Disposable And Reusable Spaceer Rack, And Method Of Using Same

Abstract

<heading lvl="0">Abstract of Disclosure< / heading> A disposable and reusable spacer rack apparatus, for cooperating with a pallet to support a stack of thin sheets of printable stock thereon. A spacer rack apparatus according to the invention includes a body member, having an upper surface and a substantially flat lower surface. The body member has a series of parallel spaced apart grooves formed in an upper portion thereof, defining a plurality of parallel spaced apart divider slats between the grooves. The body member is of a first height at the divider slats, and is of a second, reduced height in the area of the grooves. The grooves are provided for receiving support rods during a printing stock changeover process. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the spacer rack apparatus is integrally formed as a single unit, out of relatively inexpensive materials, such as cardboard, fiberboard, recycled plastic, or open-celled plastic foam. The invention also includes a method of using the spacer rack apparatus.

Description

Cross Reference to Related Applications[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application serial number 09 / 324,697, filed June 2, 1999, which was in turn based on, and claimed priority of, provisional patent application serial number 60 / 088,406, filed June 8, 1998. The disclosures of each of the above-identified applications is hereby incorporated by reference.Background of Invention[0002] 1. Field of the invention[0003] The present invention relates to a disposable and reusable spacer rack, for placing between a pallet and a stack of thin sheets such as printing paper, and to a method of using the disposable and reusable spacer rack hereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a substantially rectangular disposable and reusable spacer rack, having a plurality of parallel grooves formed in an upper surface thereof. The spacer rack according to the present invention is provided for use in conjunction with a pallet, in supportively holdi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to minimize the amount of labor required for re-stocking a continuous feed type of printing press with paper.

[0024] It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a less expensive alternative to the customized grooved skid which is currently used to load paper into the above-described type of printing press.

Problems solved by technology

Since the specialized grooved skid is so complicated and highly machined, it is relatively expensive.

While the above-described conventional process for restocking a printing press with fresh paper "on the fly" is useful, and provides paper to the press in an uninterrupted fashion, it nevertheless has some drawbacks and limitations.

In particular, it is inconvenient that a fresh pallet of paper comes from the supplier neatly stacked, but has to be manually unloaded from the pallet, and then manually re-stacked.

This is a labor-intensive, and therefore costly step.

Further, the specialized grooved skids and the floor rail mechanism therefor are relatively expensive, and represent a significant investment for the printer.

This approach is quite inefficient and disadvantageous, because of the significant down time associated therewith.

While these commercially available modified pallets are useful, they are still relatively expensive, and if a print shop wishes to receive paper pre-stacked on these pallets, it is necessary to purchase and ship the special pallets to a paper distributor, and to make special arrangements to have the paper installed thereon.

Such modified pallets or skids are disadvantageous for several reasons, including the labor-intensive nature of the modification procedure, the lack of uniformity in the grooves thus formed, and contamination of the paper stock caused by transfer of water, dirt, and other foreign matter from the modified pallet or skid which directly supports the stock.

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