WO2005092758A1

WO2005092758A1 - A core for a roll of printing paper

Info

Publication number: WO2005092758A1
Application number: PCT/IB2004/050166
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter G. Milton
Original assignee: Core Control Limited
Priority date: 2004-03-01
Filing date: 2004-03-01
Publication date: 2005-10-06

Abstract

A core (4) for a roll of printing paper, which core (4) comprises a body portion (6), a bore (8) through the body portion (6) a first end member (10) which is removably secured to a first end (12) of the body portion (6), and a second end member (14) which is removably secured to a second end (16) of the body portion (6), the core (4) being made of a plastics material.

Description

A CORE FOR A ROLL OF PRINTING PAPER TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a core for a roll of printing paper. BACKGROUND ART Known cores for rolls of printing paper are in the form of cardboard tubes.

These cardboard tubes are traditionally thrown away when the roll of paper on the cardboard core has been used up. Developments in technology have provided reel tracking systems for tracking the rolls of paper as they progress from paper mills, to warehouses, docks, customer paper stores and printing machines. These tracking systems involve tagging the cardboard cores with radio frequency identity tags. These tags are a significant cost item and the paper industry is not satisfied at having to pay for the cost of the tags when they are thrown away with the cardboard cores when the printing paper on the cardboard core has been used up. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to go someway to overcoming the above mentioned disadvantages or at least provide the public or industry with a useful choice. Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a core for a roll of printing paper, which core comprises a body portion, a bore through the body portion, a first end member which is removably secured to a first end of the body portion, and a second end member which is removably secured to a second end of the body portion, the core being made of a plastics material. The core of the present invention is able to be recycled. Thus the core can be provided with radio frequency identity tags which can also be recycled and which do not have to be thrown away as occurs with the known cardboard cores. If handling of the roll of paper should cause the first end member and/or the second end member to become damaged, then the damaged member can easily be replaced whilst still retaining the remainder of the core. Preferably, the core is one in which the first end member is inserted into the bore at the first end of the body portion, and in which the second end member is inserted into the bore at the second end of the body portion. The core may be one in which the first end of the body portion receives an insert portion on the first end member, and in which the second end of the body portion receives an insert portion on the second end member. Usually the first end member will be a push-in friction fit in the first end of the body portion, and the second end member will be a push-in friction fit in the second end of the body portion. Other arrangement may however be employed. The core may be one in which the first end member has a flange for abutting against the first end of the body portion, and in which the second end member has a flange for abutting against the second end of the body portion. The flanges enable the first and second end members easily to be pushed into the bore in the body portion to the required amount. The flanges also help to rigidity the ends of the core. Advantageously, the core is one in which the first end member has a lead-in portion for facilitating insertion of the first end member into the bore at the first end of the body portion, and in which the second end member has a lead-in portion for facilitating insertion of the second end member into the bore at the second end of the body portion. Preferably, the first and the second end members each include gripping means for facilitating gripping of the first and second end members in order to locate the first and second end members in position in the bore of the body portion. The gripping means are preferably slots but other types of gripping means may be employed. The slots are preferably in a wall of a bore through each of the first and second end members. The gripping means may be engaged by a chuck or other mechanical device forming part of a lifting or handling arrangement. The present invention also extends to a roll of printing paper comprising a core of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a known cardboard core, Figure 2 shows a core of the present invention, Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the right hand end of the core shown in Figure 2, Figure 4 is a perspective view of an alternative first end member to that shown in Figures 2 and 3, Figure 5 is a section through the first end member shown in Figure 4, and Figure 6 is an end view of the first end member shown in Figures 4 and 5. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a known cardboard core 2 for a roll of printing paper (not shown). The length of the core 2 can be varied in dependence upon the required width of the printing paper. After the printing paper on the core 2 has been used up, the core 2 is thrown away. Any identification means on the core 2 such for example as a radio-frequency identity tag is thrown away with the core 2 and this represents a waste of money which the paper industry is not happy to bear. If the identification means is not employed in order to save money, then it is not possible to track the movement of the roll of paper from a paper mill through to a warehouse, docks, a customer paper store and then to a printing machine. This tracking of the roll of paper, which is sometime referred to as a paper reel, is highly desirable for maximum efficiency. Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, there is shown a core 4 of the present invention. The core 4 is for a roll of printing paper (not shown). The core 4 comprises a body portion 6 and a bore 8 which extends through the body portion 6. A first end member 10 is removably secured to a first end 12 of the body portion 6. A second end member 14 is removably secured to a second end 16 of the body portion 6. The core 4 is made of a plastics material. Any suitable and appropriate plastics material may be employed, for example polyethylene or polypropylene. The core 4 is able to be recycled when the printing paper on the core 4 has been used up. If the first end member 10 or the second end member 14 should become damaged during handling of the core 4 with its printing paper on it, then the damaged end member can easily be removed and replaced by a new end member. There will be no need to throw the entire core 4 away and this means that the core 4 can be provided with identity means such for example as a radio identity tag, and this identity means can be reused and it does not have to be thrown away. The identity means can advantageously be located somewhere on the body portion 6 of the core 4. As can be seen, the first end member 10 is inserted into the bore 8 at the first end 12 of the body portion 6. The second end member 14 is inserted into the bore 8 at the second end 16 of the body portion 6. The first end 12 of the body portion 6 receives an insert portion 20 on the first end member 10. Similarly, the second end 16 of the body portion 6 receives an insert portion 24 on the second end member 14. The first end member 10 is a push-in friction fit in the bore 8 at the first end 12 of the body portion 6. The second end member 14 is a push-in friction fit in the bore 8 at the second end 16 of the body portion 6. The first and second ends 12, 16 are machined at position 11 to receive the first and second end members 10, 14 such that the core of the first and second end members 10, 14 is a continuation of the bore 8 through the body portion 6. The first end member 10 has a flange 26 for abutting against the first end 12 of the body portion. The second end member 14 has a flange 28 for abutting against the second end member 14 of the body portion 6. The length of the core 4 is smaller than the length of the core 2 by the combined width of the flanges 26, 28. Typically, each flange 26, 28 is 20 mm wide so that the body portion 6 is 40 mm shorter than the length of the core 2 so that the entire length of the core 4 is the same as the length of the core 2. The first end 12 of the body portion 6 has three apertures for receiving three nylon countersunk screws 15. The screws 15 extend into three apertures 17 in the first end member 10 in order to secure the first end member 10 in position. A similar arrangement may be employed for the second end 16 of the body portion 6 and its second end member 14. Referring now to Figures 4, 5 and 6, there is shown a first end member 10 having a lead-in portion 30 for facilitating insertion of the first end member 10 into the bore 8 at the first end 12 of the body portion 6. The illustrated second end member 14 has a lead-in portion 32 for facilitating insertion of the second end member 14 into the bore 8 at the second end 16 of the body portion 6. The first and second end members 10, 14 each include gripping means 34 for facilitating gripping of the first and second end members 10, 14, for example by a chuck, in order to locate and/or remove the first and second end members 10, 14 in position in the bore 8 of the body portion 6. As shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 the gripping means 34 is in the form of a plurality of slots 36 in a wall 3 defining a bore 40 through each of the first and second end members 10, 14. It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the first and the second end members 10, 14 may be of a different design to that shown. The length of the body portion 6 can vary in dependence upon the required width of the paper. Parts from Figures 2 and 3 may be alternated with parts in Figures 4, 5 and 6. Thus, for example, the gripping means shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 can be employed in Figures 2 and 3. The lead-in portion 30 shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 can be omitted, or it can be used in Figures 1 and 2. The first and second end members in various embodiments of the invention may be a friction fit in position, they may be held in position by screws, or they may be held in position by other means such as being pinned in position using plastics rods as the pins. These plastics rods act like shear pins and they allow easy replacement of the end members if needed. The plastic core of the present invention is able to be fitted with a radio frequency tag if desired, for paper tracking purposes. To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A core for a roll of printing paper, which core comprises a body portion, a bore through the body portion, a first end member which is removably secured to a first end of the body portion, and a second end member which is removably secured to a second end of the body portion, the core being made of a plastics material.

2. A core according to claim 1 in which the first end member is inserted into the bore at the first end of the body portion, and in which the second end member is inserted into the bore at the second end of the body portion.

3. A core according to claim 2 in which the first end of the body portion receives an insert portion on the first end member, and in which the second end of the body portion receives an insert portion on the second end member.

4. A core according to any one of the preceding claims in which the first end member is a push-in friction fit in the first end of the body portion, and in which the second end member is a push-in friction fit in a second end of the body portion.

5. A core according to any one of the preceding claims in which the first end member has a flange for abutting against the first end of the body portion, and in which the second end member has a flange for abutting against the second end of the body portion.

6. A core according to any one of the preceding claims in which the first end member has a lead-in portion for facilitating insertion of the first end member into the bore at the first end of the body portion, and in which the second end member has a lead-in portion for facilitating insertion of the second end member into the bore at the second end of the body portion. A core according to any one of the preceding claims in which the first and second end members each includes gripping means for facilitating gripping of the first and second end members in order to locate the first and second end members in position in the bore of the body portion.

7. A core according to claim 7 in which the gripping means are slots.

8. A core according to claim 8 in which the slots are in a wall defining a bore through each of the first and second end members.

9. A core for a roll of printing paper, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A roll of printing paper comprising a core according to any one of the preceding claims.