US3380580A

US3380580A - Rolled sheet material

Info

Publication number: US3380580A
Application number: US560256A
Authority: US
Inventors: Warp Harold
Original assignee: Flex-O-Glass Inc
Current assignee: Flex-O-Glass Inc
Priority date: 1966-06-24
Filing date: 1966-06-24
Publication date: 1968-04-30
Anticipated expiration: 1985-04-30

Description

April 30, 1968 H. WARP 3,380,580

ROLLED SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 24, 1966 nited States 3,38,58@ Patented Apr. 30, 1968 3,380,530 ROLLED SHEET MATERIAL Harold Warp, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Flex--Glass, Inc, a corporation of Illinois Filed June 24, 1966, Ser. No. 560,256 9 Claims. (Cl. 296-58) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rolled sheet material having a side edge irregular in the direction of the thickness of the sheet, the mid portion of the sheet extending between the side edges thereof being regular and the sheet material haviru a substantially constant thickness throughout.

This invention relates to rolled sheet material and in particular to such material having relatively high tendency to cling to itself.

One improved form of sheet material adapted for use such as a food wrap comprises a thin sheet of polyethylene provided in a rolled configuration in a suitable dispensing container, or carton. Such sheet material has a substantial tendency to cling to itself making it quite difficult for the user to separate the distal end portion of the rolled sheet to permit the Withdrawal of the desired length thereof from the roll. Further, the extreme thinness of the material and the substantial transparency thereof make it quite difiicult to locate the side edges of the sheet. Still further, such sheet material has a tendency to entrap air between the roll layers in the middle portion thereof, that is the portion between the side edges of the sheet.

The present invention comprehends an improved rolled sheet material which eliminates the above discussed disadvantages of such sheet material in a novel and simple manner. Thus, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved rolled sheet material.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a rolled sheet material having means at one or both of the side edges of the rolled sheet for facilitating the separation from the rolled configuration of a distal portion of the sheet defining the outermost layer of the roll by providing a visual indication to the user of the location of the sheet edge.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a rolled sheet material having means for facilitating the finger-tip separation from the rolled configuration of the distal portion of the sheet defining the outermost layer thereof comprising means defining an irregular side edge of the sheet providing a series of edge portions spaced from the subjacent layer.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a rolled sheet material wherein the side edge is provided with an indicium for providing both a visual indication of the edge and additional information to the user.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of such a rolled sheet material wherein the side edge is embossed.

A yet further feature of the invention is the provision of such a rolled sheet material wherein the sheet edge is colored.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a rolled sheet material wherein the sheet is extruded and the edge is formed of extrusion material having a visual appearance different from that of the material forming the sheet between the side edges thereof.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of apparatus forming a pair of sheets embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective of an apparatus providing an extruded sheet for forming a pair of sheets embodying the invention, the extruded sheet being provided with portions thereof having a visual appearance different from that of the material between the portions, whereby said portions may define the visually readily determinable side edges of the rolled sheet of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of an apparatus providing an embossing of the side edge of the sheet comprising an indicium which both visually indicates the location of the side edge of the sheet and provides additional information to the viewer;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus of FIG- URE 3 further illustrating the associated extrusion means and inking means; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a rolled sheet embodying the invention.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawing, a rolled sheet generally designated is shown to comprise a sheet 11 formed of a thin material having a relatively high tendency to cling to itself. Thus, for example, the sheet may be formed of polyethylene. The sheet material may be transparent and, thus, in the conventional rolled sheet configuration, separation of the distal portion 12 of the sheet from the rolled configuration is quite diflicult because of the difficulty of locating the sheet side edges and after locating the side edges in separating them from the subjacent layer of the rolled sheet. The present invention overcomes this vexatious problem by providing means defining the

side edges

13 and 14 as irregular sheet edges and means for visually indicating the location of the irregular edges for facilitating the separation of the sheet portion 12 from the subjacent layer 15.

More specifically, as shown in FIGURE 1, a pair of sheets 11 may be formed from an extruded sheet 16 delivered from a suitable conventional extrusion apparatus 17 to a setting roller 18 where the extruded sheet material is set. The set sheet 16 is then delivered to a second, or back-up, roller 19. Embossing means in the form of a pair of thin embossing wheels 20 and a wide embossing wheel 21 are provided for cooperation with roller 19 to emboss the sheet 16 at the opposite sides thereof and along the centerline thereof as shown in FIGURE 1. The middle embossing wheel 21 is twice as wide as the side wheels 20 and forms along the centerline of the sheet 16 a double width embossment 22. The sheet 16 is subsequently slit along its centerline by a suitable slitting wheel 23 which bisects the embossment 22 and which thereby forms the two sheets 11 each having similar embossed

side edges

13 and 14.

By suitably embossing the

side edges

13 and 14, the embossed side edges themselves may provide a sufficient visual indication of the side edges of the sheet 11 to permit the user to locate these edges for facilitated withdrawal of the distal portion 12 of the sheet. However, to further facilitate such location of the side edges, it has been found desirable to provide an additional indication means at these edges. Thus, for example, as shown in FIGURE 2, a modified extrusion apparatus 24 is illustrated wherein the sheet 25 extruded therefrom is provided with side edges 26 and centerline portion 27 formed of an extrusion material having a visual appearance different from that of the material forming the sheet 25 between the

portions

26 and 27. Portion 27 defines a band having substantially twice the Width of the portions 26 and, thus, may be subsequently divided into two 3 halves by the slitting wheel 23 to form the final rolled sheet material wherein the

side edges

13 and 14 have additional visual indicating means formed therein.

Another embodiment of the invention is. illustrated in FIGURE 3 wherein visual indication of the side edges is effected by imprinting thereon a suitable indicating means 28. The imprinting may comprise a printed form of the embossing effected by the embossing Wheel 29. Illustratively, the embossment 28 may comprise the trademark of the manufacturer of the rolled sheet material 10. As shown in FEGURE 4, the visual indication may be enhanced by inking the wheel 29 as by means of a conventional ink supply mechanism 30 including a supply roll 31 for picking up ink 32 from a suitable receptacle 33 and transferring it through a transfer roll 34 to the wheel 29.

While I have described only several different arrangements of the means providing the irregular edges of the rolled sheet and the means for providing a. visual indication of the edges, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, the structural concepts of such means may be embodied in a substantial number of different forms thereof. Further, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, the provision of the disclosed means for facilitating sepa ration of the edge of the sheet from other portions of the sheet facially engaged thereby as Well as the provision of the means for facilitating the location of the sheet edge may also find substantial advantage after the distal portion 12 is separated from the rolled sheet configuration. Thus, for example, where the separated distal portion 12 is used to Wrap a foodstuff the discussed means provide facilitated upwrapping thereof when desired generally in the same manner as in facilitating the withdrawal of the distal portion 12 from the rolled sheet configuration.

By providing the edge irregularity or the visual indicating means in the form of indicium, a synergistic effect is provided wherein these means further provide additional information to the user. Still further, where desired, the edge irregularity or visual indication may be in the form of a highly aesthetic design providing an attractive edging to the sheet synergistically. The extruded

sheet portions

26 and 27 discussed above may be colored portions as desired. Further, by providing the radial spacing between portions of the rolled sheet edges and the adjacent layers thereof, entrapment of air in the midportion of the rolled sheet configuration is effectively eliminated thereby providing a further improved compact rolled sheet configuration.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

I. In a rolled sheet of thin plastic material of substantially constant thickness having relatively high tendency to cling to itself by substantially only a static charge, means for facilitating finger tip separation from the rolled sheet of a distal portion defining the outermost layer thereof, comprising means defining a side edge of said sheet irregular in the direction of thickness of the sheet and extending substantially the length of said sheet for providing in the distal portion comprising the outermost layer of the rolled sheet a plurality of edge portions spaced radially from the underlying layer of the rolled sheet, the mid-portion of the sheet extending between the side edges thereof being regular whereby the distal end of said mid-portion clings to said underlying layer.

2. The sheet means of claim 1 wherein said side edge is provided with means for visual indication thereof.

3. The sheet means of claim 1 wherein said side edge is embossed.

4. The sheet means of claim 1 wherein said sheet is substantially transparent and said side edge is provided with means for visual indication thereof.

5. The sheet means of claim 1 wherein said side edge is provided with an indicium for providing visual indication of the edge and other information.

6. The sheet means of claim 1 wherein said sheet edge is colored.

7. The sheet means of claim 1 wherein said sheet edge is formed of a material having a different appearance from the material forming the portion of the sheet between the side edges thereof.

8. The sheet means of claim 1 wherein said irregular side edge means is provided at each of the opposite side edges of the sheet.

9. In a rolled sheet of thin material having relatively high tendency to cling to itself, means for facilitating finger tip separation from the rolled sheet of a distal portion defining the outermost layer thereof, comprising means defining an irregular side edge of said sheet extending substantially the length of said sheet for providing in the distal portion comprising the outermost layer of the rolled sheet a plurality of edge portions spaced radially from the underlying layer of the rolled sheet, said sheet comprising an extrusion and said edge being formed of extrusion material having a visual appearance different from that of the material forming the sheet between the side edges thereof.

References Qited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,274,712 3/1942 Kroner 206-57 2,673,643 3/1954 Blank et a1. 20659 3,016,137 1/1962 Pollock 20658 1,158,537 11/1915 Muzzy 194-40 1,693,477 11/1928 Collins 221-27 1,944,229 1/1934- Fritsche 221-27 2,190,879 2/1940 Mayfeild 221277 2,321,642 6/1943 Anthony 221-301 XR 3,050,214 8/1962 Kopf.

3,103,298 10/1963 Polster 221-312 XR 3,163,275 12/1964 Andrews et a1. 2213 01 XR 3,248,005 4/1966 Joschko 221-3 12 MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner.