Patent ID: 7731120

Claim:
A foldable blank for forming a mandrel for supporting wound material thereon, said blank comprising a flat longitudinally oriented main panel having upper and lower opposed ends terminating in upper and lower edges respectively, said main panel further including opposed longitudinally oriented laterally spaced side edges, said main panel in turn including a top panel, a bottom panel and a support panel wherein the top panel is connected to the bottom panel by a pair of laterally spaced parallel adjacent bend lines forming an upper spacing panel and said bottom panel is connected to said support panel by a pair of laterally spaced parallel adjacent bend lines forming a lower spacing panel, a lower laterally oriented stiffening support in the form of a longitudinally oriented first flap hingedly connected to a side of said main panel proximal the lower end thereof and an upper laterally oriented stiffening support in the form of a longitudinally oriented second flap hingedly connected to a side of said main panel proximal the upper end thereof, said first and second flaps including at least a first pair of laterally oriented spaced fold lines forming upright stiffening panels for positioning between said top and bottom panels when said top and said support panel are bent about said bottom panel and said flaps are positioned therebetween wherein said stiffening panels are each hingedly connected to one edge of each of said spacing panels for positioning adjacent said upper and bottom spacing panels.