Great Northern Corporation

Robert W Swannell

David B Rosten

Jeffrey J Gratz

Robb A Warren

A roll support and spacing member has parallel, connected and nestable first and second sections foldable upon a hinge to provide support structure in the middle of a stack of rolls. The roll support and spacing member has upwardly and downwardly facing, roll-engaging indentations with the sections being separable to provide top and bottom support pieces for engaging rolls in the stack. The sections are movable into superposed relationship with one another. The first and second sections have peripheral flanges located along opposed sides and opposed ends thereof and formed with cooperable interlocking structure positively retaining the sections together when the sections are placed in superposed relationship.

Interlocking roll support and spacing structure

An improved roll support for stabilizing and storing large rolls of web material. The roll support is preferably an elongated molded pulp member. A roll of web material is generally supported by a roll supporting surface defined by a plurality of support wedges contained on a face side surface of the roll support. Each of the support wedges are spaced apart by generally rectangular depressions formed in the front face surface. A plurality of enlarged sidewall arches are formed in the sidewalls of the roll support. The roll support includes a reinforcement bridge formed on the back side surface between each sidewall arch and a protrusion on the back side of the large roll support which corresponds to one of the rectangular depressions on the face side of the large roll support. Preferably, a reinforcement bridge is formed from each corner of the protrusion to one of the sidewall arches. The reinforcement bridges increase the structural stability of the roll support under heavy loads, and prevent the sidewalls from deforming during the forming process. The outer peripheral support surface of the roll support preferably includes enlarged arch feet that increase the surface area of the peripheral support surface which also increases the structural stability of the roll support. In another embodiment, the roll support structure is not elongated, and contains only two pairs of support wedges. In this embodiment, more than one roll support structure is normally used to stabilize and support large rolls.

Growing community of inventors

Neenah, WI, United States of America

Robert W Swannell