US2811106A - Method of printing polyethylene for bulk packaging - Google Patents
Method of printing polyethylene for bulk packaging Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US2811106A US2811106A US515248A US51524855A US2811106A US 2811106 A US2811106 A US 2811106A US 515248 A US515248 A US 515248A US 51524855 A US51524855 A US 51524855A US 2811106 A US2811106 A US 2811106A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- printing
- polyethylene
- bags
- printed
- capsules
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
- -1 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 title description 16
- 239000004698 Polyethylene Substances 0.000 title description 15
- 229920000573 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 title description 15
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title description 9
- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 title description 5
- 239000002775 capsule Substances 0.000 description 10
- 239000000976 ink Substances 0.000 description 7
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 4
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 4
- CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon dioxide Chemical compound O=C=O CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 description 3
- LFQSCWFLJHTTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ethanol Chemical compound CCO LFQSCWFLJHTTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000000020 Nitrocellulose Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000004922 lacquer Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229920001220 nitrocellulos Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 238000012856 packing Methods 0.000 description 2
- DKPFZGUDAPQIHT-UHFFFAOYSA-N Butyl acetate Natural products CCCCOC(C)=O DKPFZGUDAPQIHT-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910002092 carbon dioxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000001569 carbon dioxide Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000011089 carbon dioxide Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 238000011109 contamination Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002939 deleterious effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003814 drug Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010410 dusting Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 235000019441 ethanol Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000007903 gelatin capsule Substances 0.000 description 1
- FUZZWVXGSFPDMH-UHFFFAOYSA-N hexanoic acid Chemical compound CCCCCC(O)=O FUZZWVXGSFPDMH-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000008194 pharmaceutical composition Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000006187 pill Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004014 plasticizer Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011877 solvent mixture Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003826 tablet Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010792 warming Methods 0.000 description 1
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
- B41M1/00—Inking and printing with a printer's forme
- B41M1/26—Printing on other surfaces than ordinary paper
- B41M1/30—Printing on other surfaces than ordinary paper on organic plastics, horn or similar materials
Description
United States Patent METHOD OF PRINTING POLYETHYLENE FOR BULK PACKAGING No Drawing. Application June 13, 1955, Serial No. 515,248
1 Claim. (Cl. 101--426) This invention relates to a method for printing on the surface of polyethylene type plastic containers; particularly for the bulk packaging of pharmaceuticals.
In the packaging of pharmaceutical items, it is desirable to be able to package large numbers of capsules, tablets, or pills for shipment to hospitals or other major dispensing centers, so that the items may be economically transported and sold. With a group of such items as capsules or tablets, the pressure on the bottom of a container, or accidental jarring, or mistreating of the shipping containers, frequently results in the breakage of individual capsules or tablets, and the broken material dusts over the surface of the remaining capsules or tablets so as to cause them to become dirty. It is also desirable that the capsules or tablets be cushioned so far as possible, to prevent breakage. It is desirable that there be identification marking on subcontainers. It is also desirable that aid be given to the purchaser of the bulk container in counting.
These problems and others can all be solved by packing a representative number, for example, 100 capsules or tablets, in individual containers and then shipping the individual containers in a bulk package. For purposes of convenience and to reduce the size, it is convenient to use flexible, small containers. Whereas all of these advantages would appear obvious at first impression, it has been impossible to utilize them because of the difficulties of marking such packages and getting a satisfactory final container. Polyethylene, for example, of 4 mil stock, can be used to form very convenient packages and when packed with 100 tablets or capsules and sealed, the final package is moisture-resistant, adds greatly to the ruggedness of treatment which the items will stand, prevents dusting and contamination so that if one capsule is broken only those immediately adjacent are contaminated, adds a cushioning effect as the air trapped in between the layers adds tremendously to the cushioning action, and if a representative number, say 100, are present in each package, provides for subsequent counting from the larger containers to the final consumer. For all of these purposes it is necessary that the number and contents be indicated on the package. In the past it has been considered difiicult to impossible to print on polyethylene bags.
For flexibility in operations, it is desirable that the individual bags be made up, and the bags printed at the time of use, in such size lots as may be then indicated. Attempts have been made to print on polyethylene rolls in sheet form, but such methods as have been more or less successfully used on such rolls are not flexible enough for bag printing, particularly in small variable bag lots.
There has now been discovered a method of printing on polyethylene bags for the packaging of such capsules and tablets, which, for the first time, renders possible the advantages desired because the marking on the package is sufiiciently stable to stand up during shipment and provide a convenient and easy method of identifying the items both as to number, lot number, contents, source, and
ice
other essential details, including at times a complex pharmaceutical formulation.
In testing such packages it is frequently convenient to use .a piece of pressure-sensitive tape such as is known as fScotchtapei for testing'the. printing. If the printing has dried and isready for use, a piece of the pressure-sensitive Scotch tape is applied to'the' face of thepackage and immediately pulled off without removing the printing on the package. If the printing on the package is also flexible enough to stand flexing of the package, then the printing is in fact satisfactory. As simple as these criteria may seem, it has been extremely difficult and expensive or impossible to achieve a result which would be satisfactory.
In the past there has been a tendency to attempt to use heat to set the printing on the surface of the polyethylene. This has frequently been done on continuous rolls, as for example, shown in U. S. Patent 2,704,382, Kreidl, Method for Printing on the Surface of Polyethylene Plastics.
It has now been found that by printing with an ordinary letter press using a soft type, as for example, rubber type, it is possible to print on polyethylene, and by heating the printed surface to between about 74 C. and 95 C. for not less than 10 seconds, and then chilling that surface to less than about 30 C. for not less than 15 seconds, the ink is caused to stick and is chilled and set so that the marked bags may then be stacked and utilized for packing. It is usually preferable to let them wait at least 12 hours before use. When so treated the bags are marked in such a fashion that they will pass the above Scotch tape test and will stand up under shipment.
The inks which are used with this process may be those such as are disclosed by Kreidl or known for the printing on the surface of polyethylene plastics.
One which is particularly satisfactory is compounded by mixing together 5 parts of a yellow ink such as Multigraph yellow ink number or Superior yellow ink, and 2% parts of a lacquer such as Erco, water white lacquer, which is about a 12 /2 solution of nitrocellulose in a 30:70 solvent mixture of ethyl alcohol and butyl acetate together with plasticizers for the nitrocellulose.
4 mil stock polyethylene film was formed into bags approximately 4 by 6 inches. These were printed on a letter press using rubber type with the above inks, and as soon as printed, without touching the printed surface to avoid smearing, were run through a tunnel wherein a bank of infra-red lamps, with their heat rays focused as much as possible on the printed portions, heated the temperature of the air so the printed surface was heated to approximately 80 C. The bags were exposed to this temperature for approximately 15 seconds. They should be heated for at least 10 seconds and appreciably longer than 15 is not deleterious, although not necessary.
After the heat treatment, a draught of cold air, which had been passed over solid carbon dioxide, was passed over the printed surface of the bags so as to chill the surface to less than 30 C. Electric fans were used to blow cold air over the surface of Dry Ice and into contact with the printed bags. The exposure to the chilled air should be at least 15 seconds, although the upper limit is in no way critical. A time of over 30 seconds is economically unnecessary and has no particular advantages. The bags were then stacked and the next working day were filled with soft gelatin capsules and sealed.
As so packed the bags were placed into fiber containers, 500 such packages being placed in a single fiber container and shipped in commerce. The breakage of the capsules was markedly reduced over that to be expected in the use of the fiber containers alone, and the items were much more conveniently counted and handled and inventoried than had been previously possible. No difliculty was experienced with offsetting or smearing or ilseconds, and slowly warming the polyethylene sheet to legibility of the printed data on the bags. room temperature.
I claim:
A method of printing on moisture resistant polyethylene References Cited in the file of this patent sheet so the printed areas are resistant to pulling oil and 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS smearing which comprises printing on polyethylene sheet with a plastic printing ink with resilient type on a letter Egg? fig; press, heating the printed surface to at least about 74 C. 2,715,363 Hoover g 1955 for not less than 10 seconds, then chilling the printed surface to less than about -30 C. for not less than 15 10
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US515248A US2811106A (en) | 1955-06-13 | 1955-06-13 | Method of printing polyethylene for bulk packaging |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US515248A US2811106A (en) | 1955-06-13 | 1955-06-13 | Method of printing polyethylene for bulk packaging |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US2811106A true US2811106A (en) | 1957-10-29 |
Family
ID=24050568
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US515248A Expired - Lifetime US2811106A (en) | 1955-06-13 | 1955-06-13 | Method of printing polyethylene for bulk packaging |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US2811106A (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5761995A (en) * | 1997-02-03 | 1998-06-09 | Laiserin; Michael | Method of identifying an air bag module assembly with a motor vehicle and applying coded indicia onto a cover of the air bag module assembly |
US20090038977A1 (en) * | 2007-02-08 | 2009-02-12 | One Source Industries, Llc | Printed packaging |
US7571810B2 (en) | 2005-09-08 | 2009-08-11 | One Source Industries, Llc | Printed packaging |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US158945A (en) * | 1875-01-19 | Improvement in paper-bag machines | ||
US2704382A (en) * | 1949-01-18 | 1955-03-22 | Werner H Kreidl | Method for printing on the surface of polyethylene plastics |
US2715363A (en) * | 1951-02-02 | 1955-08-16 | Dick Co Ab | Printing on polyethylene |
-
1955
- 1955-06-13 US US515248A patent/US2811106A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US158945A (en) * | 1875-01-19 | Improvement in paper-bag machines | ||
US2704382A (en) * | 1949-01-18 | 1955-03-22 | Werner H Kreidl | Method for printing on the surface of polyethylene plastics |
US2715363A (en) * | 1951-02-02 | 1955-08-16 | Dick Co Ab | Printing on polyethylene |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5761995A (en) * | 1997-02-03 | 1998-06-09 | Laiserin; Michael | Method of identifying an air bag module assembly with a motor vehicle and applying coded indicia onto a cover of the air bag module assembly |
US7571810B2 (en) | 2005-09-08 | 2009-08-11 | One Source Industries, Llc | Printed packaging |
US20100025278A1 (en) * | 2005-09-08 | 2010-02-04 | One Source Industries, Llc | Printed packaging |
US7832560B2 (en) | 2005-09-08 | 2010-11-16 | One Source Industries, Llc | Printed packaging |
US20090038977A1 (en) * | 2007-02-08 | 2009-02-12 | One Source Industries, Llc | Printed packaging |
US8177066B2 (en) | 2007-02-08 | 2012-05-15 | One Source Industries, Llc | Printed packaging |
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