fixed to the region of the wall substantially parallel to and spaced from the mouth edge. The wall defines a plurality of flutes 12 extending from the intersection of the base with the outside face of the wall to a flute end located between the intersection of the base with the outside face of the wall and the mouth edge. The depth and/or width of each flute decreases from a maximum at the intersection of the base with the outside face of the wall to zero at the flute end. A method of manufacture comprises steps of forming the wall on a mandrel from a plurality of layers of material and swaging the resulting tube to form flutes.

Description

STACKABLE FIBRE PAILS

This invention relates to stackable pails, and in particular pails made of plant based fibre composites.

It is known that it is desirable for containers such as drums to be as sustainable and recyclable as possible. The sustainability of such drums is largely dependent on the material from which they are manufactured. Particularly sustainable materials are plant based materials when the plants are themselves sustainably produced.

A common plant based sustainable material is paper. Paper is most commonly a composite of intertwined wood or other plant fibres that can originate from sustainably grown and harvested forestry or other plant growing. The paper may be manufactured using the Kraft process which results in what is known as Kraft paper. Kraft paper may be of varying weights (described in terms of the weight of 1 m2 the paper) and dimensions, in particular the width (or deckle) of a roll of the paper as it is delivered to the user of the paper.

In the manufacture of parallel sided drums, which can be cylindrical or have an alternative configuration such as, without limitation, cubic or rectangular, Kraft paper is typically used to manufacture the drum. For the purposes of discussion of known drums reference will be made to cylindrical drums having a central longitudinal axis. A person skilled in the manufacture of drums using paper will readily understand that other parallel sided drum configurations are possible and how to adapt the techniques used for cylindrical drums to those other parallel sided configurations.

Typically Kraft paper is used to form a cylindrical drum by wrapping a cylindrical mandrel with multiple layers of Kraft paper with the layers of Kraft paper being convolutely wound and bonded to each other using a sodium silicate adhesive. The number of layers applied is determined by the desired strength of the drum. -2 -

Once the drum has been formed, it is open ended and the drum wall defines a volume which will be the storage volume for the drum. A base for the drum is then formed. The base of the drum is typically formed by: Tooling a number of fingers into the edge of the drum that will be the lower edge of the drum; - Bending those fingers toward the central axis of the drum so that they extend radially inwardly from the drum wall; - Inserting a first baseplate in the form of a disc into the volume of the drum and adhering the fingers to the face of the first disc that faces away from the storage volume of the drum using a suitable adhesive; and Adhering a second baseplate in the form of a disc to the face of the fingers remote from the first disc using a suitable adhesive.

The first disc typically has a diameter equal to the inside diameter of the drum wall, and the second disc a diameter approximately equal to the outside diameter of the drum wall.

A lid for the drum is manufactured separately.

Such drums, once manufactured may be 100% recyclable, comply with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, and hold United Nations (UN) approval for Packaging groups II and Ill (solids), indicating that they meet the Carriage of dangerous or hazardous goods UN standards which cover, amongst other things, stackability or stacking strength. The stacking strength is how much load the drum can have stacked on it before the structure of the drum fails.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacture of a nestable pail in which the pail comprises a pail wall, a pail base, a pail mouth, and a pail band, the pail wall extends between the pail base and a mouth edge which defines the pail mouth, and the pail wall has an inner face facing another portion of the pail wall and an outer face substantially facing away from the pail wall, the pail wall comprises a plurality of layers of a sheet plant based fibrous composite material in which each sheet is adhered to the sheet or sheets adjacent to that sheet, -3 -the pail band is a continuous strip of material, the pail band is at least partially fixed to the region of the pail wall which is substantially parallel to and spaced from the mouth edge of the pail, the method comprising the steps of forming the pail wall on a first parallel sided mandrel by wrapping said mandrel with a plurality of layers of sheet plant based fibrous composite material to form a parallel sided tube having a first end that forms the mouth edge, and a second end that forms a base edge, the shortest base edge to mouth edge dimension is greater than the desired shortest distance along the outer face of the pail wall between the mouth edge and the pail base of the finished pail by a predetermined distance, swaging the parallel sided tube to form a plurality of flutes, where a plurality of the flutes extend from the second end of the parallel sided tube to a flute end located between the base edge and the mouth edge of the parallel sided tube, and one or both of the depth and width of each flute decreases from a maximum at the second end of the parallel sided tube to zero at the flute end.

It is to be understood that the term tube is a description of a structure with a longitudinal axis and one or more walls that are, in the longitudinal direction substantially parallel to each other or other portions of the wall. The tube may have any cross section, for example, but without limitation, circular, triangular, rectangular, square, or other polygonal shape.

In an embodiment of the above embodiment the pail band is at least partially fixed to the pail wall, and the region of the pail wall to which the pail band is fixed comprises at least part of the pail wall between the flute ends and the mouth edge of the pail.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the pail band comprises a plurality of layers of a sheet plant based fibrous composite material in which each sheet is adhered to the sheet or sheets adjacent to that sheet.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the pail band is formed through a winding process where paper fed from a reel is wound onto a mandrel dimensioned to give a tube of an exact internal diameter. The mandrel rotates and -4 -adhesive is applied to the paper to form a convolute tube with a variable number of wraps depending on required performance of the pail band. Once a sufficient wall thickness has been achieved, the wound tube is then ejected from the mandrel and slit or cut to form a number of pail bands, for example a number of rings when the tube is of circular cross-section.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the internal dimensions of the tube which is to be cut into pail bands is determined by the external dimensions of the pail in the region around the pail wall which is substantially parallel to and spaced from the mouth edge.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the method of fixing or partially fixing the pail band to the pail wall comprises using an adhesive.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, when the pail band is partially fixed to the pail wall the portion of the pail band fixed to the pail wall extends all of the way around the pail band and from the edge of the pail band closest to the mouth edge of the pail and at least part of the width of the pail band. This results in at least part of the width of the pile band extending from the edge of the pile band remote from the moth edge of the pail not being fixed to the pail.

In some embodiments the whole width of the pile band is fixed to the pail at some longitudinal positions along the length of the pile band, and at least some of the width of the pile band is not fixed to the pail at other longitudinal positions along the length of the pail band.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, one or more portions of the pail band are fixed to the pail wall are located at discrete intervals along the length of the pail band.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, when the pail band is not fully fixed to the pail wall, one or more parts of the pail band are slit or cut, and the slits or cuts are configured to allow a part of the pail band to be deformed, for example bent, so as to create a portion of the pail band that can function as a handle. In some embodiments, fold lines are formed in the pail band, and the fold lines assist -5 -in deforming the pail band to form a portion of the pail band that functions as a handle.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacture of a nestable pail in which the pail comprises a pail wall, a pail base, and a pail mouth, the pail wall extends between the pail base and a mouth edge which defines the pail mouth, and the pail wall has an inner face facing another portion of the pail wall and an outer face substantially facing away from the pail wall, the pail wall comprises a plurality of layers of a sheet plant based fibrous composite material in which each sheet is adhered to the sheet or sheets adjacent to that sheet, comprising the steps of forming the pail wall on a first parallel sided mandrel by wrapping said mandrel with a number of layers of sheet plant based fibrous composite material to form a parallel sided tube having a first end that forms the mouth edge, and a second end that forms a base edge, the shortest base edge to mouth edge dimension is greater than the desired shortest distance along the outer face of the pail wall between the mouth edge and the pail base of the finished pail by a predetermined distance, swaging the parallel sided tube to form a number of flutes, where a number of the flutes extend from the second end of the parallel sided tube to a flute end located between the base edge and the mouth edge of the parallel sided tube, and one or both of the depth and width of each flute decreases from a maximum at the second end of the parallel sided tube to zero at the flute end.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the first or second aspect of the present invention, the layers of sheet plant based fibrous composite material wrapped around the mandrel may be from a single continuous role of sheet material, or from a number of separate sheets. The layers are adhered together using a suitable adhesive, for example, a sodium silicate adhesive.

An advantage of the flutes of the first or second aspect of the present invention being configured to have a decreasing width and / or depth as the distance along the flute from the base edge increases is that the decrease in the length of the perimeter around the tube resultant from the formation of the flutes decreases as -6 -the width and or depth of the flange decreases. This has the effect that the pail wall tapers inwardly from the flute end to the base edge. This allows the finished pails to be nestable.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the first or second aspect of the present invention, the swaging step may comprise placing a tube on a swaging apparatus, actuating the swaging apparatus to cause the swaging to occur, and releasing the tube from the apparatus. In some embodiments of the swaging step the tube is heated prior to and! or during the swaging. In some embodiments one or more parts of the swaging apparatus may be heated so as to apply heat to the tube. The tube is heated to a temperature of between about 120 and 250 degrees Celsius to improve the flute forming process. Specifically, the heating enhances the definition of the flutes and prevents the flutes reverting back to their original configuration over time as a result of shape memory of the fibres. The heating temperature required will depend on the fibre strength and the moisture content of the tube.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the first or second aspect of the present invention, the swaging apparatus may comprise a second mandrel, a number of swaging elements and an actuator in which the second mandrel has an external surface profile that matches the desired internal surface profile for the pail, the second mandrel defines in its surface a number of grooves suitable for use in the formation of flutes, and a number of the swaging elements are each configured to deform a portion of the tube into a groove so as to form a flute.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the first or second aspect of the present invention, the swaging elements are configured to reversibly move between a first unengaged position and a swaging position. In the unengaged position the swaging elements are clear of the second mandrel and a tube can be placed onto and removed from the second mandrel. In the swaging position the swaging elements are in contact with a tube located on the second mandrel and those swaging elements which are configured to deform a portion of the tube into a groove so as to form a flute are deforming those portions of the tube. The swaging elements may be biased into the unengaged position. -7 -

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the first or second aspect of the present invention, the swaging elements may each further comprise a bearing surface which is so configured that a force bearing on the bearing surface impels the swaging elements from the unengaged position to the swaging position.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the first or second aspect of the present invention, the actuator may comprise an actuator cup and an actuation means. The actuator cup may comprise an actuator cup mouth, an actuator cup base and an actuator cup wall extending between the actuator cup mouth and the actuator cup base, in which the actuator cup is so configured that the mouth of the actuator cup may surround a portion of the bearing surface of each swaging element when those swaging elements are in the unengaged position. The actuator cup wall and the bearing surfaces of each swaging element may be so configured that movement of the actuator cup base toward the swaging elements causes the inside surface of the actuator cup wall to bear against the bearing faces of the swaging elements, and actuation of the actuator cup may be caused by the actuation means. The actuation means may be a hydraulic or servo driven ram.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the first or second aspect of the present invention, the swaging step may further include maintaining the swaging elements in the swaging position for a predetermined period of time. Thereafter, the actuator cup is moved away from the swaging elements and the swaging elements may move back to the unengaged position.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the first or second aspect of the present invention, the method of the present invention may further comprises tooling a number of fingers in the second edge of the parallel sided tube and forming a pail base including those fingers and first and second baseplates.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the first or second aspect of the present invention, the fingers may be tooled by pleating or cutting a number of notches into the base edge of the pail wall. In some embodiments, at least some of the notches are so located along the base edge of the pail wall that they coincide with the end of a flute where that flute intersects what will be the intersection of the outside face of the pail wall and the pail base when the pail is fully formed. In some -8 -embodiments, each notch is so located along the base edge of the pail wall that it coincides with the end of a flute where that flute intersects what will be the intersection of the outside face of the pail wall and the pail base.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the first or second aspect of the present invention, at least one notch is "V" shaped. In some embodiments at least one notch is approximately rectangular, in some embodiments at least one notch has the shape of an acute trapezoid, in some examples an isosceles trapezoid. In some embodiments the notch is a slit.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the first or second aspect of the present invention, the pail base is formed by Bending the fingers toward each other so that they extend from the pail wall towards a different portion of the pail wall; Inserting a first baseplate into the volume of the drum and adhering the fingers to the face of the first baseplate that faces away from the pail mouth using a suitable adhesive; and Adhering a second baseplate to the face of the fingers remote from the first baseplate using a suitable adhesive.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the first or second aspect of the present invention, the first baseplate is so dimensioned and configured that its outer perimeter closely follows the perimeter defined by the inside face of the pail wall at the predetermined position for the inside of the pail base. In some embodiments, the outer perimeter of the first baseplate is in or close to being in sliding contact with the perimeter defined by the inside face of the pail wall.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the first or second aspect of the present invention, the second baseplate may be so dimensioned that it covers the face of the fingers remote from the first baseplate but does not cover the ends of any of the flutes.

The strength of the pail (relative to a smooth tapering pail wall) of the first or second aspects of the present invention has been found to be significantly increased, in particular in connection with the stacking strength of the pails. The increase in -9 -strength is understood to result from the flutes leading to a significant increase in the rigidity of the pail wall. It has been found that locating at least some or all of the notches at positions along the base edge of the pail wall so that a notch coincides with each flute at or close to the position that will be the intersection of the outer face of the pail wall and the pail base when the pail is fully formed or constructed is particularly advantageous. This is thought to be because that rigidity is not compromised by forming and subsequent bending of the fingers to form the pail base because the location of the notches means that there is no bending of the flutes.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a swaging apparatus having the characteristics discussed in connection with the first aspect of the present invention According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a nestable pail in which the pail comprises a pail wall, a pail base, a pail mouth, and a pail band, the pail wall extends between the pail base and a mouth edge which defines the pail mouth, and the pail wall has an inner face facing another portion of the pail wall and an outer face substantially facing away from the pail wall, the pail wall comprises a plurality of layers of a sheet plant based fibrous composite material in which each sheet is adhered to the sheet or sheets adjacent to that sheet, the pail band is a continuous strip of material, the pail band is at least partially fixed to the region of the pail wall which is substantially parallel to and spaced from the mouth edge of the pail, the pail wall defines a number of flutes, a number of the flutes extend from the intersection of the pail base with the outside face of the pail wall to a flute end located between the intersection of the pail base with the outside face of the pail wall and the mouth edge, and one or both of the depth and width of each flute decreases from a maximum at the intersection of the pail base with the outside face of the pail wall to zero at the flute end.

-10 -In an embodiment of the above embodiment the pail band is at least partially fixed to the pail wall, and the or each region of the pail wall to which the pail band is fixed comprises at least part of the pail wall between the flute ends and the mouth edge of the pail.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the pail band is adjacent to and spaced from the edge in the pail wall that defines the pail mouth and forms a raised band around the surface of the pail with a first band edge facing the pale base and a second band edge facing the pail mouth. In some embodiments, one or both of the first and second pail band edges are so configured that when the pail band is fixed to the pail wall one or both of the pail band edges form a step on the surface of the pail wall.

The inclusion of the pail band in the pail of the present invention is advantageous because it has been found that if a number of pails of the present invention which do not include a pail band are nested and standing so that the mouths of the pails are facing generally vertically upwards, it is possible that the pails will lock together and separating the pails will then give rise to difficulties. When nesting a first pail into a second pail, (with at least the first pail including a pail band), the first band edge of the pail band of the first pail will interfere with the edge of the pail wall defining the pail mouth of the second pail (into which the first pail is being nested). The interference prevents the first pail sufficiently entering into the second pail for the two pails to lock together.

The inclusion of a pail band in a pail of the present invention has the further advantage that the pail band adds rigidity to the pail. This is particularly beneficial when the pail is being handled and filled. This increase in rigidity may be achieved without the inclusion of significantly increased quantities of material in the manufacture of the pail.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the internal dimensions of the pail band is determined by the external dimensions of the pail in the region around the pail wall which is substantially parallel to and spaced from the mouth edge.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the pail band is fixed or partially fixed to the pail wall using an adhesive.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, when the pail band is partially fixed to the pail wall the portion of the pail band fixed to the pail wall extends all of the way around the pail band and from the edge of the pail band closest to the mouth edge of the pail and at least part of the width of the pail band. This results in at least part of the width of the pile band extending from the edge of the pile band remote from the moth edge of the pail not being fixed to the pail. In some embodiments the whole width of the pile band is fixed to the pail at some longitudinal positions along the length of the pile band, and at least some of the width of the pile band is not fixed to the pail at other longitudinal positions along the length of the pail band.

In an alternative embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the one or more portions of the pail band that are fixed to the pail wall are located at discrete intervals along the length of the pail band.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, when the pail band is not fully fixed to the pail wall, one or more parts of the pail are slit or cut, and the slits or cuts are configured to allow a part of the pail band to be deformed, for example bent, so as to create a portion of the pail band that can function as a handle. In some embodiments, fold lines are formed in the pail band, and the fold lines assist in deforming the pail band to form a portion of the pail band that functions as a handle.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the pail further comprises one or more handles, in which a first part of each handle may be inserted between the pail band and the pail wall and a second part of each handle may be used to help a user lift the pail. In some embodiments the first part includes one or more hooks that the user hooks under the first band edge of the pail band.

-12 -In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the pail is provided with a lid. The lid for the pail comprises a lid plate which closes the mouth of the pail and a lid skirt which depends from the lid plate and overlies a portion of the pail wall when the lid is closing the mouth of the pail.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the pail band is separated from the mouth edge by a portion of pail wall suitably dimensioned that it is fully overlaid by the lid skirt when the lid is closing the pail mouth. In such embodiments the edge of the lid skirt remote from the lid plate is adjacent to or abuts the second band edge of the pail band. In some embodiments the pail band and the lid skirt are so dimensioned that the pail band and the lid skirt form a substantially continuous surface when the lid is closing the mouth of the pail. Such arrangements are particularly advantageous because the lid can then be neatly and securely taped to the pail band to seal the lid to the pail.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a nestable pail in which the pail comprises a pail wall, a pail base, and a pail mouth, the pail wall extends between the pail base and a mouth edge which defines the pail mouth, and the pail wall has an inner face facing another portion of the pail wall and an outer face substantially facing away from the pail wall, the pail wall comprises a plurality of sheets of a plant based fibrous composite material in which each sheet is adhered to the sheet or sheets adjacent to that sheet, the pail wall defines a number of flutes, a number of the flutes extend from the intersection of the pail base with the outside face of the pail wall to a flute end located between the intersection of the pail base with the outside face of the pail wall and the mouth edge, and one or both of the depth and width of each flute decreases from a maximum at the intersection of the pail base with the outside face of the pail wall to zero at the flute end.

An advantage of the flutes of the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention being configured to have a decreasing width and depth as the distance along the flute from the base edge increases is that the decrease in the length of the perimeter around the tube resultant from the formation of the flutes decreases as the width -13 -and or depth of the flange decreases. This has the effect of that the pail wall tapers inwardly from the flute end to the base edge. This allows the finished pails to be nestable.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, the flute end may be at or close to the mouth edge of the pail wall. Alternatively the flute end may be distanced from the mouth edge of the pail wall.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, when the flute end is at or close to the mouth edge of the pail wall the flute end may be less than 30 mm, less than 20 mm, or less than 10 mm from the mouth edge of the pail wall. Such configurations will maximise the nestability of the pails. As a result of maximised nestability the transportation and storage of empty pails can be the most efficient in that the maximum number of pails can be stacked in a given height.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, when the flute end is distanced from the mouth edge of the pail wall the flute end may be more than 30 mm, more than 40 mm, more than 50 mm, between 30 and 100 mm, about 50 mm, about 60 mm, about 70 mm, about 80 mm, about 90 mm, or about 100 mm from the mouth edge. Such a separation of the flute end and mouth edge will allow a sufficient portion of a parallel sided pail wall for a lid to be taped to the parallel sided pail wall. The performance and strength of the taping of the lid to the pail is greater if the lid is taped to a parallel sided wall than it is if the lid is taped to a tapered wall. The nestability of such pails decreases as the distance between the flute end and the pail mouth increases but the nestability and hence the efficiencies in storage and transportation of empty drums is still significantly better than known parallel sided drums.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, the flutes are evenly distributed around the intersection of the pail base with the outside face of the pail wall.

-14 -In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, the pail base may be comprised of a plurality of fingers, a first baseplate and a second base plate, in which the fingers are integral with the pail wall, the first baseplate is dimensioned and configured to contact the inner face of the pail wall at the desired position of the pail base, the fingers are bent to overlie the face of the first baseplate facing away from the pail mouth, the fingers are adhered to the face of the first baseplate facing away from the pail mouth, and the second baseplate is adhered to the face of the fingers facing away from the pail mouth.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, the fingers may be tooled by cutting a number of notches into the base edge of the pail wall, where the base edge of the pail wall is the edge of the pail wall remote from the mouth edge. In some embodiments, at least some of the notches are so located along the base edge of the pail wall that they coincide with the end of a flute where that flute intersects with the intersection of the outside face of the pail wall and the pail base. In some embodiments of the present invention each notch is so located along the base edge of the pail wall that it coincides with the end of a flute where that flute intersects with the intersection of the outside face of the pail wall and the pail base.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, at least one notch is "V" shaped. In some embodiments at least one notch is approximately rectangular, in some embodiments at least one notch has the shape of an acute trapezoid, in some examples an isosceles trapezoid. In some examples the notch is a slit.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, the second baseplate is so configured that the outside edge or perimeter of the second baseplate substantially coincides with the outside face of the pail wall between the flutes at the position where the fingers are folded to overlie the first baseplate of the pail base.

-15 -In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, the pail may be provided with a liner which is substantially impervious to fluids or liquids. The liner may be adhered to substantially all of the inside face of the pail wall. Alternatively, the liner may be adhered to one or more discrete locations on one or both of the inside face of the pail wall and the face of the pail base facing the pail mouth.

In an embodiment of any of the above embodiments of the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, the liner may overlie the mouth edge of the pail wall and the liner may be adhered to the outside face of the pail wall adjacent to the mouth edge of the pail wall.

The inclusion of a liner in the pail of the present invention is advantageous in that it may result in a pail that can be used for the storage and transportation of liquids or material sensitive to the ingress of liquid or liquid vapour, for example water or water vapour.

Depending upon the nature of the liner, a pail may be 100% or close to 100% recyclable. Even when the liner is not recyclable, a pail lined with such a liner will use significantly less plastics material than a plastics pail of equivalent strength. At end of use, a liner can be separated from the pail and the pail recycled and the liner disposed of appropriately, this minimises disposal volumes.

In some examples of the present invention the pail further comprises a pail band.

The pail band overlies a portion of the pail wall and extends around the pail wall in a direction substantially parallel to the edge of the pail wall that defines the pail mouth.

In some examples of the present invention the pail wall comprises a single wall, the pail has a central axis, and the pail has a substantially circular cross-section in a plane substantially perpendicular to the central axis.

In some examples of the present invention the pail wall comprises four walls, excluding the flutes, the pail has a central axis, and the pail has a substantially -16 -square or rectangular cross-section in a plane substantially perpendicular to the central axis.

In some embodiments of the present invention the sheet plant based fibrous composite material is Kraft paper. In some examples the Kraft paper has a weight of between about 250 and 280 grams per square metre (g/m2). In some examples the fibre content of the Kraft paper is at least 70% virgin fibres and the balance of the fibres are recycled fibres.

The use of sheet plant based fibrous composite material is particularly beneficial for several reasons. The material is a sustainable material and can be recycled relatively easily. The material will, if dumped or abandoned in the environment, biodegrade over a relatively short timescale. The material can be used in connection with food or food supplements for livestock (such as sheep, cows, pigs, and poultry), domesticated animals (such as horses, donkeys, and alpacas), and other animals without any concern about the animal ingesting some or all of the pail. If the pail is ingested, it will offer little or no nutritional benefit to the animal but will simply pass through the animal. This make pails according to the present invention particularly beneficial for the use in the provision of food and food supplements to animals.

In some examples of the present invention each sheet of plant based fibrous composite material is treated to increase its perviousness to fluid, liquid, or liquid vapour. In some embodiments the treatment is the application of a thin layer of polyethylene, in some examples that layer is about 0.08 mm thick.

In some embodiments the sheets of plant based fibrous composite are laminated with one or more sheets of other materials.

The present invention will be further described and explained by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows a parallel sided tube; Figure 2 shows a first stage of the manufacture of an embodiment of a pail according to the present invention; -17 -Figure 3 shows a second stage of the manufacture of an embodiment of a pail according to the present invention; Figure 4 shows a first embodiment of a pail according to the present invention; Figure 5 shows a schematic detail of the base of the pail of Figure 4; Figure 6 shows an embodiment of a lid for use with the pail of Figure 4; Figure 7 shows an embodiment of a swaging apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 8 shows a first detail of the swaging apparatus of Figure 7; Figure 9 shows a second detail of the swaging apparatus of Figure 7 Figure 10 shows a first schematic view of a second embodiment of a pail according to the present invention; Figure 11 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a pail band of Figure 10; Figures 12 and 13 shows a detail of a part of the pail band of Figure 11; Figure 14 shows a second view of the pail of figure 10; and Figures 15 and 16 Show an alternative embodiment of the detail of Figures 12 and With reference to Figure 1, a parallel sided cylindrical tube 2 is manufactured by the known technique of wrapping Kraft paper repeatedly around a parallel sided mandrel with each overlying layer being adhered to the previous layer. The tube 2 has a first mouth edge 4 and a second base edge 6 at a first and second end of the tube respectively. Extending between the mouth and base edges 4 and 6 is the pail wall 8. The dimension of the pail wall 8 between the mouth and base edges 4 and 6 is a predetermined amount, for example 100 mm, greater than the desired distance between the mouth and the bottom of the base of the pail that is to be manufactured. Throughout this description references to up, down, above, below and similar terminology is reference to the orientation of a finished pail when that pail is sitting on its base on a horizontal surface and then mouth of the pail is vertically uppermost.

With reference to Figures 2, 3 and 7, the tube 2 is placed in a swaging apparatus 40, and swaged so that a number of flutes 12 are formed in the pail wall 8. Each flute 12 extends from the base edge 6 to a flute end 14. For clarity of the Figures not all of the flutes 12 and flute ends 14 are labelled in each Figure.

-18 -Each of the flutes 12 are at their widest and deepest at the intersection of the flutes 12 with the base edge 6, and the width and depth of each flute 12 decreases along the length of the flute 12 until the flute has no depth or width at flute end 14. Each flute 12 has the same length. The introduction of the flutes 12 into the pail wall 8 causes the pail wall to taper inwardly from the original diameter of the tube 2 at the circumference of the tube that intersects the flute ends 14 to a desired diameter at fold line 22 and a minimum diameter at base edge 6.

Between the circumference of the tube that intersects the flute ends 14 and the mouth edge 4 the pail wall 8 remains parallel sided.

Once the tube 2 has been swaged it is removed from the swaging apparatus 40 and fingers 20 are tooled into the base edge of the pail wall 8 by the cutting of notches 16. The notches 16 are substantially isosceles trapezoidal in shape and extend from the base edge to the intersection of a flute 12 with the fold line 22.

With reference to Figure 5, a first baseplate 24 is placed into the tube 2 through the mouth defined by the mouth edge 4. The first baseplate 24 is dimensioned so that the outer edge of the baseplate 24 contacts the inside face of the pail wall 8 at a position such that when the fingers 20 are bent over at fold line 22 towards the first base plate 24 the face of the fingers 20 lies flat against the face of the first baseplate 24 remote from the mouth edge 4. The fingers 20 are adhered to the first baseplate 24 using a suitable adhesive.

A second base plate 26 is then adhered to the faces of the fingers 20 that are remote from the first base plate 24 using a suitable adhesive.

With reference to Figures 4 and 6, a pail 34 has now been formed following the steps above. The pail 34 is nestable and thus nested stacks of pails 34 are efficiently stored and transported.

The pail 34 can be provided with a lid 28. The lid 28 is comprised of a lid plate 30 and a lid skirt 32. The lid plate 30 is sufficiently strong to have a number of pails 34 stacked upon it. The lid skirt 32 is configured to overlie a portion of the parallel sided portion of the pail wall 8 between circumference intersecting the flute ends 14 -19 -and the mouth edge 4. Adhesive tape (not shown) is partially adhered to the portion of the parallel sided portion of the pail wall 8 and partially adhered to the lid skirt 32 so as to fix the lid 28 to the pail 34.

With reference to Figures 7, 8 and 9, the swaging apparatus 40 includes a mandrel 42, a number of swaging elements 44 (not all labelled for clarity), and an actuator. The mandrel 42 has an external surface profile that matches the desired internal surface profile for the pail 34. The mandrel 42 defines in its surface a number of grooves 46 (not all labelled for clarity) suitable for use in the formation of flutes 12, and all the swaging elements 44 are configured with a protrusion 48 (not all labelled for clarity) to deform a portion of the tube into a groove 46 so as to form a flute 12.

The swaging elements 44 are configured to reversibly move between a first unengaged position (which is shown in Figure 8) and a swaging position. In the unengaged position the swaging elements 44 are clear of the second mandrel and a tube 2 can be placed onto and removed from the mandrel 42. In the swaging position the swaging elements 44 are in contact with a tube 2 located on the mandrel 44 and the protrusions 48 on the swaging elements 44 force a portion of the tube 2 into the grooves 46 so as to form flutes 12. The swaging elements 44 are be biased into the unengaged position by a number of tension springs 50 (not all labelled for clarity).

The swaging elements 44 each further comprise a bearing surface 52 (not all labelled for clarity) which is so configured that a force bearing on the bearing surface 52 impels the associated swaging element 44 from the unengaged position to the swaging position.

The actuator comprises an actuator cup 54 and an actuation means 56. The actuator cup 54 comprises an actuator cup mouth (not shown), an actuator cup base 58 and an actuator cup wall 60 extending between the actuator cup mouth and the actuator cup base 58. As shown in Figure 9, the actuator cup 54 is so configured that the mouth of the actuator cup will surround a portion of the bearing surface 52 of each swaging element 44 when those swaging elements 44 are in the unengaged position. The actuator cup wall 60 and the bearing surfaces 52 of each swaging element 44 are so configured that movement of the actuator cup base 58 -20 -toward the swaging elements 44 (downwards in Figure 9) causes the inside surface of the actuator cup wall 60 to bear against the bearing faces 52 of the swaging elements 44 and to push the swaging elements 44 towards the mandrel 42. The movement of the actuator cup is caused by the actuation means 56. The actuation means 56 is a known actuation means, for example a hydraulic ram The swaging step may further include maintaining the swaging elements 44 in the swaging position for a predetermined period of time. Thereafter, the actuator cup 54 is moved away from the swaging elements 44 and the swaging elements move back to the unengaged position under the bias provided by the tension springs 50.

The mandrel 42 and or the swaging elements 44 may be heated by a heating means, not shown, so as to heat the tube when it is in the mandrel 42.

With reference to Figures 10 to 12, these Figures show a second example of a pail 1134 according to the present invention. The elements of the pail 134 that are the same as those of pail 34 in Figures 4 and 6 have the same numbers as in Figures 4 and 6.

The pail 134 includes a pail band 62 and a sleeve 64 (shown only in Figure 12).

The pail band 62 is cylindrical and partially fixed to the pail wall 8 using an appropriate adhesive (not shown). The pail band 62 is fixed to the pail wall 8 in such a position that when the lid 28 is in place closing the pail mouth, the edge of the lid skirt 32 remote from the lid plate 30 abuts the edge 70 of the pail band 62 at a joint 66. The lid skirt 32 and pail band 62 are so configured that the outside surface of the lid skirt 32 and surface 72 of the pail band 62 form a substantially continuous surface at joint 66. This allows the lid 28 to be sealed to the pail 134 via the pail band 62 using an adhesive tape (not shown).

With reference to Figures 12 and 13, the pail band 62 is not wholly fixed to the pail wall 8. Part of the pail band 62 has a pair of cuts 74 and a fold line 76 that allow a portion of the pail band 62 to be bent away from the pail wall 8 to form a handle 68. In the example of pail 134 illustrated in Figure 14, there are two handles 68 located on substantially diametrically opposite sides of the pail 134. Only one handle 68 may be seen in Figure 14.

-21 -The sleeve 64 is configured to overly a portion of the surface of pail wall 8. The sleeve 64 provides a smooth surface on which information concerning the content of the pail can be printed. The printing can be applied to the sleeve 64 before it is placed over the surface of the pail wall 8. The sleeve is fixed to the pail 134 by a suitable adhesive so that it remains in position.

With reference to Figures 15 and 16 an alternative embodiment of a handle for the pail 134 is shown. In this embodiment there is provided a handle 82 having two insertion spikes 78, two spacer bars 86 and a lifting portion 80. The spacer bards are integral with and extend between the insertion spikes 78 and the lifting portion 80. In use, the insertion spikes 78 are pushed between the pail band 62 and the pail wall 8 until the spacer bars 86 abut the pail band 62. The lifting portion 80 can then be used to lift the pail 134. The handle 82 may be reusable on different pails 134.

The above description is meant to be exemplary only, and one skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed. Still other modifications which fall within the scope of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the

art, in light of a review of this disclosure.

Various aspects of the pails and method of manufacture of the pails disclosed in the various embodiments may be used alone, in combination, or in a variety of arrangements not specifically discussed in the embodiments described above. This disclosure is therefore not limited in its application to the details and arrangement of components set forth in the foregoing description or illustrated in the drawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment may be combined in any manner with aspects described in other embodiments. Although particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects. The scope of the following claims should not be limited by the embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.

Claims

-22 -CLAIMS1 a method of manufacture of a nestable pail in which the pail comprises a pail wall, a pail base, a pail mouth, and a pail band, the pail wall extends between the pail base and a mouth edge which defines the pail mouth, and the pail wall has an inner face facing another portion of the pail wall and an outer face substantially facing away from the pail wall, the pail wall comprises a plurality of layers of a sheet plant based fibrous composite material in which each sheet is adhered to the sheet or sheets adjacent to that sheet, the pail band is a continuous strip of material, the pail band is at least partially fixed to the region of the pail wall which is substantially parallel to and spaced from the mouth edge of the pail, the method comprising the steps of forming the pail wall on a first parallel sided mandrel by wrapping said mandrel with a plurality of layers of sheet plant based fibrous composite material to form a parallel sided tube having a first end that forms the mouth edge, and a second end that forms a base edge, the shortest base edge to mouth edge dimension is greater than the desired shortest distance along the outer face of the pail wall between the mouth edge and the pail base of the finished pail by a predetermined distance, swaging the parallel sided tube to form a plurality of flutes, where a plurality of the flutes extend from the second end of the parallel sided tube to a flute end located between the base edge and the mouth edge of the parallel sided tube, and one or both of the depth and width of each flute decreases from a maximum at the second end of the parallel sided tube to zero at the flute end.
2 A method according to claim 1 in which the pail band is at least partially fixed to the pail wall, and the region of the pail wall to which the pail band is fixed comprises at least part of the pail wall between the flute ends and the mouth edge of the pail.
3 A method according to claim 1 or 2 in which the pail band comprises a plurality of layers of a sheet plant based fibrous composite material in which each sheet is adhered to the sheet or sheets adjacent to that sheet.

-23 - 4 A method according to any of claims 1 to 3 in which the pail band is formed through a winding process where paper fed from a reel is wound onto a mandrel dimensioned to give a tube of an exact internal diameter.

A method according to any of claims 1 to 4 in which the internal dimensions of the tube which is to be cut into pail bands is determined by the external dimensions of the pail in the region around the pail wall which is substantially parallel to and spaced from the mouth edge.

6 A method according to any of claims 1 to 5 in which the method of fixing or partially fixing the pail band to the pail wall comprises using an adhesive.

7 A method according to any of claims 1 to 6 in which the pail band fixed to the pail wall extends all of the way around the pail band and from the edge of the pail band closest to the mouth edge of the pail and at least part of the width of the pail band.

8 A method according to any of claims 1 to 6 in which the whole width of the pile band is fixed to the pail at some longitudinal positions along the length of the pile band, and at least some of the width of the pile band is not fixed to the pail at other longitudinal positions along the length of the pail band.

9 A method according to any of claims 1 to 6 in which one or more portions of the pail band are fixed to the pail wall are located at discrete intervals along the length of the pail band.

A method according to any of claims 1 to 9 in which the pail band is not fully fixed to the pail wall, one or more parts of the pail band are slit or cut, and the slits or cuts are configured to allow a part of the pail band to be deformed so as to create a portion of the pail band that can function as a handle.

11 A nestable pail in which the pail comprises a pail wall, a pail base, a pail mouth, and a pail band, -24 -the pail wall extends between the pail base and a mouth edge which defines the pail mouth, and the pail wall has an inner face facing another portion of the pail wall and an outer face substantially facing away from the pail wall, the pail wall comprises a plurality of layers of a sheet plant based fibrous composite material in which each sheet is adhered to the sheet or sheets adjacent to that sheet, the pail band is a continuous strip of material, the pail band is at least partially fixed to the region of the pail wall which is substantially parallel to and spaced from the mouth edge of the pail, the pail wall defines a plurality of flutes, a plurality of the flutes extend from the intersection of the pail base with the outside face of the pail wall to a flute end located between the intersection of the pail base with the outside face of the pail wall and the mouth edge, and one or both of the depth and width of each flute decreases from a maximum at the intersection of the pail base with the outside face of the pail wall to zero at the flute end.

12 A nestable pail according to claim 11 in which the pail band is adjacent to and spaced from the edge in the pail wall that defines the pail mouth and forms a raised band around the surface of the pail with a first band edge facing the pale base and a second band edge facing the pail mouth.

13 A nestable pail according to claim 11 or 12 in which one or both of the first and second pail band edges are so configured that when the pail band is fixed to the pail wall one or both of the pail band edges form a step on the surface of the pail wall.

14 A nestable pail according to any of claims 11 to 13 in which the pail band comprises a plurality of layers of a sheet plant based fibrous composite material in which each sheet is adhered to the sheet or sheets adjacent to that sheet.

A nestable pail according to any of claims 11 to 14 in which the internal dimensions of the pail band is determined by the external dimensions of the pail in the region around the pail wall which is substantially parallel to and spaced from the mouth edge.

-25 - 16 A nestable pail according to any of claims 11 to 15 in which the pail band is fixed or partially fixed to the pail wall using an adhesive.

17 A nestable pail according to any of claims 11 to 16 in which the pail band is partially fixed to the pail wall, the portion of the pail band fixed to the pail wall extends all of the way around the pail band, and the portion of the pail band fixed to the pail wall extends from the edge of the pail band closest to the mouth edge of the pail at least part of the width of the pail band.

18 A nestable pail according to any of claims 11 to 16 in which the whole width of the pile band is fixed to the pail at some longitudinal positions along the length of the pile band, and at least some of the width of the pile band is not fixed to the pail at other longitudinal positions along the length of the pail band.

19 A nestable pail according to any of claims 11 to 13 in which one or more portions of the pail band are fixed to the pail wall, and those portions are located at discrete intervals along the length of the pail band.

20 A nestable pail according to any of claims 11 to 19 in which the pail band is not fully fixed to the pail wall, one or more parts of the pail are slit or cut, and the slits or cuts are configured to allow a part of the pail band to be deformed so as to create a portion of the pail band that can function as a handle.

21 A nestable pail according to claim 20 in which one or more fold lines are formed in the pail band, and the fold lines assist in deforming the pail band.

22 A nestable pail according to any of claims 11 to 19 in which the pail further comprises one or more handles, in which a first part of each handle may be inserted between the pail band and the pail wall and a second part of each handle may be used to help a user lift the pail.

23 A nestable pail according to any of claims 11 to 22 in which the pail is provided with a lid, the lid for the pail comprises a lid plate which closes the mouth -26 -of the pail and a lid skirt which depends from the lid plate, and the lid skirt overlies a portion of the pail wall when the lid is closing the mouth of the pail.

24 A nestable pail according to claim 23 in which the pail band is separated from the mouth edge by a portion of pail wall suitably dimensioned that it is fully overlaid by the lid skirt when the lid is closing the pail mouth.A nestable pail according to claims 23 or 24 in which the pail band and the lid skirt are so dimensioned that the pail band and the lid skirt form a substantially continuous surface when the lid is closing the mouth of the pail.