Container and system for constraining and paying out coiled steel rule or the like

Abstract

A container for a coil of steel rule and a roller apparatus are disclosed. The container is square, and the sides are arranged so as to restrain steel rule coil in its coiled configuration and to resist rule coil unwinding forces. The roller apparatus engages the coil through apertures in the box bottom. One set of rollers directly supports the wake of the coil, and another set of rollers resists rule coil unwinding forces.

1 . A container for a coil of steel rule, the rule having substantial intrinsic unwinding force, 
 the container having opposed sides of substantially square shape in length and width and a plurality of ends connected between the sides to provide a container interior depth only slightly greater than the width of the contained steel rule so as to restrain the steel rule coil in its coiled configuration, the container being constructed so as to resist the rule coil unwinding force,    at least one side of the container being formed to so as to permit side material of a predefined shape and size to be removed to define an opening in the side to permit rollers to selectively engage the steel rule within the container.    
   
   
       2 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein said container is formed of paperboard.  
   
   
       3 . A container according to  claim 2  wherein said container is formed of corrugated paper.  
   
   
       4 . A roller apparatus for the removal of a coil of steel rule from a container, the steel rule having substantial intrinsic radial expansion unwinding force, 
 the roller apparatus having at least one first roller having an axis in a first plane and at least one second roller having an axis in a second plane substantially perpendicular to said first plane, one of the rollers being adapted to support the weight of the coil and another of the rollers being adapted to inhibit radial expansion of the coil.    
   
   
       5 . A roller apparatus according to  claim 4  wherein said roller apparatus comprises two rollers in a first plane and one roller in a second plane.  
   
   
       6 . A method for removing a coil of steel rule from a container, the steel rule having substantial intrinsic radial expansion unwinding force, comprising, in combination, 
 storing the coil of steel rule in a container having opposed sides of substantially square shape and a plurality of ends connected to the sides to provide a container interior depth only slightly greater than the width of the contained steel rule so as to restrain the steel rule coil in its coiled configuration, the container being constructed so as to resist the rule coil radial expansion unwinding force, wherein at least one side of the container is formed to define an opening on the side to permit a roller apparatus to selectively engage the steel rule within the container,    engaging the steel rule coil within the container by a roller apparatus through said container side opening, the roller apparatus including at least one roller being adapted to support the weight of the coil and at least another roller being adapted to inhibit radial expansion of the coil.    
   
   
       7 . The combination of a container and a roller apparatus for unwinding a coil of steel rule, the rule having substantial intrinsic radial expansion unwinding force, 
 the container having opposed sides of substantially square shape and a plurality of ends connected to the sides to provide a container interior depth only slightly greater than the width of the contained steel rule so as to restrain the steel rule coil in its coiled configuration, the container being constructed so as to resist the rule coil radial expansion unwinding force, and    at least one side of the container being formed to so as to permit side material of a predefined shape and size to be removed so as to define an opening on the side to permit a roller apparatus to engage the rule coil,    the roller apparatus having at least a first roller in a first plane and at least a second roller in a second plane substantially perpendicular to said first plane, the rollers being arranged and adapted to engage the rule coil.    
   
   
       8 . A container according to  claim 7  wherein said container is formed of paperboard.  
   
   
       9 . A container according to  claim 7  wherein said container is formed of corrugated paper.  
   
   
       10 . A container according to  claim 7  wherein said roller apparatus comprises two rollers in the first plane and one roller in the second plane substantially perpendicular to said first plane.  
   
   
       11 . A container according to  claim 10  wherein the container comprises a plurality of openings radially located on said side.