ZA200802323B

ZA200802323B - Packaging accesory

Info

Publication number: ZA200802323B
Application number: ZA200802323A
Authority: ZA
Inventors: Watkins Gerhard
Original assignee: Apl Cartons Proprietary Ltd
Priority date: 2007-03-20
Filing date: 2008-03-12
Publication date: 2009-10-28

Description

oo Hil , P.2008/023,;

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the stacking of goods. In particular, the invention relates to an accessory for and a method of stacking cartons on a pallet. :

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

When articles are stacked for storage, transportation, or the like, the articles often need to be secured in the stack to prevent them from falling when the stack is handled or transported. This is typically done with strapping or binding in the form of straps that extend around the stacked articles and that are wrapped tightly to prevent articles from shifting. However, the tight straps often require protective layers or binding on the corners of the stacks, to prevent the straps from damaging the articles in the stacks. The strapping is costly and applying and removing it is cumbersome.

Some paperboard containers are provided with protruding lugs on their tops and have complementally shaped and positioned recessed in their bottoms, so that they can be stacked on top of one another with the lugs of lower containers received in recessed of upper containers. These locking mechanisms are useful in preventing stacked containers of this type from sliding off the containers below them, but are not effective in preventing containers stacked next to each other from parting and thus in preventing adjacent stacks from tilting apart.

Another variation on this solution to container stacking is the use of so-called “securing sheets”, which are sheets that define spaced apertures, in which protruding lugs of containers are receivable. When the containers are stacked, the sheet is placed above a layer of containers and the lugs of the containers below the sheet pass through the apertures. When more containers are packed above the sheet, the lugs that protrude though the sheet extend into the recesses defined in the containers being placed above the sheet. The securing sheets are effective in preventing adjacent containers from parting, but require large sheets of material and are costly as a result. :

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The object of the present invention is to secure articles in a stack together in a more cost effective manner than using binding and/or securing sheets. A further object of the present invention is to protect stacked articles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an accessory for: stacking articles, said accessory comprising an elongate sheet that defines: a longitudinal central fold line along which the sheet is foldable in a first direction; : two longitudinal lateral fold lines along which the sheet is foldable in a second direction, opposite from the first direction, said lateral lines being disposed on opposite sides of the central line; at least one corner aperture disposed generally between the lateral lines and having a cross sectional dimension in the longitudinal direction at least equal to the distance between the lateral lines; and a transverse fold line extending through the corner aperture.

The sheet may be folded along the fold lines so that the central fold line forms an apex of a web and the parts of the sheet on the lateral outsides of the lateral fold lines, form flanges that are generally coplanar and perpendicular to the web. The sheet may be folded along the transverse fold line so that the web and flanges on one side of the corner aperture extend generally perpendicular to the web and flanges on the other side of the corner aperture, the accessory having an L-shape with the corner aperture disposed at the corner of the L and with the webs extending "to the inside of the L-shape.

The accessory may define more than one corner aperture, with a transverse fold line extending through each corner aperture.

The sheet may define locating apertures between the central and lateral fold lines and may define vent apertures. oo

The sheet may be longer in the longitudinal direction on one side of the central fold line than it is on the other side of the central fold line, at its one end and may be longer in the longitudinal direction on the other side of the central fold line at its other end, so that the ends of accessories placed end-on-end are complementally shaped.

To .

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for stacking articles, said method comprising the steps of: folding an accessory from sheet material, said accessory having a general L- shape and each leg of the L shape including an elongate web on the inside of the L and two flanges on the outside of the L, each flange extending perpendicular to the web; : placing at least two of the articles next to each other in a first layer; positioning the accessory with its webs extending above the articles in the first layer and with its flanges extending alongside said articles; and placing at least one article above the web in a second layer, on the same side of the flanges as the articles of the first layer, so that the L-shape of the accessory . extends along the periphery of the articles.

The accessory may be an accessory as described herein above.

The method may include positioning more than one accessory end to end and the accessories may be arranged with parts of the webs of adjacent accessories overlapping.

The accessory may be positioned so that protruding lugs from the articles in the first layer extend into locating apertures defined in the web.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of non-limiting example, to the accompanying drawings in which:

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Figure 1 is a profile view of a blank for an accessory in accordance with the present invention; a

Figure 2 is an oblique perspective view of the blank of Figure 1, part folded along its central and lateral fold lines;

Figure 3 is an oblique perspective view of the blank of Figures 1 and 2, completely folded along its central and lateral fold lines;

Figure 4 is an oblique perspective view of the blank of Figures 1 to 3, also part folded along its transverse fold line; :

Figure 5 is a top perspective view of four accessories folded from the blanks of

Figures 1 to 4, in an end-to-end arrangement;

Figure 6 is a profile view of a blank, similar to that of Figure 1, with locating and vent apertures;

Figure 7 is an oblique perspective view of an accessory folded from the blank of

Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a profile view of a blank, similar to that of Figure 6, but with staggered ends;

Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of two accessories folded from the blank of

Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the accessories of Figure 9, placed end-to-end; and

Figure 11 is a profile view of a blank for an accessory similar to that of figure 6, but configured to extend around two corners.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawings, an accessory in accordance with the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The same features of the accessory 10 are indicated by like reference numerals in different illustrated embodiments of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, in its simplest form, the accessory 10 is folded from a blank 12 of sheet material, which has an elongate rectangular outline and defines a central fold line 14 and two lateral fold lines 16, equi-spaced and all extending in a generally longitudinal direction, the lateral fold lines being on either side of the central fold line. . In the centre of the blank 12, a diamond shaped corner aperture 18 is defined with a width that extends between the lateral fold lines 16 and that is as long in the longitudinal direction, as its width, but it may be longer in the longitudinal direction. A transverse fold line 20 extends across the width of the corner aperture 18, to lateral edges of the blank 12. The sheet can be made of a suitably durable, foldable and inexpensive material, such as corrugated paperboard and can be perforated or scored along the fold lines 14, 16 and 20.

Referring to Figures 2 to 4, the accessory 10 is erected from the blank 12 by folding the blank along the central fold line 14 in one direction and along the lateral fold lines 16 in the opposite direction. Initially, these folds gives the sheet a W-profile as can be seen in Figure 2, but the parts of the sheet extending between the central fold line 14 and each lateral fold line 16 are folded into abutment to form a web 22 and each part of the sheet on the outside of a lateral fold line is folded perpendicularly to the web, to form a flange 24. As can be seen in Figure 3, the accessory has a T-profile, with the flanges 24 extending in the same plane, perpendicular to the web 22. : "The sheet is folded along the transverse fold line 20 with the webs 22 on either side of the corner aperture 18 abutting each other, so that the accessory has a general L- shape, with each leg of the L-shape having a T-profile consisting of a web 22 and two flanges 24 and with the webs extending on the inside of the L-shape.

Referring to Figure 5, four of the accessories 10 are shown in an end to end arrangement, so that they together form a square with webs 22 on its inside and flanges 24 on the outsides.

In use, the accessory 10 is used to secure a stack of articles, e.g. cartons that are being stacked on a pallet. This is done by stacking the cartons in the usual manner, but instead of placing a securing sheet over a layer of the cartons at some stage, called the first layer for the purposes of this description, the accessories 10 are positioned in the arrangement shown in Figure 5, with the inwardly extending webs

22 extending above the first layer of cartons and with the flanges 24 extending on the outside of the cartons. The next (second) layer of cartons is then packed on top of the webs 22, so that the weight of the second layer of cartons pressing on the : webs, causes the webs to be pinched securely between the first and second layers of cartons to hold the accessories in place. At the same time, the webs 22 are simultaneously pinched between adjacent cartons in each layer and if forces were applied to the adjacent cartons, the accessories 10 would prevent them from moving apart. The flanges 24 extending on the outsides of the stack of cartons assists in protecting the cartons, adds strength to the webs 22 and assists in positioning the cartons and keeping them in position.

The accessories 10 can also be used directly on the pallet, below the first layer, to assist in keeping the cartons in the lowest layer together. Such an accessory 10 could be marked or even have apertures, where the prongs of a lift truck’s forks are to enter the pallet to lift it.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, an accessory 10 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is shown, which is identical to that in Figures 1 to 5, but which also defines locating apertures 26 and vent apertures 28. The vent apertures are positioned to be aligned with vent apertures defined in the cartons, to allow ventilation within the cartons. The locating apertures 26 are positioned so that upwardly protruding lugs from the first layer of cartons can pass through the apertures to be received in recesses defined in the second layer of cartons. The lugs further assist in preventing the cartons from sliding relative to the webs 22 and thus in preventing adjacent cartons from moving apart.

Referring to Figures 8, 9 and 10, an accessory 10 in accordance with a third ~ embodiment of the present invention is shown, which is similar to that shown in

Figures 6 and 7, but in which has staggered ends. At the left hand end of the blank 12 as shown in Figure 8, the part above the central fold line 14 extends further in the longitudinal direction, than the part below the central fold line and at the right hand end of the blank, the part below the central fold line extend further than the part above. When the blank of Figure 8 is folded into an accessory as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the parts of each accessory that protrudes from its ends, are complemental to a recess of the adjacent accessory, when the accessories are placed end-to-end, so that the protruding ends can overlap as shown in Figure 10.

Frictional forces between the overlapping parts assist in transferring longitudinal loads from one accessory to the next, so that the overlapping accessories are even more effective in preventing the cartons from moving apart.

Referring to Figure 11, a blank 12 for an accessory in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown, which is similar to the blank of Figure 6, except that the blank in Figure 12 is substantially longer and defines two corner apertures 18. When the blank 12 is folded in the same way as described above with reference to Figures 1 to 4, instead of forming an L-shaped accessory with the corner aperture 18 disposed at the corner of the L-shape, the accessory has a U- shape, i.e. the equivalent of two of the accessories of Figure 7 attached end-to-end.

Claims

mili } | 9 I CLAIMS

1. An accessory for stacking articles, said accessory comprising an elongate sheet that defines: a longitudinal central fold line along which the sheet is foldable in a first © direction: two longitudinal lateral fold lines along which the sheet is foldable in a second direction, opposite from the first direction, said lateral lines being disposed on opposite sides of the central line; | at least one corner aperture disposed generally between the lateral lines and having a cross sectional dimension in the longitudinal direction at least equal to the distance between the lateral lines; and a transverse fold line extending through the corner aperture.

2. An accessory as claimed in claim1, wherein the sheet is folded along the fold lines so that the central fold line forms an apex of a web and the parts of the sheet on the lateral outsides of the lateral fold lines, form flanges that are generally coplanar and perpendicular to the web.

3. An accessory as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sheet is folded along the transverse fold line so that the web and flanges on one side of the corner aperture extend generally perpendicular to the web and flanges on the other side of the corner aperture, the accessory having an L-shape with the corner aperture disposed at the corner of the L and with the webs extending to the inside of the L- shape.

4. An accessory as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which defines more than one corner aperture, with a transverse fold line extending through each corner aperture. :

5. An accessory as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet defines locating apertures between the central and lateral fold lines.

6. An accessory as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet defines at least one vent aperture.

7. An accessory as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet is longer in the longitudinal direction on one side of the central fold line than it is on the other side of the central fold line, at its one end and is longer in the longitudinal direction on the other side of the central fold line at its other end, so that the ends of accessories placed end-on-end are complementally shaped.

8. A method for stacking articles, said method comprising the steps of: folding an accessory from sheet material, said accessory having a general L- shape and each leg of the L shape including an elongate web on the inside of the L and two flanges on the outside of the L, each flange extending perpendicular to the web; placing at least two of the articles next to each other in a first layer; positioning the accessory with its webs extending above the articles in the first layer and with its flanges extending alongside said articles; and placing at least one article above the web in a second layer, on the same side of the flanges as the articles of the first layer, so that the L-shape of the accessory extends along the periphery of the articles.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the accessory is an accessory as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, which includes positioning more than one accessory end to end.

11. A method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the accessories are arranged with parts of the webs of adjacent accessories overlapping.

12. A method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the accessory is positioned so that protruding lugs from the articles in the first layer extend into locating apertures defined in the web.

5 . Dated this 11" day of March 2008 —_— Brian Bacon & Associates Inc. Applicant’s Patent Attorneys