Abstract:
An improved coin wrapper sheet for machine or hand wrapping a stack of like-diameter coins includes one or more tabs that can be easily gripped and pulled by the user to open the coin wrapper and release the coins.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority from my co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/898,098 for “Coin Wrapper Sheet for Machine-Wrapped Coins” filed Oct. 31, 2013 at Attorney Docket No. 1-1964-P, which priority application is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    The disclosure relates to the wrapping of coins with a coin wrapper sheet. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0003]    Coin wrapping machines wrap stacks of like-diameter coins with coin wrapper sheets and secure the wrapped sheets around the coin stack without the use of adhesives or glues. An example of a coin wrapping machine that machine-wraps coin stacks is disclosed in Tsuruda et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,921. 
         [0004]    Coins are formed into a stack. Paper is fed off a roll to the coin wrapping machine. Before being wrapped around the coin stack, a length of paper is cut from the roll to form a coin wrapper sheet. The coin wrapper sheet is fed into the coin wrapping machine and is tightly wrapped around the coin stack. The upper and lower ends of the wrapped sheet are crimped by crimp claws to mechanically secure the wrapped sheet without the use of adhesives or glues. 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  illustrates a typical coin wrapper sheet  110  cut from the paper roll. The coin wrapper sheet is cut using a “V” shaped cutter that forms a “V” shaped leading end  112  and a corresponding “V” shaped trailing end  114  in the sheet  110 . The point of the leading end “V” precedes the rest of the sheet into the coin wrapping machine, and the essentially straight surface edges or legs  116 ,  118  of the trailing “V” end  114  trail the rest of the sheet into the coin wrapping machine. The coin wrapper sheet typically includes printed indicia indicating coin denomination, manufacturer information and/or trademark, and the like. 
         [0006]    Typically fifty-pound weight kraft paper is used for wrapping US quarter-dollar coins and larger diameter coins, and forty-pound weight kraft paper is used for wrapping smaller diameter coins. Coin wrapper sheets can be formed however from any suitable planar or sheet material including plastic films, other types of paper sheets, and the like. 
         [0007]    After wrapping and crimping, the coin wrapper sheet  110  is tightly wrapped around the coin stack to form a cylindrical tube  120  surrounding the coin stack.  FIG. 2  illustrates the sheet  110  wrapped around a coin stack to form the cylindrical tube  120 , the opposite ends of the tube  120  being crimped in a conventional manner. 
         [0008]    The tube  120  extends along a longitudinal axis  122  that coincides with the longitudinal axis of the coin stack. The sheet  110  is wrapped in a wrapping direction around the axis  122 . The leading end portion of the sheet  110  is over-wrapped by the trailing end portion of the sheet. The trailing “V” end  114  of the sheet  110  and the trailing legs  116 ,  118  are on the upper surface of the tube  120  and overlay a lower sheet surface of the tube  120 . 
         [0009]    The upper and lower ends of the wrapped sheet  110 , including the trailing ends of the legs  116 ,  118 , are crimped over the ends of the coin stack to resist unwrapping of the tube  120  and to prevent the coins from falling out of the open ends of the tube  120 . The crimped portions of the wrapped sheet  110  extend around the tube axis  122 . 
         [0010]    The legs  116 ,  118  extend continuously from end points  124 ,  126  at respective crimped ends of the wrapped sheet  110  around the tube axis  122  in the direction opposite the wrapping direction to a common end point  128  at the tip of the trailing “V”  114  at the axial midpoint of the coin stack. That is, the tip  128  of the trailing “V”  114  is displaced opposite the wrapping direction some angular distance from a straight line joining the points  124 ,  126 . 
         [0011]    Wrapping and crimping the sheet  110  urges the trailing sheet end taut against and around the coin stack. Each leg  116 ,  118  is placed in tension from the respective crimp points  124 ,  126  to the common end point  128 . The tension urges the uppermost exposed sheet portion against the coin stack and keeps the uppermost exposed sheet portion taut against the coin stack. 
         [0012]    The tightly wrapped and crimped tube  120  is difficult to open to release the coins. It is difficult for a person to pry the trailing sheet end  114  away from the coin stack when attempting to break or tear the coin wrapper sheet  110  to release the coins from the tube  120 . 
         [0013]    Many persons strike the middle of the coin stack against an edge of a cash register or till to break the coin wrapper sheet  110  and release the coins into the register or till. The impact of the coin stack may, however, cause damage. 
         [0014]    Other persons use the tip of a knife or other cutting blade to cut through the coin wrapper sheet  110 . 
         [0015]    Yet other persons use their fingers to attempt pulling on the trailing end  114  and thereby unwrapping the coin wrapper sheet  110 . The “V”-shaped wrapper trailing end  114  is tightly stretched against the coin stack. The crimped upper and lower sheet ends resist attempts to raise the trailing end  114  away from the coin stack. It is often difficult to obtain sufficient purchase to tear open the coin wrapper sheet  110  by pulling on the sheet end  114 . 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0016]    Disclosed is an improved coin wrapper sheet for machine or hand wrapping a stack of like-diameter coins, and a wrapped stack of like-diameter coins using the coin wrapper sheet. The coin wrapper sheet can be a sheet of kraft paper or the like used for forming conventional coin wrapper sheets. 
         [0017]    The disclosed coin wrapper sheet is a flat sheet that includes a leading portion at a leading edge of the sheet and a trailing portion at a trailing edge of the sheet. When wrapped around the coin stack, the trailing portion of the sheet overlies the leading portion of the sheet. 
         [0018]    A portion of the trailing edge of the sheet defines a tab that extends away from the leading edge of the sheet. When the sheet is wrapped around the coin stack, the tab overlies overlying the coin stack and extends in the wrapping direction away from the remaining portion of the trailing edge of the sheet. This enables a user to grip the tab and pull the tab to open the coin wrapper and release the coins. 
         [0019]    Other objects and features of the disclosure will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing sheets illustrating one or more non-limiting embodiments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a developed view of a conventional coin wrapper sheet; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  illustrates the coin wrapper sheet shown in  FIG. 1  machine-wrapped and crimped around a stack of coins; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a developed view of a first embodiment coin wrapper sheet; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  illustrates the coin wrapper sheet shown in  FIG. 3  machine-wrapped and crimped to form a coin tube containing a stack of coins; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is an end view of the coin tube shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  is a developed view of a second embodiment coin wrapper sheet; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 7  is a developed view of a third embodiment coin wrapper sheet. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0027]      FIG. 3  is a developed view of an embodiment  10  of an improved coin wrapper sheet. The sheet  10  is shown flat prior to being wrapped around a coin stack. The sheet  10  may be die-cut or knife-cut from a sheet roll being fed to a coin-wrapping machine (not shown) in which each cut defines a leading end or edge  12  of a trailing sheet  10  and a trailing end or edge  14  of an adjacent leading sheet  10 . The leading end  12  and the trailing end  14  are separated by the length dimension of the sheet. An upper sheet side  16  and a lower sheet side  18  are separated by the width dimension of the sheet and extend the length of the sheet. 
         [0028]    The ends  12 ,  14  are cut to a shape in which a portion of the trailing sheet end  14  defines a tab portion  20  that protrudes away from the remaining portion of the trailing sheet end and a portion of the leading edge  12  defines a corresponding indent portion  22  that extends into the remaining portion of the leading sheet end. The tab  20  is centered between the sheet sides  16 ,  18  and has a maximum width about one-third of the width of the sheet  10 . 
         [0029]    In the illustrated embodiment the leading and trailing sheet ends  12 ,  14  are defined by an identical, generally “W”-shaped profile or contour instead of the conventional “V” shaped profile or contour. The leading and trailing end profiles being identical allows use of a single cutter to cut the coin wrapper sheets  10  from a supply roll. 
         [0030]    The lines forming the “W” profile are rounded along at least portions of the lines and so each line does not extend in a straight line for the entire length of the line. 
         [0031]    At the trailing sheet end  14  the “W” cut defines a convex edge  24  centered between the upper and lower sheet sides  16 ,  18  that defines the tab portion  20 . Upper and lower concave edges or legs  28 ,  30  extend from opposite sides of the convex edge  24  to respective sheet sides  16 ,  18 . 
         [0032]    The “W”-shaped cut at the leading end of the sheet forms a concave edge  32  on the leading sheet end  12  corresponding to the convex edge  24  and convex edges or legs  34 ,  36  corresponding to the concave edges or legs  28 ,  30 . 
         [0033]    The concave edges  28 ,  30  define projecting portions  38 ,  40  on either side of the indent portion  22  that extend away from the adjacent portions of the sheet. The convex leading sheet portions  38 ,  40  defined by the convex edges  34 ,  36  function like the conventional projecting lead end of a conventional wrapper sheet  110  to assist in feeding the sheet  10  into the coin wrapping machine. 
         [0034]    Machine wrapping and crimping a stack of like-diameter coins with the coin wrapper sheet  10  is similar to machine wrapping and crimping the same stack of coins with the conventional coin wrapper sheet  110  and so will not be described further. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate the coin wrapper sheet machine-wrapped and crimped around a stack of like-diameter coins to form a cylindrical tube  42  surrounding the coin stack. The illustrated wrapped and crimped tube  42  resists unwrapping without adhesives and without additional fasteners, ties, or other mechanical restraints. 
         [0036]    During machine wrapping, the sheet  10  is wrapped around the stack of coins in a wrapping direction indicated by the arrow  44 . The axially opposite ends of the wrapped sheet  10  are crimped over the opposite ends of the coin stack. The legs  28 ,  30  extend from end points  46 ,  48  at respective crimped ends of the wrapped sheet  10  around the tube axis in the direction opposite the wrapping direction  44  to respective ends  50 ,  52  on opposite sides of the tab  20 . 
         [0037]    The tab  20  is centered along the coin tube  42  between the longitudinally opposite ends of the coin stack. The tab  20  extends in the wrapping direction some angular distance away from the ends  50 ,  52  to a free end  54 . In the illustrated embodiment the tab  20  extends in the wrapping direction beyond a straight line  56  joining the end points  46 ,  48  of the legs  28 ,  30 . 
         [0038]    The tab  20  is exposed on the outside of the tube  42  and can be folded over a fold line  56  (shown as a dashed line in  FIG. 4 ) without affecting the remainder of the coin tube for gripping by a person attempting to open the coin wrapper. Folding the tab  20  does not generate tension along the legs  28 ,  30  that would resist folding over the tab  20 . The person can readily grip and fold the tab  20  and unwrap the coin wrapper. 
         [0039]      FIG. 5  illustrates that the unstressed tab  20  may be designed so that the coin tube  42  can roll on a flat surface without causing the tab  20  to crease and fold back on itself. 
         [0040]    The unstressed tab  20  may extend generally tangential to the outer circumference of the tube  42  due to the inherent stiffness of the sheet material. The tab  20  in the illustrated embodiment extends away from the outer circumference of the tube  42  a distance less than the outer radius of the coin tube  42 . Rolling of the tube  42  on a flat surface in the wrapping direction  44  as shown in  FIG. 5  inclines or tilts the tab  20  to the perpendicular and then beyond the perpendicular such that the leading end of the tab  20  enters the “pinch point” between the roll  42  and the surface and is not folded backwards onto itself. 
         [0041]    The illustrated coin wrapper sheet  10  has one tab portion  20 . Other embodiments of the coin wrapper sheet can be produced with two or more tab portions  20  spaced along the width of the trailing sheet end  14  (as shown in  FIG. 6  discussed below). 
         [0042]    The tab portion  20  of the illustrated coin wrapper sheet  10  extends in the wrapping direction beyond the straight line  56  joining the trailing crimped sheet ends. Other embodiments of the coin wrapper sheet can be produced with one or more tab portions that do not extend beyond the line joining the crimped sheet ends. 
         [0043]    The illustrated coin wrapper sheet  10  is cut from a roll using a single cutter blade that simultaneously cuts the leading end of one sheet and the trailing end of an adjacent sheet. Other embodiments of the coin wrapper sheet can be manufactured with the leading end of the sheet having a profile or contour that does not correspond to the profile or contour of the trailing end of the sheet. For example,  FIG. 6  illustrates a second embodiment coin wrapper sheet  60  in which the leading sheet edge  12  defines a conventional “V”-shaped leading sheet end and the trailing edge  14  defines two tabs  20 . 
         [0044]    Although the disclosed coin wrapper sheet is useful for the machine wrapping of coins, the coin wrapper sheet can also be used for manually wrapping coins.  FIG. 7  illustrates a coin wrapper sheet  70  having a trailing edge  14  similar to the trailing edge  14  of the sheet  10  and a straight leading edge  72 . Closely adjacent the edges of the sheet are adhesive strips  74 ,  76  located on opposite sides of the sheet  70 . The coin wrapping sheet  70  is rolled into a cylinder with the adhesive strips  74 , overlapping and adhering to one another to maintain the cylindrical shape of the sheet, with the trailing edge  14  on the outside of the cylinder. The ends of the wrapped sheet can be manually crimped using my manual coin crimper disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,573. 
         [0045]    While this disclosure includes one or more illustrative embodiments described in detail, it is understood that the one or more embodiments are each capable of modification and that the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the precise details set forth herein but include such modifications that would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art and fall within the purview of the following claims.