Systems and methods for wrapping pallets and the like with expandable paper

Abstract

According to illustrative embodiments, a novel pallet wrap is provided. In some preferred embodiments, the pallet wrap includes: an expandable slit sheet paper having a slit pattern including a plurality of slits extending in a cross direction that forms a plurality of open cells upon expansion in a machine direction. In some embodiments, the pallet wrap includes a novel expandable slit sheet paper adapted for enabling wrapping of a pallet assembly. In some embodiments, the pallet wrap includes an expandable slit sheet paper and a support wrap, wherein the expandable slit sheet paper is configured to be wrapped around a pallet assembly and the support wrap is configured to surround at least a portion of the expandable slit sheet paper wrapped around the pallet assembly.

1 - 139 . (canceled) 
     
     
         140 . A pallet wrap assembly, comprising:
 a) a pallet wrap system, including
 i) a pallet wrap supply unit; 
 ii) a rotatable support floor; and 
 iii) a pallet supported on said rotatable support floor; 
   b) a stack of items supported on said pallet; and   c) a pallet wrap extending from said pallet wrap supply unit and around a periphery of said stack of items, said pallet wrap being made with non-creped extensible kraft paper having i) an extensibility in at least a machine direction of between 6% greater than 8% to 20% less than   15% under TAPPI standard tests and having ii) a weight of between 30 #to 70 #per 3000 square feet.   
     
     
         141 - 145 . (canceled) 
     
     
         146 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 140 , wherein said extensible paper is non-slit extensible paper. 
     
     
         147 . The pallet wrap assembly of claim  141  or  146 , wherein said extensible paper is a multi-layer paper. 
     
     
         148 . The pallet wrap assembly of claim  141  or  146 , wherein said extensible paper is a two layer paper. 
     
     
         149 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 140 , wherein said pallet wrap includes a first layer made with non-slit extensible paper having an extensibility in at least a machine direction of between greater than 8% to less than 15% under TAPPI standard tests and a second layer made with non-slit extensible paper having an extensibility in at least a machine direction of between greater than 8% to less than 15% under TAPPI standard tests. 
     
     
         150 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 149 , wherein said second layer increases the tensile load strength in the machine direction to beyond the tensile load strength of the first layer. 
     
     
         151 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 149 , wherein said second layer is a support wrap layer that increases the tensile load strength in the machine direction to beyond the tensile load strength of the first layer. 
     
     
         152 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 151 , wherein said second layer surrounds said first layer. 
     
     
         153 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 149 , wherein said pallet wrap system is configured to co-roll said first layer and said second layer around the periphery of said stack of items. 
     
     
         154 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 149 , wherein said pallet wrap system is configured to apply a glue between said first layer and said second layer. 
     
     
         155 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 149 , wherein said first layer and said second layer are formed from separate sheets. 
     
     
         156 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 149 , wherein said second layer has a narrower width than a width of said first layer. 
     
     
         157 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 156 , wherein said first layer has a width of between about 7.5 and 30 inches. 
     
     
         158 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 157 , wherein said first layer has a width of between about 10 and 25 inches. 
     
     
         159 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 158 , wherein said first layer has a width of between about 12.5 and 22.5 inches. 
     
     
         160 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 156 , wherein said second layer has a width of less than about 4 inches. 
     
     
         161 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 156 , wherein said second layer has a width of less than the width of said first layer and greater than 4 inches. 
     
     
         162 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 140 , wherein said pallet wrap has a tensile strength supporting tensile loads of greater than 1.0 pounds per inch across a width of the extensible paper. 
     
     
         163 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 140 , wherein said pallet wrap has a tensile strength supporting tensile loads of greater than 1.2 pounds per inch across a width of the extensible paper. 
     
     
         164 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 140 , wherein said pallet wrap has a tensile strength supporting tensile loads of greater than 1.4 pounds per inch across a width of the extensible paper. 
     
     
         165 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 140 , wherein said pallet wrap has a tensile strength supporting tensile loads of greater than 1.6 pounds per inch across a width of the extensible paper. 
     
     
         166 . (canceled) 
     
     
         167 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 140 , wherein said extensible paper is a paper having a weight of between 35 #to 60 #per 3000 square feet. 
     
     
         168 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 140 , wherein said extensible paper is a paper having a weight of between 40 #to 50 #per 3000 square feet. 
     
     
         169 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 140 , wherein:
 said extensible paper has an extensibility in the machine direction of greater than 8% 9% in the machine direction under TAPPI standard tests.   
     
     
         170 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 140 , wherein:
 said extensible paper has an extensibility in the machine direction of greater than 10% in the machine direction under TAPPI standard tests.   
     
     
         171 . (canceled) 
     
     
         172 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 140 , wherein:
 said pallet wrap supply unit includes a support for rotatably supporting a roll of said extensible paper.   
     
     
         173 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 172 , wherein:
 wherein said pallet wrap supply unit includes a brake for resisting rotation of the roll supported on said support.   
     
     
         174 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 173 , wherein:
 said brake includes a control unit for controlling the braking resistance applied by said brake.   
     
     
         175 . A method of using the pallet wrap assembly according to  claim 140 , comprising:
 using said pallet wrap assembly to wrap said pallet wrap around said stack of items.   
     
     
         176 . A method of using the pallet wrap assembly according to  claim 140 , comprising:
 using said pallet wrap assembly to wrap said pallet wrap around said stack of items, including co-rolling said first layer and said second layer around the periphery of said stack of items.   
     
     
         177 . A method of using the pallet wrap assembly according to  claim 140 , comprising:
 using said pallet wrap assembly to wrap pallet wrap around said stack of items, including gluing together said first layer and said second layer.   
     
     
         178 . A pallet wrap assembly, comprising:
 a) a pallet wrap system, including
 i) a pallet wrap supply unit; 
 ii) a rotatable support floor; and 
 iii) a pallet supported on said rotatable support floor; 
   b) a stack of items supported on said pallet;   c) a pallet wrap extending from said pallet wrap supply unit and around a periphery of said stack of items, said pallet wrap including a first paper layer and a second paper layer; and   d) wherein said first paper layer comprises a non-creped extensible kraft paper that has i) an extensibility in at least a machine direction of between greater than 8% to less than 15% under TAPPI standard tests and that has ii) a weight of between 30 #to 70 #per 3000 square feet.   
     
     
         179 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 178 , wherein said second paper layer is non-slit. 
     
     
         180 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 179 , wherein said second paper layer increases the tensile load strength of the pallet wrap in the machine direction to beyond the tensile load strength of the first paper layer. 
     
     
         181 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 179 , wherein said pallet wrap system is configured to co-roll said first paper layer and said second paper layer around the periphery of said stack of items. 
     
     
         182 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 181 , wherein said pallet wrap system is configured to apply a glue between said first paper layer and said second paper layer. 
     
     
         183 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 178 , wherein said first paper layer and said second paper layer are formed from separate sheets. 
     
     
         184 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 178 , wherein said second paper layer has a narrower width than a width of said first paper layer. 
     
     
         185 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 184 , wherein said first paper layer has a width of between about 7.5 and 30 inches. 
     
     
         186 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 185 , wherein said second paper layer has a width of less than about 4 inches. 
     
     
         187 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 185 , wherein said second paper layer has a width of less than the width of said first paper layer and greater than 4 inches. 
     
     
         188 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 140 , further including a paper support wrap extending over said extensible paper. 
     
     
         189 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 188 , wherein said paper support wrap is made with a non-slit paper. 
     
     
         190 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 189 , wherein said paper support wrap has a with of less than 4 inches. 
     
     
         191 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 189 , wherein said paper support wrap has a with of less than 2 inches. 
     
     
         192 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 190 , wherein said extensible paper has a width of between 8 to 24 inches. 
     
     
         193 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 192 , wherein said extensible paper is wrapped entirely around four lateral sides of said periphery of said stack of items. 
     
     
         194 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 193 , wherein a distal end of said paper support wrap is fixed to the pallet. 
     
     
         195 . A method of using the pallet wrap assembly of  claim 192 , comprising: initially wrapping said extensible paper around said periphery of said stack of items, and then extending said paper support wrap over said extensible paper. 
     
     
         196 . The method of  claim 195 , wherein said extending said paper support wrap over said extensible paper includes fixing a distal end of the support wrap to the pallet and extending the support wrap upwardly from the said pallet along said periphery of said stack of items. 
     
     
         197 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 140 , wherein said non-creped extensible kraft paper is a clupak paper. 
     
     
         198 . The pallet wrap assembly of  claim 178 , wherein said non-creped extensible kraft paper is a clupak paper.