US3621995A

US3621995A - Shipping support for yarn tubes

Info

Publication number: US3621995A
Application number: US886079A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert H Francis
Original assignee: Westvaco Corp
Current assignee: Westvaco Corp
Priority date: 1969-12-18
Filing date: 1969-12-18
Publication date: 1971-11-23
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-23

Abstract

The shipping support of this invention comprises a two-part corrugated board pad containing integral tabs die-cut from each part to form a plurality of interlocking post elements for supporting and positioning tubes of yarn in a spaced relationship during shipment. Each of the tabs are attached to their respective parts along fold lines lying at an angle to the corrugations of the part, and they each include locking slots and faces for retaining the posts in an upright condition. In addition, the invention comprises a novel jig frame for assembling the support pad to its tube supporting condition.

Description

United States Patent Inventor Robert H. Francis Richmond, Va. Appl. No. 886,079 Filed Dec. 18, 1969 Patented Nov. 23, 1971 Assignee Westvaco Corporation New York, N.Y.

SHIPPING SUPPORT FOR YARN TUBES [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,258,116 6/1966 Goerke 206/65 Y 2.818974 l/l958 Talbot 206/65 Y Primary ExaminerDonald F. Norton Attorneys-Larry C. Hall and Robert S. Grimshaw ABSTRACT: The shipping support of this invention comprises 8 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs. a two-part corrugated board pad containing integral tabs die- US. Cl 206/65 Y, from each to form a Pi f post ele' ments for supporting and positioning tubes of yarn in a spaced 93/37R,93/59R l d E h fh b hd Int. Cl 865d 85/04 re anons 1p -unng S lpmem' o t m S are anac e to their respective parts along fold lines lying at an angle to the Field of Search 206/65 Y,

46 FR 229/14 C corrugations of the part, and they each include locklng slots and faces for retaining the posts in an upright condition. In addition, the invention comprises a novel jig frame for assembling the support pad to its tube supporting condition.

P IENT nuuv 23 Ian 3. 621 ,995

SHEET 1 or 3 INVENTOR Robe/f H. Franc/'5 ATTORNEY PATENTEBHHV 2 l9?! 3,621,995

SHEET 2 OF 3 FIG. 6

mvmmn Robert H. Franc/'5 ZaM W ATTORNEY SUMMARY OF INVENTION This invention relates generally to a container for shipping a plurality of articles in spaced relation in a unit package. In particular, it pertains to a container for storing and shipping a plurality of textile bobbins arranged in layer form and fixed in position. More specifically, the invention relates to the means of fabrication and the details of construction of a novel shipping support which is inserted in the shipping container and which securely positions the textile bobbins in spaced relation one from the other.

The bulk of the yarn produced in the textile industry is packaged in a sense by being wound onto bobbins, cones, tubes and the like. During the storing and the shipment of these packages of yarn they must be supported so as to prevent them from rubbing against one another or against the walls or inserts of the containers in which they are contained.

in some cases bobbins of textile fibers and yarns have been individually wrapped, and at times even individually boxed for shipment in cartons, crates or other means of transport. Such a manner of handling is unsatisfactory, however, for the reason that the textile fibers lying at the surface of each bobbin may become damaged due to even the mildly abrasive action encountered with ordinary materials during use for primarily the protection of the bobbins.

Textile, or yarn shipping containers having separators between the layers of tubes or bobbins packaged therein have also been heretofore suggested. However, most of these comprise a single thickness of corrugated paperboard, with extensions for fixedly positioning the bobbins, and thus are incapable of solely supporting the entire weight of a layer of bobbins without flexing or of withstanding abuse on a processing conveyor line. Another type of separator that has been suggested is one wherein extensions or protuberances extend from both faces of the separator in a manner whereby the separator is in interlocking engagement with both a subjacent and a superjacent layer of bobbins. Another type of separator which has been suggested comprises a shelf having discontinuous ridges projecting from the face thereof, formed by removing a portion of the shelf material, between which bobbins are positioned. The shelf, by virtue of its construction, assumes dimensions corresponding to the interior of the container when placed therein and assumes a flattened position when removed from the container. Other separators, formed from multiple layers of corrugated paperboard have also been proposed, but they have been found unsatisfactory because of economic considerations or because they are difficult to fabricate. While in general these prior suggested separators may have served their intended function, they have either been found to be not sufiiciently rigid to support an entire layer of bobbins when the layer was removed from the carton, or they have been incapable of being loaded and unloaded as the separators of the subject invention.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to produce an efficient, simple, strong, efiective and economical pad or separator for the collection, transport and delivery of bobbins of textile fibers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a platform or pad for securely holding the bobbins in spaced relation wherein the pad is sufficiently rigid to function as a carrying tray. r

A further object of the invention is to produce a pad for carrying textile bobbins wherein thepad is provided with posts adapted to fit inside one end of a bobbin and frictionally support the bobbin in upstanding position without humanly or materially contacting the fibers wound on the bobbins.

An additional object of this invention is to produce a pad for carrying textile bobbins which is constructed from laminar plies of semirigid material having pushout tabs formed therein v which form posts for supporting the bobbins.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple and efficient jig by which the pushout tabs in the plies of material are elevated to their upstanding position.

A further object of this invention is in the provision of locking surfaces on the cooperating tabs of each ply whereby the tabs are automatically locked in position in their upstanding position.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of the invention taken in conjunction with the following drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIG. 1 shows in a perspective view an example of the jig frame used for assemblingthe support pad of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a section of one of the pads and illustrates the manner in which the pushout tab elements are located on the jig frame for assembling the support pad;

FIG. 3 illustrates in perspective the operation of the jig frame in the first step of assembling the support pad;

FIG. 4 shows a view similar to FIG. 3 of the second step in the assembly of the support pad;

FIG. 5 shows a side view of a fragment of the completely as sembled pad;

FIG. 6 is a plan view in perspective of a portion of an assembled pad with a bobbin secured in position on its supporting post;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the blank for forming a support pad from two separate pieces of material;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a one-piece blank for forming a typical support pad; and,

FIG. 9 illustrates partly in section the manner in which the bobbins are carried in spaced apart relation on the support pads for shipment and storage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION According to the present invention, there is provided a container for the storing and shipping of packages of yarn arranged in one or more superposed layers, and so as to prevent them from rubbing against each other or against the walls of the container. To accomplish these results, the invention includes novel two-ply separators or pads between each layer of yarn packages for supporting the packages of yarn, which separators are characterized by having integral post members formed therein. The post members preferably comprise interconnecting elements die-cut from each ply of the separator which automatically lock one another in the upstanding position when the two plies of each separator or pad are assembled. In one embodiment of the invention, the two plies of the supporting pad comprise separate sheets. When corrugated paperboard is used to form the supporting pad, the corrugations in one ply may be arranged at right angles to the corrugations in the other ply when the separate ply configuration is used. In the other embodiment presented herein, the two plies are formed by taking a double sized blank of material and dividing it with a fold line. For this latter configuration, the corrugations run in the same direction for each ply when corrugated paperboard is used for the construction.

As pointed out hereinabove, the interconnecting elements in each ply are preferably shaped and cut so that they interlock with one another in the assembled condition. This feature is accomplished in the preferred embodiment by utilizing a single flanged, tonguelike element cut from the lower ply of the pad and two-part, curved, winglike elements cut from the upper ply of the pad. The wing elements in the upper pad are each suitably notched or grooved so as to accept the flanged portions of the lower portions of the lower ply tongue element in the locked position. In addition, the curved outer portions of the wing elements of each post are preferably sized so as to frictionally grip the inside of the bobbins when the yarn packages are stored on the supporting pad post. The tongue element and paired wing elements which form each supporting pad post are given additional strength and integrity by arranging the score lines about which each element is folded at an angle to the corrugations in the respective ply. Thus no material is removed from the supporting pad outside the diameter of the bobbin yielding a strong and rigid pad with substantial protection for the bobbin.

With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown an example of the jig frame or work frame used to assemble the supporting pad of this invention. The jig frame comprises a base member with at least two

side members

12, 14 attached thereto. The jig elements I5, 16 of the jig frame each comprise small, curved fingerlike pieces attached to the base member 10 in any suitable manner. Each of the

jig elements

15, 16 are spaced on the base member 10 in a pattern previously chosen to fabricate the intended supporting pad. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1, the jig elements are shown as being fixedly positioned on the base member 10 in a pattern chosen to form a six-post pad. It is well within the scope of this invention that the jig elements could be movably attached to the base element so as to offer a variety of patterns for assembling supporting pads having more or less posts. In addition, it is contemplated that with the movably attached

jig elements

15, 16, the spacing between posts could be varied to accommodate bobbin packages of dif ferent sizes. For the jig frame having movably attached

jig elements

15, 16, it would only be necessary to provide guides in the base member 10 giving freedom of movement to the jig elements, with a further means associated with the jig elements themselves for fixedly securing them in their various positions (not shown).

It is not meant to be suggested, however, that the jig illustrated in FIG. 1 represents the only means whereby the support pad of this invention might be assembled. A mechanical means could just as readily be used for the assembly, and, of course, the novel support pad of this invention could easily be assembled by hand. Note also that the particular configuration of the

jig elements

15, 16 shown is not restricting in any manner. The shape illustrated was chosen for the sake of convenience and because it functioned well.

The jig frame is dimensioned so that two of the peripheral edges of each ply of the support pad fit snugly against the

side members

12 and 14. These positioning walls in conjunction with the indicia 13 on wall 14 help to align the support pad on the jig frame. Each ply of the support pad includes a matching mark or groove which is aligned with the indicia 13 when separate plies are used for assembling the support pad. In this position, the proximity of each jig element l5, 16 is positively located to engage the associated tongue element 19 in the diecut support pad ply, so that upon pressing down on the support pad ply, the jig element causes the tongue element 19 to be forced upwardly. Note in FIG. 3 for instance that the slightly inwardly curved shape of the jig element at the extreme upper end thereof, forces the element 19 upward without tearing or mutilating it. Furthermore, the outwardly curved portion of the jig element in the region between the tip and the base keeps the tongue element 19 at an attitude of substantially 90 with respect to the plane of the ply.

FIG. 2 of the drawing illustrates a more or less schematic means whereby the support pad of this invention is assembled. A portion of the jig frame is shown with a two part support pad 17, spaced above but in line with the jig frame for as sembly. It should be noted that with the two-ply pad, the corrugations are directed at right angles to one another in each ply. The lower ply 17 (a fragment of which is shown) includes the tongue element 19 die-cut from the ply along line 18 and attached to the ply 17 along a fold line 21. The fold line 21 is preferably formed in the ply 17 at an angle to the corrugations and that angle is illustrated as being approximately This construction adds strength to the junction at fold line 21 to yield a rigid post member in the support pad.

The ply 17 illustrated also has its edge trimmed off at 23 to allow easy assembly of the loaded support pads inside the shipping container. Tongue 19 includes as an additional feature the locking faces 24 which engage the cooperating locking groove in the secondary ply, to be described hereinafier. It is important to note however, that the specific shape and arrangement of the tongue member 19 illustrated in FIG. 2, is not to be deemed restrictive on the invention as a whole. It would be well within the scope of the disclosed invention to choose a different shape if desired, as long as the locking feature of the invention is maintained. The fold line orientation disclosed is deemed to be only advisable, not mandatory, and is employed to obtain maximum strength. The direction of corrugations is illustrated by the arrow 20 in the ply 17. A conventional single wall corrugated paperboard blank has been illustrated, however other blanks of double and triple wall corrugated paperboard using different combinations of A, B or C flutes could readily be substituted for the illustrated sample.

The secondary, or upper ply of the support pad is designated by the reference character 25. In this ply, the corrugations are illustrated as extending in the direction of the arrow 33, which direction of course, preferably at to the direction of the corrugations (arrow 20) in the ply 17. This particular orientation of the corrugations for the two plies was chosen after studies where conducted of the in-plant handling procedures normally used in transporting the yarn tube containers.

It is recognized, of course, that the corrugated panel has its maximum compressive strength in the direction that the corrugations run. Hence it is desirable to pack yarn tube containers so that when they are handled prior to storage and during loading and unloading for shipment, the containers are operated on in their areas of greatest strength. The conventional manner for handling a container of yarn tube packages is to grip the container at two sides using an industrial truck with a bale lift attachment. If the bales are positioned on the sides of the container so as to compress the container and the inside supporting pads perpendicular to the lines of corrugations in the support pad plies, the support pads can only offer little resistance to ultimate failure. However, if the container is gripped by the bale lift so as to compress the interior support pads in a direction parallel to the lines of corrugations, the container can easily withstand the handling loads.

After studying this particular method of handling the yarn tube containers, and realizing that the bale lift truck operator had no knowledge of which direction the corrugations were running in the interior support pads, it became obvious that a scheme was necessary to give the container the required strength notwithstanding how the container was to be handled. Accordingly, it was decided to employ a two-ply support pad with the corrugations in one pad at 90 to the other thereby insuring that the container would have adequate strength in all directions. This two-ply construction also made it easy for the person packing the packages of yarn since no care had to be taken for putting the support pads in the container in a specific manner or order.

The fragment of upper ply 25 of FIG. 2 includes a groove or other mark 34 to insure proper alignment on the jig frame, and, also includes the squared off end 35 supplied at the request of the customer. The squared

corners

35 and 23 are requested to achieve an easy assembly of the support pads inside the shipping container, and to permit easy removal of the support pads by providing fingerholes at the corners.

Only one set of locking flaps 26 is shown in the upper ply fragment 25 of FIG. 2, and it includes a pair of flaps or

wings

36, 37 which are die-cut along

curved lines

29, 30 from the blank 25. Each

flap

36, 37 remains attached to the blank 25 along a

fold line

27, 28 respectively, and the two

flaps

36, 37 are separated from one another at a central location along the cut line 32. Note that the fold lines 27, 28 are at an angle to the direction of corrugations in the upper ply 33 and this an gular relationship is preferably 45 as specified for the fold line 21 in ply 17. The fold lines 27, 28 of ply 25 must be related at approximately 90 to the fold line 21 in ply 17 for the

respective flaps

36, 37 and tongue 19 to cooperate as described in the assembly of the yarn tube post. A pair of locking slots or grooves 31 are cut in the edges of the

flaps

36, 37 as shown in FIG. 2 to engage the locking faces 24 of the tongue element 19.

FIG. 3 discloses the condition of the first or lower ply 17 after it has been placed on the jig frame as an initial step in the assembly of the support pad. Again, only a fragment of the jig frame and lower ply have been shown, it being obvious that the same operation would be taking part at each and every jig element I5, 16 of the jig frame. Note that the edges of the ply I7 are in contact with the sidewalls I2, 14 of the jig frame so that the jig element 15 is properly oriented with respect to the tongue member 119. In the illustrated condition, the jig element has forced the tongue member 19 to its upstanding position to enable it to engage and automatically lock with the coincidentally positioned locking flaps in the second or upper ply. The configuration shown in FIG. 3 could be either of a single blank or two-piece support pad since the same jig frame could be used to assemble either type of support.

FIG. 4 illustrates the arrangement of the two plies I7, upon completing the second step in the assembly of the support pad. In this instance, the second part of the blank (or as shown) a second separate ply 25 has been forced down over the jig elements l5, l6 and the lower ply 17 to complete the assembly of the yarn tube post. Only one portion of the support pad has been shown as a matter of convenience and so as not to complicate the view. It should be noted that the flaps or

wing members

36, 37 are forced open and upward by the upper portion of the tongue I9 and the locking faces 24 then fit normally into the locking grooves or slots 31 cut in the

flaps

36, 37. The two plies I7, 25 are precisely die-cut so that this action will take place upon assembly of the two blanks. Hence there is obtained a strong yet light weight support pad having a plurality of yarn tube posts integrally formed therefrom to grip the yarn tubes during storage and shipment.

The view at FIG. 5 shows a typical yarn tube 40 about to be placed over a support pad post as assembled according to FIGS. 3 and 4. A two-ply, separate blank support pad is shown from the side using plies l7 and 25 with corrugations running 90 to each other in each ply. The tongue member 19 as illustrated serves only to separate and lock in position the

winglike elements

36, 37. The top view illustrated in FIG. 6 clearly shows this arrangement where the tongue I9 simply spreads the

wing elements

36, 37 so that the peripheral edges thereof at 29, engage the inside of the wall of the tube 40. This structural arrangement is achieved because as pointed out with with respect to FIG. 2, the locking flaps or

wings

36, 37 are cut along a curve at 29, 30 which will later on match precisely with the inside curvature of the yarn tube 40. The size of the tube 40 dictates the size and configuration of the tongue and flap dimensions which could vary depending on the type of yarn being shipped. Since the tubes are held only from the inside, the support pad still offers an uncut area for the tube to rest on and the strength of the support pad is not unduly reduced.

There is, of course, a good reason for gripping the tube only from the inside rather than from the outside. Clearly if the tube were restrained around its outer periphery, the chance of rubbing against and damaging the wound yarn would be increased. Further, most of the yarn packages include a transfer tail located at the bottom of the tube which enables the yarn from one tube to be transferred and connected to the yarn from another tube as the yarn is unwound. It was discovered that when the tubes were gripped from the outside the transfer tail was invariably damaged or broken.

FIGS. 7 and 3 illustrate two examples of the form that the support pad blanks could take. In FIG. 7, a two-piece blank is shown comprising lower ply 41 and upper ply 49. The lower ply includes a plurality of

tongue elements

42, 43 die-cut from the blank material. Each tongue element has a fold line 45 which is angularly related to the direction of corrugation identified by the arrow 44. A groove, or other indicia 47 is impressed at one edge of the lower ply 41 to orient the panel on the jig frame. Note also that some of the tongue elements 42 are cut in the blank in one direction while other tongue elements 43 are cut in the opposite direction. This arrangement was deemed necessary the support pad using two separate blanks because it was discovered that when all of the tongue elements were projected in the same direction, the two plies in their assembled condition could be shifted with respect to one another. The shifting was not likely to occur inside the shipping container, but it was possible during the setting up procedure and it could have occurred also when the support pad was being loaded with yarn packages. To counteract this potential problem, it was only necessary to reorient some of the tongue members as shown. Note also that the jig frame illustrated in FIG. 1 is designed for the support pad using two separate blanks since some of the jig elements 15 extend in the opposite direction from other jig elements 16.

The upper ply 49 illustrated in FIG. 7 has die-cut therein the locking flaps or wing elements 52. The direction of corruga' tions in panel 49 is indicated by the arrow 50 as being at right angles to the corrugation direction 44 of lower panel 41. A mark or groove 51 is impressed on the side of the upper panel 49 to insure proper orientation on the jig frame during assembly. Each of the locking flaps 52 has incorporated in the edge thereof a groove or slot 55 for accepting the locking face of the respective tongue element. Another distinctive feature of the present invention is also illustrated in FIG. 7 by the dotted lines 48 on lower panel 41. The lines 48 represent the position that a yarn tube would take when loaded onto the support pad. Note that the fold line 45 of tongue 43 lies substantially in the center of the phantom yarn tube defined by lines 48.

It was discovered that the tongue position could be moved to different places with respect to the yarn tube, however, as the tongue was repositioned, the locking slots 55 in the locking flaps 52 had to be similarly moved. For the condition shown in FIG. 7, with the fold line 45 at the center of the tube, the locking slots 55 also had to be located at the center of the wing elements. As the fold line of the tongue member was moved away from center, the locking slots in the wings also had to be moved away from center. This characteristic is further illustrated in the FIG. 8 blank.

FIG. 8 shows a single blank of material 6 for constructing the support pad. The single blank ultimately takes the form of an upper and a lower ply because of the fold line at 65, but the constructional details of the single blank are somewhat simpler than those necessary for a support pad formed from two separate blanks. For instance, the tongue elements 62 can all be die-cut in the same direction since the two plies cannot shift during assembly because of the connection along fold line 65. Hence a jig frame different from the one shown in FIG. I must be used for the assembly of the FIG. 8 support pad blank. However, other features of the FIG. 8 blank are similar to those shown in FIG. 7. Note the direction of corrugations as being indicated by the arrow 61 and the orientation of the fold lines 64 for tongue elements 62 at an angle thereto. The same features are carried out in the upper panel part of blank 60 where the fold lines for the locking flaps 66 are also at an angle to the corrugations 61.

FIG. 8 also illustrates the relative position of the fold line 64 of tongue 62 with regard to the phantom yarn tube 63, and the location of the locking slot 67 of wing elements 66. As pointed out before, as the tongue fold line 64 moves away from the center of the tube, the locking slots in the cooperating wing elements must also be moved away from center.

The particular orientation of the tongue members and locking slots for the wing members becomes important both during the assembly of the support pad, and, when several loaded support pads are stacked in tiers in a shipping container. When the wing members are cut so as to fit snugly inside the particular tube to be shipped, the tongue fold line can either be arranged to lie at the diameter of the tube or offset therefrom. When the fold line is at the center, the support pad can only be assembled as a two step process, using the preferred jig frame, for either a single or separate blank construction. This is illustrated in FIG. 7 where the fold line 45 lies along the diameter of the tube 48 and a portion of the tongue 43 extends outside the boundary of the tube 48. Hence the two

panels

41 and 49 of FIG. 7 could not be arranged one on top of the other prior to being placed on the jig frame. They each would have to be applied on the frame one at a time to get the tongue member in its upraised position first. In FIG. 8, of course, because the tongue element 62 lies wholly within the phantom tube lines 63, it would be feasible to fold the upper panel over on top ofthe lower panel prior to application on the jig frame. The same principles would hold for hand assembly or other mechanical assembly. Therefore, with the tongue fold line offset from the center of the phantom tube lines the assembly of the support pad could be accomplished either as a one step or two step process using either separate blanks or a single blank folded over.

It should also be clear that when the support pads and yarn tube packages are stacked in tiers in a shipping container, the top of the yarn tubes in the bottom layer would not have a full seat on the bottom of the support pad in the second layer where the FIG. 7 blank was used. This is not believed to be a serious problem, but it is a distinction to be noted between the different support pad constructions.

A partial view ofa typical yarn tube shipping container is illustrated in FIG. 9. Only two tiers are shown although most containers have more tiers depending on the height and other dimensions of the tubes to be shipped. The shipping container includes two

telescoping parts

80, 81 which are formed by scoring and folding corrugated paperboard or fiberboard in a well-known manner. In the bottom of the part 81 a support pad is placed which has been loaded with wound yarn tubes 40 as shown. One of the tubes has been partially broken away to illustrate the interior gripping action of the

wing members

36, 37 being held apart by the tongue member 19. On top of the bottom tier of yarn tubes there is positioned a second loaded support pad comprising upper ply and lower ply 17. Again a portion of the tube 40 has been sectioned away to show the support pad post as it grips the inside of the tube. It would be possible, if deemed necessary, to place a trim sheet of scrap paperboard over the top ofeach successive layer of yarn tubes prior to inserting the next support pad in the shipping container. As a matter of practice, it is the general rule to also place a sheet of waxed paper between the tiers of yarn tubes for added protection. Alternatively, one could place support pads at both the top and bottom of each tier of yarn tubes, but this is not deemed to be a practical necessity.

Finally, as illustrated in FIG. 9, it has been found advisable to place another support pad turned over as shown on top of the final tier of yarn tubes and prior to placing the upper telescoping member 80 over the stacked yarn tube packages. As a general rule, the shipping containers are either front or side loading and when finally loaded they are treated in a specific manner before storage and/or shipment. The packed shipping container is then compressed under considerable pressure, as allowed by the two

telescoping members

80, 81 until the yarn tubes 40 crush the material of the support pad adjacent each end of the tube. The shipping container is then glued or strapped thus yielding a relatively immobile or stationary foundation for the tubes on each support pad. It should be clear that the shipping container as packed and strapped maintains the tubes and yarn wound thereon in relatively isolated and spaced apart positions in the container.

It is to be noted that other arrangements and modifications may be obtained in accordance with the variations in length and other dimensions of the yarn tubes, the weight and other characteristics of the fibers wound thereon, the spacing required for safe handling, besides adaptations of container sizes, standardization of support pad sizes and other considerations regarding shipping regulations. In addition, the novel support pad and shipping container described herein could just as readily be used for other commodities packaged on a tube or bobbin such as film, wire, paper or synthetic fibers. Furthermore, the present disclosure contemplates but does not necessarily require that the support pad described herein could be reused for either the shipping or storage offull or empty tubes in an orderly and protective manner.

Hence, while what has been described herernbefore are the principles of the invention in connection with two specific embodiments, it is to be clearly understood that this description has been made by way of example only and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention.

I claim:

I. In a container for storing and shipping tubes of yarn or the like in upstanding tiered formation, including open end tubes and a plurality of support pads, each support pad comprising:

a. at least two plies of paperboard each including corrugations, forming an upper layer and a lower layer;

b. a plurality of pairs of curved, winglike panels integral with and cut from said upper layer and adapted to be pushed outwardly therefrom each having width dimensions corresponding to the interior dimensions of the open ends ofsaid tubes; and,

c. a plurality of integral locking tongue members cut from said lower layer and adapted to be pushed upwardly therefrom to spread and automatically lock in position the winglike panels of said upper layer thereby forming a plurality of upstanding tube support posts for supporting the open end tubes when the upper and lower layers of each support pad are brought into registry.

2. The container of claim I wherein each of said pair ofwinglike panels have locking slots in the free edges thereof which engage a flanged portion of one ofsaid tongue members.

3. The container of claim 2, wherein each of said winglike panels and tongue members are joined to their respective layers along fold lines which are angularly related to the corrugations of said respective layers.

4. The container of claim 3, wherein the corrugations of said upper layer extend in a direction transverse to the corrugations of said lower layer.

5. The container of claim 4, wherein the support pad is constructed from a blank consisting of two separate layers of corrugated paperboard.

6. The container of claim 3, wherein the corrugations in both the upper and lower layers extend in the same direction.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein the support pad is constructed from a single blank of corrugated paperboard divided into two layers by a fold line.

8. In combination, a support pad blank from which a support pad for storing a plurality of open end tubes of yarn or the like is constructed, and a jig frame for assembling the support pad comprising:

a. a corrugated paperboard blank for forming the support pad, said paperboard blank including an upper layer having a plurality of spaced apart, paired, winglike panels cut therein, each panel having a width dimension corresponding to the interior dimension of an open end tube, and, a lower layer having a plurality of spaced apart flanged tongue members cut therein each tongue member having a width sufficient to spread apart and lock in position a pair ofwinglike panels in said upper layer; and,

. ajig frame having a plurality of spaced apartjig elements affixed thereto in a pattern to correspond with the winglike panels and tongue members of the support pad layers for pushing the tongue members ofsaid lower layer upwardly and into locked engagement with the winglike panels of said upper layer when the upper and lower layers are brought into registry on saidjig frame.

s: a t a a

Claims

1. In a container for storing and shipping tubes of yarn or the like in upstanding tiered formation, including open end tubes and a plurality of support pads, each support pad comprising: a. at least two plies of paperboard each including corrugations, forming an upper layer and a lower layer; b. a plurality of pairs of curved, winglike panels integral with and cut from said upper layer and adapted to be pushed outwardly therefrom each having width dimensions corresponding to the interior dimensions of the open ends of said tubes; and, c. a plurality of integral locking tongue members cut from said lower layer and adapted to be pushed upwardly therefrom tO spread and automatically lock in position the winglike panels of said upper layer thereby forming a plurality of upstanding tube support posts for supporting the open end tubes when the upper and lower layers of each support pad are brought into registry.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein each of said pair of winglike panels have locking slots in the free edges thereof which engage a flanged portion of one of said tongue members.

8. In combination, a support pad blank from which a support pad for storing a plurality of open end tubes of yarn or the like is constructed, and a jig frame for assembling the support pad comprising: a. a corrugated paperboard blank for forming the support pad, said paperboard blank including an upper layer having a plurality of spaced apart, paired, winglike panels cut therein, each panel having a width dimension corresponding to the interior dimension of an open end tube, and, a lower layer having a plurality of spaced apart flanged tongue members cut therein each tongue member having a width sufficient to spread apart and lock in position a pair of winglike panels in said upper layer; and, b. a jig frame having a plurality of spaced apart jig elements affixed thereto in a pattern to correspond with the winglike panels and tongue members of the support pad layers for pushing the tongue members of said lower layer upwardly and into locked engagement with the winglike panels of said upper layer when the upper and lower layers are brought into registry on said jig frame.