US2918169A - Package of twine or the like - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 22, 1959 M. A. BOURQUIN PACKAGE OF TWINE OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 24, 1958 PACKAGE F TWINE OR THE LIKE Maurice A. Bourquin, East Granby, Conn.

Application January 24, 1958, Serial No. 710,940

4 Claims. (Cl. 20664) The present invention relates to a package of twine, yarn or similar elongated flexible articles. The package comprises a group of identical lengths of twine, for example, gathered into a generally cylindrical bundle in which each length of twine lies approximately parallel with all of the other lengths thereof. Such bundle is en closed in a flexible wrapper. A particular feature of the present invention is the inclusion in such a package of a length of relatively rigid metallic wire or rod which will impart a degree of stiffness to the package and thus will facilitate the withdrawal from the package of individual lengths of the twine or similar material therein.

Packages of the general type to which this invention is applicable are old and well kown, a common example thereof being embroidery floss which is frequently sold in bundles of uniformly cut lengths wrapped in a paper tube. The present invention, however, is of particular utility in connection with packages of this general type but which may be of very considerable length and which may be temporarily attached to a wrapping or work table in a convenient position for the withdrawal of individual lengths having some predetermined specific length appropriate for a repetitive operation being conducted at such table. One particular example of use in which this invention is particularly successful is in connection with the application of lengths of twine to laths for the purpose of hanging leaf tobacco in drying barns. Such laths are in the order of five or six feet in length and the lengths of twine are appropriately somewhat longer. For rapid and convenient positioning of the twine on the laths it has been found advantageous to provide packages of individual strands of twine cut to the proper length and wrapped in a flexible cylindrical wrapper which may be attached at some convenient point to the work table. In view of the great length of twine for this and similar purposes it has been found that the package tends to sag, thus increasing the friction between adjacent lengths of twine and greatly increasing the danger of entanglement within the package.

According to the present invention, a length of relatively rigid wire or rod stock of substantially the same length as the twine and made of metal or other appropriate material is gathered into the bundle of twine. Such rod or wire will remain effective as the twine is dispensed from the package and will continue to hold the package in a general alignment such as to greatly reduce the liability of the twine becoming entangled. By proper choice of the metal or other material from which the stilfening member is made, the member can be cut to length simultaneously with the twine during assembly of the package without injury to the cutting mechanism. Also, the package may be bent or curved into some convenient shape for attachment to the work table, the bending thereof serving to hold the package in the selected shape throughout its life. A particularly appropriate material for the stiffening wire or rod is aluminum wire having a diameter of perhaps The aluminum is relatively States Patent ice soft and can be cut readily by the same mechanism used to cut the twine. Also, the aluminum is quite ductile and can be bent into a desired shape which it will retain, thus rigidifying the entire package in the shape into which it has been bent.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a package comprising a plurality of parallelly arranged identical lengths of flexible material such as twine wrapped in a flexible cylindrical sleeve and provided with a relatively stiff reinforcing member extending from end to end of the package for the purpose of holding the same in desired shape during use. Other and further objects will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred, but not necessarily the only, form of the invention taken in connection with the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a package of twine or the like embodying the present invention in which the stiffening member has been partially extracted so as to be readily visible;

Fig. 2 is a typical section along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a typical section along the line 33 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic showing of a package embodying the present invention attached in operative position upon a work table.

Referring now to the drawings, in Fig. 1 there is shown package 10 embodying the present invention comprising a bundle 12 of individual identical lengths of twine forming a generally cylindrical body in which all of the lengths of twine are substantially parallel. The bundle 12 is enclosed in a tubular wrapper 14. Ordinarily such bundles of twine and the enclosing wrappers are formed in automatic machinery as a continuous length which is cut into appropriate lengths for the particular use intended. That is, twine from any suitable source is conducted in a suitable number of paths to a gathering device in which a continuous bundle, usually comprising several hundred parallel lengths of twine, is formed and the wrapper is supplied in continuous form from some other suitable source to be assembled exteriorly of the bundle. The combined wrapper and bundle is projected through a suitable cutting device which cuts transversely through the wrapper and the twine to form individual packages of desired length.

It is intended in such a package that the individual lengths of twine may be withdrawn, one at a time, without substantial danger of entanglement with the remaining lengths of twine. However, due to the inherent limpness of twine and similar materials this intention is not always fulfilled.

For certain uses lengths of twine in the order of five or six feet or more may be required. If such lengths are supplied in a package such as that so far described, there is the likelihood of sagging, bending or twisting thereof between points of support which eventually will lead to entanglement or other difliculty in the removal of individual lengths of twine from the package.

The present invention resides in the provision in such a package of relatively rigid elongated member which will serve to impart a desired degree of rigidity to the entire package throughout its life. Thus in Fig. 1 there is shown a wire or rod 16 which is positioned within the package and extends from end to end thereof. The elongated member 16 may conveniently comprise a relatively heavy gauge wire made of aluminum which, because of its relative softness, may be fed into the assembling machine along with the twine and which may be cut by the usual cutters provided for transversely severing the assembly into packages of desired length.

As will be observed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the elongated member 16 lies'approximately centrally of the bundle 12 although no effort need be expended in exactly centering the same or in arranging it precisely parallel with the twine lengths. Also, it will be understood that the elongated member 16 instead of being assembled with the bundle 12 in-the course of the manufacture of the package'10' can be inserted by hand or otherwise into packages already manufactured. In the latter event the elongated member 16 need not be exactly the same length as the package. However, for practical purposes, it is much preferred toassemble 'theelongated member 16 with the package during the course of manufacture. For purposes of'illustration, in Fig. 1 the wrapper 14 has been pushed back-somewhat at the left-hand end of the package and the member 16 has'been pulled out so as to be visible.

In Fig. 4 there is illustrated a typical utilization of a package embodying the present invention. In said figure a work table 20 supported on legs 22 is provided for the performance of some operation of repetitive nature in which lengths of twine or the like are required. For example, the work performed at the table '20 may be the tying of a succession of packages of identical sizes or itmay be the stringing of laths of the type used for hanging leaf tobacco in drying barns. The table 20 is provided with any suitable means for convenient attachment of the package 10. For example, there may be provided an appropriate number of hooks or brackets, usually two'such hooks orbrackets being suflicient for the purposes of the present invention. A package 10 embodying the present invention issupported upon the hooks 24, 26, by means of elastic bands 28 and 30 which encircle the outer periphery of the package 10 under considerable tension and which may be engaged respectively with the hooks 24 and 26. Additional snugly fitted elastic bands 32, 34, may be provided if so desired. The elastic bands exert a radially inwardly directed force which assists in maintaining the integrity of the package substantially until the last length of twine is withdrawn.

It is particularly important thatwith the stiffening rod or wire 16 positioned within thepackage the same may be supported at only two points as illustrated and thus may be rapidly and efliciently attached to the work table without substantial loss of time of the operator.

As shown in 'Fig. 4, the package 10 may be of considerable length and in such event it may be bent as indicatedat 36 so thata'certain portion of the length thereof may hang freely below the remainder of the package, thus positioning the exposed ends 38 of the twine at some particularly desirable point with respect to the surface of the work table 20.

It is preferred that the wrapper 14 be made of quite flexible'material and while certain types of paper are satisfactory, the package is particularly successful when a material such as thin polyethylene filmis used. Such material may be supplied in the form of a strip fed lengthwise with the continuous bundle of twine and formed into a tube around the bundle as the package is being manufactured. The longitudinal seam may be formed by heat-sealing or adhesive, as preferred. Because of its' flexible nature the polyethylene may progressively collapse under the pressure of the elastic bands 28, 30, etc. and exert a sufficient and evenly distributed pressure upon the len'gths'of twine so as to prevent them from "snarling or entangling even when the package is substantially exhausted.

Particularly When'the wrapper 14'is made of a plastic material, such as polyethylene, there is some tendency for the portion of the wrapper which is pushed back to expose the ends 38 (Fig. 4) to move forwardly and thus to progressively shorten the length of the exposed ends. It has been found with the present invention that the exposed end of the reenforcing wire 16 may be bent into the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 4, wherein it will serve to hold the wrapper pushed back to the desired degree.

If it is desired to use preformed tubular stock for the formation of the wrapper instead of the flat strip stock discussed above, a substantial length ofsuch tubular stock may be telescoped upon the outer surface of a metal tube. The bundle of continuous lengths of twine may be formed and conducted progressively through such metal tube and the wrapper may be withdrawn from the outer surface of the tube to encompass the bundle much in the same manner as sausage skins are applied in the familiar sausage-making machine.

I claim:

1. A package comprising a relatively large number of individual identical lengths of non-rigid material such as twine closely packed in parallel relation in a bundle of generally cylindrical conformation, a tubular wrapper made of thin flexible material enclosingsaid bundle and having an opening at at least one end to provide access to said lengths of twine for Withdrawal thereof one at a time, an elongated relatively rigid reinforcing member positioned in said bundle, said reinforcing member lying approximatelyparallel with said lengths of twine and extending substantially from end to end of said bundle, and at least one contractible elastic band encircling the outer surface of said wrapper in a tensioned condition for continuously squeezing said wrapper inwardly into contact with said bundle to maintain said bundle in closely packed condition as the diameter thereof progressively reduces as a result of the successive withdrawal from said bundle of said lengths of twine.

2. A package in accordance with claim 1 wherein said thin flexible material from which said tubular wrapper is made comprises polyethylene.

3. A package comprising a relatively large number of individual identical lengths of non-rigid material such as twine closely packed in parallel relation in a bundle of generally cylindrical conformation, a flexible tubular wrapper enclosing said bundle and having an opening at at least one end to provide access to said lengths of twine for withdrawal thereof one at a time, and a relatively rigid reinforcing member comprising a ductile metal wire positioned in said bundle, said reinforcingmember lying approximatelyparallel with said lengths of twine and extending substantially from end'toend of said bundle.

4. A package in accordance with claim 3 wherein said wrapper is made of thin flexible sheet material. and said package is provided with at least one contractible elastic band encircling the outer surface of said wrapper in a tensioned condition for continuously squeezing said wrapper inwardly into contact with said bundle to maintain said bundle in closely packed condition as the diameter thereof progressively reduces as a result of the successive withdrawal from said bundle of said lengths of twine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 546,009 Graves Sept. 10, 1895 1,334,257 Partington Mar. 16, 1920 2,120,910 Shephard June 14, 1938 2,446,907 Cavanagh Aug. 10,1948 2,581,561 Shaw Ian. 8, 1952

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