Forming compressed stacks of folded gloves

Abstract

A method of forming a compressed stack of folded gloves comprises folding gloves to form a stack within a glove stacking sleeve, said stack being seated on a supporting surface. A retaining band is positioned across an opening of the glove stacking sleeve and the supporting surface is moved towards the opening to bring the stack into contact with the retaining band. A compression member is moved towards the retaining band to compress the stack of folded gloves between a first part of the retaining band and the compression member. A second part of the retaining band is wrapped around the stack of folded gloves and at least a part of the compression member. Ends of the retaining band are secured together so that the retaining band extends fully around four sides of the stack of folded gloves to maintain a compressive force on the stack of folded gloves, and the compression member is withdrawn from said retaining band.

Description

[0001] Forming Compressed Stacks of Folded Gloves

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to methods for preparing compressed stacks of folded gloves, particularly interfolded gloves, and methods for packing compressed stacks of folded gloves into a glove dispensing box. The present disclosure also relates to a glove dispensing box that contains at least one stack of folded gloves prepared according to these methods.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] The control of infection of patients in hospitals, clinics, and doctors’ surgeries has become an ever more pressing concern with the rise of infectious bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics, in particular methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). In the United Kingdom alone there are thought to be about 5,000 deaths a year from infections caught in hospitals, but some experts believe the number could be as high as 20,000.

[0006] Disposable medical gloves can help prevent cross-contamination, but a problem arises if external parts of the glove touch the same areas of a dispensing container as have previously been touched by hands which are contaminated with harmful micro-organisms. Such external parts of the gloves can then become contaminated prior to contact with a patient, if these external parts are the fingers or palm area of the glove the likelihood of a patient being contaminated is dramatically increased. To control contamination the cuffs of gloves should therefore be presented to the user from a glove dispenser, so that the user can don one glove at a time while avoiding skin contact with the external glove surfaces at the finger portions, and even the palm portions, of each glove.

[0007] In this specification, the term “finger portion” includes the portion of the glove having both the glove fingers and the glove thumb, and the term “cuff portion” includes the portion of the glove extending from the finger portion to the open cuff end of the glove. A transverse fold in a disposable medical inspection glove will be close to the point when the base of the thumb digit meets the base of the second (i.e. index) finger digit and so the base portion of the glove thumb may be on either side of this transverse folding line, depending on the exact length of the glove and the proportions of the moulded thumb and finger digits. The transverse fold will, in general, cut across a palm portion of the glove. As inspection gloves are most commonly ambidextrous, the “palm portion” may equivalently be termed a “dorsal portion” or “palm and dorsal portion” of the glove. The terms “finger portion” and “cuff portion” as used herein are therefore to be construed purposively, for example as the being, respectively the portion of the glove nearest the tips of the five digits and the portion of the glove nearest the cuff end and neither term excludes the palm and dorsal portion or the possibility that a base part of a digit may end up on the cuff side of a transverse fold line. Therefore, because of the need to enhance infection control, the preferred method of dispensing these gloves is by the cuff, so that the user can only remove the gloves from the container by the cuffs rather than by the glove fingers. One example of cuff first glove dispensing systems is disclosed in WO 2009063188 A1 , which shows a cuff-first system in which gloves are individually folded in half along a transverse axis approximately mid-way along the length of each glove, such that a finger portion of each glove is folded underneath a cuff portion of the same glove. Gloves are then dispensed from an edge of the stack which is held inside a box container having a dispensing aperture in one side face. An advantage of this glove dispensing system is that gloves are packed in an inexpensive box, made from card material and having a removable cover over an opening, with each glove folded over on itself so that the box may have an approximately cubic shape. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that all the cuffs are at one side of the stack, and as the cuff of inspection gloves typically have a rolled end and are therefore thicker, this side of the stack will end up being thicker, which limits how many gloves may fit inside a dispenser of any given size. Therefore, it is preferable if the cuffs alternate on opposite sides of the stack. In this case, for there to be a single dispensing aperture, the aperture would have to extend across the top of the stack of gloves rather than across one side wall, and preferably the stack of gloves would be biased towards the dispensing aperture so that it was not necessary to reach into the dispensing aperture for a user to grasp the cuff of the next glove to be dispensed.

[0008] These issues are addressed by the type of glove dispensing system disclosed in GB 2510428 A, in which gloves are interfolded inside a stack of gloves for cuff-first dispensing from a dispensing aperture. Since each glove is folded approximately in half, the glove stack has a substantially square cross-section in a plane taken at right angles to a glove stacking axis.

[0009] In this specification, the term “interfolded” relates to this type of glove folding arrangement, in which gloves are folded transversely proximate a mid-point along the length of the glove. The cuff portion of the next glove to be dispensed is accessible at one end of the stack and the finger portion of the same glove wraps behind the cuff portion of the subsequent glove to be dispensed, such that as each cuff-portion is pulled out from the dispensing aperture, the finger portion of that glove being dispensed pulls the next cuff portion partially clear of the stack so that this preferably protrudes from the dispensing aperture, for easier manual access when that subsequent glove is to be dispensed. In this arrangement, within the stack (i.e. with the exception of the top-most and bottom-most gloves of the stack) each glove is folded around portions of the two adjacent gloves, with each cuff-portion being sandwiched between the finger portions of the two adjacent gloves. Similarly, each finger portion is sandwiched between the cuff portions of the two adjacent gloves.

[0010] There are two ways in which gloves can be added to a stack and then interfolded with each other. In one way, the finger portion of each glove is deposited at the glove stacking area and a cuff portion is deposited over a folding flap; gloves can then be dispensed cuff-first from the top of the stack. In other way, this orientation is reversed; gloves can then be dispensed from the bottom of the stack. Most gloves used in hospitals and clinics are examination gloves, and these are used in large numbers. Such gloves are supplied not in individual sterile packages, but in relatively inexpensive cardboard dispensing boxes. The size of boxed gloves is an issue owing to the need to minimise the space needed to store gloves, or the size of dispensing apparatus holding boxed gloves. It is therefore desirable to pack as many gloves as possible into the stack of gloves held within a glove dispenser. As there is a limit to reducing material thickness, the need is therefore to stack gloves as evenly as possible with a minimum of trapped air within the stack of gloves.

[0011] It is possible to fold and stack manually, but it is much quicker and more economical to do this using automated glove folding and stacking equipment. Examples of equipment suitable for forming a stack of folded gloves, whether interfolded or not, are disclosed in patent documents WO 2010 / 020782 A2, WO 2011 / 048414 A1 , WO 2014 / 037701 A1 and WO 2017109753 A1. Gloves are transversely folded and held within a glove stacking recess of a glove stacking bin that has a floor that is relatively movable with respect to an opening or entrance to the recess. The floor provides a supporting surface that is relatively movable away from the entrance to the glove stacking recess such that as a stack of gloves inside the recess grows the top of the stack remains substantially at the same level as the top of the recess. The top of the stack therefore presents a glove stacking area on which subsequent folded gloves may be added to the stack.

[0012] To automate the process, glove folding flaps are provided, disposed at opposite sides of the glove stacking area. Optionally, a compression plate may be provided between the recess floor and the bottom of the growing stack. Optionally, a sheet-like packing insert may be provided atop the compression plate and folded upwards a short distance where the compression plate meets recess wall surfaces to prevent portions of gloves from falling into a clearance gap between the compression plate or recess floor and the adjacent wall surfaces of the recess. The compression plate is useful in removing the completed stack from the recess while maintaining compression of the glove stack. The completed stack is compressed in the direction of the height of the stack, i.e. along a stacking axis drive, by placing the open mouth of an inverted, rigid packing box over the glove stacking area at the top of the recess, and then driving the recess floor upwards to compress the stack between the compression plate and the opposing, downwardly facing, inside base surface of the inverted box, until the compression plate comes into contact with the open mouth of the box when all the gloves are compressed into the packing box. The compression plate and / or the packing box is / are provided with magnets or magnetisable material such that when these meet along a planar interface the compression plate and the packing box are held together, thereby maintaining compression of the glove stack, and yet can readily be disengaged from one another by relative sliding along the planar interface after the compressed stack is removed from the packing recess. Once the compression plate is separated from the packing box, the final packing of the stack of gloves into a dispensing container can take place. The dispensing container may be a card material dispenser that extends around all sides of the glove stack, or a bag dispenser that envelopes the glove stack. The material for such dispensers is first inserted into the open side of the packing box such that these conform to and line the five internal faces of packing box. In the case of card material, five sides of the box - the glove dispensing face and four adjacent side faces - are first bonded together by adhesive, or otherwise fixed together. Once inserted, the open sixth side of the dispenser card material faces is substantially co-planarwith the opening of the packing box. Once assembled together in this way, the back box, with the partially assembled outer glove dispensing securely seated inside, can be inverted over the entrance to the glove stacking recess. The floor of the glove stacking bin is then used to eject the completed glove stack from the recess into the open mouth of the partially assembled dispensing container. The compression plate can then be removed from the packing box opening, and the open side of the dispensing container closed (for example by folding over one or more flaps of card material) where this was left open to allow insertion of the glove stack into the lined packing box.

[0013] It is generally desirable to include as many gloves as possible in a glove stack within a dispenser, and for a given glove material thickness this is done by excluding as much as possible from the stack by maintaining compression of the initial glove stack, prior to dispensing of any gloves. The glove material is often elastic, and the card material used for glove dispensing boxes needs to be as inexpensive as possible. The glove dispensing box may therefore not have sufficient strength to avoid deformation owning to a tendency of the glove stack inside the box to expand. A deformed box may allow a stack of gloves to slip around inside the box and may no longer fit easily inside a rigid holder, for example a wall-mounted holder made from a relatively rigid plastic material.

[0014] A problem also arises when the last glove is dispended from a glove dispensing box, if a fresh glove dispensing box is not to hand. Therefore, it is often preferred to use a twin glove dispensing box, i.e. a glove dispensing box holding inside two separate stacks of gloves each stack being aligned with a corresponding dispensing aperture in the glove dispensing box. When one stack runs out it is likely that the other stack will still have gloves available. A replacement glove dispensing box can then be made available before the second stack of gloves is depleted.

[0015] While a twin glove dispensing box is convenient such a box, owing to its oblong shape (i.e. having a rectangular cross-section in a plane perpendicular to a glove dispensing direction, with unequal adjacent sides), will be more prone to deformation owing to expansion of the initially compressed interfolded glove stacks inside. Because each glove is folded, essentially in half, by interfolding, an interfolded glove stack required more pressure to expel air, and will have a greatertendency to spring back, than a glove stack of gloves laid flat on one another.

[0016] GB 2510428 A, mentioned above, deals with this issue with interfolded glove stacks in a twin stack dispenser, by pre-packaging each stack within a substantially cubic shape thin-film plastic bag that has its own dispensing aperture and is itself loaded by the end-user into an oblong re-usable box outer dispenser formed from a relatively rigid plastic material. The outer plastic bag maintains compression prior to use. Two of such bagged stacks are loaded into the outer dispenser. The outer dispenser has two separate compartments to keep the dispensing apertures of two of such bags each aligned with a corresponding outer dispensing aperture of the outer dispenser. Each compartment of the outer dispenser has within a sprung plate to keep the bag pressed up against the corresponding outer dispensing aperture, as the bag become depleted and floppy. The rigid outer dispenser is unaffected by any pressure exerted by the glove stack and so maintains its shape. However, this adds complexity and cost to the outer container.

[0017] GB 2489326 A deals with this issue with interfolded glove stacks in a twin stack dispenser, by using an oblong outer container formed from folded card material. The dispenser has, on one of the broad rectangular faces of the container, a pair of dispensing apertures. The container holds two stacks of gloves, one for each aperture. Each stack has a dispensing side and opposite to this a base side. The outer container holds within its internal volume a pair of side-by-side glove stack compression and locating sub-assemblies. The sub-assemblies both compress and locate the stack relative to the corresponding dispensing aperture. Each sub-assembly has a U-shaped folded card material cradle in a central portion of which of which is an internal dispensing aperture, aligned with the outer dispensing aperture in the outer container, and a movable compression plate. The opposite ends of the glove stack are held in compression between the compression plate and the central portion of the cradle by means of a pair of elastic bands. This arrangement is effective in isolating the relatively weak card material container from the compression of the glove stacks, but at the cost of complexity associated with assembling the two-glove stack compression and locating sub-assemblies, each of which has four separate components. Furthermore, each of the sub-assemblies must be loaded into the interior volume ofthe outer container through the broad rectangular face ofthe container opposite the dispensing face, which is the final side of the outer container to be closed. This will, in use, be the base side of the container, and so must be simultaneously secured joined to three sides of the container, which is inconvenient.

[0018] The above approaches are therefore mechanically complex and inconvenient. Other ways of providing two glove dispensers at the same location, such as disclosed in US 5,816,440 or in WO 2011017496 A2, avoid mechanical complexity but do not provide true twin glove dispensers. The former example simply places two separate dispensers side by side and the latter example provides two separate dispensers held loosely together within an outer sleeve, the gloves then being dispensed through dispensing aperture aligned with one of the two openings in the sleeve. This is essentially no different than having two separate dispensers at a glove dispensing location, as there is no assurance that a pair of such separate dispensers will be made available when one dispenser has run out and the other dispenser is running low.

[0019] It is an aim of the present invention to provide a method for preparing compressed stacks of folded gloves, which may then be inserted into a glove dispenser, that overcomes at least some of the disadvantages of prior art glove packing methods and glove dispensers, whether referred to herein or otherwise.

[0020] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0021] A first aspect of the invention provides a method of forming a compressed stack of folded gloves comprising: folding gloves to form a stack of folded gloves within a glove stacking sleeve, said stack being seated on a supporting surface and the stack extending between the supporting surface and an opening of the glove stacking sleeve; positioning a first part of a retaining band across the opening of the glove stacking sleeve; moving the supporting surface in a direction towards the opening of the glove stacking sleeve to bring the stack of folded gloves into contact with the first part of the retaining band; moving a compression member in a direction towards the first part of the retaining band so as to compress the stack of folded gloves between the first part of the retaining band and the compression member; wrapping a second part of the retaining band around the stack of folded gloves so that the retaining band extends around the stack of folded gloves and at least a part of the compression member; securing ends of the retaining band together so that the retaining band extends fully around four sides of the stack of folded gloves to maintain a compressive force on the stack of folded gloves, and two sides of the stack of folded gloves are exposed in openings defined and surrounded by side edges of the retaining band; and withdrawing the compression member from said retaining band.

[0022] The retaining band is preferably made from a strip of stiff material having opposite first and second side edges and opposite first and second end edges. A stiff material is defined as a material that is able to support its own weight when in strip or sheet form. The retaining band is preferably made from a sheet of card, paperboard or plastic. The retaining band is preferably elongate so that the first and second side edges are longer than the first and second end edges. The retaining band is preferably generally rectangular.

[0023] The retaining band is preferably wrapped around the stack of folded gloves so that the retaining band covers lateral edges of the gloves (i.e. edges of the gloves extending along laterally outermost finger portions of gloves (i.e. the finger portions for the first digit, orthumb, and the fifth digit, or little finger)). The folds of the gloves are preferably exposed in the openings defined by the side edges of the retaining band.

[0024] In some embodiments the ends of the retaining band overlap. In these embodiments the ends may be secured together along one of the sides of the stack of folded gloves. In other embodiments the ends of the retaining band do not overlap. In these embodiments the ends may be secured together along a corner edge of the stack of folded gloves defined between two adjacent sides of the stack of folded gloves. The ends of the retaining band may be secured by adhesive, adhesive tape or similar.

[0025] In some embodiments the compression member comprises a plurality of spaced apart supporting features. The spaced apart supporting features may be in the form of tines with gaps between them. The tines may have a curved surface arranged to contact the stack of folded gloves.

[0026] In these embodiments the supporting surface may be provided by a moveable floor having a plurality of slots for receiving the supporting features of the compression member. The slots may extend partially or fully through a thickness or depth of the floor. The method may further comprise, after moving the supporting surface in a direction towards the opening of the glove stacking sleeve to bring the stack of folded gloves into contact with the first part of the retaining band, moving the compression member relative to the floor to bring the supporting features of the compression member into contact with the stack of folded gloves. The method may further comprise, after moving the compression member in a direction towards the first part of the retaining band so as to compress the stack of folded gloves, moving the floor in a direction away from the first part of the retaining band so that the stack of folded gloves is retained between the first part of the retaining band and the compression member.

[0027] In some embodiments the compression member is in the form of a plate. In these embodiments the supporting surface is preferably provided by a surface of the compression member. The compression member may be seated on a moveable floor. In these embodiments the method preferably further comprises moving the floor in a direction towards the opening of the glove stacking sleeve to move the supporting surface in a direction towards the opening of the glove stacking sleeve, and, after moving the compression member in a direction towards the first part of the retaining band so as to compress the stack of folded gloves, moving the floor in a direction away from the first part of the retaining band so that the stack of folded gloves is retained between the first part of the retaining band and the compression member.

[0028] The compression member is preferably withdrawn from said secured retaining band in a direction perpendicular to the side edges of the retaining band, through one of the openings defined by the side edges of the retaining band.

[0029] In some embodiments the method further comprises: holding the first part of the retaining band with a vacuum lifting plate; moving the vacuum lifting plate and glove stacking sleeve relatively towards each other to position the first part of the retaining band across the opening of the glove stacking sleeve; and moving the compression member in a direction towards the vacuum lifting plate to compress the stack of folded gloves between the first part of the retaining band and the compression member. In some of these embodiments the method preferably further comprises: folding a first section of the second part of the retaining band to extend along a first external side of the glove stacking sleeve; folding a second section of the second part of the retaining band to extend along an opposite second external side of the glove stacking sleeve; subsequently moving the vacuum lifting plate and the compression member in the same direction to eject the stack of folded gloves from the glove stacking sleeve; and after ejecting the stack of folded gloves from the glove stacking sleeve, folding at least a third section of the second part of the retaining band around the compression member and the stack of folded gloves.

[0030] In some embodiments the method may further comprise actuating a pair of folding flaps to wrap at least a part of the second part of the retaining band around the stack of folded gloves.

[0031] In other embodiments the method further comprises: supporting the first part of the retaining band with a former having a generally cuboidal cavity; moving the former and glove stacking sleeve relatively towards each other to position the first part of the retaining band across the opening of the glove stacking sleeve; and moving the compression member in a direction towards the former to compress the stack of folded gloves between the first part of the retaining band and the compression member within the cavity of the former.

[0032] In some of these embodiments the step of supporting the first part of the retaining band with the former preferably comprises conforming a part of the retaining band to the shape of the cavity such that the first part of the retaining band overlies a base of the cavity and first and second sections of the second part of the retaining band extend over opposite side surfaces of the cavity.

[0033] Furthermore, in some of these embodiments, the method may further comprise, after moving the compression member towards the first part of the retaining band to compress the stack of folded gloves, engaging complimentary engagement features of the compression member and the former to secure the compression member to the former and maintain the compressive force on the stack of folded gloves.

[0034] The engagement features of the compression member and the former may comprise a magnet. In other embodiments the engagement features may comprise a clip or a hook.

[0035] In preferred embodiments the retaining band includes at least three pre-defined fold lines, such that when the retaining band is fully wrapped around the stack of folded gloves the fold lines form corner edges of the wrapped stack of folded gloves. The first part of the retaining band is preferably disposed between two adjacent fold lines of the at least three pre-defined fold lines. The first part of the retaining band may include an aperture or a removeable panel for forming an aperture in the retaining band, through which the gloves are dispensed in use.

[0036] The gloves are preferably disposable gloves made from nitrile, latex, vinyl or polyethylene. Compression of the stack of folded gloves by the compression member preferably expels air disposed between the gloves in the stack of folded gloves.

[0037] A second aspect of the invention provides a method of packing at least two stacks of folded gloves into a container, the method comprising: forming a first compressed stack of folded gloves using the method according to the first aspect of the invention; forming a second compressed stack of folded gloves using the method according to the first aspect of the invention; inserting the first compressed stack of folded gloves into an outer container so that a part of the retaining band of the first compressed stack of folded gloves is in contact with or is disposed directly adjacent to a first end wall of the outer container; and inserting the second compressed stack of folded gloves into the outer container so that a part of the retaining band of the second compressed stack of folded gloves is in contact with or is disposed directly adjacent to a second end wall of the outer container opposite to the first end wall of the container.

[0038] According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a box of gloves, comprising an elongate outer container holding two packs of gloves within said container, wherein: the outer container has a substantially rectangular cuboid shape with six external walls, including a pair of opposite end walls at opposite ends of a long axis of the container and including four side walls each extending substantially parallel with the long axis of the container, and one of the side walls being a glove dispensing wall with two dispensing apertures therethrough, one for each of said packs of gloves; each pack of gloves comprises a plurality of gloves, each glove having a finger portion and a cuff portion and being folded substantially in half between said portions and stacked in layers along a glove stack axis to form a stack of folded gloves, the glove stack axis extending between a top side of said stack from which folded gloves are configured to be dispensed and a bottom side of said stack and said stack having between said top and bottom sides four lateral sides, namely, opposite first and second lateral sides and opposite third and fourth lateral sides; each pack of gloves comprises a band with four sides wrapped around and conforming with four corresponding sides of said stack, wherein a top side of the band conforms with the top side of said stack, a bottom side of the band conforms with the bottom side of said stack, and first and second lateral sides of the band conform with, respectively, the first and second lateral sides of said stack, the band being open on the third and fourth sides of said stack, and the top side of the band comprising a glove dispensing opening; said packs of gloves are held between the end walls of the container in a side-by-side configuration along the long axis of the container with the glove dispensing opening of each band in registration with a corresponding one of said dispensing apertures; and each band has one of said lateral sides in an abutting relationship with one of said end walls of the container and both bands have the other ones of said lateral sides in an abutting relationship with each other, whereby: i) each band is restrained against movement along the long axis of the container; ii) both bands present a barrier to separate each stack of gloves from the other stack of gloves so that the orientation of each stack of gloves relative the corresponding dispensing aperture is unaffected by depletion of the other stack of gloves during dispensing of gloves; and iii) each band has a bonded seam at an edge between adjacent non-overlapping sides of the band.

[0039] The material of the outer container is preferably foldable and formed from a single folded blanks with a plurality of segments, at least one segment forming each wall of the container, and with seams between the non-overlapping sides being bonded (i.e. joined) together, for example with a bead of contact adhesive or adhesive tape externally applied across the adjacent non-overlapping sides of the band.

[0040] The outer container is also preferably of card material. The card material may then provide the external walls of the container. The band is also preferably of a foldable material. Additionally, the band may be a card material band. The dispensing apertures may be covered over with a removable panel which, when removed, opens up the dispensing aperture for dispensing of gloves.

[0041] Each band preferably has opposite side edges along the third and fourth sides of the stack of gloves. Each of the side edges may be in an abutting relationship with corresponding side walls of the container, whereby each band is restrained against movement along a short axis of the container perpendicular to both the long axis of the container and to the glove stack axis. Preferably, opposite lateral sides of the band are substantially parallel with each other. The band is preferably oriented to wrap around the stack of gloves so that the folds of the gloves in the stack are in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lateral sides of the band, i.e. the folds are exposed at one or both open ends of the band.

[0042] The glove folds therefore preferably extend between the lateral sides of the band. In this way, laterally outermost finger portions of gloves (i.e. the finger portions for the first digit, or thumb, and the fifth digit, or little finger) within the stack of gloves are shielded from container walls by the band. Preferably, these fingers portions at the sides of the stack are fully contained within the band. These laterally extending finger portion for the first and fifth digits are therefore securely contained within the stack by the band, and prevented from falling laterally out of the stack, which could interfere with reliable glove dispensing from container. Furthermore, because most types of glove, particularly single-use medical inspection gloves, are more than twice as long, as measured from the cuff end to the furthest finger tip, as compared with the width of the glove across its widest extent (typically, the cuff portion, or a beaded cuff end, itself), the narrowest cross-sectional dimension of a stack of folded gloves will, particularly when interfolded, most commonly, be in the width direction, across the cuff portion. Therefore, when the band and stack of folded gloves are oriented in this way, rather than at right angles to this orientation, the width of the banded pack or bundle of folded gloves is minimised, when these are packed such that the lateral sides of the band are in an abutting relationship with an inner surface one of the end walls of the container, and both bands have the other ones of said lateral sides in an abutting relationship with each other. When twin packs of gloves are packed within a container in this way, this has the effect or minimising the internal length within the container needed to accommodate two banded packs of gloves. Minimising the required length dimension inside the dispensing container is often an important consideration, because, in practice, the dispensing container may need to be inserted into a rigid holder, at the intended place of use, and such rigid holders have internal dimensions with a limited length.

[0043] The lateral sides of each band are most preferably substantially flat. This configuration is most efficient in terms of packing volume and also helps to provide additional lateral stability within the container along the long axis. In contrast, if the lateral sides of each band are curved or bowed, then there is likely to be some lateral springiness within the container, owing to the fact that many types of gloves are made from elastomeric material. For the same reasons, it is most preferred if all the four sides of the band are each substantially flat. In a preferred example, the angle between adjacent flat sides of the band is preferably a right angle. The band may also have a fold line between each of said four substantially flat sides.

[0044] The particular folding arrangement of the gloves is not an essential feature of the invention. The gloves may be folded singly or may be interfolded with each over. This arrangement is sometimes called over-folding of gloves.

[0045] Each band may be formed from a single elongate strip of material.

[0046] In an example each band has a bonded seam on the bottom side of the band. The bonded seam may be a seam in which two ends of the band are held together by a contact adhesive, or by a strip of overlapping adhesive tape, or any other type of suitable bonding. In another example each band has a bonded seam between the bottom side of the band and an adjacent lateral side of the band. The bonded seam may be a seam in which two ends of the band are held together by a bead of contact adhesive between two edges of the strip of material used to form the band, or by a strip of adhesive tape that spans these two edges, or any other type of suitable bonding for holding together two non-overlapping sides of the band. Once formed, the top and bottom sides of the band may make a sliding fit with corresponding internal surfaces of the container.

[0047] According to another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method of forming a pack of folded gloves for insertion into an outer container, using a glove packing sleeve and a glove pack former, wherein the glove packing sleeve comprises a recess with a recess opening and a floor relatively movable with respect to the recess opening that define a glove stack axis, and at least two external side surfaces including a pair of external side surfaces on opposite sides of the recess opening, said external side surfaces extending substantially parallel with the glove stack axis, and the glove pack former comprises a box-like receptacle cavity, the receptacle cavity having a receptacle opening and at least three internal faces that define an insertion axis including an end face at a base end of the receptacle cavity and at least two side faces including a pair of side faces on opposite sides of the receptacle cavity, said side faces extending substantially parallel with the insertion axis, wherein the method comprises the steps of: i) folding each glove substantially in half between a finger portion of the glove and a cuff portion of the glove, and stacking said gloves in layers within the recess along the glove stack axis while moving the floor relatively away from the recess opening whereby the stack of gloves is contained within the recess with a bottom layer of gloves being supported by the floor and a top layer of gloves being proximate the opening to the recess; ii) orienting the receptacle opening and the recess opening towards one another with the glove stack axis aligned with the insertion axis and positioning an elongate strip of material between the receptacle opening and the recess opening such that a middle portion of the elongate strip lies over the top layer of gloves and opposite end portions of the elongate strip extends laterally away each of said pair of external surfaces on opposite sides of the recess; iii) while maintaining said orientation of the receptacle opening and the recess opening and said position of the elongate strip of material and with said pair of external side surfaces on opposite sides of the recess opening being in alignment to be received within said pair of side faces on opposite sides of the receptacle cavity, relatively moving together the glove packing sleeve and the glove pack former while keeping the stack of gloves contained within the recess, the side faces of the receptacle cavity having clearance for the external side faces of the glove packing sleeve to allow insertion of the glove packing sleeve into the receptacle cavity, said clearance also being sufficient to allow passage of the opposite end portions of the elongate strip between said pair of external side surfaces on opposite sides of the recess opening and said pair of side faces on opposite sides of the receptacle cavity during said insertion, whereby the end portions of the elongate strip are folded to be substantially parallel with said pair of external side surfaces on opposite sides of the recess opening; iv) with the glove packing sleeve inserted into the receptacle cavity moving the movable floor towards the recess opening to press the stack of gloves along the glove stack axis so that the top layer of the stack of gloves bears against the middle portion of the elongate strip and the middle portion of the elongate strip bears against the base of the receptacle cavity, whereby the glove stack is compressed along the glove stack axis as excess air is expelled from the stack of gloves; v) using the floor to maintain said compression of the stack of gloves while withdrawing the packing sleeve from the receptacle cavity by relatively moving the sleeve away from the base end of the receptacle cavity until the packing sleeve is withdrawn from the receptacle cavity and the stack of gloves is moved out from the recess; vi) moving the floor away from the stack of gloves and transferring support of the stack of gloves from the floor to a compression member, the compression bearing against the bottom layer of the stack of gloves whereby said compression is maintained; vii) with compression of the stack of gloves maintained by the compression member, wrapping one or both of the end portions over the compression member and then securing the end members together to form a band wrapping fully around four sides of the stack of gloves, and being open on two opposite lateral sides of said stack; and viii) removing the compression member from said pack of folded gloves through one of said open lateral sides of said stack.

[0048] According to another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an elongate and substantially rectangular strip of material for wrapping as a band around four sides of a stack of interfolded gloves, the strip having a substantially rectangular outline with a length extending along a long axis of said outline between opposite first and second end edges of the strip and a width extending along a short axis of said outline between opposite first and second lateral side edges of the strip, and the strip comprising three lines of weakness in said material extending parallel with the short axis for providing fold lines extending between the lateral sides of the strip, wherein the strip is divided along its length into four portions by the three lines of weakness, namely: between a first and a second one of said lines of weakness, a first portion, the first portion of the strip comprising a glove dispensing opening; adjacent between the first portion of the strip and the first end of the strip, a second portion; between the first portion of the strip a third one of said lines of weakness, a third portion; and between the third portion of the strip and the second end of the strip, a fourth portion, and wherein each portion has a length extending along the long axis, the lengths of the first and fourth portions of the strip are each substantially the same as each other; and the lengths of the second and third portions of the strip are each substantially the same as each other, whereby the four portions of the strip each wrap around four different sides of a stack of interfolded gloves when folded along said fold lines.

[0049] According to another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method of wrapping an elongate strip around a stack of folded gloves to form a pack of folded gloves for insertion into an outer glove dispensing container comprising the steps of: forming a completed stack of folded gloves inside a glove stacking sleeve, the stack of gloves extending along a glove stack axis, wherein the glove stacking sleeve comprises a glove stacking recess with an upwardly facing recess opening for receiving gloves as these are added to a top side of the stack of gloves and at least two external side surfaces including a first external side surface and a second external side surface on opposite sides of the recess opening, said external side surfaces extending substantially parallel with the glove stack axis; during formation of the stack of gloves, moving a floor within the glove stacking recess relatively away from the recess opening along the glove stack axis as gloves are added to the stack of gloves, whereby a bottom side of the stack of gloves is supported by a supporting surface of the floor and the stack of gloves is retained within the glove stacking recess; using a vacuum hold-down of a strip lifting surface to lift the elongate strip and position the elongate strip over the top side of the completed stack of gloves contained by the glove stacking recess with a glove dispensing section of the elongate strip spanning the recess opening and with first and second laterally extending sections of the elongate strip at opposite sides of the glove dispensing section extending laterally away from the recess opening at, respectively, the first and second external side surfaces of the glove stacking sleeve towards, respectively, opposite first and second edges of the elongate strip; moving the floor upwards towards the recess opening and pressing the top stack of gloves against a lower side of the glove dispensing section of the elongate strip while using the strip lifting surface as a backing plate for an upper side of the glove dispensing section of the elongate strip, whereby the stack of gloves is compressed along the glove stacking axis between the supporting surface of the floor and the lower side of the glove dispensing section of the elongate strip; using the strip lifting surface to maintain said position of the elongate strip such that the glove dispensing section of the elongate strip continues to span the recess opening, while folding the first and second laterally extending sections of the elongate strip downwards against, respectively, the first and second external side surfaces of the glove stacking sleeve, thereby forming in the elongate strip first and second fold lines between the glove dispensing section of the elongate strip and, respectively, the first and second laterally extending sections of the elongate strip; with the completed stack of gloves being held in compression between the supporting surface of the floor and the lower surface of the glove dispensing section of the elongate strip, transferring said support of the bottom side of the stack of gloves from the floor to a compression member by inserting at least two separated supporting features of the compression member laterally into corresponding recesses in the glove supporting surface of the floor each of said supporting features having a glove supporting surface for supporting the bottom side of the stack of gloves, and then moving the supporting features of the compression member relatively upwards with respect to the floor whereby the glove supporting surfaces of the supporting features come to bear against the bottom side of the stack of gloves and the supporting surface of the floor as the supporting surface of the floor separates from the bottom side of the stack of gloves; either before or after said transfer of support from the floor to the compression member, moving the stack of gloves out from and away from the glove stacking recess until both of said folded first and second laterally extending sections of the elongate strip are clear of the first and second external side surfaces of the glove stacking sleeve and extend downwards on, respectively, first and second opposite lateral sides of the stack of gloves with the first edge of the elongate strip being proximate the bottom side of the stack of glove and the second edge of the elongate strip; wherein the first laterally extending section has a first length between the first fold line and the first edge and the second laterally extending section has a second length between the second fold line and the second edge, the first length being less that the second length, the method further comprising: locating the first laterally extending section against the first lateral side of the stack of gloves such that the first edge of the elongate strip is proximate the bottom side of the stack of gloves; locating a proximal portion of the second laterally extending section against the second lateral side of the stack of gloves such that a distal portion of the second laterally extending section extends beyond the bottom side of the stack of gloves; and folding the distal portion of the second laterally extending section towards the bottom side of the stack of gloves whereby the distal portion of the second laterally extending section extends over the supporting features of the compression member, whereby the second edge of the elongate strip is brought into proximity with the first edge of the elongate strip; maintaining the second edge of the elongate strip in proximity with the first edge of the elongate strip while applying an adhesive tape between the first and second laterally extending sections, such that the first and second edges of the elongate strip are held together in a band; and withdrawing the supporting features of the compression member laterally from between the bottom side of the stack and said distal portion of the second laterally extending section, whereby the stack of gloves is held within the band to form said pack of folded gloves.

[0050] The separated supporting features are each separated from an adjacent such feature by a gap. Preferably the supporting features are elongate supporting features.

[0051] The compression member may be a compression plate, the compression plate being positioned between the floor and the bottom layer of the stack of gloves.

[0052] Preferably, the external side surfaces of the packing sleeve are substantially planar and parallel with each other.

[0053] The method may comprise an initial step of first moving the supporting surface of the floor proximate the level of a glove stacking area at the opening to the glove packing recess prior to deposition of a first glove in the formation of the stack of gloves. The recess floor can be relatively lowered as required to keep the top of the stack of gloves in the recess substantially level with a desired level of the glove stacking area.

[0054] The compression member may be in the shape of a fork with each of the at least two elongate supporting features being provided by a corresponding tine of the fork. The tines preferably extend substantially parallel with each other. In this case, the at least two recesses in the floor may each be provided by a slot in the supporting surface of the floor, the slots extending to a free edge of the floor for receiving along the length of each slot a corresponding tine.

[0055] The method may then comprise, when the stack of gloves is moved out from the recess, inserting the tines into the slots from the side edge of the floor. Then, the support of the stack of gloves is transferred from the floor to the compression member by moving the tines towards the stack of gloves and out from the slots to bear against the bottom layer or side of the stack of gloves. The slots are therefore preferably parallel with a pair of external side surfaces on opposite sides of the recess opening.

[0056] Elongate supporting features separated by a gap, such as tines, provide the benefit of reduced friction with the bottom layer or side of the stack of gloves, when being withdrawn, as compared with flatter or more extensive compression members, such as a compression plate. Preferably, the tines are round or oval in section, for example, in a cross-section plane parallel with the glove stack axis.

[0057] This further reduces sliding friction, with the results that the removal of the tines from the bottom of the stack of gloves will cause the minimum disturbance of the lowermost layers of the stack of gloves, i.e. pulling these layers laterally with respect to the glove stack axis.

[0058] Preferably gloves are folded substantially in half along a fold between finger and cuff portions of the gloves. Each glove is preferably folded along a fold line that is substantially parallel to a length of the elongate strip to be applied around the completed stack of gloves.

[0059] The method may comprise, either before or after said formation of the band, the step of forming a dispensing opening in the glove dispensing portion of the elongate strip, and then positioning the dispensing opening centrally with respect of the top layer or side of the stack of gloves.

[0060] According to another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method of packing two packs of gloves into an elongate outer container, comprising the steps of: partially forming an outer container having a substantially rectangular cuboid shape external walls formed from planar segments of foldable material that are folded and then joined together by first forming five of six walls that define six substantially rectangular faces of said shape, said five walls consisting of four side walls each with an oblong face that extends substantially parallel with a long axis of the container and also one end wall with an oblong or a square end face that extends substantially perpendicular to the long axis between the side walls, while leaving the sixth wall unformed, whereby an end or side of the outer container remains open; either before or after said partial formation of said outer container, forming in the material for one of the side walls two dispensing apertures, one for each of said packs of gloves, whereby said side wall is a glove dispensing wall; forming two packs of folded gloves according to a method of an aspect of the disclosure; inserting said packs, one after the other, into the open end or side of the outer container and sliding each of said packs along the long axis of the container until the dispensing apertures of each band are in registration with the dispensing apertures of the outer container; and joining together remaining segments of said material to close the open and of the outer container.

[0061] According to another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a box of gloves, comprising an elongate outer for holding at least one pack of folded gloves within said container, wherein: the outer container has a parallelepiped shape with six external walls, including a pair of opposite walls at opposite ends of a glove dispensing axis of the container and four lateral side walls each extending substantially parallel with the dispensing axis of the container and between said pair of walls, and one of said pair of walls being a glove dispensing wall with one dispensing aperture therethrough for each of said packs of gloves held within said container; and said pack of folded gloves comprises a substantially cuboid stack of gloves folded and stacked along a glove stack axis, said stack being wrapped around four sides by an elongate and substantially rectangular strip of material, two sides of said stack remaining open from the band and said band having a glove dispensing side with a glove dispensing opening for dispensing gloves therethrough along the glove stack axis; wherein the strip of material is according to the second aspect of the invention and the four sides of the stack are each being wrapped by a different one of said first, second, third and fourth portions of the strip; the glove dispensing side of the band is provided by the first portion of the strip and is in registration with the dispensing aperture of the glove dispensing wall, and the strip; end edges of the second and fourth portions of the strip are joined together at end edge of said cuboid stack of gloves.

[0062] In preferred examples, the apparatus comprises a glove stacking recess, the recess having an opening through which folded gloves must pass as the stack grows, the opening therefore defining the glove stacking area. Preferably, the recess helps to contain and define the exterior shape of the stack of gloves as the stack is being formed. The recess may simply be a frame that extends around the glove stacking area. Preferably, the recess has side rails or side walls that extend downwardly from the glove stacking area and that align the stack and help to define a substantially rectangular cross-section about the stacking axis of the growing stack, which may therefore be the same as an axis of the recess. At least some of the walls may be continuous and optionally be tapered outwards from the stacking axis in a downwards direction away from the glove stacking area, in order to minimise friction and binding with the external portions of stacked folded gloves, as the supporting surface moves away from the glove stacking area during the addition of folded gloves to the stack, or during a subsequent glove packing stage when excess air is compressed out of the completed stack by driving the supporting surface relatively upwards with respect to the glove stacking area prior to removal of the stack from the recess and packing into a bag, box or other container from which gloves will, in use, be dispensed.

[0063] The supporting surface for the stack of gloves may be provided, ultimately, by a floor that is relatively movable away from the glove stacking area. In this packing process, it is preferred if the lowermost glove in the stack of gloves rests directly on either a compression plate or an upper surface of the floor itself, The compression plate is one example of a compression member that may be used to compress and contain the stack after completion, to expel excess air from within the stack of gloves.

[0064] The recess preferably has side walls or rails for aligning gloves stacked one on another inside the recess and a movable supporting surface which can be lowered as said stack of gloves grows so the topmost glove in the stack of gloves is substantially level with a top edge of the recess, which may be set between two glove folding flaps on opposite sides of the recess.

[0065] An actuator may be provided for moving the supporting surface downwardly so that the stack of gloves continues to be retained within the recess as gloves are added to the stack.

[0066] The glove stack supporting surface is relatively movable along the glove stacking axis, which will normally be a vertical axis, with respect to the glove stacking area, which will, in use, be at the top of the stack of gloves that is being formed, so that the flaps may be used to alternately fold in towards the glove stacking area the portion of each deposited glove that overlaps one or the other of the flaps. This relative movement may most conveniently be provided if the support surface is movable away from the level of the glove stacking area. This relative movement may, however, alternatively be achieved by repositioning the flaps further away from a stationary supporting surface, or by a combination of movement of the supporting surface and the flaps.

[0067] The first and second flaps and the supporting surface are part of a glove folding and stacking station at which glove are to be deposited. Gloves may be moved towards the glove stacking area by means of a conveyor, the location and orientation of each glove being determined by a machine vision system, following which gloves are individually lifted from the conveyor and deposited partially over one or the other of the flaps and partially over the growing stack within the glove stacking area. The details of the conveyor and glove depositing apparatus, and the particular technique for the folding of gloves, are not central to the invention, which essentially concerns the way gloves are packed into a bundle contained by an outer wrap, prior to longitudinal insertion of glove packs into an open end of an elongate glove dispensing box.

[0068] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0069] The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a glove stacking apparatus for forming a stack of folded gloves in one example of the present disclosure, comprising a glove folding and stacking station having a pair of flaps on opposite sides of an opening to a glove stacking recess of a glove stacking sleeve, in which gloves are alternately folded inwards towards the opening to form a stack of interfolded gloves;

[0070] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of part of the glove stacking station of Figure 1 , prior to stacking of folded gloves in the recess, showing how the flaps each have a plurality of fingers that extend substantially perpendicularly from a pivot shaft, and which are offset laterally from one another so that the fingers are interlaced when both are folded at the same time over the glove stacking recess, and showing how an adjacent pair of first and second supporting platforms each has a series of slots aligned and sized to allow passage of the fingers through the platforms;

[0071] Figure 3 is a side view of part of the glove stacking apparatus, taken along line Ill-Ill of Figure 2, showing how the glove stacking recess has a floor within the glove stacking sleeve that is movable towards and away from a glove folding area in between the supporting platforms and folding flaps;

[0072] Figure 4 is a side view of the glove stacking sleeve, taken along line IV-IV of Figure 3, showing how the movable floor has a glove supporting surface with a series of parallel slots therein;

[0073] Figure 5 is a sectional side view in a vertical plane through the line V-V of Figure 2, showing how a cuff portion of a first glove is deposited on the first supporting platform with a finger portion of the same glove over the glove stacking area, after which a cuff portion of a second glove is deposited on the second supporting platform with a finger portion of the same glove over the finger portion of the first glove at the glove stacking area, followed by folding by the first flap of the first glove cuff portion over the second glove finger portion;

[0074] Figure 6 is a sectional side view, following from Figure 5, showing how a cuff portion of a third glove is deposited on the first supporting platform with a finger portion of the same glove lying over the fingers of the first flap as this continues to press down on the previously folded glove, followed by folding by the second flap of the second glove cuff portion over the third glove finger portion;

[0075] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of Figure 6 after the folding by the second flap, showing how the fingers of both flaps press down at the same time on the growing stack of folded gloves, after which the fingers of the first flap are laterally withdrawn from the glove stacking area;

[0076] Figure 8 follows from Figure 7, showing how the first flap returns to its original position by a combination of lateral and rotational movement, ready for the next folding action;

[0077] Figure 9 follows from Figure 8, showing how a cuff portion of a fourth glove is deposited on the second supporting platform with a finger portion of the same glove lying overthe fingers of the second flap as this continues to press down on the previously folded glove, followed by folding by the first flap of the third glove cuff portion over the fourth glove finger portion;

[0078] Figure 10 follows from Figure 9, showing how the second flap returns to its original position by a combination of lateral and rotational movement, ready for the next folding action;

[0079] Figure 11 is a sectional side view similar to Figure 5, after the formation of a completed stack of interfolded gloves in the glove stacking recess, showing how the floor has moved away from an entrance to the glove stacking recess so that the top of the stack remains substantially level with the glove folding area;

[0080] Figure 12 shows plan, side and end views of an elongate strip in an example of the present disclosure for use in wrapping around a compressed stack of gloves to form a bundle, or pack, of folded gloves, the strip having a glove dispensing portion in which there is a pair of pre-formed lines of weakness around a glove dispensing opening, the glove dispensing portion being bounded by pre-creased lines beyond which are a pair of opposite laterally extending sections a first one of which extends far enough away from the glove dispensing portion that this covers just a first lateral side of the stack of gloves, and a second one of which extends far enough away from the glove dispensing portion to wrap around the an opposite second lateral side and over a bottom side of the stack of folded gloves;

[0081] Figure 13 shows a view of a completed stack of interfolded gloves in the glove packing recess similar to that of Figure 11 , but in a second example of the glove stacking station, which differs from the first example mainly by having a compression member in the form of a compression plate between the bottom of the glove stack and the movable floor, which need not have the floor slots illustrated in Figure 4; Figure 13 also showing how the elongate strip of Figure 12 is placed on a top layer of the completed stack and over a rim of the glove packing sleeve around the recess opening in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0082] Figure 14 is a cross-section view taken along line XIV-XIV of Figure 13, showing how the length of elongate strip is parallel with a folding direction of the gloves within the stack;

[0083] Figure 15 follows from Figure 14, showing how a glove pack former, having an inverted box-like receptacle cavity, is positioned directly over the glove packing sleeve in one example of the present disclosure, following which the receptacle cavity is moved downwards towards and into contact with the packing sleeve, following which the completed stack of gloves is pressed upwards into the receptacle cavity;

[0084] Figure 16 follows from Figure 15, showing how, as the stack of gloves is fully inserted into the receptacle cavity and then compressed against a base of the receptacle cavity, the middle portion of the elongate strip is pushed up against the base, and also how the end portions of the elongate strip are folded downwards in gaps between internal side faces of the receptacle cavity and corresponding external surfaces of the glove packing sleeve;

[0085] Figure27 follows from Figure 16, showing how, as the movable floor continues to push the glove stack out of the sleeve recess, the glove stack and compression plate move out of the glove packing recess and into engagement with the glove pack former, after which the floor is moved downwards;

[0086] Figure 18 shows a similar stage in the glove packing process as that of Figure 17, but with the first example as illustrated in Figures 3-11 , in which each slot within the floor receives a tine of a fork, which acts as a compression member when moved upwards in the slots into contact with a bottom layer of the stack of gloves;

[0087] Figure 19 is a plan view of the floor within the glove packing sleeve and the fork, taken along line XIX-XIX of Figure 18, showing how the tines are fully inserted along the length of the slots once the floor and the slots are above the level of the rim of the glove packing sleeve;

[0088] Figure 20 follows from Figure 17, showing how the compression of the stack is transferred to the compression plate, when the compression plate, which is of magnetisable material, moves into engagement with magnets on the glove pack former, thereby securing the compressed stack of gloves within the receptacle cavity, and leaving the floor free to be moved downwards into a starting position for the next stack of gloves, substantially level with the glove stacking area;

[0089] Figure 21 follows from Figure 19, showing how the compression of the stack is transferred to the fork, when two opposite side bars of the compression member, which include magnets, move into engagement with magnets on the glove pack former, thereby securing the compressed stack of gloves within the receptacle cavity, leaving the floor free to be moved downwards into a starting position substantially level with the glove stacking area;

[0090] Figures 22 and 23 follow from Figure 20 and are, respectively, cross-section and side views showing how two extending segments of the end portions of the elongate strip are folded over the compression plate as this continues to maintain compression of the compressed stack of gloves, and the extending segments then being bonded together to form a band from the elongate strip that extends fully around the compressed stack of gloves;

[0091] Figure 24 is a view from above taken along line XXIV-XXIV of Figure 23;

[0092] Figure 25 is a view from above taken along line XXV-XXV of Figure 24;

[0093] Figure 26 follows from Figure 25, showing how the compression plate is slid laterally out from an open side of the band, after which the compression of the stack of gloves continues to be maintained by the band;

[0094] Figure 27 shows the same stage of the process as that of Figure 26, but for the first example illustrated in Figure 21 , showing how the fork is slid laterally out from an open side of the band, after which the compression of the stack of gloves continues to be maintained by the band;

[0095] Figures 28 and 29 are schematic views from above of part of the glove folding and stacking station of Figure 1 , showing how the glove stacking sleeve is mounted on a linear actuator that moves the glove stacking sleeve between a glove stack formation location beneath the supporting platforms and a glove stack ejection location away from the glove stack formation location;

[0096] Figure 30 is a schematic view from above of the main components of a glove packing apparatus in a further example of the present disclosure which includes a glove stack compression station that is opposite the glove stack ejection location, an elongate strip dispensing station and a glove stack banding station, the glove packing apparatus comprising also a glove stack handling apparatus that is mounted on an actuator that moves the device between the three stations of the glove packing apparatus;

[0097] Figures 31 and 32 are schematic cross-section views of the glove stack handling apparatus moved to the elongate strip dispensing station, showing how the glove stack handling apparatus has a vacuum lifting plate that is movably mounted on a frame and which is lowered onto a top side of a stack of elongate strips to lift up one of the strips which is then held by suction on a vacuum lifting surface of the vacuum lifting plate;

[0098] Figure 33 is a schematic cross-section view of the glove stack handling apparatus moved to the glove stack compression station, showing how the vacuum lifting plate is raised above the glove stacking sleeve, with the glove dispensing portion of the elongate strip aligned with opposite side walls of the glove stacking sleeve;

[0099] Figure 34 follows from Figure 33, showing how the vacuum lifting plate is lowered until the elongate strip is directly above or in contact with the top side of the stack of folded gloves, such that the elongate strip spans the opening of the glove stacking recess;

[0100] Figure 35 is a cross-section view of the glove stack handling apparatus taken along line XXXV-XXXV of Figure 34, showing how the frame of the glove stack handling apparatus supports a compression member that has elongate support features that move horizontally towards and away from the glove stack handling apparatus at a level just above the rim of the glove stacking sleeve;

[0101] Figure 36 follows from Figure 34 and shows how the floor moves upwards to press the top side of the glove stack against a lower side of the elongate strip while the vacuum plate is pressed downwards to provide a restoring force so that the stack of gloves is compressed along the glove stack axis, and also how two folding flaps on opposite sides of the recess opening move when folding the laterally extending sections of the elongate strip downwards against external sides of the glove stacking sleeve;

[0102] Figure 37 follows from Figure 36, showing the laterally extending sections when folded downwards and how both the movable floor and the vacuum lifting plate move upwards to push the glove stack out of the sleeve recess;

[0103] Figure 38 follows from Figure 37 and shows the glove stack fully compressed and ejected from the sleeve recess, with the parallel slots in the supporting surface of the floor having received the elongate supporting features at a level beneath the bottom side of the glove stack;

[0104] Figure 39 follows from Figure 38 and shows how both the vacuum plate and the floor are lowered so that the bottom side of the stack comes to bear on upper sides of the elongate supporting features, after which the floor continues to move downwards until support of the compressed glove stack is transferred from the floor to the elongate supporting features

[0105] Figure 40 follows from Figure 39 and shows how the glove stack handling apparatus moves the compressed stack of gloves from the glove stack compression station to the glove stack banding station with the second laterally extending portion approaching a rounded edge of a flat platform, the edge being set at a height below that of a lower side of the elongate supporting features which is sufficient only for clearance for the thickness of the material of the second laterally extending portion of the elongate strip;

[0106] Figure 41 follows from Figure 40 and shows how the second laterally extending portion is folded to a horizontal orientation by the flat platform as the glove stack handling apparatus continues to move the compressed glove stack to the glove stack banding station, a first end edge of the first laterally extending section being proximate a second end edge of the second laterally extending section in the region of an edge of the glove stack between the bottom side of the stack of gloves and the first lateral side of the stack of the gloves;

[0107] Figure 42 follows from Figure 41 and shows how the glove stack handling apparatus positions the compressed glove stack, supported on the elongate features and wrapped around by the folded elongate strip, over a vertically movable trough inside of which is a semi-automatic tape application device, the trough then being moved upwards until the juxtaposed first and second end edges of the laterally extending sections of the band tape application device which then applies a patch of adhesive tape between the end edges, thereby forming a band around the compressed stack of gloves and the elongate supporting features of the compression member; Figure 43 follows from Figure 42 and shows how the trough is moved downwards and the vacuum lifting device is moved upwards, so that band contains the compression of the glove stack, which is then supported only on the elongate features of the compression member, After which the compression member is laterally moved and withdrawn from beneath the stack of gloves when this drops down onto an output conveyor, as shown in Figure 30;

[0108] Figure 44 is a is a schematic view from above of a glove packing apparatus in a further example of the present disclosure, similar to the first example but with the glove stack handling apparatus being moved between the glove stack compression station, elongate strip dispensing station and glove stack banding station by a six-axis robot;

[0109] Figure 45 shows in section how the completed stack of gloves is removed from a receptacle cavity with both the compression and the shape of the stack of gloves maintained by the band, and how two packs of gloves are then slid into an open end of an elongate outer container with the dispensing openings in the band of each pack of gloves being in registration with corresponding dispensing apertures of the container, following which the open end of the container is closed and sealed shut; and

[0110] Figure 46 follows from Figure 45, showing in section how each band has one of its lateral sides in an abutting relationship with an end wall of the container, and another lateral side in an abutting relationship with a corresponding lateral side of the other band, thereby laterally stabilising both the packs and the stacks of gloves inside each band, even as a stack of gloves becomes depleted after dispensing of gloves through the corresponding dispensing aperture.

[0111] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0112] Figures 1 and 2 show views of an automated glove packing system 1 and Figures 3 and 4 show more clearly some of the main components of the system. The automated glove packing system 1 comprises a glove folding and stacking station 2 fed by a glove conveyor 3 that carries a series of gloves 5 each of which lies substantially flat on a glove conveying surface 4. In this example, the conveying surface is provided by a conveyor belt 6 that moves in a glove conveying direction 7. Other types of mechanical conveyor may, however, be used to deliver a series of the gloves to the glove folding and stacking station 2.

[0113] Each glove 5 has a finger portion 8 and a cuff portion 9. The finger portion 8 consists of five digits for a user’s four fingers and thumb. The cuff portion 9 terminates in a beaded cuff end 11 . Each glove has a length 12 between the beaded cuff end 11 and an end-most tip 14 of the finger portion 8. Each glove, when laid flat, also has a width 13 that spans the cuff portion 9. The length 12 of the gloves is typically between about 250 mm to 260 mm. The width 13 is often about 115 mm and generally no more than about 120 mm. The actual dimensions may vary depending on whether the glove is a large, medium or small size, but in all cases, the width will be less than half the length of the glove.

[0114] In this example, the gloves 5 are dip-moulded ambidextrous nitrile inspection gloves with a thickness of around 60 pm to 80 pm. The invention is, however, applicable to any other type of glove, where the gloves are to be folded in layers within a stack of gloves prior to being packed into a glove dispensing container.

[0115] The glove folding and stacking station 2 has a glove lifting and depositing apparatus 10, which in this example is a robotic delta apparatus or manipulator. A delta robot is a type of parallel robot that consists of three arms connected to universal joints at the base. The key design feature is the use of parallelograms in the arms which, in this instance, maintains the orientation of the vacuum lifting head 15. Other types of glove lifting and depositing apparatus used in pick and place operations may, however, be used instead, for example, a SCARA type industrial robot (not illustrated), that has a robot arm at the end of which is mounted a suitable vacuum lifting head.

[0116] The delta robot 10 has a vacuum lifting head 15 for lifting gloves 5 from the glove conveying surface 4 and then depositing these gloves, one at a time, in a flat orientation, at a desired location and with a desired orientation with respect to the length 12 of the glove. In this example, the gloves are deposited, one at a time, above a glove stacking sleeve 80.

[0117] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, each glove is folded along a fold line 51 , approximately in half, by one of a pair of glove folding flaps 17, 17’. The flaps pivot about a corresponding pivot axis 23, 23’, to fold a portion of the deposited glove, in this example the cuff portion 9, inwardly towards a glove stacking area 20.

[0118] The glove stacking area 20 is directly above an opening 19 to a glove stacking recess 18 inside four sheet-like outer walls of the sleeve 80. These walls are a pair of opposite front and back walls 48, 48’ that are, respectively, closest to and further from the conveyor 3, and right and left side walls 46, 46’ as viewed looking in a direction from the conveyor, as in Figures 1 and 2

[0119] The first and second pivot axes 23, 23’ are parallel with each other and perpendicular with and laterally offset from a glove stacking axis 25. The first and second axes 23, 23’ extend horizontally and are disposed on corresponding opposite first and second sides 16, 16’ of the glove stacking area 20 within which gloves 5 folded by the flaps 17, 17’ are added to a stack 90 of folded gloves as this is being formed, as shown in Figures 5 to 11. The glove stacking area 20 has a substantially rectangular shape defined by the opening 19 to the glove stacking recess 18.

[0120] Beneath the delta robot 10, and to one side of the glove conveying surface 4, is the glove stacking sleeve 80. A central vertical axis 99 of the glove lifting and depositing apparatus 10 is located approximately mid-way between the conveyor 3 and the sleeve 80 so that it can reach both.

[0121] The glove stacking sleeve 80 has an upper edge or rim 21 that defines the opening 19 to the recess 18 inside of which folded gloves are to be stacked. The recess 18 extends along the glove stacking axis 25 from the recess opening 19 downwards towards a supporting surface 22 of the recess which supports the stack 90 of folded gloves. The supporting surface 22 is an upper surface of a movable floor 50 of the recess 18 that makes a close sliding fits with inner surfaces of the four sleeve walls 46, 46’, 48, 48’. The supporting surface 22 is relatively movable along the glove stacking axis 25. In this example, this is done by moving the floor 50 away from the glove stacking area 20 as folded gloves 5 are added to the stack 90. In use, the moveable floor supports the stack 90 of folded gloves with a top end or side 91 A of the stack being held substantially level with the recess opening 19 by means of a floor vertical movement system 40 acting through a vertical linear actuator 38.

[0122] The glove stacking axis 25 is substantially vertical, and the conveying direction 7 of the gloves is preferably horizontal. Taken together, these may define a Cartesian coordinate system with the z- axis parallel with the glove stacking axis 25, the x-axis parallel with the conveying direction 7 and the y-axis being at right angles to the x and z axes, as illustrated in Figure 1 .

[0123] Each flap 17, 17’, in addition to being pivotable about the corresponding pivot axis 23, 23’, is also laterally movable in directions both towards 28, 28’ and away from 29, 29’ the stacking axis 25. The first and second flaps each also comprise a plurality of fingers 30, 30’ that extend away from corresponding first and second pivot shafts 31 , 3T that define the first and second pivot axes 23, 23’ of the flaps. The flap fingers are configured to lift and then fold over the glove cuff portions during each folding action.

[0124] The glove folding and stacking station 2 comprises first and second glove supporting platforms 24, 24’ that are disposed, respectively, on the opposite first and second sides 16, 16’ of the glove stacking area 20. These platforms provide support to the cuff portion 9 of a deposited glove 5 prior to folding of the cuff portion 9 towards and onto the growing stack 90 at the glove stacking area by the fingers 30, 30’ of the corresponding flap 17, 17’. As can be seen most clearly in Figure 2, each supporting platform 24, 24’ has a plurality of slots 26, 26’ that are aligned with the fingers 30, 30’ of the corresponding flap 17, 17’. In this example, each slot is an aperture through the corresponding platform. Between the slots 26, 26’ each platform has slats or projections 42, 42’. The flap fingers 30, 30’ are separated by gaps 44, 44’. The platform slats 42, 42’ are aligned with corresponding finger gaps 44, 44’. Sufficient clearance, in practice about 1 mm on each side, is provided so that the slots in each platform allow passage of the fingers through the corresponding platform.

[0125] The movement of the glove folding flaps 17, 17’ is driven by a flap actuation system 34 that comprises first and second rotation actuators 33, 33’ for pivoting 27, 27’ each of the flaps 17, 17’ about the corresponding pivot axis 23, 23’, and first and second translation actuators 35, 35’ for laterally moving 29, 29’ the corresponding pivot axes in a direction parallel with the flap fingers 30, 30’ when over the glove stacking area. In this example, the rotation actuators are first and second rotation motors 33, 33’ directly coupled to the first and second pivot shafts 31 , 31 ’ for rotating, respectively, the first and second flaps 17, 17’. The rotation motors 33, 33’ directly drive the pivot shafts to rotate about the pivot axes.

[0126] In this example, first and second translation actuators are first and second translation motors 35, 35’ each of which drives a corresponding linear translation belt 37, 37’. Each rotation motor 33, 33’ is mounted on a laterally movable carriage 36, 36’ that is laterally driven from by one of the belts 37, 37’.

[0127] The operation of the automated glove packing system 1 will now be briefly described, starting with Figures 1 and 2. The glove packing system is under the control of a controller 97, which may be a microprocessor-based control system. A machine vision system 98 provides to the controller 97 an indication of the position and orientation of each glove 5 on the conveyor surface 4. The controller 97 controls the delta robot 10, the vacuum lifting plate 15, the movement of the flaps 17, 17’, and the floor vertical movement system 40. The controller 97 also receives machine vision input from the machine vision system 98 regarding the position and orientation of each glove 5 on the moving conveyor surface 4. The controller controls the movement of the flaps through a cyclically repeating series of actions.

[0128] Initially, before deposition of any gloves, the supporting surface 22 of the recess is proximate, and ideally just below, the level of a horizontal plane extending between the pivot axes 23, 23’. The flap fingers 30, 30’ all extend horizontally away from the pivot axes which are initially in line above corresponding opposite side walls 46, 46’ of the recess 18, adjacent opposite sides 16, 16’ of the glove stacking area 20.

[0129] Gloves are transported to the glove folding and stacking station 2 by the conveyor belt 6. The speed of the conveyor belt is set by a conveyor belt drive motor, which is controlled by the controller 97. The vacuum lifting plate 15 of the delta actuator 10 is also controlled by the controller 97 to lift passing gloves 5 off the conveyor belt 6 and to deposit these, one at the time, at the glove folding and stacking station 2 with cuff portions 9 overlapping, alternately the first and second support platforms 24, 24’, as described above.

[0130] The controller 97 also controls the operation of the vertical linear actuator 38 that sets the elevation of the recess floor 50. In this example, the vertical linear actuator is an electric motor connected to a drive mechanism 43 of the vertical movement system 40 that is linked to the floor 50. In this example, the drive mechanism is a worm gear 43 which, when turned one way or the other drives, the floor 50 in opposite directions up 55 or down 54. The details of this mechanism are not shown in the drawings but its operation is indicated schematically by arrows 53 in the lower part of Figure 3. The worm gear 43 is connected to the floor 50 via a pair of side brackets 45, 45’ through a pair of opposite side slots 47, 47’ in the opposite side walls 46, 46’ of the glove stacking sleeve 80.

[0131] Figure 4 is a side view of the glove stacking sleeve 80, taken along line IV-IV of Figure 3, showing how the movable floor 50 has a series of parallel slots 56 beneath the supporting surface 22. In this example, there are four such slots, however it would be possible for there to be fewer, for example two, or more, up to about ten slots. As will be explained in more detail below, and as shown in Figures 15 and 20-24, the slots each receive a corresponding elongate supporting feature 75 of a compression member 70.

[0132] The floor slots 56 are preferred examples of recesses in the floor supporting surface 22, and the elongate supporting features 75 are examples of preferred separated supports initially received in the floor recesses which later move out from the recesses for supporting, at intervals, the base of the stack of gloves. When it comes time to lift the completed stack 90 off the supporting surface 22 of the floor, support of the stack is transferred from the floor supporting surface 22 to separated glove stack supporting surfaces 89 of at least two such supports 75. The choice in the number of floor recesses or slots is a trade-off between the degree of support provided by the separated supports, such as the elongate supporting features (the support being greater, the greater the number of such separated supports) and sliding friction between the separated supporting surfaces and the lower side 91 B of the stack, when the glove stack 90 is to be separated from the separated supports (the friction being greater, the greater the number of such separated supports).

[0133] Each slot 56 extends in a horizontal direction across the full width of the floor between the opposite left and right side walls 46, 46’ of the sleeve 80. Each slot also extends in a vertical direction between a base 57 of the slot and the supporting surface 22 of the floor. Preferably, the supporting surface of the floor is planar. Also, preferably, the vertical extent of each slot is substantially the same.

[0134] During operation of the glove folding and stacking station 2, the recess 18 of the sleeve 80 is filled with a stack 90 of interfolded gloves. In this example, the automated glove packing system 1 folds gloves in the same manner as described in WO 2017109753 A1 , the full contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. The invention is, however, not limited to interfolded glove stacks prepared by using such an automated process. Instead, the stack of folded gloves may be prepared using a manual folding process, for example, as described in WO 010020782 A2, the full contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0135] Furthermore, the folded gloves need not necessarily be interfolded, although this does provide known benefits. The benefit of interfolding is that the finger portion 8 of a glove dispensed by the cuff end 11 will pull the cuff end portion 9 of the next glove to be dispensed out of a dispensing aperture, so that the user only ever touches the cuff end portion, and not the finger portion, when donning gloves. The principles of the invention may, however, be applied to the packaging of stacks of non-interfolded gloves, in which gloves are folded substantially in half along their length 12 and layered in a stack, preferably with the cuff ends of adjacent layers regularly alternating from one side of the stack to an opposite side, however, this is not essential, either.

[0136] The floor 50 is moved by the floor vertical movement system 40 in opposite directions 54, 55 along the glove stacking axis 25. During stacking of gloves, the floor 50 moves away 54 from the rectangular recess opening 19 as the folded gloves 5 are added to the stack 90. The glove stacking area 20 therefore remains substantially level with the recess opening. When the stack 90 is complete, the recess floor 50 moves towards 55 the recess opening 19 to eject the stack from the recess 18. To facilitate this, the sleeve 80 is first either moved laterally or tilted at an angle to vertical so that the opening moves away from the conveyor 3 and the glove lifting and depositing apparatus 10. This makes the recess opening 19 more freely accessible from above to facilitate access to the stack 90 as this is ejected from the recess 18.

[0137] As illustrated in Figures 6 to 10, the folding flaps 17, 17’ are driven in a cyclical manner under the control of the controller 97 as gloves 5 are deposited, one at a time, at the glove folding and stacking station 2, until the stack 90 is completed, as shown in Figure 11 . Each flap performs a folding action in which the flaps alternately pivot 27, 27’ by 180° around the corresponding pivot axis 23, 23’ between a first orientation in which each flap extends from the corresponding pivot axis 23, 23’ in a direction away from the glove stacking axis 25 to a second orientation in which each flap extends from the corresponding pivot axis 23, 23’ in a direction towards the glove stacking axis 25. The flaps are preferably long enough such that the flaps in the second orientation extend beyond the glove stacking axis. Following this, each flap is first withdrawn laterally from the glove stacking area 20 in a withdrawing action. This is followed by a returning action in which there is a further pivot by 180° pivot and then a lateral return to the original position. These two returning movements may occur at the same time or be separated in time. The returning pivot is in the same direction so that each flap 17, 17’ always pivots in the same direction, as shown schematically in Figure 3. Therefore, the handedness of the pivoting movement is always opposite for the two flaps.

[0138] Briefly, the glove stacking and folding operation is as follows. As shown in Figure 5, a cuff portion 9A of a first glove 5A is deposited 49A on the first supporting platform 24 with a finger portion 8A of the same glove over the glove stacking area 20, after which a cuff portion 9B of a second glove 5B is deposited 49B on the second supporting platform 24’ with a finger portion 8B of the same glove over the finger portion 8A of the first glove 5A at the glove stacking area. This is followed by folding 27A by the first flap 17 of the first glove cuff portion 9A over the second glove finger portion 8B.

[0139] As the thickness of the stack of folded gloves grows, the floor 50 inside the sleeve 80 may move downwards 54A as necessary so that the level of the glove stack area 20 remains just below that of the flap fingers 30, 30’ when in the folded orientation. As shown in Figure 6, the first flap remains in contact with the folded glove 5A, and a cuff portion 9C of a third glove 5C is deposited 49C on the first supporting platform 24 with a finger portion 8C of the same glove lying over the fingers 30 of the first flap 17 as this continues to press down on the previously folded glove. This is followed by folding 27B by the second flap 17’ of the second glove cuff portion 9B over the third glove finger portion 8C. The floor 50 may move downwards 54B as necessary to provide space for each folded layer in the growing stack of gloves.

[0140] After this, as shown in Figure 7, the fingers 30, 30’ of both flaps 17, 17’ press down at the same time on the growing stack of folded gloves, after which the fingers of the first flap are laterally withdrawn 29A from the glove stacking area 20. Again, the floor 50 may move downwards 54C as necessary.

[0141] Figure 8 shows how the first flap 17 then returns to its original position by a combination of lateral 28A and rotational 27C movement, ready for the next folding action. It is preferred if these two movements occur at the same time, as this is the quickest way to return the flap to its original orientation. It would, however, be possible to perform the rotational movement 27C first, followed by the lateral movement 28A, if the length of the slots 26 was longer to receive the fingers 30 of the rotated flap 17’ in this orientation. Again, the floor 50 may move downwards 54D as necessary.

[0142] Figure 9 follows from Figure 8, showing how a cuff portion 9D of a fourth glove 5D is deposited 49C on the second supporting platform 24’ with a finger portion 8D of the same glove lying overthe fingers 30’ of the second flap 17’ as this continues to press down on the previously folded glove 5B, followed by folding 27D by the first flap 17 of the third glove cuff portion 9C over the fourth glove finger portion 8D. After this, the second flap 17’ withdraws 29B laterally away from the glove stacking area 20.

[0143] Again, the floor 50 may move downwards 54E as necessary. It will be appreciated that the level of the floor may be set on the basis of a desired pressure needed to maintain compression of the growing stack of gloves. Although not illustrated, the floor vertical movement system 40 may comprise a force sensor which provides a signal in a closed loop feedback system in order to maintain the desired compression of the stack.

[0144] The fingers 30, 30’ apply a downward pressure which provides a reaction force against an upwardly applied force from the recess floor 50. The rotation motors 33, 33’ do not actively control this force, but do include built-in torque sensors (not illustrated) connected to the controller 97. The controller uses the vertical linear actuator 38 to adjust the elevation of the floor 50 up and down in order to maintain the pressure applied between the flap fingers and floor to within set limits. This also automatically results in the floor being lowered as gloves are added to the stack. The desired pressure will be different according to glove type, but is typically set to be between 1 and 5 Newtons for nitrile gloves, when the lateral folded dimensions of the stack of gloves is 118 mm by 125 mm.

[0145] Figure 10 follows from Figure 9 and shows how the second flap returns to its original position by a combination of lateral movement 28B and rotational movement 27C, ready forthe next folding action.

[0146] The folding and stacking process described below then repeats as gloves are deposited alternately on the first and second supporting platforms 24, 24’. This forms a stack of interfolded gloves 90 as illustrated in Figure 11 . When such a stack is packed into a box dispensing container or bag-like dispensing container having a dispensing aperture, this will dispense gloves cuff-first from a dispensing end of the stack 90. In this example, the dispensing end is a top end 91A of the stack as oriented in Figures 11 and 20.

[0147] It will be appreciated that, in the method described above, the controller 97 synchronises the deposition of gloves by the glove depositing apparatus and the folding of gloves by the flaps, in such a way as to minimise as far as possible the cycle time for the folding and stacking of each glove.

[0148] Figures 13 to 17 illustrate the next stages in a method of forming a twin-pack of folded gloves in one example of the present disclosure. Features of this example which are the same as those described above are indicated using the same reference numerals.

[0149] This example has a movable floor 150 within a glove packing sleeve 180 that is the same as the glove packing sleeve 80 of the first embodiment, except that slots 147, 147’ in opposite side walls 146, 146’ of the sleeve extend all the way to a rim 121 of the glove packing sleeve 180. This variation in the extent of the slot is shown schematically in Figure 4 using dashed lines 58. The floor 150 does not have any slots 56, just a planar upper surface 122, however such slots if present, would not affect the operation of this example, as described below. This example differs mainly in that, although the support of the growing stack of gloves 90 is ultimately provided by the upper surface 122 of the movable floor 150 within the glove stacking sleeve 180, it is a plate-like compression member 70 interposed between the lower side 91 B of the stack 90 and the floor 150 that more directly provides the support. In this example, the compression member provides a supporting surface 71 within the recess 18. The compression member, or plate, 70 may rest directly on the movable floor 150. Optionally, there may also be a thin paper or plastic packing sleeve (not illustrated) atop the compression plate to prevent folded gloves from becoming trapped between the compression plate or floor and adjacent side wall surfaces of the packing recess 18. The operation and form of such a packing recess, compression plate and movable floor, is described more fully in patent documents WO 2010 / 020782 A2, WO 2011 / 048414 A1 and WO 2014 / 037701 A1. From these documents, the skilled person will appreciate that the recess 80, 180 may take other forms than that illustrated. For example, side walls of the recess need not be continuous around a perimeter of the stack 90, as long as these serve to contain the growing stack of gloves.

[0150] Figures 13 to 27 show examples of a method of forming a bundle or pack 200 of folded gloves for insertion into an oblong outer glove dispensing container 95, as shown in Figure 45, that is preferably formed of folded card material. The method uses an elongate strip of material 60, shown in plan, side and end views, in Figure 12. In this example, the strip is rectangular, with four straight edges: a pair of opposite first and second end edges 59A, 59B and a pair of opposite first and second lateral edges 59C, 59D.

[0151] The strip is used to form a band 61 that wraps around a compressed stack of gloves 90 to form the bundle, or pack, of folded gloves 200. The band 61 has four sides: a top side 61 A and opposite this a bottom side 61 B, and also opposite first and second lateral sides 61 C, 61 D. The band 61 wraps around and conforms with four corresponding sides of said stack: the opposite top and bottom sides 91A, 91 B, and also opposite first and second lateral sides 91 C, 91 D. The top side 61A of the band conforms with the top side 91 A of the stack, a bottom side 61 B of the band conforms with the bottom side 91 B of the stack, and the first and second lateral sides 61 C, 61 D of the band conform with, respectively, the first and second lateral sides 91 C, 91 D of the stack. The band is open on opposite third and fourth lateral sides 91 E, 91 F of the stack. The top side 61 A of the band 61 comprises a glove dispensing opening 64. Preferably, the opening is a pre-formed aperture 63’. Alternatively, the opening may comprise a removable panel 63 that the user pulls out prior to dispensing of gloves to create an aperture. Both options are indicated by the dash line labelled with the numeral “64” in Figure 12.

[0152] The band 61 is preferably formed using the elongate strip of material 60 of Figure 12. The band 61 is preferably made from a relatively stiff material in the form of a board or sheet. The term relatively stiff means that the material of the band 61 is able to support its own weight such that it does not bend or sag. In this example, the strip of material is formed of card material, for example, single-layer cardboard or stiff paper. The material is preferably foldable along defined lines of weakness 65, 65’ that define fold lines. Foldable plastic material is therefore one alternative material that may be used.

[0153] The strip 60 preferably has a glove dispensing first portion or section 62 that provides both the top side 61A of the band 61 and the glove dispensing opening 64. If there is a removable panel 63, then a user will remove this prior to pulling out the first glove from the top side 91 A of the stack. In this case, the dispensing opening 64 may be defined by a line of weakness around the removable panel 63.

[0154] The band has a length along a long axis 67 and a width along a short axis 68. The short axis is wide enough such that, when the strip is wrapped around the compressed stack 90, the finger portions 8 of folded gloves (and particularly the first and fifth digits) are substantially contained within the band, between the lateral side edges 59C, 59D of the strip, and therefore form the opposite lateral first and second sides 91 C, 91 D of the stack. Therefore, the lateral first and second side edges 59C, 59D of the strip that forms the band are preferably substantially co-planarwith the opposite third and fourth lateral sides 91 E, 91 F of the stack, which are the open sides of the stack within the pack 200 of gloves. As can be seen from Figure 13, these open sides 91 E, 91 F of the stack 90 are the sides that have the glove folds 51 . It should be noted that, after wrapping with the band 61 (with the exception of the end-most gloves at top and bottom sides 91 A, 91 B of the stack) it is only the glove fold lines 51 which are exposed on the open sides 91 E, 91 F of the stack of gloves. This is shown in an expanded view on the right hand side of Figure 13. Initially these fold lines 51 are very securely held in place by the compression maintained by the band 61 and so are essentially immovable in lateral directions transverse to the glove stack axis 25. After dispensing of some gloves, the compression will be relieved, but since the glove folds 51 wrap around the cuff ends 1 1 and glove fingertips 14 of adjacent gloves in the stack, and since the folds abut the band 61 will, the stack layers continue to be stabilised against any shifting in lateral directions transversely away from the glove stack axis 25.

[0155] To aid the formation of the band 61 , the strip glove dispensing portion 62 is preferably bounded, or defined, by a pair of lines of weakness 65, to aid in folding of the material of the band. In this example, these lines are continuous indents or pre-creased lines 65. Another way of making lines of weakness is with perforations (not illustrated). Beyond the lines 65 are a pair of opposite first and second laterally extending sections 66, 66’ that extend far enough away from the glove dispensing portion 62 along the long axis 67 such that, together, these wrap fully around a pack of folded gloves. The first laterally extending section 66 provides the first lateral side 61 C and the second laterally extending section 66’ provides both the second lateral side 61 D and the bottom side 61 B of the band 61.

[0156] To help in the definition of the first lateral side 61 C as this is being formed, an additional third line of weakness 65’ is preferably provided. In this example, this third line 65’ is formed from continuous indents or a pre-creased line, although perforations (not shown) could also be used.

[0157] A particular benefit of providing the lines of weakness 65, 65’ is that this facilitates the formation of sharp, nearly right-angled edges in the band 61 where the top and bottom sides 61 A, 61 B meet the two lateral sides 61 C, 61 D of the band. This provides additional strength where the bands abut one another inside a glove dispensing container 95, in the lateral directions 370 along the length of the container.

[0158] The various stages of a first method of forming a pack of folded gloves 200 and then inserting a pair of such packs into an outer container 95, to provide a box of gloves 100, are illustrated in Figures 13 to 27.

[0159] The method uses either of the glove packing sleeves 80, 180 described above, and a former 300, 400 for forming the band 61 . The former 300, 400 comprises a box-like receptacle cavity 301 that has a receptacle opening 302 and at least three internal faces 301 A, 301 B, 301 C that define an insertion axis 25’ along which the completed stack of gloves will be inserted into the receptacle cavity 301. These faces include an end face 301 A, which is at a base end of the receptacle cavity, and at least two side faces 301 B, 301 C, 301 D, 301 E including a pair of side faces 301 B, 301 C on opposite sides of the receptacle cavity 301 . The side faces extend substantially parallel with the insertion axis 25’.

[0160] After formation of the stack of gloves 90 within the recess 18 of the glove packing sleeve 80, 180, and with the stack of gloves contained within the recess and with the bottom side 91 B of the stack of gloves being supported by the floor 50, 150 and a top side 91 A of the stack of gloves being proximate the opening 19 to the recess 18, the former 300, 400 and the glove packing sleeve 80, 180 are then oriented with respect to each other such that the receptacle opening 302 and the recess opening 19 face towards one another. The orientation is such that the glove stack axis 25 is aligned with the insertion axis 25’.

[0161] Either before or after this alignment is achieved, the elongate strip of material 60 is positioned between the receptacle opening 302 and the recess opening 19 such that the middle portion 62 of the elongate strip lies over the top layer of gloves 91 A, and the opposite end portions 66, 66’ of the elongate strip extends laterally away from the glove stacking axis 25 on opposite sides of the recess 18. These end portions extend away from the folded sides 91 C, 91 D of the stack of gloves, and also from corresponding external surfaces 52, 52’ of two opposite walls of the sleeve 80, 180. In the illustrated example, it is the front and back walls 48, 48’ that provide these external surfaces 52, 52’.

[0162] These external side surfaces 52, 52’ extend substantially parallel with the aligned glove stack axis 25 and insertion axis 25’, and also parallel with the pair of side faces 301 B, 301 C on opposite sides of the receptacle cavity 301 . The internal faces of the cavity are all planar, as are the external walls of the sleeve 80, 180.

[0163] Then, while maintaining the orientation of the receptacle opening 302 and the recess opening 19 and also the position of the elongate strip of material 60, the receptacle cavity 301 and the sleeve 80, 180 are moved together 310 along the aligned axes 25, 25’. The pair of external side surfaces 52, 52’ on the opposite side walls of the sleeve are sized to be received within the pair of side faces 301 B, 301 C within the receptacle cavity 301 with a clearance gap therebetween sufficient to accommodate the thickness of the strip of material 60. In this example, the sleeve 80, 180 remains stationary during the process, however this could be movable along the aligned axes, 25, 25’ during this process. The end portions 66, 66’ of the elongate strip 60 are then folded to be substantially parallel with the pair of external side surfaces 52, 52’on opposite sides of the recess opening. This is also substantially parallel with the pair of side faces 301 B, 301 C within the receptacle cavity 301 .

[0164] While the glove packing sleeve 80, 180 is being inserted into the receptacle cavity 301 , or afterwards, the movable floor 50, 150 is then moved towards 312 the recess opening 19 to press the stack of gloves along the glove stack axis 25 so that the top layer or side 91 A of the stack of gloves 90 bears against the middle portion 62 of the elongate strip 60, which causes the middle portion of the elongate strip to bear against the base 301 A of the receptacle cavity 301. The result of this is that the glove stack 90 is compressed along the glove stack axis 25 as excess air is expelled from the stack 90 of gloves. The stack is therefore compressed along the glove stacking axis 25.

[0165] The floor 50, 150 is used to maintain this compression of the stack of gloves while withdrawing the packing sleeve 80, 180 from the receptacle cavity 301 by moving the sleeve 80, 180 and receptacle cavity relatively apart, such that the sleeve moves away from 314 the base end 301A of the receptacle cavity until the packing sleeve is fully withdrawn from the receptacle cavity. In this way, the stack of gloves 90 is moved out from the recess 18.

[0166] Either while this is happening, or afterwards, the floor 50, 150 is moved away 316 from the recess opening 19 and the stack of gloves 90. Support of the compressed glove stack 90 is then transferred from the floor to a compression member. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 13 to 17, 20 and 22 to 26, the compression member is the plate 70 described above. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 18 to 17, 21 and 27, the compression member is a fork 170. These compression members 70, 170 will be described in more detail below.

[0167] In both embodiments, the compression member 70, 170 bears against the bottom side or layer 91 B of the stack 90 of gloves as the stack is being fully transferred into the cavity receptacle 301 . Ideally, compression of the glove stack is maintained steadily while this happens.

[0168] Then, with compression of the stack of gloves maintained by the compression member 70, 170, the end portions 66, 66’ of the strip of material 60 are wrapped 320 over the compression member and then secured together, to form the band 61 , which wraps fully around four sides 91 A, 91 B, 91 C, 91 D of the stack 90 of gloves. The band 61 is open on two opposite lateral sides 91 E, 91 F of the stack. In this example, the end portions 66, 66’ are secured together using adhesive tape 69, however, any other convenient adhesive or joining means may be used, for example a contact adhesive or staples (not illustrated). The join need not be towards the middle of the bottom side 61 B of the band. If one of the strip end portions 66, 66’ is long enough, this may be at an edge between the bottom side 61 B of the band and one of the lateral sides 61 C, 61 D of the band.

[0169] The glove pack 200 thereby formed is rectangular cuboid, also called rectangular parallelepiped. This is a regular shape, which aids when packaging the dispensing container 95, particularly when two packs are slid one after the other, into an open end of the container.

[0170] After this, the compression member 70, 170 is laterally withdrawn 330 from the pack of folded gloves through one of the open lateral sides 91 E, 91 F of the stack.

[0171] A significant difference between the two compression members, is that the plate-like compression member 70 must be inserted into the recess 18 and placed atop the floor 150 prior to stacking of gloves. The plate-like compression member 70 has a substantially rectangular a main plate 72 with the same lateral dimensions at the floor. Two similar tabs 73, 73’ extend away from the main plate 72. These are sized and oriented to project laterally outwards from the recess 18 using the pair of opposite side slots 147, 147’ in the opposite recess side walls 146, 146’.

[0172] At least the tabs 73, 73’ of the plate-like compression member 70 are of a magnetisable metal, or these may be magnets. When it is time to transfer the support of the stack 90 of gloves to the compression member, these tabs 73, 73’ are brought into proximity with two mounts 74, 74’, each of which holds a magnet, on an external side of the former 300. Alternatively, if the tabs 73, 73’ are magnets, then the two mounts 74, 74’ may comprise a magnetisable metal; or magnets of opposite polarity may be used for both the tabs 73, 73’ and the two mounts 74, 74’. In any event, magnetic attraction draws 318 and secures together the tabs 73, 73’ and the two mounts 74, 74’.

[0173] The fork-like compression member 170 is not inserted into the recess 18. An advantage of this is that there is no need for any break in the rim 21 to allow for passage of the fork-like compression member 170. The fork-like compression member is only located with the floor 50 and brought into contact with the lower side 91 B of the stack of gloves, after the lower side of the stack and the floor 50 have been raised above the level of the rim 21 of the sleeve 80, as shown in Figures 18 and 19. As this happens, the slots 56 within the floor 50 each receive a tine 75 of the fork. When fork 70 is moved upwards 322, the tines 75 come into contact with the lower side 91 B of the stack. At the same time, the fork is secured to the former 400. Preferably, this is a magnetic engagement. In this example, a pair of magnet members 76, 76’ on opposite side arms 77, 77’ of the fork (which are parallel with the tines 75) are engaged with corresponding magnetic members 78, 78’ on the outside of the former 400. The tines 75 and side arms 77, 77’ are held together at one end by a cross member or yoke 79.

[0174] The fork 170 therefore acts as a compression member when moved upwards 322 in the slots 56 into contact with the bottom layer 91 B of the stack of gloves. Following this, the floor is no longer needed to support the compressed stack of gloves, and so the floor 50 is then moved 316 back into the recess 18. The former 400, fork 70 and stack of gloves can then be moved away 314 from the sleeve 80 for the next stage.

[0175] Figures 28 to 44 show examples of a method of forming a bundle or pack 200 of folded gloves for insertion into an oblong outer glove dispensing container 95 as shown in Figure 46, that is preferably formed of folded card material. The method uses an elongate strip of material 60, shown in plan, side and end views, in Figure 12. In this example, the strip is rectangular, with four straight edges: a pair of opposite first and second end edges 59A, 59B and a pair of first and second opposite lateral side edges 59C, 59D.

[0176] The strip is used to form a band 61 that wraps around a compressed stack of gloves 90 to form the bundle, or pack, of folded gloves 200. The band 61 has four sides: a top side 61 A and opposite this a bottom side and 61 B, and also opposite first and second lateral sides 61 C, 61 D. The band 61 wraps around and conforms with four corresponding sides of said stack: the opposite top and bottom sides 91 A, 91 B, and also opposite first and second lateral sides 91 C, 91 D. The top side 61 A of the band conforms with the top side 91 A of the stack, a bottom side 61 B of the band conforms with the bottom side 91 B of the stack, and the first and second lateral sides 61 C, 61 D of the band conform with, respectively, the first and second lateral sides 91 C, 91 D of the stack. The band is open on opposite third and fourth lateral sides 91 E, 91 F of the stack. The top side 61 A of the band 61 comprises a glove dispensing opening 64. Preferably, the opening is a pre-formed aperture 63’. Alternatively, the opening may, as illustrated, be a removable panel 63 that the user pulls out to create the aperture prior to dispensing of gloves to create an aperture. Both options are illustrated in Figure 30 and are schematically indicated by the dashed line labelled with the numeral “64” in Figure 12.

[0177] The band 61 is formed using the elongate strip of material 60 of Figure 12. In this example, the strip of material is formed of card material, for example, single-layer cardboard or stiff paper. The material is preferably foldable along defined lines of weakness 65, 65’ that define fold lines. Foldable plastic material is therefore one alternative material that may be used.

[0178] The strip 60 has a glove dispensing first portion or section 62 that provides both the top side 61 A of the band 61 and the glove dispensing opening 64. If there is a removable panel 63, then a user will remove this prior to pulling out the first glove from the top side 91 A of the stack. In this case, the dispensing opening 64 may be defined by a line of weakness around the removable panel 63.

[0179] The band has a length along a long axis 67 and a width along a short axis 68. The short axis is wide enough such that, when the strip is wrapped around the compressed stack 90, the finger portions 8 of folded gloves (and particularly the first and fifth digits) are substantially contained within the band, between the lateral side edges 59C, 59D of the strip, and therefore form the opposite lateral first and second sides 91 C, 91 D of the stack. Therefore, the lateral first and second side edges 59C, 59D of the strip that forms the band are preferably substantially co-planarwith the opposite third and fourth lateral sides 91 E, 91 F of the stack, which are the open sides of the stack within the pack 200 of gloves. As can be seen from Figure 20, these open sides 91 E, 91 F of the stack 90 are the sides that have the glove folds 51 .

[0180] It should be noted that, after wrapping with the band 61 (with the exception of the end-most gloves at top and bottom sides 91 A, 91 B of the stack) it is only the glove fold lines 51 which are exposed on the open sides 91 E, 91 F of the stack of gloves. This is shown in an expanded view on the right hand side of Figure 20. Initially these fold lines 51 are very securely held in place by the compression maintained by the band 61 and so are essentially immovable in lateral directions transverse to the glove stack axis 25. After dispensing of some gloves, the compression will be relieved, but since the glove folds 51 wrap around the cuff ends 11 and glove fingertips 14 of adjacent gloves in the stack, and since the folds abut the band 61 will, the stack layers continue to be stabilised against any shifting in lateral directions transversely away from the glove stack axis 25.

[0181] To aid the formation of the band 61 , the strip glove dispensing portion 62 is preferably bounded, or defined, by a pair of lines of weakness 65, to aid in folding ofthe material of the band. In this example, these lines are continuous indents or pre-creased lines 65. Another way of making lines of weakness is with perforations (not illustrated). Beyond the lines 65 are a pair of opposite first and second laterally extending sections 66, 66’ that extend far enough away from the glove dispensing portion 62 along the long axis 67 to so that, together, these wrap around a pack of folded gloves. The first laterally extending section 66provides the first lateral side 61 C and the second laterally extending section 66’ provides both the second lateral side 61 D and the bottom side 61 B of the band 61.

[0182] To help in the definition of the first lateral side 61 C as this is being formed, an additional third line of weakness 65’ is preferably provided. In this example, this third line 65’ is formed from continuous indents or a pre-creased line, although perforations (not shown) could also be used.

[0183] A particular benefit of providing the lines of weakness 65, 65’ is that this facilitates the formation of sharp, nearly right-angled edges in the band 61 where the top and bottom sides 61 A, 61 B meet the two lateral sides 61 C, 61 D of the band. This provides additional strength where two bands abut one another inside the glove dispensing container 95, in the lateral directions 370 along the length of the container.

[0184] The various stages of a further method of forming a pack of folded gloves 200 and then inserting a pair of such packs into an outer container 95, to provide a twin-pack box of gloves 100, are illustrated in Figures 28 to 43.

[0185] The method uses the glove stacking sleeve 80 described above together with a glove packing apparatus 110, the operation of which is also controlled by the controller 97. The glove packing apparatus includes a glove stack compression station 120, an elongate strip dispensing station 130 and a glove stack banding station 140, and a glove stack handling apparatus 160 that is mounted on a linear actuator 83 that moves the glove stack handling apparatus between the three stations 120, 130, 140 of the glove packing apparatus 110.

[0186] The glove stack handling apparatus 160 comprises two main parts: a manipulating device 151 for lifting, placing and folding an elongate strip around a stack of gloves; and a glove stack compression device 152 for preserving compression of the stack of gloves until the compressed stack is wrapped by the elongate strip 60.

[0187] The glove stacking sleeve 80 is mounted on a linear actuator 81 . As shown in Figure 28, the linear actuator 81 moves 401 the glove stacking sleeve from a glove stack formation location 84 beneath the glove supporting platforms 24, 24’ to a glove stack ejection location 85. As shown in Figure 29, the linear actuator 81 also moves 402 the glove stacking sleeve from the glove stack ejection location 85 back to the stack formation location 84.

[0188] As shown in Figure 30, the glove stack ejection location 85 is at the glove stack compression station 120. The glove stack compression station therefore comprises the glove stacking sleeve 80 when this is holding a completed stack of gloves 90 ready to be compressed and removed from the glove stacking recess 18.

[0189] The operation of the glove packing apparatus 110, together with a glove stack handling apparatus 160, preferably begins with the collection of one of the elongate strips 60. This may conveniently be done while the next glove stack to be packed is nearing completion. Figures 31 and 32 show how the manipulating device 151 of the glove stack handling apparatus 160 comprises a vacuum lifting plate 153 mounted on a vertical actuator 154 that moves 303 the plate downwards onto the topmost elongate strip 60’ of a stack 86 of elongate strips 60. The strips 60 are stacked flat one on another inside a dispensing caddy 87 that has a floor 88 that can be moved upwards 304 to keep the topmost strip 60’ of the stack at a suitable level to be picked up by the vacuum lifting plate.

[0190] The vacuum lifting plate 153 has a downwardly oriented vacuum lifting surface 155 with an array of suction holes 156 connected to a source of suction pressure 158. When the suction pressure is applied, a suction lifting force 157 is generated which peels the topmost strip off the stack and holds this to the vacuum lifting surface 155. The vertical actuator 154 then moves the vacuum lifting plate 153 upwards to lift the held elongate strip 60 away from the dispensing caddy 87.

[0191] With reference now also to Figures 33 to 35, it should be noted that the manipulating device 151 includes a frame 159 on which the vertical actuator 154 moves upwards and downwards. The frame

[0192] 159 is connected by fixed brackets 161 to the linear actuator 83 and so the frame maintains the same vertical level during the operation of the glove packing apparatus 110 as the glove stack handling apparatus 160 moves between the three stations 120, 130, 140 of the glove packing apparatus 110.

[0193] After collection of the strip 60, the linear actuator 83 then moves the glove stack handling apparatus

[0194] 160 to the glove stack compression station 120, preferably before the arrival of the next full glove stacking sleeve 80. As shown in Figure 33, the vacuum lifting plate 153 is positioned so that the glove dispensing portion 62 of the elongate strip is directly above the top side 91 A of the stack of gloves, which at this stage is at a level preferably at or just below the rim 21 of the glove stacking sleeve 80. The lines of weakness 65 in the elongate strip either side of the glove dispensing portion 62 are then located directly above opposite sides of the rim 21 of the glove stacking sleeve 80. The first laterally extending section 66 extends transversely away from the glove stacking axis 25 on the side of the front wall 48 of the glove stacking sleeve 80 and the second laterally extending section 66' extends transversely away from the glove stacking axis 25 on the side of the back wall 48’ of the glove stacking sleeve 80.

[0195] The vertical actuator 154 then moves 305 the held elongate strip 60 on the vacuum lifting plate 153 down onto the rim 21 of the glove stacking sleeve 80 and holds it there, as shown in Figure 34. After this, the source of suction pressure 158 is no longer needed to hold the strip in place, and so the application of the suction pressure is stopped. Following this, the floor 50 moves upwards 306 to begin compression the stack of gloves 90 in order to expel air from the stack and shorten its length along the glove stacking axis 25.

[0196] The cross-section view of Figure 35 shows more components of the glove stack handling apparatus 160. The brackets 161 of the glove stack handling apparatus supports a pair of fixed rails 162 of the glove stack compressing device 152. The compression member 70 is slidably mounted between the rails 161 and is movable towards and away from the glove stack by the action of a linear actuator

[0197] 163, shown schematically in the drawings. The vertical level of the frame 159, brackets 161 and rails 162 is fixed with respect to the glove stacking sleeve 80. The elongate supporting features 75 of compression member 70 are therefore configured to move horizontally towards and away from the manipulating device 151 of the glove stack handling apparatus at a level just above the rim 21 of the glove stacking sleeve.

[0198] Figure 36 follows from Figure 34 and shows how the floor 50 moves upwards 306 to press the top side 91A of the glove stack against a lower side of the elongate strip while the vacuum plate 153 is pressed downwards to provide a restoring force. In this way, the stack of gloves 90 is compressed along the glove stack axis 25. Also shown in dashed outline is the movement of two folding flaps

[0199] 164, 164’ on opposite sides of the recess opening for folding the laterally extending sections 66, 66’ of the elongate strip 60. Each flap is rotatable in opposite direction by a corresponding rotational actuator 165, 165’, shown schematically in the drawing.

[0200] As shown in Figures 30 and 36, the vacuum plate 153 is H-shaped, with a central rectangular or square portion 167 which extends fully over the glove dispensing portion 62 of the elongate strip from which extend in opposite directions a pair of parallel arms 166, 166’ that extend the length of each of the laterally extending portions 66, 66’ of the elongate strip 60. Each of the flaps 164, 164’ for folding the laterally extending sections 66, 66’ is pivotably mounted in between one pair of the parallel arms 166, 166’. Neither of the folding flaps 164, 164’ is part of the vacuum lifting surface.

[0201] When the flaps 164, 164’ are actuated by the rotational actuators 165, 165’, as shown in Figures 36 and 37, these fold the laterally extending sections 66, 66’ of the elongate strip 60 downwards against external surfaces 52, 52’ on opposite sides of the glove stacking sleeve 80. After the laterally extending sections have been folded down, both the movable floor 50 and the vacuum lifting plate 153 move upwards to eject the glove stack 80 out of the sleeve recess 18. These external side surfaces 52, 52’ extend substantially parallel with the glove stack axis 25. The internal faces of the recess 18 are all planar, as are the external walls of the sleeve 80. In the illustrated example, it is the front and back walls 48, 48’ that provide these external surfaces 52, 52’.

[0202] The pair of external side surfaces 52, 52’ on the opposite side walls 48, 48’ of the sleeve are positioned to provide a clearance gap with each of the folding flaps 164, 164’ sufficient to accommodate the thickness of the strip of material 60. In this example, the sleeve 80 remains stationary during the process, however this could be movable along the glove stack axis 25 during this process. The laterally extending sections 66, 66’ of the elongate strip 60 are then folded to be substantially parallel with the pair of external side surfaces 52, 52’on opposite sides of the recess opening. This is also substantially parallel with the glove stack axis 25.

[0203] As can be seen in Figure 38, the parallel slots 56 in the supporting surface of the floor 50 having received the elongate supporting features 75 at a level beneath the bottom side 91 B of the glove stack.

[0204] Figure 39 shows how both the floor 50 and the vacuum plate 153 are lowered 412 so that the bottom side 91 B of the stack comes to bear on the upper sides 89 of the elongate supporting features 75, after which the floor continues to move downwards until support of the compressed glove stack is transferred from the supporting surface 22 of the floor 50 to the upper surface 89 of the elongate supporting features 75.

[0205] In summary, the fork-like compression member 70 is located with the floor 50 and brought into contact with the lower side 91 B of the stack of gloves, after the lower side of the stack and the floor 50 have been raised above the level of the rim 21 of the sleeve 80, as shown in Figure 38. As this happens, the slots 56 within the floor 50 each receive the elongate supporting feature 75, also referred to herein as a tine, of the fork-like compression member. When the vacuum plate 153 is moved downwards 412’, an upper supporting surface 89 of the tines 75 comes into contact with the lower side 91 B of the stack. The tines 75 are held together at one end by a cross member or yoke 79.

[0206] After the glove stack 90 is free of the glove stacking sleeve 80, as shown in Figure 40, the glove stack handling apparatus 160 moves 414 the compressed stack of gloves from the glove stack compression station to the glove stack banding station 140. The elongate strip 60 has been folded so that the longer second laterally extending portion 66’ is nearest the glove stack banding station. This avoids having to lift this longer extending portion over or move it around the glove stacking sleeve.

[0207] The glove stack banding station 140 comprises: an abutment 141 for folding the second laterally extending section 66’ of the elongate strip 60 over the elongate supporting features 75 beneath the glove stack 90; an alignment feature 142 for holding the first and second laterally extending sections 66, 66’ in place with the first and second end edges 59A, 59B of the strip in proximity with each other; and a semi-automatic tape application device 143 in within the alignment feature 142 for applying an adhesive tape 69 between the end edges 59A, 59B when these are brought up against the tape application device 143.

[0208] In Figure 40, the downwardly folded second laterally extending portion 66’ can be seen approaching 416 the abutment 141 of the glove stack banding station 140. The abutment 141 has a rounded leading edge 144 which blends into a horizontally oriented flat platform 145. The abutment 141 , the alignment feature 142 and the tape application device 143 are all part of one banding unit 149 which is vertically movable under the action of a linear actuator 148 which is shown schematically in the drawings.

[0209] The height of the leading edge 144 is set by the linear actuator 148 for the banding unit to be below that of a lower side 41 of the elongate supporting features 75 by an amount which is sufficient only for clearance for the thickness of the material of the second laterally extending portion 66’ of the elongate strip.

[0210] Therefore, as the second laterally extending section 66’ comes into contact with the abutment 141 , the second laterally extending portion 66’ is pushed towards the horizontal and pressed up against the lower side 41 of the elongate supporting features 75 as the manipulating device 151 continues to move 418 towards the glove stack banding station 140 as shown in Figure 26.

[0211] During this wrapping around of the second laterally extending section 66’ of the strip of material 60, the compression of the stack of gloves is maintained by the compression member 70. The second laterally extending section 66’ of the strip 60 is long enough so that this extends over both the second lateral side 91 D of the stack and the bottom 91 B of the stack and ends at an edge 93 between the bottom side 61 B of the band and the first lateral side 61 C of the band. The first laterally extending section 66 of the strip is sufficiently short that this extends over just the first lateral side 91 C of the stack and ends at the same edge 93 between the bottom side 61 B of the band and the first lateral side 61 C of the band.

[0212] The manipulating device 151 continues to move the compressed stack of gloves 90 until the horizontally folded second laterally extending portion 66’ is over the alignment feature 142, which is in the form of a trough having an opening 139 that is wider than the length of the horizontally folded second laterally extending portion 66’, a base 137 that is the expected or nominal length of the second laterally extending portion 66’, and with inwardly tapering opposite side walls 138, 138’.

[0213] When the horizontally folded second laterally extending portion 66’ is over the alignment feature 142, the linear actuator 148 for the banding unit 149 moves 420 the alignment feature upwards until the horizontally folded second laterally extending portion 66’ is pressed down onto the base 137 of the alignment feature 142. The narrowing lateral dimension of the alignment feature helps to locate the end edges 59A, 59B close to one another, or in actual contact with each other.

[0214] The tape application device 143 spans an internal corner of the alignment feature 142 between one side wall 138 and the base 137 where the end edges come together, and is activated by the pressure exerted by the second laterally extending portion 66’ on the base 137 as the linear actuator 148 presses the banding unit 149 up against the folded second laterally extending portion 66’ which is backed by the elongate supporting features 75 and the compressed glove stack 90.

[0215] During this time, the two folding flaps 164, 164’ continue to press inwards against the corresponding laterally extending sections 66, 66’, which helps to accurately locate the position of the glove stack 90 and folded elongate strip 60 relative to the opening 139 and base 137 of the alignment feature 142.

[0216] Once activated, the tape application device 143 applies a strip of adhesive tape 69 which spans the first and second end edges 59A, 59B of the elongate strip 60. This forms a band 61 around the compressed stack of gloves 90 and the elongate supporting features 75 of the compression member 70.

[0217] Figure 43 shows how the linear actuator 148 then moves 323 the banding unit 149 downwards, which frees the band 61 from the alignment feature 142. At the same time, the vertical actuator 154 of the manipulating device 151 moves 324 the vacuum plate 153 upwards. The band 61 around of the glove stack 90 then contains the compression of the glove stack, which is then supported only on the elongate features 75 of the compression member 70. As shown in Figure 30, the compression member 70 is laterally moved 330 away in a transverse direction, preferably horizontally. The compression member 70 initially carries the banded stack of gloves until this comes into contact with an abutment 103. This stops the movement of the banded stack of gloves while the elongate features 75 continue to be withdrawn from between the band 61 and the stack 90. When freed from the elongate features 75, the bundle or pack 200 of folded gloves is formed, and this pack then drops down onto an output conveyor, as shown in Figure 30.

[0218] In summary, the first and second end edges 59A, 59B of the strip can then be secured or bonded together, to form the band 61 , which wraps fully around four sides 91A, 91 B, 91 C, 91 D of the stack 90 of gloves. The band 61 remains open on two opposite lateral sides 91 E, 91 F of the stack. In this example, the laterally extending sections 66, 66’ are secured together across the first and second end edges 59A, 59B using adhesive tape 69, however, any other convenient adhesive or joining means may be used to form an equivalent bond, for example a bead of contact adhesive or staples (not illustrated). The glove pack 200 thereby formed is rectangular cuboid, also called rectangular parallelepiped. This is a regular shape, which aids when packaging the dispensing container 95, particularly when two packs are slid one after the other, into an open end 82 of the container as shown in Figure 30.

[0219] Other types of actuators may be used to move the glove stack handling apparatus 160 between the three stations 120, 130, 140. For example, Figure 44 is a is a schematic view from above of a glove packing apparatus 210 in a further example of this disclosure, similar to the glove packing apparatus 110 but with the glove stack handling apparatus being moved between the glove stack compression station, elongate strip dispensing station and glove stack banding station by a six-axis robot 190 for moving the glove stack handling apparatus 160 between the three stations 120, 130, 140.

[0220] The compression member supports such as the elongate supporting features 75 may, however, be inserted into the floor recesses or slots 56 before the glove stack 90 is fully out of the glove stacking recess 18. As shown for the variation of the glove stacking sleeve 180 of Figure 40, if breaks or slots 81 are provided in the rim 21 that extend parallel with the glove stack axis 25 to allow for passage of the compression member supports 75, as illustrated for the variation of the glove stacking sleeve 180 of Figure 40.

[0221] Figure 45 illustrates how two packs of gloves 200 are packed into the outer glove dispensing container 95. The outer container has a substantially rectangular cuboid shape with six external walls, 95A, 95B, 95C, 95D, 95E, 95F. The container walls define six substantially rectangular faces of this shape. The outer walls include four side walls 95A, 95B, 95E, 95F each with an oblong face that extends substantially parallel with a long axis 92 of the container and a pair of opposite end walls 95C, 95D each with an oblong or a square end face that extends substantially perpendicular to the long axis 92 between the side walls. One of the side walls 95A is a glove dispensing wall with two dispensing apertures 96 therethrough, one for each of the packs 200 of gloves.

[0222] Two such packs of gloves are slid 350, one after the other, into the open end 82 of the elongate outer container 95 with the dispensing openings 64 in the band 61 of each pack of gloves 200 being in registration with the corresponding dispensing apertures 96 of the container 95, following which the open end 82 of the container 95 is closed 360 and sealed shut, for example with a contact adhesive 94 to provide the twin-pack box of gloves 100.

[0223] In this example, the box 100 has a length (L) of 240 mm, a width (W) or 128 mm and a height (H) of 58 mm. Each pack 200 when full contains 100 gloves 5.

[0224] Figure 46 follows from Figure 45, showing in section how each band 61 has one of its lateral sides (this may be either of the sides labelled 61 C or 61 D) in an abutting relationship with an end wall of the container, and the other of its lateral sides in an abutting relationship with a corresponding lateral side (again, this may be this may be either of the sides labelled 61 C or 61 D) of the other band, thereby stabilising both the packs 200 against lateral movement 370 in the direction of the long axis 92 of the container, as well as laterally stabilising in the same direction the stacks of gloves 90’, 90 inside each band, even as one of the stacks 90’ of gloves becomes depleted after dispensing of gloves 5 through the corresponding dispensing aperture 96 in the outer container 95.

[0225] Usually, the glove stack is oriented during dispensing such that glove cuffs hang downwards from a downwardly facing dispensing aperture. The folding arrangement can, however, be reversed during manufacture, with the first portion being the finger portion and the second portion being the cuff portion, in which case the dispensing end of the stack 90 as being formed would be at a bottom end or side 91 B of the stack 90, up against the supporting surface 22. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is equally applicable to both of these cases, however it is normally more convenient to form the stack as illustrated, as then the completed stack can be transferred by pressing the stack upwards into a dispensing container having a pre-formed dispensing aperture, this dispensing container lining five sides of an open, rigid packing box. Prior to this, the last folded glove at the top of the stack can be manually adjusted by a worker to fold the cuff-end on to the stacking axis so that this is conveniently presented at the dispensing aperture when this is first opened. The finger portion 8 of each glove 5, when dispensed by the cuff 11 , then pulls the cuff portion 9 of the next glove partially out of the dispensing aperture to facilitate dispensing of the next glove, thereby minimising the possibility of finger-borne contamination on finger portions of each dispensed glove.

[0226] The various aspects of the invention meet a number of existing needs and provide several benefits. The invention is well adapted for both manual packing of glove stacks into an outer dispensing container, and also for automated packing. The completed glove stack itself, in isolation, is quite fragile. After excess air is expelled from the stack by compression, the stack becomes more solid, but because of the elastic nature of the glove material, air will seep back in as soon as compression is relaxed. Maintaining compression throughout the packing process and after insertion of gloves into an outer glove dispensing box, is therefore important.

[0227] A compressed stack will also initially contain more gloves than an uncompressed stack, which is more economical for the end user.

[0228] Many health facilities already have rigid holders, for example wall-mounted holder, for glove dispensing boxes. Such holders are mostly for oblong boxes, containing non-folded gloves, laid flat in a single stack, the box having a single large dispensing aperture. Typical dimensions of such boxes are about 240 mm to 260 mm in length and about 130 mm wide. To be commercially successful, a competing product containing two stacks of interfolded gloves in a side-by-side relationship, will need to be sized to fit into such existing holders. This sets constraints on the maximum outer dimensions of the glove dispensing box. A initially compressed stack will tend to expand once the compression is relaxed. Single use glove dispensing boxes need to be inexpensive and so are normally made from a folded card material. Such material (unless made uneconomically thick), in the shape of an oblong box, will not have sufficient strength to maintain compression; an initially compressed folded glove stack within the box will expand and cause the glove dispensing box to bulge.

[0229] Maintaining the shape of two side-by-side stacks of folded gloves, whether or not these are interfolded, as the stacks become depleted, so that the stacks maintain adequate registration with the corresponding dispensing apertures, is a challenge. Although it is always possible to build fixed compartments, for example a central dividing wall fixed to the outer container, or other semi-rigid structures, this adds cost, and complicates the final assembly process of the glove dispensing contains and twin stacks of folded gloves.

[0230] The invention deals with these issues in an economic and efficient way. The pre-packing the twin compressed glove stacks, each within band formed from a single wrap provides a mechanically robust pack with a relatively smooth outer surface that is well adapted to be quickly slid into an open end of a partially formed outer box container. The outer box container does not have any internal structure or alignment features - just six plain internal surfaces that abut the sides or edges of the packs once sealed shut.

[0231] The bands maintain the mechanical integrity and shape of the stack, and co-operate to laterally stabilise the packs in the direction of the container length (L), as the stacks become depleted.

[0232] Each band has its own dispensing aperture in alignment with the other dispensing aperture. It is around the dispensing aperture that most stresses are placed on the outer contain as gloves are pulled out of the container. Because the bands abut the inner surface of the outer glove dispensing container around the outer aperture, each band provides reinforcement at the dispensing aperture. The two bands generally provide reinforcement all around the outer container. It has been found in practice that, as compared with an outer container not holding such bands, the thickness of the card material of the outer container can be reduced by 50%, when the band is made of similar thickness material. The total amount of card material is therefore reduced, with a corresponding reduction in the total material cost.

[0233] Although not illustrated, the banded stack of gloves described above may also be packed into glove dispensing containers that hold fewer or more than two stacks of gloves. The banding of compressed stacks of gloves around four sides, with two sides being left open, helps to maintain the cuboid shape of the compressed glove stack, which is useful in a production environment, as glove packs can be formed in a separate process or at a different location or time from the actual insertion of the packs into the outer dispensing containers, without worry that the layers within the glove stack will become de-compressed or shifted about prior to being stabilised inside the outer dispending container. The band will also add mechanical strength to the completed box of gloves, meaning that the outer material of the box of gloves can be made thinner, thereby reducing the cost of packaging materials. The invention therefore affords greater convenience to the end user, and greater economy on the production line. The end user can store more gloves or store the same number of gloves in less space, and a glove dispenser will need refilling less often. In production, the labour requirement is reduced owing to the cycle time between changing over completed glove stacking recesses being increased. During transportation, more gloves can be packed inside a standard 40-foot shipping container.

[0234] The invention therefore provides a convenient method of forming one or more packs of folded gloves for insertion into an outer container, using a glove stacking sleeve. The invention also provides a robust twin-pack box of folded gloves, comprising an elongate outer container holding one or more packs of folded gloves.

[0235] It is to be recognized that various alterations, modifications, and / or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts described above without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A method of forming a compressed stack of folded gloves comprising: folding gloves to form a stack of folded gloves within a glove stacking sleeve, said stack being seated on a supporting surface and the stack extending between the supporting surface and an opening of the glove stacking sleeve; positioning a first part of a retaining band across the opening of the glove stacking sleeve; moving the supporting surface in a direction towards the opening of the glove stacking sleeve to bring the stack of folded gloves into contact with the first part of the retaining band; moving a compression member in a direction towards the first part of the retaining band so as to compress the stack of folded gloves between the first part of the retaining band and the compression member; wrapping a second part of the retaining band around the stack of folded gloves so that the retaining band extends around the stack of folded gloves and at least a part of the compression member; securing ends of the retaining band together so that the retaining band extends fully around four sides of the stack of folded gloves to maintain a compressive force on the stack of folded gloves, and two sides of the stack of folded gloves are exposed in openings defined and surrounded by side edges of the retaining band; and withdrawing the compression member from said retaining band.

2. The method according to Claim 1 , in which the retaining band is made from a strip of stiff material having opposite first and second side edges and opposite first and second end edges.

3. The method according to Claim 2, in which the retaining band is made from a sheet of card, paperboard or plastic.

4. The method of any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the retaining band is wrapped around the stack of folded gloves so that the retaining band covers lateral edges of the gloves and folds of the gloves are exposed in the openings defined by the side edges of the retaining band.

5. The method of any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the ends of the retaining band overlap and the ends are secured together along one of the sides of the stack of folded gloves.

6. The method of any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the ends of the retaining band do not overlap and the ends are secured together along a corner edge of the stack of folded gloves defined between two adjacent sides of the stack of folded gloves.

7. The method of any one of Claims 1 to 6, in which the compression member comprises a plurality of spaced apart supporting features.

8. The method of Claim 7, in which the supporting surface is provided by a moveable floor having a plurality of slots for receiving the supporting features of the compression member, and the method further comprises: after moving the supporting surface in a direction towards the opening of the glove stacking sleeve to bring the stack of folded gloves into contact with the first part of the retaining band, moving the compression member relative to the floor to bring the supporting features of the compression member into contact with the stack of folded gloves; and after moving the compression member in a direction towards the first part of the retaining band so as to compress the stack of folded gloves, moving the floor in a direction away from the first part of the retaining band so that the stack of folded gloves is retained between the first part of the retaining band and the compression member.

9. The method of any one of Claims 1 to 6, in which the compression member is in the form of a plate.

10. The method of Claim 9, in which the supporting surface is provided by a surface of the compression member, the compression member is seated on a moveable floor, and the method further comprises: moving the floor in a direction towards the opening of the glove stacking sleeve to move the supporting surface in a direction towards the opening of the glove stacking sleeve; and after moving the compression member in a direction towards the first part of the retaining band so as to compress the stack of folded gloves, moving the floor in a direction away from the first part of the retaining band so that the stack of folded gloves is retained between the first part of the retaining band and the compression member.11 . The method of any one of Claims 1 to 10, in which the compression member is withdrawn from said secured retaining band in a direction perpendicular to the side edges of the retaining band through one of the openings defined by the side edges of the retaining band.

12. The method of any one of Claims 1 to 1 1 , further comprising: holding the first part of the retaining band with a vacuum lifting plate; moving the vacuum lifting plate and glove stacking sleeve relatively towards each other to position the first part of the retaining band across the opening of the glove stacking sleeve; and moving the compression member in a direction towards the vacuum lifting plate to compress the stack of folded gloves between the first part of the retaining band and the compression member.

13. The method of any one of Claims 1 to 12, further comprising actuating a pair of folding flaps to wrap at least a part of the second part of the retaining band around the stack of folded gloves.

14. The method of Claim 12, further comprising: folding a first section of the second part of the retaining band to extend along a first external side of the glove stacking sleeve; folding a second section of the second part of the retaining band to extend along an opposite second external side of the glove stacking sleeve; subsequently moving the vacuum lifting plate and the compression member in the same direction to eject the stack of folded gloves from the glove stacking sleeve; and after ejecting the stack of folded gloves from the glove stacking sleeve, folding at least a third section of the second part of the retaining band around the compression member and the stack of folded gloves.

15. The method of any one of Claims 1 to 1 1 , further comprising: supporting the first part of the retaining band with a former having a generally cuboidal cavity; moving the former and glove stacking sleeve relatively towards each other to position the first part of the retaining band across the opening of the glove stacking sleeve; and moving the compression member in a direction towards the former to compress the stack of folded gloves between the first part of the retaining band and the compression member within the cavity of the former.

16. The method of Claim 15, in which the step of supporting the first part of the retaining band with the former comprises conforming a part of the retaining band to the shape of the cavity such that the first part of the retaining band overlies a base of the cavity and first and second sections of the second part of the retaining band extend over opposite side surfaces of the cavity.

17. The method of Claim 15 or Claim 16, further comprising, after moving the compression member towards the first part of the retaining band to compress the stack of folded gloves, engaging complimentary engagement features of the compression member and the former to secure the compression member to the former and maintain the compressive force on the stack of folded gloves.

18. The method of Claim 17, wherein the engagement features of the compression member and the former comprise a magnet.

19. The method of any one of Claims 1 to 18, in which the retaining band includes at least three pre-defined fold lines, the first part of the retaining band is disposed between two adjacent fold lines of the at least three pre-defined fold lines, and when the retaining band is fully wrapped around the stack of folded gloves the fold lines form corner edges of the wrapped stack of folded gloves.

20. The method of any one of Claims 1 to 19, in which the first part of the retaining band includes an aperture or a removeable panel for forming an aperture in the retaining band.21 . The method of any one of Claims 1 to 20, in which the gloves are disposable gloves made from nitrile, latex, vinyl or polyethylene.

22. A method of packing at least two stacks of folded gloves into a container, the method comprising: forming a first compressed stack of folded gloves using the method of any one of Claims 1 to 21 ; forming a second compressed stack of folded gloves using the method of any one of Claims 1 to 21 ; inserting the first compressed stack of folded gloves into an outer container so that a part of the retaining band of the first compressed stack of folded gloves is in contact with or is disposed directly adjacent to a first end wall of the outer container; and inserting the second compressed stack of folded gloves into the outer container so that a part of the retaining band of the second compressed stack of folded gloves is in contact with or is disposed directly adjacent to a second end wall of the outer container opposite to the first end wall of the container.

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