Patent Abstract:
The present invention relates to a glove packing apparatus for packing gloves into a box, and to a method of packing gloves into a box, particularly to the packing of disposable medical gloves. A glove packing apparatus ( 1 ) for packing gloves into a box comprises a receptacle ( 26 ) for forming a stack of gloves to be packed, the receptacle having a perimeter wall ( 24, 25 ) for containing a stack of gloves, a floor ( 22 ) within the perimeter wall for supporting the stack of gloves, and an opening ( 27 ) opposite the floor into which additional gloves may be added to during stacking of gloves. The floor ( 22 ) is movable relative to the perimeter wall ( 24, 25 ), so that, in use, the floor may be moved relatively away from the receptacle opening ( 27 ) so that as gloves are added to said stack of gloves, the perimeter wall continues to contain the stack of gloves. The floor ( 22 ) may then be moved relatively toward the opening to remove the stack of gloves from the receptacle ( 26 ).

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    a. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a glove packing apparatus for packing gloves into a box, and to a method of packing gloves into a box, particularly to the packing of disposable medical gloves. 
         [0003]    b. Related Art 
         [0004]    The control of infection of patients in hospitals, clinics, and doctors&#39; surgeries has become an ever more pressing concern with the rise of infectious bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics, in particular methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and  Clostridium dificile  ( C. dificile ). In the United Kingdom alone there are thought to be about 5,000 deaths a year from infections caught in hospitals but some experts believe the number could be as high as 20,000. 
         [0005]    Disposable medical gloves can help prevent cross-contamination, but a problem arises if external parts of the glove touch the same areas of a dispensing container as have previously been touched by hands which are contaminated with harmful micro-organisms. Such external parts of the gloves can then become contaminated prior to contact with a patient, if these external parts are the fingers or palm area of the glove the likelihood of a patient being contaminated is dramatically increased. 
         [0006]    Most gloves used in hospitals and clinics are examination gloves, and these are used in large numbers. Such gloves are supplied not in individual sterile packages, but in relatively inexpensive cardboard dispensing boxes. The size of boxed gloves is an issue owing to the need to minimise the space needed to store gloves, or the size of dispensing apparatus holding boxed gloves. 
         [0007]    Because of the enhanced infection control properties the preferred method of dispensing these gloves is by the cuff, so that the user can only remove the gloves from the container by the cuffs rather than by the fingers etc. However in order to remove the gloves by the cuff there is a danger that the users hands will contaminate the edges of the area of the box through which the gloves have to pass, increasing the possibility that any contamination on the hands of the user can then be transferred to the gloves if they touch these areas when removing them from the container. 
         [0008]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a means by which during removal of the gloves from the container, the gloves can be prevented from contact with the areas which could have been previously contaminated by user&#39;s hands. 
         [0009]    It is also an object of the present invention to reduce the packing volume of boxed gloves. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    According to the invention, there is provided a glove packing apparatus for packing gloves into a box, the apparatus comprising a receptacle for forming a stack of said gloves to be packed, the receptacle having:
       a perimeter wall for containing said stack of gloves;   a floor within the perimeter wall for supporting said stack of gloves; and   an opening opposite the floor into which additional gloves may be added to said stack of gloves;
 
wherein the floor is movable relative to the perimeter wall, so that, in use:
   the floor may be moved relatively away from said opening so that as gloves are added to said stack of gloves, the perimeter wall continues to contain the stack of gloves; and   the floor may be moved relatively toward said opening to remove the stack of gloves from the receptacle.       
 
         [0016]    The box may be formed from any suitable material, for example single layer cardboard, stiff paper, or plastic sheet material. 
         [0017]    The stack of gloves may be formed manually or automatically, for example by inserting one or more gloves at a time through the opening to build up a stack of gloves supported by the receptacle floor. The perimeter wall can therefore help to define and control the shape of the stack of gloves as this is built up, and ultimately, this will help to ensure that the stack is uniform, with the material of each glove spread out evenly with minimal high spots. Because the floor is moved away from the opening as the stack is built up, the packing operative or packing machine need not reach into the receptacle, but can orient gloves correctly on preceding gloves in the stack, all the while working near the level of the opening to the receptacle. As the stack is built up, the floor is moved away form the opening, so that the working height of the stack continues to be readily accessible but not protruding at any time significantly above the level of the opening. All the while, the perimeter wall continues to stabilise the stack from tipping, while preferably ensuring that the side walls of the stack are, on average straight and parallel with each other. 
         [0018]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the perimeter wall is fixed and the floor is movable towards and away from the opening. It would, however, alternatively be possible to have the floor fixed, with the perimeter wall being the movable component of the apparatus. 
         [0019]    Also in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the floor is an upper surface of a substantially rectangular or square piston that moves within a similarly shaped piston bore. 
         [0020]    The receptacle may be inset beneath a surface, for example a worktop that extends around the opening. This can help with the manual sorting and alignment of gloves on the surrounding surface, which can then be easily moved across the surface and into the receptacle. The surface may also help with automatic placement of gloves in the receptacle. 
         [0021]    The receptacle will in general have a volume that has a shape that mirrors the internal volume of the box in which the gloves are to be packed. Therefore, it will usually be the case that the perimeter wall extends substantially vertically upwards from the base. The perimeter wall may, however, be discontinuous, as long as this does not adversely affect the containment of the gloves stacked in the receptacle. 
         [0022]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the perimeter wall has at least one slot, and the apparatus comprises additionally a packing plate adapted to rest on the base of the receptacle. The packing plate is fixed to an extending member that extends through one slot in the perimeter wall. The extending member then can be used to lift or otherwise remove the packing plate from the receptacle when the stack of gloves is complete and ready to be transferred to a box. 
         [0023]    To help locate the packing plate correctly on the base, the base may have at least one raised feature in a surface of the base. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the base has around the perimeter edge, at least one raised feature for locating with one or more corresponding external edges of the packing plate. 
         [0024]    Also according to the invention, there is provided a method of packing gloves in a box using a glove packing apparatus, the apparatus comprising a receptacle having an opening and a floor opposite and relatively movable with respect to the opening, the method comprising the steps of:
       inserting gloves one or more at a time through the opening and into the receptacle to build a stack of glove that are supported by the floor;   moving the floor as necessary away from the opening so that the stack of gloves is contained by the receptacle;   when the stack of gloves is complete, transferring the stack of gloves into said box.       
 
         [0028]    The transfer of gloves into the box is facilitated by first moving the floor towards the opening to gain more ready access to the stack of gloves and then as gloves are added to stack, moving the floor away from the opening so that the stack of gloves is contained by the receptacle. 
         [0029]    The open end of the box in which gloves are to be packed can then be oriented so that this is faces the opening to the receptacle. Optionally, the open end of the box may slot over the outside of the perimeter wall, which can take the form of an extending sleeve. In either case, the receptacle floor can then be moved towards the receptacle opening to move the stack of gloves into the open end of the box. 
         [0030]    The box can then be removed from the opening to the receptacle, while at the same time continuing to hold the stack of gloves inside the box. After the box has been removed from the apparatus, the box can be closed, for example by folding flaps over the box opening. 
         [0031]    When the apparatus comprises a packing plate that has an extending member, the first step, prior to inserting any gloves through the opening, is to place the packing plate on the movable floor, with the extending member extending externally of the receptacle. Then, when the stack of gloves is ready to be transferred to the box, the extending member can be used to help transfer the stack of gloves into the box. During this process, the packing plate is particularly useful in helping to maintain and compress the gloves fully inside the box. 
         [0032]    The open box may have one or more flaps that are moved to close the open end of the box. At least one of these flaps may then be closed while leaving the packing plate in place with respect to said stack of gloves. This helps to compress and contain the gloves in the box until the box can be closed. After at least one flap has been closed, the packing plate can then be removed from the stack of gloves. 
         [0033]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the apparatus comprises additionally a packing element, the packing element having a lower coefficient of friction than the gloves to be packed. The packing element is then used to cover the packing plate prior to inserting any gloves through the opening, following which the stack of gloves is formed directly on the packing element. The packing element then provides a buffer between the packing plate and the stack of gloves so that the packing plate can slide out of the box without sticking on or dislodging in any way the topmost glove in the stack. 
         [0034]    The invention further provides a compression plate for maintaining the alignment of a stack of gloves inside a container, the compression plate comprising a first member and a second member, and a biasing means, said members being joined at a first fold line between said members, wherein:
       the first member has a second fold line that divides the first member in a first segment and a second segment;   each of said segments is pulled together by the biasing means so that said segments have a tendency to flex along the second fold line and away from the second member.       
 
         [0037]    The first and second members may have corresponding cut outs in the vicinity of the first fold line, said cut outs at (east partially overlapping to permit, in use, gloves to the dispensed through the cut outs. 
         [0038]    The biasing means, which may be an elastic band, may engage with engagement features in both the first and second segments of the first member, for example being provided in side edges of the first and second segments. 
         [0039]    The first and/or second members are preferably formed from sheet material, for example cardboard, stiff paper or plastic sheet material. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0040]    The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0041]      FIG. 1  shows in perspective a view from above and to one side of a glove packing apparatus according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, having a packing sleeve having an internal perimeter wall surface and a movable base which together form a packing receptacle, and a packing plate and a packing element that inserts into the packing receptacle; 
           [0042]      FIG. 2  shows in perspective a view from above and to one side of the movable base of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0043]      FIG. 3  shows the packing apparatus of  FIG. 1  when the packing receptacle is packed full with a stack of gloves; 
           [0044]      FIG. 4  shows a box-like receptacle for receiving a packing box into which the stack of gloves is to be packed 
           [0045]      FIG. 5  shows the packing apparatus of  FIG. 3  when the box-like receptacle is placed over the open end of the packing sleeve; 
           [0046]      FIG. 6  shows the packing box when removed from the packing sleeve, and with the packing plate and packing element being used to maintain the stack of gloves under compression inside the box; 
           [0047]      FIG. 7  shows how two side flaps of the packing box are first folded over the packing plate; 
           [0048]      FIG. 8  shows how the packing plate is removed from the box, with the packing element left in place inside the box; 
           [0049]      FIG. 9  shows how two end flaps are folded over the side flaps to close the box fully; 
           [0050]      FIG. 10  shows in perspective a view from above and to one side of a glove packing apparatus according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention, having a square packing sleeve partially set into a surrounding work surface; 
           [0051]      FIG. 11  shows the glove packing apparatus of  FIG. 10 , after a packing plate and a packing element have been inserted into the packing receptacle, with tabs of the packing element rising up the walls of the receptacle; 
           [0052]      FIG. 12  shows how the packing element remains in a box packed full of gloves; 
           [0053]      FIG. 13  shows in perspective a view from above and to one side of a glove packing apparatus according to a third preferred embodiment of the invention, having a square packing sleeve that is slotted flush into a work surface; 
           [0054]      FIG. 14  shows in perspective a view from above and to one side of a compression plate for maintaining compression of the stack of gloves within the box; and 
           [0055]      FIG. 15  shows a view from beneath of the compression plate of  FIG. 14 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0056]      FIG. 1  shows a first embodiment of a glove packing apparatus  1 , having a packing sleeve  2 , a packing plate  28  and a packing element  30 . The packing sleeve  2  extends vertically and has a rectangular horizontal cross-section with rounded corners  8 . The sleeve is formed in two halves  10 ,  11 , each of which has the same shape, being formed from folded sheet metal, preferably stainless steel. Each sleeve half  10 ,  11  has a square C-shape in a horizontal cross-section and extends fully on long sides  12 ,  13  of the packing sleeve  2 . The sleeve halves  10 ,  11  are separated by a vertically extending gap  14 ,  15  along the centre of short sides  16 ,  17  of the sleeve  2 . 
         [0057]    The packing sleeve  2  contains a movable base  20  that provides a floor surface  22 . The floor  22  and internal wall surfaces  24 ,  25  provided by the sleeve halves  10 ,  11  define a packing receptacle  26  for receiving a stack of gloves  100  to be packed by the apparatus  1 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The internal wall surfaces  24 ,  25  therefore extend around the periphery of the packing receptacle  26 , which has an opening  27  also bounded by the perimeter wall surfaces  24 ,  25 . 
         [0058]    The apparatus preferably includes a steel packing plate  28  and a non-woven fabric packing element  30  that are first inserted into the packing receptacle  26 . The function of these will be described below. 
         [0059]    The base  20  is shown in more detail in  FIG. 2 . The base is preferably formed as a unitary plastic moulding and has four downwardly extending legs  32  that are shaped to make a close sliding fit with the interior wall surfaces  24 ,  25  in the vicinity of the sleeve corners  8 . Between the legs is a fulcrum  34  which is connected to one end of a lever arm  36 . The lever extends from the fulcrum  34  though a first one  14  of the slots in the perimeter wall  24 ,  25  another end of which can be seen in  FIG. 1 . The lever  36 , which is manually operated, pivots about a pivot  38  fixed externally of the sleeve halves  10 ,  11 . When a lever handle  40  at the end of the lever arm  36  is moved up and down, the base  20  then moves correspondingly down and up. 
         [0060]    The floor  22  of the base  20  has the same rectangular shape as the sleeve cross-section, but is smaller in both length and width to provide a clear gap  42  between base  20  and the perimeter wall  24 ,  25 . The gap is defined by a rectangular strip  44  that extends downwardly from the floor  22  of the base  20 . A lower edge  45  of the strip terminates at an under hanging surface  46  such that the dimension of the gap  42  is increased beneath the strip lower edge  45 . The base floor  22  proximate the perimeter edge  51  therefore extends above an overhang feature  44 ,  45   46  in the base  20 . 
         [0061]    At a distance beneath the strip lower edge  45  at least equal to the width of the rectangular strip  44 , the base has a rectangular platform  48  with a rectangular outer profile that matches the shape of the perimeter wall surfaces  24 ,  25  so that the base platform makes a close sliding fit with these perimeter wall surfaces. The legs  32  and fulcrum  34  then extend downwardly from the base platform  48 . The contact between the base platform  48  and legs  32 , on the one hand, and the perimeter wall  24 ,  25  on the other hand, guides the vertical movement between the base  20  and the perimeter wall. 
         [0062]    As will be described below, it has been found that this arrangement, in which the floor  22  which is used to support gloves is stepped upwards and inwards with respect to that part of the base which makes a sliding fit of the base  20  within the sleeve  2 , greatly reduces or eliminates the chances that any of the supported gloves will become caught or trapped between the movable base  20  and the perimeter wall  24 ,  25  of the sleeve  2 . 
         [0063]    The base floor  22  has a raised rim  50  substantially fully around an outer perimeter edge  51  of the floor. The rim is sized so that a main rectangular portion  52  of the packing plate  28  is located within the rim  50  when the packing plate is brought to bear against the base floor  22 . The packing plate  28  has at one end of the central rectangular portion  52  a forwards extending tab  54 , and at an opposite end a rearwards extending projection  55  with a handle  56  by which the packing plate may more easily be gripped and moved by hand. Both projections  54 ,  55  make a close sliding fit with the sleeve apertures  14 ,  15  when the packing place is first inserted into the packing receptacle  26 , so that the packing plate is guided into location with the rim  50  of the base floor  22 . The rim  50  has a pair of gaps  58 ,  59  that accommodate the packing plate projections  54 ,  55  so that the central rectangular portion  52  of the packing plate sits flush against the base floor  22 . 
         [0064]    Prior to inserting any gloves into the packing recess  26  the packing element  30  is placed directly on the central rectangular portion  52  of the packing plate  28 . The packing element is a non-woven fabric or paper slip that has a main rectangular portion  60  the size of which matches that of the packing element rectangular portion  52 , and also has a forwards extending tab  62  which covers over the forwards tab  54  of the packing plate  28 . 
         [0065]      FIGS. 3 to 9  illustrate how the apparatus may be used to efficiently pack a box  64  with disposable medical gloves  70 . The box  64  may be formed from any suitable sheet-like material, for example, single layer cardboard, stiff paper, or plastic sheet material, but in this example is cardboard. After inserting the packing plate  28  and packing element  30  into the packing receptacle  26 , either before or after moving the base  20  to a location a short distance beneath an upper edge  66  of the packing sleeve  2 , gloves are aligned by hand and inserted into the receptacle  26 , a lowermost glove  70  rests directly on the packing element  30 . The base floor  22  should ideally be set at a level so that the most recently packed gloves are beneath but near the sleeve upper edge  66  so that the stack of gloves  100  is at all times contained and aligned by the interior wall surfaces  24 ,  25  of the packing sleeve  2 . 
         [0066]    The apparatus preferably contains a stop mechanism (not shown) by which the downwards movement of the base  20  is set to a limit which corresponds to a desired vertical size of stack of gloves. When this is achieved, the stack of gloves  100  is ready for transfer into the cardboard box  64 , shown in most detail in  FIG. 4 . The box  64  is rectangular in a horizontal cross-section, and has a height which is equal to or less than its width. The box  64  has four flaps  71 ,  72 ,  73 ,  74  at the top edges of four corresponding sides  75 ,  76 ,  77 ,  78  of the box. The flaps are initially splayed outwards around a packing box opening  65 . 
         [0067]    The box  64  is first inserted into a box-like holder or carrier  80  which has an interior volume  79  that matches the shape of the packing box  64 . The packing box carrier  80  has a substantially rectangular opening  82  that leads to a box-like receptacle  83  which receives and provides mechanical support to the packing box  64  during the packing process. 
         [0068]    When the packing box  64  is seated in the packing box carrier  80 , with the box flaps  71 - 74  splayed outwards, the packing box opening  65  is brought up against the upper edge  66  of the packing sleeve  2 , so that the extending outer surface  84  of the packing sleeve nearest the upper edge  66  (see  FIG. 3 ) can slot into the packing box opening  65 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0069]    The lever arm  36  is then use to raise the base  20  and press the stack of gloves  100  up against the inside base of the packing box  64 . As air is expelled from the stack of gloves  100 , the front and rear packing plate projections  54 ,  55  come in to proximity with a pair of corresponding magnets  90 ,  91  situated on forwards and rearwards projection tabs  92 ,  93  that extend outwards in opposite directions from upper central portions of front and rear walls  94 ,  95  of the packing box carrier  80 . As these projecting portions of the packing plate  28  are formed from steel, the packing plate becomes magnetically clamped to the packing box carrier. 
         [0070]    During the upward motion of the stack of gloves  100 , outer edges of the stack may drag against the perimeter walls  24 ,  25  and so be deflected downwards. An important feature of the invention is that the lowermost gloves on the stack are prevented from interfering with or becoming caught between the sliding base  20  and sleeve  2  by the clear gap  42  and overhang  46  above the sliding contact of the base platform  48  and perimeter walls  24 ,  25 . 
         [0071]    The packing operator can then lift the boxed gloves and surrounding assembly using the packing plate handle, and then invert this magnetically clamped assembly and place on a nearby working surface, as illustrated in  FIGS. 6 to 9 . 
         [0072]    The first step in closing the box is to fold inwards the pair of flaps  71 ,  72  on the long sides  75 ,  76  of the packing box  64 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . Then, while holding these closed flaps  71 ,  72  in place, the packing plate handle  56  can be used to slide  96  the packing plate  28  horizontally away from the packing box carrier  80  and so disengage the magnetic clamp with the pair of magnets  90 ,  91 . 
         [0073]    The presence of the packing element  30  helps to isolate the sliding movement  96  of the packing plate  28  from the topmost glove  70  so that the stack of gloves  100  is in no way disrupted by the withdrawal of the packing plate. 
         [0074]    The packing element  30  is preferably then left in place while the remaining two end flaps  73 ,  74  are folded inwards. The end flaps  73 ,  74  each have a pair of side tabs  97  which engage with corresponding side slots  98  at a fold line  99  between the side flaps  71 ,  72  and the corresponding side panels  75 ,  76  of the packing box  64  when closed, as shown in  FIG. 9 . The filled packing box  64  may then be removed from the packing box carrier  80 . 
         [0075]    It should be noted that gloves being packed could be folded in half, with cuffs facing the same way, or interfolded in half with cuffs facing in alternate directions. The interior dimensions of the sleeve  2  and packing box can be set accordingly, depending on the desired width and length of the stack of gloves, so that the packed gloves fit snugly within the packing box with minimal wasted packing volume. 
         [0076]      FIG. 10  therefore shows in perspective a view from above and to one side of a glove packing apparatus  201  according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention. This differs from the first embodiment 1 in that the packing sleeve  202  and packing plate  228  all have a generally square outline for packing a similarly square box full of gloves. The packing element  230 , which is again formed from a slip of paper having a lower coefficient of friction than the gloves to be packed. The packing element  230  differs in having a substantially square outline, but with four similar tabs  211 - 214  extending from each side  231 - 234  of the packing slip, except in the vicinity of the four corners  241 - 244  of the paper slip  230 . 
         [0077]    As shown in  FIG. 11 , when the packing slip  230  is inserted into the packing sleeve  202 , the tabs ride up interior walls  225  of the sleeve. To aid this, the tabs may be defined by a fold lines, indicated schematically by dashed lines  240 , each of which extends between adjacent corners  241 - 244  of the slip. This covers over most of the gap between the walls  225  and the packing plate  228  or the floor  222  of the movable base  220 , in order to prevent portions of gloves from becoming trapped in this gap when the floor  220  is raised in order to pack the gloves into a box, as described above. 
         [0078]    The packing sleeve  202  is surrounded and partially set into a work surface  250 , at a level where the packing plate  228  rests on the work surface as the packing sleeve is filled by hand or by machine with gloves. 
         [0079]    The use of the packing plate  228  is similar to that described above. In this embodiment, however, the packing slip  230  is intended to remain in the packed box  280 , as shown in  FIG. 12 , where two of the four tabs  211 ,  212  are shown curved inwards down interior surfaces  281 ,  282  of the box  280 . During packing of the box, the packing slip  230  therefore also provides some protection to a stack of gloves  285  within the box, by wrapping substantially over the stack of gloves. 
         [0080]    The square outline box of  FIG. 12  has a width of 120 mm, a depth of 130 mm and a height of between 100 mm and 140 mm. In this example the height is 130 mm. The particular width, depth and height will, of course depend on a number of factors, such as the length of the gloves from finger tip to cuff, the thickness of the glove material, and the number of gloves to be packed inside each box. 
         [0081]    The gloves in such a square outline arrangement will be over-folded, with the fingers of each glove being folded around the cuff of the preceding glove in the stack, relative to the order of dispensing from the stack. Although not illustrated, this arrangement lends itself to cuff-first dispensing from a dispensing aperture in the box  280 , on an opposite side to that having the packing slip, with each glove pulled cuff-first from the dispensing aperture serving to pull the cuff of the next glove to be dispensed out of the dispensing aperture. In this way, each glove to be dispensed can be pulled cuff first from the dispensing aperture without having the user touching the finger portion of each dispensed glove. 
         [0082]      FIG. 13  shows a glove packing apparatus according  301  to a third preferred embodiment of the invention, similar to that of the second embodiment  201 , but having a square packing sleeve  302  that is slotted into a square recess  303  in a work surface  350 . The recess  303  is open at one side  304  so that the packing sleeve  302  can be moved in and out of the recess  303  as indicated by an arrow labelled  305 . 
         [0083]    The work surface  350  may be supported at a convenient height for a worker by legs or other supports (not shown) and is therefore preferably fixed in place. The packing sleeve  302  is mobile, being mounted, for example, on a wheeled undercarriage (not shown) so that a worker can move the packing sleeve about as desired. 
         [0084]    The packing sleeve has a top edge  306  that is the same height as that of the work surface  305 . A worker may then gather and fold gloves (not shown) that have been piled on the work surface around the packing sleeve, and then lift or slide these gloves one at a time into the packing sleeve, building up a stack of interfolded gloves above a floor surface  322  of a movable floor  320  within the packing sleeve. Initially, the floor surface is close to but recessed just below the level of the packing sleeve top edge  306 . As the stack of glove is built up, the worker lowers the floor surface  322  so that the top of the stack of gloves does not extend above the level of the packing sleeve top edge  306 . In this ways, the gloves are aligned vertically by interior walls  325  of the sleeve as the stack is built up. 
         [0085]    When sufficient gloves have been inserted into the packing sleeve  302 , this is moved out of the recess  303  to a separate work station (not shown), where an empty box  280  in placed over the exposed top end of the packing sleeve, prior to compression of the gloves into the box by the movable floor  320 , with the aid of a packing plate  328 , followed by closing and sealing of the box as described above. 
         [0086]    The reason that the packing process may be conveniently split into two separate stages at different work stations is that it is considerably quicker to pack the box with the stack of gloves than it is to fill the recess within the packing sleeve with a stack of interfolded gloves. Therefore, in a manual packing operation there may be several workers at different work stations responsible for filing packing sleeves with a stack of gloves for every one worker responsible for filling boxes with stacked gloves. 
         [0087]    The division of such process steps in a production line having a mobile packing sleeve will also be suited to machine automation, in which a robotics system with computer vision is used to fold and pack gloves into the sleeve, prior to packing boxes with stacks of gloves contained in packing sleeves by a dedicated machine at a separate box packing station. In an automated system, gloves may be brought to the sleeve packing station by a conveyor belt. A glove flipper may be used in conjunction with the conveyor belt to orientate each glove correctly so that a robot arm can pick up each glove and deposit in the sleeve with the cuff and fingers correctly oriented. In such an automated system, the second stage of packing the boxes may be done manually with there being two or more automated sleeve packing stations for each manual box packing station. 
         [0088]      FIGS. 14 and 15  show a generally rectangular compression plate  101  which is inserted in the packing box  64  prior to filling the box with the stack of gloves  100 . The compression plate  101  is formed from an elongate strip of cardboard material that has a primary transverse fold line  102  where the plate is folded back on itself so that the compression plate has an elongate upper member  104  and an elongate lower member  105 . Another transverse fold line  106  crosses the upper member  104  midway along the length of this member, thereby dividing the upper member into the forwards segment  108 , and a rearwards segment  109 , each having an equal length in a direction along the length of the compression plate  101 . 
         [0089]    The forwards and rearwards segments  108 ,  109  each have at a portion of each segment closest to the fold line  106  in the upper member  104  a pair of notches  110  in side edges  111 ,  112  of the card material forming the upper member  104 . An elastic band  114  is engaged with each notch  110 , and when the upper member  104  is lying flat against the lower member  105 , the elastic band is stretched so that the forwards and rearwards segments  108 ,  109  are being pulled together. The fold line  106  in the upper member  104  forms a hinge between the forwards and rearwards segments  108 ,  109 . 
         [0090]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the compression plate is inserted into the open packing box  64  with the lower member  105  facing towards the box opening  65 . The box flaps  71 - 74  when closed form a base to the packing box when ready for use, the opposite side of the box having a semicircular tear away patch  117  which is removed prior to use in order to gain access to a cuff end  116  of the stack of gloves  100 , so that gloves  70  may be dispensed cuff first from the packing box  64 . 
         [0091]    The compression plate has in both the upper and lower members  104 ,  105  similarly shaped, but larger semicircular cut outs  118 ,  119 . The cut out  119  in the lower member  105  is larger than the cut out  118  in the upper member  104 , which is larger than the tear away opening  117  in the packing box  64 . 
         [0092]    When a user opens the packing box  64  and begins to pull gloves  70  cuff first from the opening, the use may touch with his or her fingers the opening  117  in the box. The cut outs  118 ,  119  below, however, will be protected from potential contamination from a user by the box opening  117  which overhangs the cut outs below. 
         [0093]    As gloves are dispensed, space opens up in the box. The elastic band  114  is under tension and able to flex the segments  108 ,  109  of the upper member  104  about the fold line  106  which therefore acts as a hinge to permit the elastic band to flex the upper member segments into a V-shape, as shown in  FIG. 13 . The fold line  106  forms an apex to this V-shape and bears against top inner surface of the packing box  64 , thereby pressing the lower member  105  of the compression plate  101  against the top of the remaining stack of gloves inside the box. As gloves are removed, the upper member segments continue to flex, thereby maintaining contact between the top of the stack of gloves and the upper member  105 . In this way, the alignment of the stack of gloves within the box is maintained. This is important because the cuffs of the gloves  70  need to be near the box opening  117  to ensure reliable dispensing cuff first. Because users can pull out gloves by the cuffs, user contact with external surfaces of the gloves used in examination is prevented, thereby reducing the risk that microorganisms or other forms of contamination may be spread by use of the gloves. 
         [0094]    As gloves are dispensed, the potential for contamination of the gloves is also reduced owing the overhanging box opening  117  and upper plate cut out  118 , as these both protect the lower plate cut out  119 , which remains in contact with the topmost glove in the stack of gloves, from any contamination. 
         [0095]    The invention therefore provides a convenient way of packing gloves in a box container, and also an effective way of maintaining cleanliness during the dispensing of gloves.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1