US2295287A - Package and packaging - Google Patents

Description

S.spt..8,.l942.` C. G. Mus-'NCH PACKAGE AND PACKAGING 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 10, 193B Sept. 8, 1942.

C. G. MUENCH PACKAGE AND PACKAGING Filed IJan. l0, 1938 2 sheets-sheet 2 Afa/57065 /a 0% 2600 amb Joao Ptenteddsept. 8, 1942 PACKAGE AND PACKAGING Carl G. Muench, New Orleans', La., assignor to The Celotex Corporation,

poration of Delaware Chicago, Ill., a cor- Application January 10, 1938, Serial No. 184,228:

(ci. 410o-A14) i 1o claims. This invention relates to the formation of compact self-sustaining packages of' various mate-I rials, in particularl relating to the formation of more or less disintegrated ilbrous'cellulose containing materials into such packages.

The shipment of such materials'as sugar cane bagasse, the brous residue of sugarcane resulting from the processes of production of sugar, straw, corn stalks, uifed paper, fiber, sawdust, extracted pine chips resulting from the extraction of turpentine from pine, raw cotton, straw, hay, oat hulls, kapok, and other like and more or less similar materials, are in many instances not economically feasible.

The economic bar to transportation of the above materials and similar materials arises due to their bulk since the weight of the v arious materials mentioned runs generally from about 2 to 6 lbs. per cubic foot and as it will be readily understood the bulk of materials of such low density is so great that transportation offmaterials of such densities other than over very short distances is not economical. The economic bar to more for surface protection than for any other reason as for example the formed 'packages of the more valuable materials such as cotton and kapok mayadvisedly be covered with burlap and lightly banded.

Packages of materials formed in accordance with the teachings of this invention, it has been discovered, may be readily disintegrated with very surprising rapidity. On placing one of' these high "density bales in water,fpreferably warm water, the water is very quickly absorbedand the package rapidly swells and expands three dimensionally and moisture is quickly absorbed throughout the material. .A package of bagasse bers formed in accordance with the teachings of this invention and `having a density of between 45 and 50 lbs. per cubic footand of dimensions 4"' x 4'; x 4" was completely saturated and disintegrated to substantially the condition of the bagasse before formation into the package in a period of approximately two minutes after submerision in warm water. The same weight of package compressed into a package by bagasse, sawdust, extracted pine chips and other Y comparable materials. Y

It is a particular object of this invention to disclose a manner for packaging materials of the general character above enumerated in such manner that these materials whenpackaged may be economically transported for fairly long distances. Incidental to the particular object of this invention, further objects of the invention are the formation of such packages at a high density, having coherence and especially having the property of being readily disintegrated when desired.

Packaging of materials of the general class enumerated, at high density, places them in a condition for economical transportation in\w hich connection investigation discloses that rail andship freight rates are such that packages of these materials having a density oi -around 45 to 50 lbs. per cubic foot are of an economic density. Co-

herence vof the packages is of extreme importance in that if the packages must be secured with' heavy vsteel bandssuch as are used to secure the ordinary Vdense super-compressed export bales of raw cotton, this constitutes a .severe handicap l ordinary baling methods, one dimensional compression, of about live times the volume or with a density of about- 10 lbs. per cubic foot when similarly placed in warm water was not completely saturated and disintegrated in a period of several hours. It is to be understood thatv in the comparison above given, there was no agitation in eithercase since, of course, the low den- .sity package could have been readily broken up by stirrers or the like and have been caused to Y become rapidly saturated through continued agitation,

The objects of this invention are achieved by three-way compression, of the materials mentioned, in the procedure of packaging and in the drawings accompanying this speciiication, the apparatus for accomplishing such compression ls shown, together with illustrations showing the various steps of formation of a package. Also in the drawings there areshown several curves illustrating the relationship'between various facn tors involved in the production of a satisfactory* package produced in accordance with the invention herein disclosed. In the drawings; Figure f l-is a diagrammatic Vperspective of the packaging apparatus employed; yFigure 2-is a per-Y. spective illustrative of the original'volume and.- A

relative dimensions of the 'material to be packaged; Figure 3-is a perspective Vofthe volume or only very light restraining means are required,

and relative dimensions of the material lalter the iirst step of packaging; Figure 4-is a perspective of the volume and relative dimensions of the i material after the second step of packaging; Figure S-is a perspective of the volume and relative dimensions of the material after the third step of packaging; Figure G-is a curve showing the relationship between density of the package formed plotted against the moisture content of the material to be packaged; and Figure rl--is a curve illustrating the relationship between the "density of the package formed plotted against specific material or other size of finished package.

Washer bagasse, as the term is herein used, refers to sugar cane bagasse which results from the usual operations of crushing sugar cane for the recovery of the cane juice therefrom as generally practiced in the production of sugar in Louisiana which bagasse has been further treated as hereafter described. Ihe sugar cane bagasse produced resulting from the production of sugar is baled in a baling machine which is similar to the ordinary baler used for the baling of straw, hay. and the like, except that it is somewhat more massively built, the bales produced thereby being substantially similar to the ordinary bale of hay, or straw. These bales are stored under conditions Which bring about a limited retting of the bagasse as disclosed in the patent to Elbert C. Lathrop et al., No. 1,633,594. 'I'his retted bagasse is subjected to a cooking with water at a steam pressure of about 50 lbs. per square inch for about 45 to 60 minutes, is then removed from the cooker, run through a swing hammer shredder and washed with water to constitute, washer bagasse. This washer bagasse, dried but loose, that is, not compressed, has a density of about 3 to 4 lbs. per cubic foot.

In the formation of packaged washer bagassc in accordance with this invention, washer bagasse is loaded loosely into compression apparatus I which is substantially a cubical chamber having very strongly constructed walls I4 with plungers II, I2 and I3 each of which operate through various faces of the walls I4. Before the chamber defined bythe walls I4 is loaded with the washer bagasse, plunger II is entirely Withdrawn and plungers I 2 and I3 are withdrawn until the inner faces are fiush with the interior of the frame I4 of thev apparatus. The interior dimensions of frame I4 are, in the particular apparatus being described, 12" x 12" x 12" and an 8" depth of the washer bagasse is introduced into the chamber to the end that approximately 2 lbs. of washer bagasse are introduced as a mass having dimensions 8" x 12 x 12" corresponding to dimensions A, B and C respectively, Figure 2. Plungers I2 and I3 are suitably anchored in their withdrawn positions as by pins inserted through registering openings in the respective plungers and frame I4, such openings and pins not being shown as the arrangement thereof is obvious and would only tend to obscure the showing in the drawings. Plunger II is then inserted into the opening of the upper face of the frame work I4 as shown in Figure l and is forced downwardly by appropriately applied pressure.

It is to be uni. .rstood that plungers I I, I2 and i3 are operated by suitable operating means, as by pressure cylinders or the like, suitably connected thereto. In experimental work done, thc plungers were forced inwardly by suitably positioning the frame I4 and plunger to be forced in,

wardly between the upper and lower faces of a hydraulic press. In.the press used and under conditions as above described, plunger II was forced downwardly a distance half of the dimension A to the dimension A' compressing the charge of washer bagasse down to the dotted line shown in Figure 2. The total force applied to plunger II was difficult to read on the gauge of the press but it was estimated that there was applied to plunger II a force of between 1 and 2 tons which; being applied on the surface of the charge 12" x 12", resulted in a pressure of between 1 and 2 tons per square foot, being exerted on the charge during this step of the compression. The pressure to be applied at. this stage of the compression will of course vary somewhat, particularly in packaging different materials but the figures given are indicative.

When plunger II is forced in to compress the` charge to the dimension A', it is secured by suitable means such as by pins and registering holes, not shown, provided in the frame I4 and plunger II, andthen the next operation may proceed. Pressure is applied to plunger I2 to force it inwardly, the pins previously mentioned as holding this plunger having, of course, been removed before the pressure is applied, and suincient pressure is applied to compress the charge from the dimension B to the dimension B', as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, the dimension B being 4". On the gauge of the press used the actual pressure applied was diflicult to determine but pressure on the plunger appeared to be in the range of from 2 to 4 tons or at the rate of from around 5 to 10 tons per square foot. After plunger I2 was forced inwardly to compress the charge down to the dimension B as shown by the dotted line in Figure 3, this plunger was suitably secured in position as described in connection with the securing of plunger II.

As the next step of the process, the plunger I3 was forced inwardly, the pins holding this plunger in withdrawn position, having of course been removed before the pressure was applied, and plunger I3 was forced inwardly sufficiently to compress the charge from dimension Cfto a dimension somewhat slightly less than dimension C being, for the particular apparatus shown, 4". On the compression the gauge pressure on the press ranged between 32 and 40 tons, being held as nearly as possible to 35 tons, which being applied on a face 4" x 4" in dimension, that is, an area of 16 square inches, amounted to a pressure of between 2 and 21/2` tons per square inch, averaging about 2% tons per square inch.

Plungers II, I2 and I3 were then released and removed from frame I4 and the resulting densely compressed packaged washer bagasse with dimensions of approximately 4" x 4 x 4 was removed. The packaged washer bagasse. providing the proper moisture content was present at the beginning of the compression as will be hereinafter discussed, and compressed at a final pressure of from 2 to 21/2 tons per square inch, will have on removal from the apparatus a density of about 48 lbs. per cubic foot which, overnight, will drop to about 43 lbs. per cubic foot the density apparently does not further decrease,

that is, the package has no further expansion.

The moisture content of the charge, when the compression begins, is veryimportant in determining the density of the package when finally compressed and in achieving the desired cohesion so that a firmv package which may be handled and shipped will result from the procedure as above described. For washer bagasse the preferred moisture content of the charge when placed in the frame for compression has been found to be a moisture content of approximately 11% based on the weight of the dry ber and in this connection reference is made to Figure 6 of the drawings. If the initial moisture content is the optimum as shown in Figure 6, that is, 11%, the density with a final pressure of approximately 2 tons per square inch is'the maximum and regain or expansion overnight is a minimum. It is, of course, to be understood that although a moisture content of 11% is the optimum, reasonable variation therefrom is allowable and will produce a satisfactory package as may be seen from Figure 6 which shows that a satisfactory package can-be. made if the material as charged has a moisture content of from about to 15%, or if a nal package of a somewhat lower density will serve, the moisture of the charge may be outside of the approximate limits above noted, say between about from 3 to 18%.

Reference to Figure 7 shows that on increasing the pressure for a given moisture content of charge there will result a finished package of increased density. By combining the teachings of Figures 6 and 7, it is obvious' that if for some reason it is necessary that the finished package have a high density, the desired increased density may be obtained for a given initial moisture content of the charge by raising the pressure per square inch of the final pressing. As shown in Figure 'T for washer bagasse of 10% initial moisture content, the density of the finished package may be raised from. 44 to-5l lbs.- per cubic foot by raising the final pressing pressure from 1.87 tons to 2.5 tons per square inch, or if a lower density will suice, for a given moisture content, in this case 10%, alesser pressure may be used on final pressing as shown, a pressure of 1.25 tons per square inch resulting in a package having a density of about 4l lbs. per cubic foot. It appears that excessive pressure on i'lnal compression tends to injure the ber and therefore it is suggested that in no case should pressure exceeding 5 tons per sq. in. be` applied, this is of iluifed sulphite fiber, kraft lap, kapok and sieved raw bagasse.

'I'he experiments made with the various materials just mentioned, which experiments were carried on in considerable detail together with less extensive experiments made with othermore orv less like and similar substances have clearly indicated that the method of packaging disclosed herein is applicable to cellulosic j materials generally, including such materials as all of the usual paper making fibers, including such materialsl'as cotton, ax, hemp. ramie, etc., and is also applicable to other less known materials such as peanut hulls, bean pods, rice, wheatL and oat hulls and other materials.

In the experimental procedure of packaging various of the materials particularly above mentioned, the procedure followed substantially is that hereinbefore specifically set out but with some exceptions as will .be hereafter noted. In the packaging of kraft lap which is a rather loosely felted fiber sheet the structure of which may be said to be roughly comparable to that of a loosely sheeted blotting paper, since this material is already of considerable density having had in its formation what is substantially the equivalent of the first compression of the packaging process hereof, this material was loaded into the compression apparatus to a depth of only about 3", and the first compression step was not in fact a compression of the kraft lap material since the plunger Hwas brought down only to its normal position, that is, to within 4" of the bottom.V of its stroke. On the second stroke, when plunger VI2 was forced inwardly, the kraft lap material was of course re-arranged and compressed into the second phase of the compression operation and then the nal compression by meansfof plunger I3 was carried out in the usual manner. A

In the experiments involved in the packaging of kapok, it was found that the compression apparatus should be filled with kapok to approximately its full height after which the various compressive steps were carried out in the described manner. It was noted that the kapok package was not quite so firmly knit and integrated as were the other materials when packaged in accordance with the procedure of this invention but it appeared that this was due to the fact that the experimental apparatus which was being used was limited in the pressure which Vcould be applied to the plunger I3 for the final compressive .step and all indications of the experiment were to the effect that had it been possible :to increase the pressure on the last stage of the compression, the kapok package would have been as satisfactory as the packages of the various other materials used.

'I'he sieved bagasse experiments were made with material comprising raw bagasse which had been shredded in aV swing hammer shredder through plates having 11g" holes and subsequently sieved through a 30 mesh screen, the portion which was used in the experiment being the ne portion of such material which passed through the 30 mesh sieve. This sieved material, which was only very finely fibrous settles relatively solidly due to the 'ne subdivision so that the mere act of loading the material into the chamber of the compression apparatus results in a com acting which is substantially the equivalent of he rst step of compression of the process as applied to a more coarsely fibrous material and has a density of approximately 6 lbs. per cubic foot so that this material was loaded into the lcompression apparatus to the extent of only about 4" in depth. When plunger Il was brought down,` of course the material in the apparatus was. compressed only slightly and after this step of the operation the two following compressions were carried out in the usual manner. This sieved bagasse, due

to its fineness, produced a block which out of the press had a density of 58 lbs. per cubic foot but which overnight dropped to a density f about 52 lbs. per cubic foot, thereafterremaining substantially constant.

Experiments generally similar to those above described were carried on to produce finished packages having dimensions 1" x 1" x 1" and it was found that various phases of these experiments were substantially similar to those of the experiments above described in detail except that on the final stage of the compression, pressures ranging from 2 to 3 times as great were required to obtain the same final results. The necessity of the use of the considerably higher final pressures is attributed to the fact that in the apparatusl used in producing the finished 1" cubical packages, the ratio of the frictional'surfaces with respect to the area of the face against which the plunger is operating is considerably higher than in the larger apparatus whereby the frictional resistance is much greater thus necessitating the use of higher pressures to accomplish equivalent final results.

A similar line of experiments was carried out on a large press producing a finished package having dimensions approximately 14" x 14" x 14". In experiments with this press using retted but not cooked bagasse, the frame which had internal dimensions 42" x 48"4 x 52" was filled approximately one-third full with bagasse, and the respective strokes of the plungers in three directions, each at right angles to the other, were made in ksequence as described in connection with the production of packages in the form of 4" cubes, and with a pressure of about between 2% and 3 tons per square inch on the final stroke, finished integrated and firmly coherent packages were produced having a density in the neighborhood of48 lbs. per cubic foot.

ures applicable produced in all cases reasonably satisfactory finished packages.

It is Yto be understood that for the purpose of speeding up the operation for forming packages as hereinabove described or as a matter of convenience in transporting the material to be packaged from the source of supply to the packaging operation, it may be convenient or advisable to bale the materials in more or less conventional manner, in which case it is preferable kthat the bales be made to conform to the conditions which would result from the first step of the packaging operation as described, whereupon such bales may be placed directly into the packaging machine, with plunger Il locked at the inner end of its normal stroke whereupon the second and third compressions can then be carried out in sequence in accordance with the above described procedure.

The action of the packaging as above described is believed to be that in the first stage of the compression, the relatively loosely arranged fibers are compacted and pushed together along the axis in the direction in which the compression is applied, then when the second stage of compression is applied, these fibers are again compacted and pushed together along an axis at right angles to the original axis of the first mentioned so that the net result is that the fibers Generally speaking the experiments made,

taken as a whole, indicate: that thesuccessive compressions should reduce the volume of the material-in the apparatus about as follows:

On the first compression, up to 50% On the second compression- 50 to '70%, optimum about 66% On the third compression about 60 to 80%, op-

timum '70 to 75% it, of course, being understood that on the third compression there is a regain on the release of the plunger pressure so that the actual final reduction in volume is in the neighborhood of 66%.

The pressures required are about 0 to 1 ton per sq. ft. of surface on which pressure is applied in the first compression but with a possible range of 0 to 5 tons per sq. ft.; about 2 tons per sq. ft. of surface on which pressure is applied in the second compression with a possible range of 2 to l0 tons per sq. ft.; and 2 to 3 tons per s`q.in. of surface on which pressure is applied in the final compression 'with a possible range of 1.5 to 5 tons are successively pushed together and compacted from each of three directions, each at right angles to one another and therefore the fibers are caused to firmly interweave and interlock under the pressure of the final compression, such interweaving and interlocking being to such an extent that they are held together by the frictional contact of the fibers to the extent that an integrated dense handleable package is produced.

It is to be understood that the above description is illustrative of the invention and that the such description is not to be taken as limiting the application of the invention but that it is given only for the purpose of teaching the procedure to be followed in packaging materials vof the character of the materials which have been specifically mentioned and that those skilled in the art, to which this invention appertains, will readily understand from the above description the procedure which should be followed in determining the preferred values to be used in forming materials other than those specifically described into dense integrated and self-sustaining packages having the most desirable characteristics.

Having disclosed and described my invention in detail, I claim:

1. 'I'he process of forming fibrous bagasse and like substances with 3 to 18% moisture content applied at a right angle to axis of the first cornpressive force and finally while held under the action of the previously applied compressive forces subjected to a further compressive force applied in a direction at a right angle to each of the previously applied compressive forces, each compression force increasing Viudintensity to effect final compression-of the substance to a density in excess of 50 lbs, per cubic foot and upon release of pressure in excesscf 30 lbs. per cubic foot.

` 2. The process as defined in claimA 1 wherein the compression is at l'a pressure of between 0 to iitons'per square `foot of surface against which th'efcompressive force acts the volumetric comthe` v second compression is at a pressure of between 2' to 10, tons per square foot of surface against which the compressive force acts the volu'- metric compression being about 66% of the volume at the beginning. of the second step of compression,A and the third compression is at a pressure of between-2 to 5 tons lper square inch of surface against which the compression force acts the volumetric compression being between 60 to 80% of the volume at the beginning of the third step ofcompression. 4. The process of integrating a mass od fibrous cellulosic substance having 3 to 18%- moisture c'ontent into a dense, self-sustaining package'l by successive steps of compacting in three directions, each direction of compacting being at right angles to each of the other directions of compacting and 'l each ofthe successive compactings increasing the density of the mass to a nal compressed density. while under compression df compacting, of subistantially 60 tbs. per cubic foot for the integrated 5. Theprocess of producing a dense, self-sustaining package of cellulosic substance wherein a mass thereof having a moisture contentl of be- Atween 3 and 18% is compressed in the direction of an axis of compression to a volume of about pression 'being about l50% of the original volume,V

a moisture content of between about 3 to '18%. to successive steps of compression, each such succeeding step being at substantially right angles to each of the other directions of compression and each successive compression applied being of increasing intensity. a succeeding compression applied to the liber while held confined and subjected to the preceding compression step and steps respectively, the fibers thereof interlaced and intcrwoven to a density of not less than lbs. per cubic footand .forming a hard, dense, commercially economic unitpackage which' is self-sustaining.

8. A self-sustaining cellulosic fiber block comprising a unit mass of intertwined and overlapping fibrous substances of vegetative origin interlaced in such close proximity to each other that the density of the mass is not less than 30 lbs. per cubic foot, such density being obtained by the application to a substantially loose mass of such fibrous substances having an initial density in excess of about 4#/cu. ft. and a moisture content of between 3 to 18% based on the dry weight of the mass of non-percussive pressure applied successively and with successively greater intensity .off pressure per unit area to which'applied from three independent sources applied respectively at right angular directions of application to the mass, the mass being continuously conned; the first-application of non-percussive pressure compressing the mass to a volume of substantially one-half of the original mass, the second application of non-pencussive pressure compressing the mass to a volume of about one-third of the last previous volinne, andthe final application of nonpercussive pressure compressing the mass to a volume of one-fourth to one-third of the volume of the mass previous to the application of the final 9. An integrated and self-sustaining package of cellulosic fibers, the moisture content thereof between about 3 lper cent to 18 per cent and the density thereof in excess of 30 pounds per cubic one-half of v'the original mass, then compressed in the direction of an axis of compression at right y angles to the nrst axis of compression to a volume of-aboutone-third the last previous volume and finally compressed in the direction of an axis at right angles to each ofthe previous directions of compression to a volume of about 25 to 33% of vthe vollnne ofthe mass previous to the last comfpression.

6. A mass of librous cellulosic substance having 'a moisture content or between 3 and 18% based on dryweight of the mass, interated by at least three successive compactings. each acting at substantially right angles to the preceding` compact-r 'ing causing a self-sustaining package of density in excess of 30 lbs. per cubic foot to be formed.

7. A new article of commerce comprising 'bu` casse aber integrated by mmm, wml@ raving lfoot, the density throughout the mass being sub.- stantially uniform and the fibrous structure thereof interlaced and frictionaliy interlocked throughout, predominantly in three planes and resulting from three successilve compressions of increasing intensities applied each at right angles to each of the others. f

10. A self-sustaining cellulosic liber block com-'- prising a mass o`f celiulosic fibers of a moisture content of between 3 per cent to 18 per cent, the nbers thereof throughout frictionally interlaced and overlapped and resulting from the compression of the mass thereof by successive and different'compressions applied from three independent sources, each acting ina plane at right angles 4to each of the others, the /density of the block throughout being inexcess of 30 pounds p'er cubic foot.

CARL G. MUENC'H.

Images