METHOD FOR PACKAGING BOOKS

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for packaging books. The book(s) to be packaged are placed upon a rectangular flat cardboard sheet (11), followed by pulling over the book/books a separate plastic film or paper (17), which is transverse relative to the cardboard sheet and whose ends are fastened to the cardboard sheet to its top surfaces (14) adjacent the long edges thereof, and the ends of said cardboard sheet are folded around an article to be packaged for producing a tubular ptoective wrapping.

Description: The present invention relates to a method for packaging books or the like flat articles as defined in the introductory portion of claim 1. A method of this type has become known from WO-A-83/02764 (US-A-4 627 223). In such prior packaging method the protective wrapper for a packaging blank used therein has been previously fastened to the surface of a sheet of cardboard. This prior packaging method requires that the protective wrapper be first wrapped around the books to be packaged. The sheet of cardboard made of a rather rigid material can be folded mechanically. An apparatus has been developed for this purpose, and one embodiment thereof has been described in US-A-4 757 666. In this prior method the protective wrapper must be wrapped manually about the book. The prior method is relatively material-consuming in that the protective wrapper is of substantial dimensions. Research Disclosure No. 201, January 1981, page 59, disclosure No. 20150 "Two-sleeve package with integral pouch" discloses a method for packaging flat rectangular articles like books. In this prior method, the articles are placed on a foil/board laminate and covered with a preformed pouch (vapour barrier) that is sealed to the laminate. This inner sleeve is then folded and inserted into an outer paper board sleeve. The cover pouches are prefabricated to shape and size corresponding to the shape and size of the articles. This technique is not applicable for packaging books to be mailed because the sizes and numbers of books to be packaged vary without any regular number of packages having the same size. Furthermore, the paperboard forming the outer sleeve must be of thick and expensive material in order to protect the open side of the package by its single layer edges. It is an object of the present invention to further delevop a method for packaging books or the like flat articles as defined in the introductory portion of claim 1 so that the protective wrapper need not be manually wrapped around the books and that the material costs of the protective wrapper can be minimized. This object is achieved by the invention characterized in patent claim 1. In the method of the present invention the package blank (the cardboard sheet without the wrapper sheet) is easy to manufacture, store and convey. In the packaging operation the wrapper sheet needs not be manually wrapped around the articles. Since the wrapper sheet is separated by cutting from a web unwound from a reel, the length of the wrapper sheet can be adapted to the size and thickness of the article always with the minimum amount of material. No mutual attaching of wrapper flap ends is required. Further developments of the present invention are defined in the sub-claims. The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of an apparatus used for carrying out the method. Reference numerals 1 - 6 indicate working stations for various steps of the method. Fig. 2 shows a rectangular sheet of cardboard which makes up a prefabricated packaging blank. Fig. 3 shows a packaging blank at the time a protective wrapper 17 has been pulled over an article 16. Fig. 4 illustrates a packaging blank at a fabrication stage (4) and in finished form (6). Fig. 5 shows in more detail an apparatus used for carrying out the essential working step of the invention, the apparatus being at station 2 of fig. 1. A packaging blank shown in fig. 2 comprises a rectangular, flat sheet of cardboard 11 whose edges are double-folded for providing marginal reinforcements 12. Sheet 11 is provided with an aperture 13 for placing thereon a shipping and invoice form 15 in a manner that the address is visible through aperture 13. The sheet of cardboard 11 is laid on a table 1 (fig. 1) for placing book(s) 16 upon said sheet of cardboard 11 between prefabricated marginal zones 14. The top surfaces of the long edges of such sheet of cardboard are pretreated by coating areas 14 with an adhesive or a plastic film which can be made adhesive by heat activation. In the present case, aperture 13 and pretreated areas 14 are in alignment with each other in the central region of a sheet but can also be provided adjacent the opposite ends of a sheet whereby, in a finished package, such areas will be on the opposite flat sides of a package and the overlapping of the ends of cardboard sheet 11 will be adjacent to the narrow side of a package. It is also possible that a cardboard sheet to be laid on table 1 is not as yet provided with marginal folds 12, whereby the pretreated surfaces 14 remain between marginal folds 12 to be formed later. From table 1 said packaging blank along with books 16 is carried - in the advancing direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of sheet 11 - by means of a conveyor 24 to a station 2 for pulling a protective wrapper 17 over books 16 and for fastening said wrapper to pretreated marginal zones 14. This is effected by means of an apparatus shown in fig. 5 as follows. The leading end 17e of a plastic film or paper web 17w unwound from a reel 19 is fastened by the application of vacuum suction to a jaw 20 which is first in the packaging blank advancing direction. That is followed. by a jaw 21 further down in the conveying direction. Jaws 20 and 21 are provided with a heating device and mechanically coupled together to be moved up and down together. Between the jaws is a cutting means 22 which is movable up and down relative to the jaws. As the leading pretreated marginal surface 14 of a packaging blank arrives under jaw 20, said jaw 20 effects a working stroke and fastens the end 17e of plastic film web 17w to marginal surface 14 by heat sealing. If web 17w is made of paper, said surfaces 14 are sprayed with a hot-setting adhesive before the packaging blank arrives in fastening and cutting unit 23. Thus, jaws 20 and 21 need not be heated. The next step is to lift up said unit 23 and the packaging blank is advanced by means of conveyors 24 and 25 until the trailing pretreated marginal surface 14 arrives under jaw 21. Another working stroke is effected, so that jaw 21 fastens web 17w to surface 14. The suction device of jaw 21 is used to grip the web and cutting means 22 is operated to severe the web whose leading end 17e remains attached to jaw 20 waiting for another packaging blank. As a packaging blank is carried below jaw unit 23 and as a working stroke is effected by means of jaw 21, said film or paper 17 is tightened to a suitable tension. If the question is about a so-called contraction plastic film, it will be pulled to an elongated tension prior to its attachment to trailing surface 14. If the question is about a shrink-plastic film, the final tightening is effected in a heating unit 3, the packaging blank being carried therethrough by means of a conveyor 26 in the longitudinal direction of sheet 11. Following said heating unit 3, the advancing direction is again deflected by means of a conveyor 27 for carrying the packaging blank in the transverse direction of sheet 11. A station 4 is provided with a folding machine for cardboard sheet 11. It can be of the type disclosed in US Patent publication 4 757 666 but in the scheme of fig. 1, as the advancing direction again deflects from folding machine 4 to a conveyor 5, there is required a folding machine disclosed in US Patent publication which folds one end of cardboard sheet 11 while pushing the package out of the machine with lateral edge 26 leading. A station 6 is provided with a binding machine for winding a band 18 around a package in the longitudinal direction of a package in a manner that the reinforced marginal zones 12 extending beyond the ends of books 16 are folded towards each other for preventing the movement of books inside the package even in the case that wrapper 17 should not be tightly tensioned over said books 16 (which is nevertheless recommended). The use of a band 18 is not absolutely necessary (although recommended) in the case of a strong contraction or shrink-plastic film 17 whose ends are secured between marginal folds 12 and sheet 11, in which case there is practically no hazard of the ends of film 17 ripping off. This requires a unit for making marginal folds 12 between units 2 and 3 along with its adhesive-applying station and folding means.

Claims: A method for packaging books or the like flat articles, said method making use of a packaging blank comprising a rectangular flat cardboard sheet (11) having a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges, and a protective wrapper (17) of plastic film or paper, wherein the article (16) to be packaged is placed upon said cardboard sheet (11), the article (16) to be packaged thereafter is covered by placing thereover said plastic film or paper (17) which is attached to the upper surface of the cardboard sheet along edges thereof and thereafter the ends of the cardboard sheet (11) are folded about the article (16) to be packaged for producing a tubular protective wrapping, characterized in that a plastic film or paper web (17b) unwound from a reel (19) has its leading end (17e) attached to the cardboard sheet's upper surface (14) adjacent to the long edge leading in an advancing direction of the cardboard sheet (11) and, following the advancing movement of the packaging blank has a trailing portion attached to the cardboard's upper surface (14) adjacent to the long edge trailing in the advancing direction, whereafter said film or paper web (17b) is cut off behind the point of attachment. A method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said rectangular flat cardboard sheet (11) has folded marginal reinforcements (12) adjacent and along its longitudinal edges, said article (16) to be packaged is placed upon said rectangular flat cardboard sheet (11) between said marginal reinforcements (12), and said plastic film or paper web (17w) has its leading end (17e) and trailing portion attached to the cardboard sheet (11) to surfaces (14) of said marginal reinforcements (12). A method as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said plastic film (17) is made of shrink plastic which is fastened to the pretreated surfaces (14) of cardboard sheet (11) by heat sealing and, following the attachment of film (17), the packaging blank is carried through a heating unit (3) prior to folding the ends of cardboard sheet (11). A method as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that said plastic film (17) is made of contraction plastic which is fastened to the pretreated surfaces (14) of cardboard sheet (11) by heat sealing, and that film (17) is extended to elongated tension prior to its attachment to surface (14) adjacent to the long edge trailing in the advancing direction of cardboard blank (11). A method as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that the packaging blank is carried through heating unit (3) in the longitudinal direction of cardboard sheet (11). A method as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that the traction and attachment of plastic film or paper web (17w) is effected by means of a two-jawed fastening device (23) which is vertically moved in a manner that a first jaw (20) in the packaging blank advancing direction, to which the leading web end (17e) is attached, is pressed against a fastening surface (14) leading in the cardboard sheet advancing direction, fastening device (23) is lifted up, the packaging blank is carried forward below the jaws (20, 21) of fastening device (23) and a jaw (21) downstream in the packaging blank advancing direction is pressed againstthe trailing fastening surface (14) of a cardboard sheet, whereafter said web (17w) is severed by the operation of a cutting means (22) fitted between the jaws while the leading end (17e) of cut-off web (17w) is being held by means of said upstream jaw (20) in the packaging blank advancing direction. A method as set forth in any of claims 1 - 6, characterized in that the ends of protective wrapper (17) are fastened to the top surfaces of the non-reinforced edges of cardboard sheet (11), followed by folding the marginal reinforcements (12) in a manner that the ends of protective wrapper (17) remain between marginal reinforcements (12) and cardboard sheet (11). A method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that an aperture (13) provided in said cardboard sheet (11) is covered by placing thereupon a shipping and invoice form (15) carrying an address.

Inventors: JANHONEN, VEIKKO ILMARI
Applicants: PUSSIKESKUS OY
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B65B11
IPC codes: B65B11, B65D75, B65B25