Paper tube and method of making the same

Abstract

An apparatus for manufacturing a paper tube having a polygonal cross section includes a frame, an elongate core assembly having an end rotatably supported to the frame and the other free end and having an outer peripheral surface of a predetermined polygonal shape, and a delivery member installed to the core assembly for at least a portion of the delivery member to be exposed from the outer peripheral surface of the core assembly on which the strips are wound, the delivery member being installed for the exposed portion to move toward the free end of the core assembly after receiving the power, whereby the exposed portion contacts with an inner surface of the lowermost one of a plurality of the strips and thus a plurality of the strips wound on the core assembly continuously move toward the free end of the core assembly.

1 . A tube comprising a hollow polygonal cross-sectional body of a plurality of layers, which comprises at least one corrugated paper layer, wherein at least one of the plurality of layers comprises at least one continuous paper band that is spirally arranged so as to define a polygonal cross-section.  
   
   
       2 . The tube of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one corrugated paper layer comprises at least one continuous corrugated paper band that is spirally arranged so as to define a polygonal cross-section.  
   
   
       3 . The tube of  claim 2 , wherein each continuous corrugated paper band comprises a non-corrugated paper band and a corrugated paper structure bonded onto the non-corrugated paper band.  
   
   
       4 . The tube of  claim 2 , wherein each corrugated paper layer extends free of a substantial gap between two neighboring portions of the continuous corrugated paper band.  
   
   
       5 . The tube of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of layers comprises an inner-most layer, an outer-most layer, and at least one intermediate layer, wherein the at least one intermediate layer comprises the at least one corrugated paper layer.  
   
   
       6 . The tube of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one of the inner-most layer and the outer-most layer does not comprise a corrugated paper band.  
   
   
       7 . The tube of  claim 1 , wherein each layer comprises a paper material.  
   
   
       8 . The tube of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of layers comprises a non-corrugated paper layer comprising a non-corrugated continuous paper band that is spirally arranged so as to define a polygonal cross-section, wherein a portion of the continuous, non-corrugated paper band is overlapping with another portion of the continuous, non-corrugated paper band in the spiral arrangement, wherein the overlapping portions are glued together.  
   
   
       9 . The tube of  claim 8 , wherein each corrugated paper layer comprises a continuous corrugated paper band that is spirally arranged so as to define a polygonal cross-section, wherein the continuous corrugated paper band does not comprise portions that are overlapping with each other in the spiral arrangement.  
   
   
       10 . An article comprising a tubular body extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein the tubular body has a polygonal cross-section in a plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein the tubular body comprises a first layer and a second layer, wherein the second layer comprises a continuous paper band that is spirally arranged around the first layer, wherein at least one of the first and second layers comprises corrugated paper.  
   
   
       11 . The article of  claim 10 , further comprises a plurality of additional tubular body arranged together so as to form a pallet.  
   
   
       12 . The article of  claim 10 , wherein the first layer is the inner-most layer of the tubular body and comprises a continuous paper band that is spirally arranged so as to define a polygonal cross-section.  
   
   
       13 . The article of  claim 12 , wherein the first layer does not comprise the corrugated paper.  
   
   
       14 . The article of  claim 10 , wherein the second layer comprises a continuous corrugated band that is spirally arranged so as to define a polygonal cross-section around the first layer, wherein the continuous corrugated band comprises a continuous, non-corrugated band and the corrugated paper, which is bonded onto the continuous, non-corrugated band.  
   
   
       15 . The article of  claim 14 , wherein the second layer extends substantially free of a gap between two neighboring portions of the continuous corrugated band.  
   
   
       16 . The article of  claim 10 , wherein the tubular body further comprises a third layer interposed between the first and second layers, wherein the third layer comprises the corrugated paper.  
   
   
       17 . A method of making a hollow tube, the method comprising: 
 spirally winding a plurality of bands around at least one rotating shaft so as to form a tubular body comprising a plurality of layers around the at least one shaft, wherein the tubular body comprises an inner surface;    frictionally engaging the inner surface with a friction surface movable in the tubular body; and    moving the friction surface so as to transfer the tubular body in a longitudinal direction thereof.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein frictionally engaging and moving occurs substantially simultaneously.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein frictionally engaging and moving occurs substantially continuously.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the friction surface is part of a conveyor belt, a roller or a lead screw driven by a dedicated power source therefor.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one shaft comprises a plurality of edges extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein the plurality of bands are winding around the plurality of edges such that the tubular body has a polygonal cross-section.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising cutting the tubular body transferred away from the friction surface, wherein prior to cutting, the method does not comprise substantially changing the polygonal cross-sectional shape of the tubular body.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the tubular body is continuously moving generally in the longitudinal direction such that the plurality of bands are wound around a substantially identical portion of the at least one shaft.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of bands comprises at least one corrugated paper band so as to form at least one corrugated paper layer.