Patent ID: 6336307
Filing Date: 2002-01-08
Classification: B65D,B65H,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of forming a package of a strip of sheet material comprising:providing a strip of material having a first side edge, a second side edge defining a width therebetween, a first surface and a second surface, the strip having a width across the strip which varies along the length of the strip such that the width of the strip varies from areas of minimum width to areas of maximum width; forming a plurality of stacks of the strip by folding the strip in each stack repeatedly back and forth to form a plurality of folded strip portions of the strip, with each folded strip portion of the strip being folded relative to one next adjacent folded strip portion about a first fold line transverse to the strip and relative to a second next adjacent folded strip portion about a second fold line transverse to the strip and spaced from the first fold line; arranging the folded strip portions of each stack to form a plurality of first fold lines arranged at one of two opposed ends of the stack and a plurality of second fold lines arranged at the other of the ends of the stack with the fold lines at one end of the stacks of all the stacks being aligned so as to lie in a first common plane at one end of the package and the fold lines at the other end of the stacks of all the stacks being aligned so as to lie in a second common plane at the other end of the package; arranging the folded strip portions of each stack superimposed each on the previous strip portion with the side edges thereof directly aligned such that the areas of maximum width of the folded strip portions are superimposed and areas of minimum width of the folded strip portions are superimposed and such that the fold lines of each stack at each end of the stack are aligned to lie in common planes; arranging the stacks side by side in a common package structure such that the ends of the stacks lie at respective ends of the package, with the side edges of the folded strip portions of one stack adjacent to the side edges of the folded strip portions of a next adjacent stack, with the stacks being nested such that the areas of minimum width of each stack lie alongside areas of maximum width of the next adjacent stack; wherein the strip in each stack is continuous from an end connecting portion at one end of the stack to an end connecting portion at an opposed end of the stack and including splicing one end connecting portion of the strip from each stack to an end connecting portion of the strip of a next stack by a splice connecting portion of the strip to form a strip that is continuous along its length through the package.