Methods and device for paper wrapping of goods loaded on pallet, and paper-wrapped pallet of goods

Abstract

A method of paper wrapping a pallet of goods (12) comprises: passing a front side of the pallet of goods (12) into a paper curtain, formed by a continuous paper web extending from a paper roll (22), and extending across a wrapping path (18) at a wrapping gate (16), to cover the front side with paper; passing the pallet of goods (12) through the wrapping gate (16), first and second side segments of the paper web thereby covering lateral sides (12c, 12d) with paper; deflecting at least one rear wrap segment of the paper web across the wrapping path (18) to cover the rear side (12b) of the pallet of goods (12); attaching a distal end of the paper web, and a proximal attachment portion formed of a proximal paper web segment between the paper roll (22) and the first side segment, along an attachment plane which is parallel to the rear side of the pallet of goods; and cutting the proximal paper web segment between the proximal attachment portion and the paper roll (22).

Description

[0001] METHODS AND DEVICE FOR PAPER WRAPPING OF GOODS LOADED ON PALLET, AND PAPER-WRAPPED PALLET OF GOODS

[0002] Field of the invention

[0003] The present invention relates to methods of wrapping goods loaded on a pallet, along with a paper wrapper for wrapping goods loaded on a pallet, as well as a paper-wrapped pallet of goods.

[0004] Background

[0005] Pallets loaded with goods are often wrapped in stretch wrap in order to protect the goods, and to stabilize stacks of products or packages on the pallet. Stretch wrap is a highly stretchable plastic film of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). Typically, the stretch wrap is wrapped several turns about the loaded pallet by first sticking the free end of a roll of stretch wrap to the pallet, and thereafter either rotating the pallet or moving the roll of stretch wrap around the pallet. A problem with stretch wrap is that it is typically made of fossil fuels.

[0006] Efforts have been made to find a pallet wrapping process which uses paper, but paper is inelastic and difficult to wrap. WO 2022 / 204579 A1 addresses this problem by proposing an expandable slit paper wrap. However, other problems remain; for example, slit paper wrap exposes the packaged goods to dirt and sunbleaching. Moreover, paper is not very elastic. Thereby, slack in the paper may allow the goods or paper wrap to dislocate. It is an object of the invention to provide a paper wrapping process and machinery which solves, or at least mitigates, parts or all of the above mentioned issues.

[0007] Summary

[0008] According to a first aspect, there is provided a method of paper wrapping goods loaded on a pallet, comprising: providing a pallet of goods to be passed through a wrapping gate along a wrapping path, the pallet of goods having a front side facing towards the wrapping gate, a rear side opposite to the front side, a first lateral side and a second lateral side; passing the front side of the pallet of goods into a paper curtain extending across the wrapping path at the wrapping gate, thereby at least partly covering the front side with paper, the paper curtain being formed by a continuous paper web extending from a paper roll via a first side of the wrapping path, facing the first lateral side of the pallet of goods, to a distal end of the paper web held on a second side of the wrapping path facing the second lateral side of the pallet of goods; passing the pallet of goods through the wrapping gate, thereby at least partly covering the first lateral side with a first side segment of the paper web and at least partly covering the second lateral side with a second side segment of the paper web; deflecting at least one rear wrap segment of the paper web across the wrapping path, the at least one rear wrap segment thereby at least partly covering the rear side of the pallet of goods, and the paper web forming a paper loop about the pallet of goods; attaching the distal end of the paper web, and a proximal attachment portion formed of a proximal paper web segment located between the paper roll and the first side segment, along an attachment plane which is parallel to the rear side of the pallet of goods; and cutting the proximal paper web segment between the proximal attachment portion and the paper roll to form a free end of the paper web extending from the paper roll. Thanks to the attachment plane being parallel to the rear side of the pallet of goods, the attachment will have a high strength against loads parallel to the surface of the pallet of goods, because the load is taken up by the entire attachment surface, and not only by a single line of engagement which may be the case if the attachment plane has another orientation. Thereby, the paper wrap may be applied about the pallet of goods with a comparatively high tension, which results in a tight paper wrap which does not fall off. Furthermore, a large attachment surface of each of the proximal attachment portion and the distal end of the paper web is enabled, which even further increases the strength of attachment. Moreover, compared to e.g. the method of WO 2022 / 204579 A1 , the front, rear, and lateral sides of the goods may, in a simple process, be partly or fully covered with one single turn of paper wrap. The pallet of goods may be passed through the wrapping gate by moving the pallet of goods, by moving the wrapping gate, or both. The method need not be followed in the above exact order. For example, clearly, the proximal paper web segment may be cut before or after attaching the proximal attachment portion to the pallet of goods. The latter may however be preferred since it may facilitate tensioning the paper, for example by using a deflection roller and / or a resilient stroker strip positioned in the proximal segment for tensioning the paper web while attaching the proximal attachment portion. Here, the pallet of goods should be construed as an amount of goods loaded on a pallet. The pallet itself typically does not need protection, and therefore does not necessarily need to be paper wrapped. The use of a continuous web of paper unrolled from a single paper roll facilitates logistics and material handling, since only one side of paper wrapping machinery carrying out the method needs to be accessed for refilling paper / replacing the paper roll. The at least one rear wrap segment may comprise a proximal rear wrap segment, deflected from the first side of the wrapping path towards the second side of the wrapping path, and / or a distal rear wrap segment, deflected from the second side of the wrapping path towards the first side of the wrapping path.

[0009] The distal end and the proximal attachment portion may be attached either with an overlap, i.e. with one of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion attached on the outer face of the other, or without overlap. The former may be preferred, because it facilitates obtaining a tight wrap with minimum of slack.

[0010] Preferably, the paper web is substantially free from slits, such that the paper does not, when pulled, expand or extend by opening such slits. The absence of slits and splices in the paper web results in a strong wrap which can be applied tightly about the goods. A typical vertical height of the pallet of goods, i.e. including the vertical height of the pallet, may be, for example, between 700 mm and 1300 mm. Preferably, in order to maximize the protection of the goods, the paper wrap wrapped about the pallet of goods in the above method spans at least 70%, and even more preferred, at least 90%, of a vertical height of the pallet of goods. Accordingly, a typical suitable vertical height of the paper curtain may be e.g. between 500 mm and 1500 mm, and a typical width of the paper on the roll of paper may be e.g. between 500 mm and 1900 mm wherein any excess width, compared to the height of the pallet of goods, may be folded as defined hereinbelow. A typical horizontal length of the pallet of goods along the wrapping path may, for example, exceed 1000 mm, or may exceed 1500 mm. Alternatively or additionally, a typical horizontal length may be less than 3500 mm, or less than 2800 mm. For example, the horizontal length of the pallet of goods may be between 1500 and 2800 mm. A typical horizontal width of the pallet of goods perpendicular to the wrapping path may exceed 400 mm, or may exceed 700 mm. Alternatively or additionally, a typical horizontal width may be less than 2500 mm, or less than 1300 mm. For example, the horizontal width of the pallet of goods may be between 700 mm and 1300 mm; thereby, an exemplary suitable horizontal width of the wrapping gate may be between 700 mm and 2600 mm. According to embodiments, the pallet of goods may comprise a respective corner protector in at least some of, preferably each of, four comers of the pallet of goods. The corner protector(s) may be held to the goods by one or more horizontal straps enclosing the pallet of goods. The paper roll may have a vertical roll axis, such that the paper web rolled off the paper roll directly assumes a position in which it extends in a vertical plane.

[0011] According to embodiments, attaching the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion may comprise attaching the proximal attachment portion to the distal end of the paper web, optionally without attaching any of the proximal attachment portion and the distal end of the paper web directly to the pallet of goods. The attachment of the proximal attachment portion to the distal end of the paper web enables a direct and predictable engagement between them, without relying on the strength of any intermediate structure. This enables a strong engagement between the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion, and also simplifies setting the appropriate tension of the paper wrap because the character of the engaging surfaces is always the same. An inner face of the proximal attachment portion may be attached to an outer face of the distal end of the paper web, or vice versa. By avoiding attaching the proximal attachment portion and the distal end of the paper web directly to the pallet of goods, any damage to the pallet of goods, resulting from e.g. glue, adhesive tape or staples, may be minimized.

[0012] According to embodiments, attaching the proximal attachment portion to the distal end of the paper web may comprise holding one of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion at the rear side of the pallet of goods; and pressing an inner face of the other of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion against an outer face of said one of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion. According to embodiments, the method may comprise moving an upper paper nip downwards to grip an upper longitudinal edge of said one of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion, and moving a lower paper nip upwards to grip a lower longitudinal edge of said one of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion. According to embodiments, the rear side of the pallet of goods may serve as a support surface for the pressing, such that said one and said other of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion are pressed against each other. This may be particularly beneficial if said one and said other of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion are glued together. Alternatively, for example in case the pallet of goods is flexible and / or has an irregular shape, or is otherwise unsuited for serving as support surface for the pressing, a rigid press support plate may temporarily held between the rear side of the pallet of goods and said one of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion while pressing the inner face of the other of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion against the outer face of said one of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion.

[0013] According to embodiments, said pressing an inner face of the other of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion against an outer face of said one of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion may comprise stroking said other of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion along the rear side of the pallet of goods, towards said one of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion. Thereby, the paper wrap enclosing the pallet of goods will be tensioned by the stroker, such that the tight fit about the pallet of goods may obviate any need for additional attachment to the pallet of goods.

[0014] According to embodiments, the method may comprise applying adhesive to an attachment surface of one of the proximal attachment portion and the distal end of the paper web, said attachment surface facing away from the pallet of goods; turning the attachment surface towards the pallet of goods; and pressing the attachment surface against the other of the proximal attachment portion and the distal end of the paper web. Such a method offers ample space for e.g. an adhesive applicator, such as one or more adhesive sprayers. The attachment surface may be turned, for example, by passing said one of the proximal attachment portion and the distal end of the paper web over a deflection roller.

[0015] According to embodiments, the method may comprise attaching the distal end of the paper web at the pallet of goods, and attaching the proximal attachment portion at the pallet of goods. Attaching each of the distal end and the proximal attachment portion at the pallet of goods results in a sturdy paper wrap, because the pallet of goods provides a stable anchoring position for the paper wrap.

[0016] According to embodiments, attaching the distal end of the paper web at the pallet of goods may comprise attaching the distal end of the paper web at an interface between the rear side and one of the lateral sides of the pallet of goods. Attaching the proximal attachment portion at the pallet of goods may comprise attaching the proximal attachment portion at said interface between the rear side and said one of the lateral sides of the pallet of goods. Attaching the distal end and the proximal attachment portion adjacent to each other at the same interface between a lateral side and the rear side of the pallet of goods enables the paper to be wrapped tightly about the goods without substantial slack, because typically, an edge defined by such an interface forms a stable anchoring position. Alternatively, the distal end and / or the proximal attachment portion may be attached at a distance from both lateral sides of the pallet of goods, for example at or adjacent to the lateral centre of the rear side of the pallet of goods.

[0017] According to embodiments, said interface between the rear side and said one of said lateral sides of the pallet of goods may be an interface between the rear side and the second lateral side of the pallet of goods; and cutting the proximal paper web segment between the proximal attachment portion and the paper roll may comprise cutting the proximal paper web segment between a proximal rear wrap segment and the curtain segment, such that the curtain segment extends from the paper roll via the first side of the wrapping path to the free end of the paper web on the second side. After cutting the proximal paper web segment, the resulting free end of the paper web is automatically positioned on the second side of the wrapping path.

[0018] According to embodiments, deflecting at least one rear wrap segment of the paper web across the wrapping path may comprise deflecting the distal end from the second side of the wrapping path towards the first side of the wrapping path; and said interface between the rear side and said one of said lateral sides of the pallet of goods may be an interface between the rear side and the first lateral side of the pallet of goods. After cutting the proximal paper web segment, the resulting free end of the paper web extending from the paper roll may be moved across the wrapping path to the second side thereof, thereby preparing the wrapping gate to receive a subsequent pallet of goods.

[0019] According to embodiments, attaching the distal end of the paper web at said interface between the rear side and said one of the lateral sides of the pallet of goods may comprise attaching the distal end of the paper web directly or indirectly to a corner protector of the pallet of goods. Attaching the proximal attachment portion at said interface between the rear side and said one of the lateral sides of the pallet of goods may comprise attaching the proximal attachment portion directly or indirectly to said corner protector. A corner protector provides, due to its shape, interlock with a corner of the goods, a reliable and stable anchor point for the paper wrap. Preferably, at least one of the proximal attachment portion and the distal end of the paper web is attached directly to the corner protector.

[0020] According to embodiments, deflecting at least one rear wrap segment of the paper web across the wrapping path may comprise deflecting the proximal paper web segment from the first side of the wrapping path towards the second side of the wrapping path, the proximal paper web segment comprising a proximal rear wrap segment and a curtain segment configured to form at least a part of a new paper curtain for receiving a subsequent pallet of goods. The distal end of the paper web may be attached at the pallet of goods before or after deflecting the proximal segment across the wrapping path and attaching the proximal attachment portion.

[0021] According to embodiments, the method may further comprise: prior to passing the front side of the pallet of goods into the paper curtain, transferring a length of paper unrolled from the paper roll to a paper magazine on the second side of the wrapping path, wherein passing the pallet of goods through the wrapping gate, thereby at least partly covering the first lateral side with a first side segment of the paper web and at least partly covering the second lateral side with a second side segment of the paper web, comprises unrolling at least a portion of the paper making up the first side segment from the paper roll; and releasing at least a portion of the paper making up the second side segment from the paper magazine. Thereby, the paper web does not need to translate across the wrapping path at the front end of the pallet of goods while the pallet of goods is passed through the wrapping gate. The method may also comprise, after passing the pallet of goods through the wrapping gate, releasing a proximal rear wrap segment of the at least one rear wrap segment from the paper roll. Alternatively, the at least one rear wrap segment may comprise a distal rear wrap released from the paper magazine, or both a proximal rear wrap segment and a distal rear wrap segment released from a combination of the paper roll and the paper magazine. According to embodiments, the paper magazine may comprise a paper storage reel.

[0022] According to embodiments, the method may further comprise: prior to transferring a length of paper unrolled from the paper roll to a paper magazine on the second side of the wrapping path, measuring at least one dimension of the pallet of goods, such as a length of the pallet of goods coming in to be become wrapped, wherein the length of paper transferred to the paper magazine is based on the measured dimension of the pallet of goods. The measured dimension may, for example, be the length of the pallet of goods along the wrapping path. Alternatively, the length of paper transferred to the paper magazine may be predetermined, or set by a user.

[0023] According to embodiments, the method may further comprise: after cutting the proximal paper web segment, moving the free end of the paper web extending from the paper roll to the paper magazine. Accordingly, new length of paper, unrolled from the paper roll, may be transferred to the paper magazine, thereby preparing the paper magazine for releasing paper wrap to the next pallet of goods to be wrapped.

[0024] According to embodiments, moving the free end of the paper web extending from the paper roll to the paper magazine may comprise holding the free end of the paper web using a free end holding arrangement, and moving the free end of the paper web to the paper magazine by moving the free end holding arrangement in relation to the paper magazine. This may, for example, be done by moving the free end holding arrangement towards the paper magazine and / or moving the paper magazine towards the free end holding arrangement.

[0025] According to embodiments, the method may comprise: after having moved the free end of the paper web extending from the paper roll to the paper magazine, transferring a length of paper from the paper roll to the paper magazine, for example by rolling up paper on the second side of the wrapping path.

[0026] According to embodiments, the distal end of the paper web and / or the proximal attachment portion may be attached using a tape or an adhesive, which may be a dispensing adhesive such as a fluid adhesive, for example a hot-melt adhesive which may be fluid at a dispensing temperature, and / or a polyvinyl acetate adhesive for cold application. Adhesive may be dispensed from an adhesive dispenser, for example via a nozzle, onto the pallet of goods and / or the paper.

[0027] According to embodiments, attaching the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion may comprise attaching an inner face of one of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion to an outer face of the other of the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion. Such an overlap joint is particularly resistant to causing slack. The inner face of the paper is to be construed as the one facing the pallet of goods, whereas the outer face of the paper is to be construed as the one facing away from the pallet of goods.

[0028] According to embodiments, passing the pallet of goods through the wrapping gate may comprise moving the pallet of goods along a conveyor through the wrapping gate. Accordingly, the wrapping gate may be held stationary along the wrapping path. Thereby, the process may be carried out by comparatively simple machinery. Preferably, the pallet of goods follows a strictly translatory motion, i.e. it is not rotated, while passing the pallet of goods through the wrapping gate. For example, the pallet of goods may translate along a straight line through the wrapping gate. Alternatively, the pallet of goods may be held stationary during wrapping, and the wrapping gate may translate along the wrapping path. Still alternatively, they may both move in relation to each other along the wrapping path.

[0029] According to embodiments, the method may further comprise: prior to passing the front side of the pallet of goods into the paper curtain, folding at least one longitudinal edge of the paper web extending from the paper roll. By folding, e.g. double-folding, a longitudinal edge of the paper web prior to wrapping the pallet of goods, the respective edge will be less sensitive to tearing. According to embodiments, a bottom longitudinal edge, or a top longitudinal edge, or the combination of both a bottom longitudinal edge and a top longitudinal edge of the paper web, is folded. The longitudinal edge(s) may be continuously folded as the paper is rolled off from the paper roll.

[0030] According to embodiments, the method may further comprise: after passing the pallet of goods through the wrapping gate, folding a top longitudinal edge of the paper web onto a top face of the pallet of goods. Thereby, top edges of the goods will be protected by the paper wrap, and the folded top longitudinal edges of the paper web will be insensitive to tearing. The folded top longitudinal edge may be supplemented with the application of a supplemental top sheet of paper or cardboard onto the top face of the pallet of goods; this may be done prior to or after folding the top longitudinal edge of the paper web onto the top face of the pallet of goods. By applying the supplemental top sheet onto the top face of the pallet of goods prior to folding the top longitudinal edge of the paper web onto the top face of the pallet of goods, the supplemental top sheet may be held in place on the top face of the pallet of goods by the folded top longitudinal edge of the paper web. Beneficially, the top longitudinal edge of the paper web is folded after having cut the proximal paper web segment. The top longitudinal edge may be attached to the supplemental top sheet. This may be done using, for example, a tape or an adhesive, such as a fluid adhesive, such as a hot-melt adhesive.

[0031] According to embodiments, said continuous paper web extending from a paper roll is a kraft paper or similar, and / or a paper with a surface weight exceeding 60 g / m2, such as 60-180 g / m2, for example 60-140 g / m2, or more preferably 70-110 g / m2. Such paper provides a particularly strong and tear-resistant wrap. Kraft paper is paper produced by the kraft process, i.e. sulphate process, and is typically made of virgin cellulose fibre. Alternatively, the continuous paper web extending from a paper roll may be e.g. a test liner, i.e. a high-surface-density paper of recycled cellulose fibre, wherein the surface density is typically between 120 g / m2and 180 g / m2. Such paper gives a high strength in combination with a minimum of environmental impact.

[0032] According to embodiments, the method may further comprise folding a top longitudinal edge and / or a bottom longitudinal edge of paper unrolled from the paper roll to form an upper fold, typically a double-fold, and / or a lower fold, likewise typically a double-fold, defining a respective top longitudinal edge and / or bottom longitudinal edge of the paper web supplied to the wrapping gate. Thereby, the paper web, and the resulting pallet wrap, will be substantially stronger and less sensitive to rip.

[0033] According to a second aspect, there is provided a method of paper wrapping goods loaded on a pallet, for example in accordance with any of the embodiments defined hereinabove, comprising: providing a pallet of goods to be passed through a wrapping gate along a wrapping path, the pallet of goods having a front side facing towards the wrapping gate, a rear side opposite to the front side, a first lateral side and a second lateral side; transferring a length of paper, unrolled from a paper roll, to a paper magazine, the length of paper including a distal end of a continuous paper web extending from the paper roll; forming a paper curtain extending across the wrapping path at the wrapping gate, the paper curtain being formed by the paper web extending from the paper roll via a first side of the wrapping path, facing the first side of the pallet of goods, to the paper magazine on a second side of the wrapping path; passing the front side of the pallet of goods into the paper curtain, thereby at least partly covering the front side with paper; passing the pallet of goods through the wrapping gate, thereby at least partly covering the first lateral side with a first side segment of the paper web unrolled from the paper roll and at least partly covering the second lateral side with a second side segment of the paper web released from the paper magazine; attaching a proximal attachment portion adjacent to the distal end of the paper web, the proximal attachment portion being formed of a proximal paper web segment between the paper roll and the first side segment, thereby at least partly covering the rear side of the pallet of goods with paper; and cutting the proximal paper web segment between the proximal attachment portion and the paper roll. Such a method facilitates wrapping the pallet of goods using a single, continuous web of paper.

[0034] According to a third aspect, there is provided a paper wrapper for wrapping goods loaded on a pallet, comprising a conveyor configured to translate a pallet of goods relative to a wrapping gate along a wrapping path, the pallet of goods having a front side facing towards the wrapping gate, a rear side opposite to the front side, a first lateral side and a second lateral side; a paper supply on a first side of the wrapping path, the paper supply being configured to supply a paper web from a paper roll; a paper holder on a second side of the wrapping path and defining, together with the paper supply, the wrapping gate, the paper holder being configured to hold a distal end of the paper web such that the paper web defines a paper curtain extending across the wrapping path at the wrapping gate; a paper web deflector movable across the wrapping path; at least one paper attacher configured to attach the distal end of the web of paper and a proximal attachment portion, separated from the distal end by a paper loop extending about the pallet of goods, along an attachment plane parallel to the rear side of the pallet of goods; and a paper cutter configured to cut the paper web at a cutting position between the paper supply and the proximal attachment portion. Such a paper wrapper may be configured to carry out any of the methods defined hereinabove. The methods may be carried out by manually operating the various elements of the paper wrapper. Alternatively, any of the methods may be implemented in a controller of the paper wrapper, the controller being configured to automatically operate at least a subset of the elements of the paper wrapper, such as the paper web deflector, the paper attacher and the paper cutter. The paper attacher may be configured to attach each of the distal end and the proximal attachment portion along a respective vertical attachment line. According to embodiments, the at least one paper attacher may be configured to attach the distal end of the web of paper and the proximal attachment portion at an interface between the rear side and one of the lateral sides of the pallet of goods. According to embodiments, the paper web deflector may be configured as a deflection roller movable across the wrapping path.

[0035] According to embodiments, the paper wrapper may comprise control circuitry configured to operate the paper web deflector, the paper attacher and the paper cutter, wherein the control circuitry is configured to, in response to a pallet of goods having passed through the wrapping gate: operate the paper web deflector to move across the wrapping path; operate the paper attacher to attach the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion; and operate the paper cutter to cut the paper web between the proximal attachment portion and the paper supply.

[0036] According to embodiments, said at least one paper attacher may be configured to attach the distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion at an interface between the rear side and one of the lateral sides of the pallet of goods. According to embodiments, the control circuitry may be configured to operate the paper attacher to attach the distal end of the paper web at said interface between the rear side and said at one of the lateral sides of the pallet of goods; and operate the paper attacher to attach the proximal attachment portion at said interface between the rear side and said one of the lateral sides of the pallet of goods. Alternatively, the at least one paper attacher may be configured to attach the distal end and / or the proximal attachment portion at a distance from both lateral sides of the pallet of goods, for example at or adjacent to the lateral centre of the rear side of the pallet of goods.

[0037] According to embodiments, the paper attacher may comprise an adhesive applicator configured to apply adhesive to the paper web upstream of the paper web deflector.

[0038] According to embodiments, the paper attacher may further comprise pressing element for pressing the paper web against the pallet of goods, for example a flexible stroking element, such as a resilient stroker strip, for stroking the paper web against the pallet of goods. Such a stroker strip may be configured as a rubber strip.

[0039] According to embodiments, the paper wrapper may further comprise a paper nip configured to hold the distal end of the paper web at the rear side of the pallet of goods while operating the paper attacher.

[0040] According to embodiments, the paper web deflector may be configured to deflect a proximal segment of the paper web, the proximal segment comprising the proximal attachment portion, from the first side to the second side of the wrapping path.

[0041] According to embodiments, the paper holder may be is configured as a paper storage reel configured to receive a length of paper unrolled from the paper roll.

[0042] According to embodiments, the paper wrapper may comprise control circuitry configured to, after having operated the paper cutter to cut the paper web between the paper supply and the proximal attachment portion, operate the paper holder to attach a free end of the paper web, extending from the paper supply, to the paper holder. By way of example, the paper holder may be configured to close a vertical slit in the paper holder to clamp the free end of the paper web. Alternatively, the paper storage reel may be a vacuum reel configured to hold the free end by suction.

[0043] According to embodiments, the paper wrapper may further comprise at least one paper nip and control circuitry configured to operate the paper nip to, prior to operating the paper cutter, nip the paper web between the paper supply and the cutting position and to move, after having operated the paper cutter, the free end of the paper web extending from the paper supply to the paper holder. The paper nip may be configured to clamp the paper between two nip elements on respective opposite sides of the paper. Alternatively, the paper nip may be configured to grip the paper on one side only, for example by suction using a vacuum manipulator. The at least one paper nip may comprise an upper paper nip and a lower paper nip configured to nip a top longitudinal edge and a bottom longitudinal edge, respectively, of the paper web. According to embodiments, the paper web may have a width, in the vertical direction, which exceeds a vertical height of the paper storage reel. The upper paper nip may be positioned vertically higher than a top end of the paper holder, which may for example be a paper storage reel, and the lower paper nip may be positioned vertically lower than a bottom end of the paper holder. Such an arrangement may facilitate bringing the free end of the curtain portion into attachment with the paper.

[0044] According to embodiments, the paper wrapper may further comprise a deflection carriage movable across the wrapping path, the deflection carriage carrying the paper web deflector and the paper cutter, and optionally, a paper attacher of the at least one paper attacher and / or a paper nip as defined hereinabove. The deflection carriage may be movable along a guide rail extending across the wrapping path.

[0045] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a paper-wrapped pallet of goods comprising a pallet; goods loaded on the pallet; and a continuous length of paper wrap forming a loop about the pallet of goods, the continuous length of paper wrap having a first end and a second end, and comprising a front segment at least partly covering a front side of the pallet of goods; at least one rear wrap segment at least partly covering a rear side, opposite to the front side, of the pallet of goods; a first side segment at least partly covering a first lateral side of the pallet of goods; and a second side segment at least partly covering a second lateral side, opposite to the first lateral side, of the pallet of goods, wherein the first end is attached to the second end along an attachment plane which is parallel to the rear side of the pallet of goods, and / or the first end and the second end are attached at the pallet of goods. Such a paper-wrapped pallet may be obtained using any of the methods defined hereinabove. Accordingly, the first end of the continuous length of paper wrap may be defined by the distal end of the paper web, and the second end of the continuous length of paper wrap may be defined by the proximal attachment portion. The various embodiments of the methods result in various optional additional features of the paper-wrapped pallet of goods. For example, the paper wrap may be of any of the paper types defined hereinabove. Similarly, the respective attachment positions and attachment means of the first and / or second ends of the continuous length of paper wrap may be as defined hereinabove. For example, the first and / or second ends may be attached at a corner protector, with or without overlap, using e.g. adhesive.

[0046] It is noted that embodiments of the invention may be embodied by all possible combinations of features recited in the claims. Further, it will be appreciated that the various embodiments described for the first aspect are all combinable with the various embodiments described for the second, third and fourth aspects of the present invention, and vice versa.

[0047] Brief description of the drawings

[0048] The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be better understood through the following illustrative and nonlimiting detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the appended drawings, where the same reference numerals will be used for similar elements, wherein:

[0049] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a paper wrapper according to a first embodiment and a pallet of goods to be wrapped in paper;

[0050] Fig. 2 is an isometric perspective view of the paper wrapper and a pallet of goods of Fig. 1 , wherein a paper web has been drawn from a paper roll, across a wrapping path, to a paper storage reel, to form a paper curtain extending across a wrapping gate;

[0051] Fig. 3A is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 2 prior to moving the pallet of goods through the wrapping gate;

[0052] Fig. 3B is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 3A after having moved the pallet of goods through the wrapping gate;

[0053] Fig. 3C is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 3B, illustrating the application of a first string of adhesive at the pallet of goods;

[0054] Fig. 3D is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 3C, illustrating the application of a distal end of the paper web in the first string of adhesive applied at the pallet of goods;

[0055] Fig. 3E is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 3D, illustrating the application of a second string of adhesive at the pallet of goods; Fig. 3F is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 3E, illustrating the deflection of a proximal segment of the paper web across the wrapping path using a deflection carriage;

[0056] Fig. 3G is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 3F, illustrating the application of a proximal attachment portion of the proximal segment of the paper web in the second string of adhesive applied at the pallet of goods;

[0057] Fig. 3H is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 3G, illustrating the cutting of the proximal segment to form a free end of the paper web;

[0058] Fig. 3J is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 3H, illustrating the paper web after cutting;

[0059] Fig. 3K is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 3 J , illustrating the attachment of the free end of the paper web to the paper storage reel;

[0060] Fig. 3L is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 3K, illustrating the returning of the deflection carriage to a home position;

[0061] Fig. 3M is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 3L along with control circuitry for controlling the paper wrapper, illustrating the arrival of a subsequent pallet of goods to be wrapped, and the transfer of paper from the paper roll to the paper storage reel;

[0062] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of details of the deflection carriage of 3F;

[0063] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the pallet of goods of Fig. 1 after having been wrapped, and illustrates the application of a supplemental top sheet and the folding of top edges of the paper wrap;

[0064] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a paper supply for the paper wrapper of Fig. 1 , wherein top and bottom longitudinal edges of the paper are folded prior to supplying to the wrapping gate of Fig. 2;

[0065] Fig. 7A is a schematic top view of a paper wrapper according to a second embodiment, and a pallet of goods to be wrapped in paper prior to moving the pallet of goods along a wrapping path, through a wrapping gate of the paper wrapper, wherein similar to the first embodiment, a paper web has again been drawn from a paper roll, across the wrapping path, to a paper storage reel, to form a paper curtain extending across a wrapping gate; Fig. 7B is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 7A after having moved the pallet of goods through the wrapping gate, illustrating the deflection of the storage reel across the wrapping path;

[0066] Fig. 7C is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 7B, illustrating the holding, using paper nips, of a distal end of the paper web at the rear side of the pallet of goods;

[0067] Fig. 7D is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 7C, illustrating the return of the paper storage reel to its home position;

[0068] Fig. 7E is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 7D;

[0069] Fig. 7F is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 7D, illustrating the deflection of a proximal segment of the paper web across the wrapping path using a deflection carriage, and the application of adhesive on a proximal attachment portion of the proximal segment;

[0070] Fig. 7G is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 7F, including a magnified portion, illustrating the gripping of the proximal segment, and the cutting of the proximal segment to form a free end of the paper web extending from the paper roll;

[0071] Fig. 7G’ is a magnified portion of the paper wrapper and pallet of goods of Fig. 7G immediately after the cut illustrated in Fig. 7G, showing the free ends of the paper web resulting from the cut;

[0072] Fig. 7H is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 7F, including a magnified portion, illustrating the attachment of the proximal attachment portion to the distal end held by the paper nips;

[0073] Fig. 7J is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 7H, illustrating the continued travel of the pallet of goods and the deflection carriage after attaching the proximal attachment portion;

[0074] Fig. 7K is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 7 J , illustrating the insertion of the free end of the paper web into the paper storage reel;

[0075] Fig. 7L is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 7K, illustrating the attachment of the free end of the paper web to the paper storage reel and the returning of the deflection carriage to its home position; and Fig. 7M is a schematic top view of the paper wrapper and the pallet of goods of Fig. 7L illustrating the transfer of paper from the paper roll to the paper storage reel.

[0076] All the figures are schematic, not necessarily to scale, and generally only show parts which are necessary in order to elucidate the embodiments, wherein other parts may be omitted.

[0077] Detailed description of the exemplary embodiments

[0078] Fig. 1 illustrates a paper wrapper 10 for wrapping a pallet of goods 12 with paper according to a first embodiment. The paper wrapper 10 comprises a conveyor 14 configured to translate the pallet of goods 12 through a wrapping gate 16 along a wrapping path 18. The paper wrapper 10 further comprises a paper supply 20 on a first side 18a of the wrapping path 18, the paper supply 20 being configured to supply a paper web of kraft paper unrolled from a paper roll 22. On a second side 18b of the wrapping path 18, opposite to the first side 18a, the paper wrapper comprises a paper holder 24 which, together with the paper supply 20, defines the wrapping gate 16. The paper holder 24 is configured as a paper magazine in the form of a paper storage reel 26 configured to attach to a free end of the paper web, and roll up a length of paper of the paper web from the paper roll 22 to operate as a temporary paper magazine. For the purpose, the paper storage reel 26 comprises a vertical slit 27 which is configured to be selectably opened and closed to clamp and release, respectively, the free end of the paper web.

[0079] A guide rail 28 of the paper wrapper 10 extends across the wrapping path 18, and guides a deflection carriage 30 to move along the guide rail 28 across the wrapping path 18. The deflection carriage 30 carries, inter alia, a paper web deflector configured as a deflection roller 32 and a paper cutter 34 comprising a vertically movable knife (not visible in the view of Fig. 1 ). A paper attacher, configured as a vertically movable nozzle 36, or alternatively, a plurality of vertically distributed nozzles, for dispensing an adhesive, such as a fluid adhesive, which may be e.g. a hot-melt adhesive or a polyvinyl acetate adhesive, is arranged on the second side 18b of the wrapping path 18.

[0080] The pallet of goods 12 comprises goods 11 loaded on a pallet 13 and has a front side 12a facing towards the wrapping gate 16, a rear side 12b opposite to the front side 12a, a first lateral side 12c and a second lateral side 12d. For example, the goods may comprise a stack of boxes 11a. A first corner protector 38a protects a first vertical edge 39a of the pallet of goods 12 between the rear side 12b and the second lateral side 12d, a second corner protector 38b protects a second vertical edge 39b of the pallet of goods 12 between the rear side 12b and the first lateral side 12c, a third corner protector 38c protects a third vertical edge 39c of the pallet of goods 12 between the front side 12a and the first lateral side 12c, and a fourth corner protector 38d protects a fourth vertical edge 39d of the pallet of goods 12 between the front side 12a and the second lateral side 12c. The corner protectors 38a-d may be held in place e.g. by a horizontal strap 40, illustrated in Fig. 1 only, which strap 40 may form a loop about the corner protectors 38a-d and the goods 14 of the pallet of goods 12. Alternatively, the corner protectors 38a-d may be held in place by temporary means, e.g. robot arms (not illustrated), during wrapping of the pallet of goods 12, and may thereafter be held in place by the paper wrap enclosing the pallet of goods 12. The corner protectors 38a-d are optional.

[0081] Fig. 2 illustrates the paper wrapper 10 in a state in which it is ready to receive the pallet of goods 12 for wrapping. A web of paper 42, unrolled from the paper roll 22, extends across the wrapping path 18 to define a paper curtain 44 extending across the wrapping path 18 at the wrapping gate 16. A distal end of the paper web 42 is held in the paper storage reel 26 (Fig. 1 ), and a length of the paper web 42 is rolled onto the paper storage reel 26. The deflection carriage 30, which is in a home position on the first side 18a of the wrapping path 18, further carries a pair of paper nips 41 a, 41 b, comprising an upper paper nip 41 a and a lower paper nip 41 b, which are configured to selectably nip a top longitudinal edge 43a and a bottom longitudinal edge 43b, respectively, of the paper web 42. The conveyor 14 comprises a conveyor motor 15 which is configured to selectably forward the pallet of goods 12 at a controllable speed. A typical vertical height H1 of the pallet of goods 12, i.e. including the vertical height of the pallet 13, may be, for example, between 700 mm and 1300 mm, and the paper curtain 44 may have a typical vertical height H2 of e.g. between 500 mm and 1500 mm.

[0082] The function and use of the various elements of the paper wrapper 10 will be described with reference to the simplified, schematic top views of Figs 3A-3M.

[0083] Starting with Fig. 3A, a pallet of goods 12, which is to be passed through a wrapping gate 16 (Fig. 1 ), arrives on the conveyor 14 (Fig. 1 ) along the wrapping path 18. The pallet of goods 12 has a horizontal length L along the wrapping path 18, which, for example, may be between 1000 mm and 3500 mm, and a horizontal width W perpendicular to the wrapping path 18 which, for example, may be between 400 mm and 2500 mm. In the view of Fig. 3A, a length of paper unrolled from the paper roll 22 has already been rolled up on the paper storage reel 26. The length of paper rolled onto the paper storage reel 26 is based on the horizontal length L of the pallet of goods 12, which length L may have been obtained by measuring the horizontal length L of the pallet of goods 12. For example, the length of paper rolled onto the paper storage reel 26 may correspond to the horizontal length L of the pallet of goods, and may optionally include an extra length of e.g. 20 - 200 mm which may be folded about the rear side of the pallet of goods as will be elucidated further below.

[0084] Moving from Fig. 3A to Fig. 3B, the front side 12a of the pallet of goods 12 is passed into the paper curtain 44, thereby covering the front side 12a (Fig. 3A) with a front segment 42a of the paper web 42. The pallet of goods 12 is moved forward along the wrapping path 18 until the entire pallet of goods 12 has passed through the wrapping gate 16. Thereby, a first side segment 42c of paper, unrolled from the paper roll 22, will be supplied by the paper supply 20 via the deflection roller 32 to cover the first lateral side 12c of the pallet of goods 12, and a second side segment 42d of paper, unrolled from the paper storage reel 26, will cover the second lateral side 12d of the pallet of goods 12. The wrapping gate 16 may have a horizontal width of, for example, between 700 mm and 2600 mm. As apparent from the view of Fig. 3B, the paper of the paper web 42 has an inner face 47a, which faces the pallet of goods 12, and an outer face 47b which faces away from the pallet of goods. The distal end 45 of the paper web 42 remains held by the paper storage reel 26.

[0085] Now with reference to Fig. 3C, after having passed the pallet of goods 12 through the wrapping gate 16, the nozzle 36 is moved vertically along the first vertical edge 39a of the pallet of goods 12 while dispensing a string of adhesive, such as hot- melt adhesive, on the rear face of the first corner protector 38a (Fig. 1 ).

[0086] Thereafter, as illustrated in Fig. 3D, the paper storage reel 26 is operated to press the inner face 47a (Fig. 3B) of the distal end 45 of the paper web 42 into the string of hot-melt adhesive, to attach the distal end 45 to the first corner protector 38a of the pallet of goods 12. In the illustrated example, the distal end 45 of the paper web is attached to an attachment surface of the first corner protector 38a which extends along an attachment plane P parallel to the rear side 12b of the pallet of goods 12. The vertical slit 27 of the paper storage reel 26 is opened to release the free, distal end 45 of the paper web 42.

[0087] Next, as illustrated in Fig. 3E, the nozzle 36 is again moved vertically along the first vertical edge 39a of the pallet of goods 12 while dispensing a string of hot-melt adhesive on the outer face 47b (Fig. 3B) of the distal end 45 of the paper web 42. The paper storage reel 26 has been returned to its home position.

[0088] In Fig. 3F, the deflection carriage 30 is moved from the first side 18a of the wrapping path 18, across the wrapping path 18 along the guide rail 28, to the second side 18b of the wrapping path 18. Thereby, the deflection roller 32 deflects a proximal paper web segment 42e of the paper web 42, between the paper roll 22 and the first side segment 42c (Fig. 3E), across the wrapping path 18. The proximal paper web segment 42e, which is unrolled from the paper roll 22, comprises a rear wrap segment 42b, which is to cover the rear side 12b of the pallet of goods 12, and a curtain segment 42f which is to form a new paper curtain 44 (Fig. 2) for receiving a subsequent pallet of goods. The rear wrap segment 42b is a proximal rear wrap segment, i.e. its position along the paper web 42 which is to enclose the pallet of goods is at the portion of the paper web 42 closest to the paper roll 22. Having reached the position of Fig. 3F, the paper web 42 forms a paper loop covering all sides 12a-d of the pallet of goods 12, and a proximal attachment portion 49 of the rear wrap segment 42b is in the next step to be attached at the pallet of goods 12.

[0089] In Fig. 3G, the deflection roller 32 is moved to press the inner face 47a (Fig. 3B) of the proximal attachment portion 49 of the paper web 42 into the string of hot- melt adhesive, to attach the proximal attachment portion 49 to the first corner protector 38a (Fig. 1 ) via an overlap with the already-attached distal end 45 (Fig. 3D) of the paper web 42. Accordingly, also the proximal attachment portion 49 is attached to the attachment surface of the first corner protector 38a which extends along the attachment plane P (Fig. 3D) parallel to the rear side 12b of the pallet of goods 12.

[0090] In Fig. 3H, the paper nips 41a, 41 b are operated to nip the top and bottom longitudinal edges 43a, 43b (Fig. 2) of the paper web 42, and the knife 34a of the paper cutter 34 (Fig. 1 ) is thereafter moved vertically across the web of paper to cut and separate the rear wrap segment 42b from the curtain segment 42f, which brings the situation to the view of Fig. 3J. The paper nips 41a, 41 b operate as a free end holding arrangement which holds the free end 45’ of the curtain segment 42f after the cut.

[0091] Now with reference to Fig. 3K, after having separated the rear wrap segment 42b from the curtain segment 42f, the now fully wrapped pallet of goods 12 is no longer connected to the paper web 42, and may be moved away from the wrapping gate 16 (Fig. 1 ) along the conveyor 14 (Fig. 1 ). The pallet of goods 12 is wrapped in a continuous length of paper wrap 60 defined by the front segment 42a (Fig. 3B), the rear wrap segment 42b (Fig. 3F), the first side segment 42c (Fig. 3B) and the second side segment 42d (Fig. 3B), which have been released from the paper web 42 extending from the paper roll 22. The continuous length of paper wrap 60 extends from a first end, defined by the distal end 45 (Fig. 3B), to a second end defined by the proximal attachment portion 49 (Fig. 3F).The deflection carriage 30 with the paper nips 41a, 41 b is moved towards the paper storage reel 26 to insert the free end 45’ of the paper web 42 into the slit 27 of the paper storage reel 26, to enable the transfer of a new length of paper to the paper storage reel 26. Even though, for clarity reasons, the paper nips 41a, 41 b are illustrated laterally separated from the paper storage reel 26 in the schematic view of Fig. 3K, the paper storage reel 26 may have a vertical height which permits the paper nips 41 a, 41 b to be moved to respective positions directly above and below the paper storage reel 26. Thereby, the paper web 42 may be held much closer to the free end 45’ than illustrated in Fig. 3K, which facilitates a precise insertion into the slit 27. After having inserted the free end 45’ of the paper web 42 in the slit 27, the slit may be closed to grip the free end 45’ of the paper web 42 as illustrated in Fig. 3L.

[0092] Thereafter, the paper nips 41a, 41 b may be opened, and the deflection carriage 30 may be returned to its home position on the first side 18a of the wrapping path 18.

[0093] Fig. 3M illustrates the transfer of a length of paper from the paper roll 22 to the paper storage reel 26 to prepare the paper wrapper 10 for receiving a subsequent pallet of goods 12. All the above operations are directed by control circuitry, embodied by a controller 46, configured to control the operation of the conveyor motor 15, the rotation and movement of the paper storage reel 26, the opening and closing of the slit 27 (Fig. 1) of the paper storage reel 26, the deflection carriage’s 30 movement along the guide rail 28, the deflection roller’s 32 movement in relation to the deflection carriage 30, the operation of the nozzle 36 and the paper cutter 34, and the opening and closing of the paper nips 41a, 41 b. The controller 46 further receives input from a sensor arrangement 48 configured to detect when an electromagnetic beam 50 is broken by a pallet of goods 12 which moves along the wrapping path 18. Based on the speed of the conveyor motor 15 and the time during which the beam 50 is broken, the controller determines horizontal length L of the pallet of goods. Alternatively, the length L may be determined based on the number of turns of the conveyor motor 15, which may be a stepper motor, in combination with detection of the front and rear ends of the pallet of goods 12 at one or several points along the conveyor 14. Still alternatively, the length L may be dynamically set by an operator or pre-configured in the controller 46.

[0094] Based on the length L, the controller directs the paper storage reel 26 to roll up a corresponding length of the paper web 42 from the paper roll 22.

[0095] Fig. 4 illustrates elements of the deflection carriage 30 in greater detail. The deflection roller 32 is pivotally mounted to the carriage 30, to pivot about a vertical axis A, by means of actuators 31a, 31b operating lever arms 33a, 33b holding the deflection roller 32. Fig. 4 also illustrates the lower paper nip 41b.

[0096] Fig. 5 illustrates the pallet of goods 12 after having been passed through the wrapping gate 16 (Fig. 1 ), the front, rear and lateral sides 12a-d (Fig. 1 ) being covered with respective paper web segments 42a-b, and the distal end 45 and proximal attachment portion 49 of the paper web being attached at the interface between the rear side 12b and the second lateral side 12d of the pallet of goods 12.

[0097] After wrapping, the top longitudinal edge 43a of the paper web segments 42a- d extends above the pallet of goods 12. In a last step of the wrapping process, a supplemental top sheet 52 of paper or cardboard is positioned on the top face 12e of the pallet of goods 12, and the top longitudinal edge 43a of the paper web segments 42a-d is folded down onto the supplemental top sheet 52 and attached thereto by, e.g., a tape or an adhesive, e.g. a dispensable adhesive, such as a hot-melt adhesive.

[0098] Fig. 6 schematically illustrates an alternative paper supply 20’, wherein both the top and bottom longitudinal edges of the paper unrolled from the paper roll 22 are folded, using fold rollers 53a-c, prior to wrapping the pallet of goods 12 (Fig. 1 ). Thereby, the upper and lower folds 54a, 54b will form the top and bottom longitudinal edges 43a, 43b of the paper web supplied to the wrapping gate 16 (Fig. 1 ), with an increased strength at the lower and upper edge of the paper. A typical width W3 of the paper on the paper roll 22 may be e.g. between 500 mm and 1900 mm.

[0099] Fig. 7A illustrates a paper wrapper 110 for wrapping a pallet of goods 12 with paper in accordance with a second embodiment. The paper wrapper 110 is identical to the paper wrapper 10 of the first embodiment but for a few differences which will be elucidated in the following; for the sake of expedience, elements which are identical are not described in detail.

[0100] Similar to the paper wrapper 10 of the first embodiment, the paper wrapper 110 of the second embodiment comprises a deflection carriage 130 guided across the wrapping path 18. Similar to the deflection carriage 30 of the first embodiment, the deflection carriage 130 of the second embodiment carries, inter alia, a deflection roller 32, a paper cutter 34, a paper attacher 36, and a first set of upper and lower paper nips 41a, 41 b. In addition thereto, the deflection carriage 130 carries a stroking element configured as a resilient stroker strip 190, the function of which will be elucidated further below. In Fig. 7B and onwards, elements of the deflection carriage 130 which are not presently active may be omitted for clarity of illustration. The paper wrapper also comprises a printer 192 configured to print e.g. text, barcodes and QR codes on the paper web 42, and particularly, on what is to become the outer face of the paper wrap finally enclosing the pallet of goods 12. Similar to the first embodiment 10 of Figs 1-6, all elements, such as the conveyor 14 (Fig. 1), the storage reel 26, the deflection carriage 130 etc, are controlled by control circuitry 46 (Fig. 3M).

[0101] Fig. 7A illustrates the paper wrapper in a state in which it is ready to receive the pallet of goods 12 for wrapping, i.e. similar to the first embodiment, a web of paper 42 extends from the paper roll 22, and defines a paper curtain 44 across the wrapping path 18 at the wrapping gate 16. A distal end of the paper web 42 is again held in the paper storage reel 26, and a length of the paper web 42 is rolled onto the paper storage reel 26. In the situation illustrated in Fig. 7A, a pallet of goods 12 arrives along the wrapping path 18, and the deflection carriage 130 is in its home position on the first side 18a of the wrapping path 18.

[0102] Moving from Fig. 7A to Fig. 7B, the front side 12a of the pallet of goods 12 is passed into the paper curtain 44, thereby covering the front side 12a (Fig. 7A) with a front segment 42a of the paper web 42. The pallet of goods 12 is moved forward along the wrapping path 18 until the entire pallet of goods 12 has passed through the wrapping gate 16. Thereby, a first side segment 42c of paper, unrolled from the paper roll 22, will be supplied by the paper supply 20 via the deflection roller 32 to cover the first lateral side 12c of the pallet of goods 12, and a second side segment 42d of paper, unrolled from the paper storage reel 26, will cover the second lateral side 12d of the pallet of goods 12. The distal end 45 of the paper web 42 remains held by the paper storage reel 26.

[0103] Now with reference to Fig. 7C, after having passed the pallet of goods 12 through the wrapping gate 16, the paper storage reel 26 is deflected across the wrapping path 18, while unrolling a distal rear wrap segment 142b of the paper web from the paper storage reel 26. After having unrolled the distal rear wrap segment 142b, a second set of paper nips 141a, 141 b is operated to grip the distal rear wrap segment 142b, at an upper and a lower end thereof, and hold it.

[0104] Thereafter, with reference to Fig. 7D, the vertical slit 27 of the storage reel 26 is opened to release the distal end 45 of the paper web 42 from the storage reel 26, and thereafter, the storage reel 26 is returned to its home position as illustrated by the arrow. Even though Fig. 7D for clarity of illustration shows the distal end 45 of the paper web 42 held at a distance from the rear side 12b of the pallet of goods 12, the second set of paper nips 141a, 141 b hold the distal end 45 of the paper web 42 close to, or in abutment with, the rear side 12b of the pallet of goods 12.

[0105] Fig. 7E illustrates the situation of Fig. 7D in perspective. Similar to the first set of paper nips 41a, 41 b (Fig. 7A), also the second set of paper nips comprises an upper paper nip 141 a and a lower paper nip 141 b. The upper and lower paper nips 141a, 141 b, which are controlled by the control circuitry, are vertically movable and grip the distal end 45 of the paper web 42 from above and below, respectively. Fig. 7E also illustrates the paper attacher 36, which is configured as a vertically extending bar 194 holding a plurality of vertically distributed spray nozzles configured to spray polyvinyl acetate adhesive on what is to become the inner face 47a (Fig. 7D) of the paper web 42.

[0106] Next, as illustrated in Fig. 7F, the deflection carriage 130 is moved along the guide rail 28 (Fig. 1 ) from the first side 18a of the wrapping path 18, across the wrapping path 18, towards the second side 18b of the wrapping path 18. Thereby, the deflection roller 32 deflects a proximal paper web segment 42e of the paper web 42, between the paper roll 22 and the first side segment 42c (Fig. 7B), across the wrapping path 18. The proximal paper web segment 42e, which is unrolled from the paper roll 22, comprises a proximal rear wrap segment 42b, which is to cover the rear side 12b of the pallet of goods 12, and a curtain segment 42f which is to form a new paper curtain 44 (Fig. 7A) for receiving a subsequent pallet of goods. When moving the deflection carriage 130, the resilient stroker strip 190 strokes along the outer face 47 of the paper web 42, and thereby tensions the proximal rear wrap segment 42b along the rear side 12b of the pallet of goods 12. In the intermediate position illustrated in Fig. 7F, the controller 46 (Fig. 3M) operates the paper attacher 36 to spray adhesive on an attachment surface 49a of the proximal attachment portion 49 of the proximal rear wrap segment 42b.

[0107] In the intermediate position of the deflection carriage 130 illustrated in Fig. 7G, the first set of paper nips 41a, 41 b are operated to nip the top and bottom longitudinal edges 43a, 43b (Fig. 2) of the proximal segment 42e of the paper web 42, and the paper cutter 34 is thereafter operated to cut the paper web 42 and separate the proximal rear wrap segment 42b from the curtain segment 42f. After cutting, the proximal rear wrap segment 42b is maintained tightened against the rear side 12b of the pallet of goods 12 by the stroker strip 190, whilst the curtain segment 42f is held by the first set of paper nips 41 a, 41 b. The proximal attachment portion 49 of the proximal rear wrap segment 42b, which was sprayed with adhesive in Fig. 7F, has now moved to the new position indicated in Fig. 7G, where it has been turned about the deflection roller 32 such that the attachment surface 49a (Fig. 7F) with the adhesive applied thereon now faces towards the pallet of goods 12. Fig. 7G’ is a magnified portion of the situation immediately after cutting, in which each of the proximal attachment portion 49 and the paper web 42 remaining connected to the paper roll 22 (Fig. 7G) now has a respective free end 49’, 45’ resulting from the cut.

[0108] After cutting, the deflection carriage 130 continues to travel across the wrapping path 18 in the direction of the arrow, while stroking along the proximal rear wrap segment 42b and unrolling additional length of the paper web 42 from the paper roll 22. When reaching the position of Fig. 7H, the proximal attachment portion 49 overlaps with the distal end 45 (Fig. 7G) held by the second set of paper nips 141a, 141 b, and the stroker strip 190 presses the proximal attachment portion 49 onto the distal end 45, which is supported by the rear side 12b of the pallet of goods 12, such that the adhesive sprayed on the inner face 47a (Fig. 7F) of the proximal attachment portion 49 (Fig. 7G) attaches to the outer face 47b (Fig. 7G) of the distal end 45 along an attachment plane P which is parallel to the rear side 12b of the pallet of goods 12. Due to the overlap between the proximal attachment portion 49 and the distal end 45 at the position of the adhesive applied to the proximal attachment portion 49, the proximal attachment portion 49 is in this embodiment attached to the distal end 45 without attaching any of the proximal attachment portion 49 and the distal end 45 directly to the pallet of goods 12. The parallel relationship between the attachment plane P and the rear side 12b of the pallet of goods 12 is also illustrated in the perspective view of Fig. 7E.

[0109] The pallet of goods 12 is now wrapped in a continuous length of paper wrap 60 (Fig. 7H) defined by the front segment 42a (Fig. 7B), the distal rear wrap segment 142b (Fig. 7C), the proximal rear wrap segment 42b (Fig. 7F), the first side segment 42c (Fig. 7B) and the second side segment 42d (Fig. 7B), which have been released from the paper web 42 extending from the paper roll 22. The continuous length of paper wrap 60 extends in a loop around the pallet of goods 12 from a first end, defined by the distal end 45 (Fig. 7D), to a second end defined by the proximal attachment portion 49 (Fig. 7H).

[0110] As illustrated by Fig. 7J, the stroker strip 190 continues to stroke along the rear side 12b of the pallet of goods 12 until it has passed the free end of the proximal attachment portion 49, such that the entire proximal attachment portion 49, including the entire portion which has the adhesive applied thereon, is pressed onto the distal end 45. No longer being connected to the paper web 42, the now fully wrapped pallet of goods 12 may be moved away from the wrapping gate 16 (Fig. 1 ) along the conveyor 14 (Fig. 1 ) in the direction of the upwards arrow of Fig. 7J, whereas the deflection carriage 130 with the first set of paper nips 41 a, 41 b holding the paper web 42 continues across the wrapping path 18 towards the paper storage reel 26. The position of the deflection roller 32 on the deflection carriage 130 is adjusted such that, now with reference to Fig. 7K, the free end 45’ of the paper web 42 can be inserted into the slit 27 of the paper storage reel 26.

[0111] In Fig. 7L, the storage reel 26 has been operated to close the slit 27 and grip the free end 45’ (Fig. 7K) of the paper web 42, and the first set of paper nips 41 a, 41 b have thereafter been operated to release the paper web 42. The deflection carriage 130 is returned to its home position on the first side 18a of the wrapping path 18, and the deflection roller 32 is returned to its operating position on the deflection carriage 130 for deflecting the next segment of paper wrap.

[0112] Lastly, in Fig. 7M, a new length of paper is transferred from the paper roll 22 to the storage reel 26 to prepare the paper wrapper 110 for receiving a subsequent pallet of goods 12.

[0113] The invention has mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended patent claims. For example, the paper magazine does not need to be configured as a paper storage reel; alternatively, for example, the paper magazine may store paper between rollers, the distance between which can be changed depending on the length of paper in the paper magazine. Nor is the paper magazine necessary. Instead, for example, the paper web may be unrolled solely from the paper roll as the pallet of goods moves through the wrapping gate, and the paper web may translate laterally in front of the pallet of goods as more paper is needed to cover the second lateral side of the pallet of goods. Neither the paper storage reel, nor the deflection roller are needed for pressing the paper web into attachment with the pallet of goods. Instead, for example, additional, specifically designated press rollers may be provided for the purpose. The distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion do not need to be attached to a corner protector; alternatively, they may be attached at some other part of the pallet of goods, for example directly to the goods. The distal end of the paper web and the proximal attachment portion also do not need to be attached to at an interface between the rear side and one of the lateral sides of the pallet of goods; instead, for example, they may be attached adjacent to the lateral centre of the rear side of the pallet of goods. The paper web need not be glued to the pallet of goods using adhesive or tape. Instead, for example, the paper web may be stapled to the pallet of goods. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality.

Claims

Claims1 . A method of paper wrapping goods (11) loaded on a pallet (13), comprising: providing a pallet of goods (12) to be passed through a wrapping gate (16) along a wrapping path (18), the pallet of goods (12) having a front side (12a) facing towards the wrapping gate (16), a rear side (12b) opposite to the front side (12a), a first lateral side (12c) and a second lateral side (12d); passing the front side (12a) of the pallet of goods (12) into a paper curtain (44) extending across the wrapping path (18) at the wrapping gate (16), thereby at least partly covering the front side (12a) with paper, the paper curtain (44) being formed by a continuous paper web (42) extending from a paper roll (22) via a first side (18a) of the wrapping path (18), facing the first lateral side (12c) of the pallet of goods (12), to a distal end (45) of the paper web (42) held on a second side (18b) of the wrapping path (18) facing the second lateral side (12d) of the pallet of goods (12); passing the pallet of goods (12) through the wrapping gate (16), thereby at least partly covering the first lateral side (12c) with a first side segment (42c) of the paper web (42) and at least partly covering the second lateral side (12d) with a second side segment (42d) of the paper web (42); deflecting at least one rear wrap segment (42b, 142b) of the paper web (42) across the wrapping path (18), the at least one rear wrap segment (42b, 142b) thereby at least partly covering the rear side (12b) of the pallet of goods (12), and the paper web (42) forming a paper loop about the pallet of goods (12); attaching the distal end (45) of the paper web (42), and a proximal attachment portion (49) formed of a proximal paper web segment (42e) located between the paper roll (22) and the first side segment (42c), along an attachment plane (P) which is parallel to the rear side (12b) of the pallet of goods; and cutting the proximal paper web segment (42e) between the proximal attachment portion (49) and the paper roll (22) to form a free end (45’) of the paper web (42) extending from the paper roll (22).

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein attaching the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and the proximal attachment portion (49) comprises attachingthe proximal attachment portion (49) to the distal end (45) of the paper web (42), optionally without attaching any of the proximal attachment portion (49) and the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) directly to the pallet of goods (12).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein attaching the proximal attachment portion (49) to the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) comprises holding one of the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and the proximal attachment portion (49) at the rear side (12b) of the pallet of goods (12); and pressing an inner face (47a) of the other of the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and the proximal attachment portion (49) against an outer face (47b) of said one of the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and the proximal attachment portion (49).

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said pressing an inner face (47a) of the other of the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and the proximal attachment portion (49) against an outer face (47b) of said one of the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and the proximal attachment portion (49) comprises stroking said other of the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and the proximal attachment portion (49) along the rear side (12b) of the pallet of goods (12), towards said one of the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and the proximal attachment portion (49).

5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising applying adhesive to an attachment surface (49a) of one of the proximal attachment portion (49) and the distal end (45) of the paper web (42), preferably said attachment surface facing away from the pallet of goods (12); turning the attachment surface (49a) towards the pallet of goods (12); and pressing the attachment surface (49a) against the other of the proximal attachment portion (49) and the distal end (45) of the paper web (42).

6. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein attaching the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) comprises attaching the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) at the pallet of goods (12); and / or attaching the proximal attachment portion (49) comprises attaching the proximal attachment portion (49) at the pallet of goods (12).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein attaching the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) at the pallet of goods (12) comprises attaching the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) at an interface (39a; 39b) between the rear side (12b) and one of the lateral sides (12d; 12c) of the pallet of goods (12); and / or wherein attaching the proximal attachment portion (49) at the pallet of goods (12) comprises attaching the proximal attachment portion (49) at said interface (39a; 39b) between the rear side (12b) and said one of the lateral sides (12d; 12c) of the pallet of goods (12).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said interface between the rear side (12b) and said one of said lateral sides of the pallet of goods (12) is an interface (39a) between the rear side (12b) and the second lateral side (12d) of the pallet of goods (12); and cutting the proximal paper web segment (42e) between the proximal attachment portion (49) and the paper roll (22) comprises cutting the proximal paper web segment (42e) between a proximal rear wrap segment (42b) and the curtain segment (42f), such that the curtain segment (42f) extends from the paper roll (22) via the first side (18a) of the wrapping path (18) to the free end (45’) of the paper web (42) on the second side (18b) of the wrapping path (18).

9. The method according to any of the claims 7-8, wherein deflecting at least one rear wrap segment of the paper web (42) across the wrapping path (18) comprises deflecting the distal end (45) from the second side (18b) of the wrapping path (18) towards the first side (18a) of the wrapping path (18); and said interface between the rear side (12b) and said one of said lateral sides of the pallet of goods (12) is an interface (39b) between the rear side (12b) and the first lateral side (12c) of the pallet of goods (12).

10. The method according to any of the claims 7-9, wherein attaching the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) at said interface (39a; 49b) between the rear side (12b) and said one of the lateral sides (12d; 12c) of the pallet of goods (12) comprises attaching the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) directly or indirectly to a corner protector (38a; 38b) of the pallet ofgoods (12), and attaching the proximal attachment portion (49) at said interface (39a; 39b) between the rear side (12b) and said one of the lateral sides (12d; 12c) of the pallet of goods (12) comprises attaching the proximal attachment portion (49) directly or indirectly to said corner protector (39a; 39b).11 .The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein deflecting at least one rear wrap segment (42b, 142b) of the paper web (42) across the wrapping path (18) comprises deflecting the proximal paper web segment (42e) from the first side (18a) of the wrapping path (18) towards the second side (18b) of the wrapping path (18), the proximal paper web segment (42e) comprising a proximal rear wrap segment (42b) and a curtain segment (42f) configured to form at least a part of a new paper curtain (44) for receiving a subsequent pallet of goods (12).

12. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: prior to passing the front side (12a) of the pallet of goods (12) into the paper curtain (44), transferring a length of paper unrolled from the paper roll (22) to a paper magazine (26) on the second side (18b) of the wrapping path (18), wherein passing the pallet of goods (12) through the wrapping gate (16), thereby at least partly covering the first lateral side (12c) with a first side segment (42c) of the paper web (42) and at least partly covering the second lateral side (12d) with a second side segment (42d) of the paper web (42) comprises unrolling at least a portion of the paper making up the first side segment (42c) from the paper roll (22); and releasing at least a portion of the paper making up the second side segment (42d) from the paper magazine (26).

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: prior to transferring a length of paper unrolled from the paper roll (22) to a paper magazine (26) on the second side (18b) of the wrapping path (18), measuring at least one dimension (L) of the pallet of goods (12), such as a length (L) of the pallet of goods (12), wherein the length of paper transferred to the paper magazine (26) is based on the measured dimension (L) of the pallet of goods (12).

14. The method according to any of the claims 12-13, further comprising: after cutting the proximal paper web segment (42e), moving the free end (45’) of the paper web (42) extending from the paper roll (22) to the paper magazine (26).

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein moving the free end (45’) of the paper web (42) extending from the paper roll (22) to the paper magazine (26) comprises holding the free end (45’) of the paper web (42) using a free end holding arrangement (41 a, 41 b), and moving the free end (45’) of the paper web (42) to the paper magazine (26) by moving the free end holding arrangement (41 a, 41 b) in relation to the paper magazine (26).

16. The method according to any of the claims 14-15, comprising after having moved the free end (45’) of the paper web (42) extending from the paper roll (22) to the paper magazine (26), transferring a length of paper from the paper roll (22) to the paper magazine (26), for example by rolling up paper on the second side (18b) of the wrapping path (18).

17. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and the proximal attachment portion (49) are attached using a tape or an adhesive, such as a fluid adhesive, such as a polyvinyl acetate adhesive or a hot-melt adhesive.

18. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein attaching the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and the proximal attachment portion (49) comprises attaching an inner face (47a) of one of the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and the proximal attachment portion (49) to an outer face (47b) of the other of the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and the proximal attachment portion (49).

19. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein passing the pallet of goods (12) through the wrapping gate (16) comprises moving the pallet of goods (12) along a conveyor (14) through the wrapping gate (16).

20. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: prior to passing the front side (12a) of the pallet of goods (12) into thepaper curtain (44), folding at least one longitudinal edge (43a, 43b) of the paper web (42) extending from the paper roll (22).

21. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: after passing the pallet of goods (12) through the wrapping gate (16), folding a top longitudinal edge (43a) of the paper web (42) onto a top face (12e) of the pallet of goods (12).

22. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said continuous paper web (42) extending from a paper roll (22) is a kraft paper or similar, and / or a paper with a surface weight exceeding 60 g / m2, such as 60-180 g / m2, for example 60-140 g / m2.

23. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising folding a top longitudinal edge and / or a bottom longitudinal edge of paper unrolled from the paper roll (22) to form an upper fold (54a) and / or a lower fold (54b) defining a respective top longitudinal edge (43a) and / or bottom longitudinal edge (43b) of the paper web supplied to the wrapping gate (16).

24. A method of paper wrapping goods (11 ) loaded on a pallet (13), for example in accordance with any of the preceding claims, comprising: providing a pallet of goods (12) to be passed through a wrapping gate (16) along a wrapping path (18), the pallet of goods (12) having a front side (12a) facing towards the wrapping gate (16), a rear side (12b) opposite to the front side (12a), a first lateral side (12c) and a second lateral side (12d); transferring a length of paper, unrolled from a paper roll (22), to a paper magazine (26), the length of paper including a distal end (45) of a continuous paper web (42) extending from the paper roll (22); forming a paper curtain (44) extending across the wrapping path (18) at the wrapping gate (16), the paper curtain (44) being formed by the paper web (42) extending from the paper roll (22) via a first side (18a) of the wrapping path (18), facing the first side of the pallet of goods (12), to the paper magazine (26) on a second side (18b) of the wrapping path (18); passing the front side (12a) of the pallet of goods (12) into the paper curtain (44), thereby at least partly covering the front side (12a) with paper; passing the pallet of goods (12) through the wrapping gate (16), therebyat least partly covering the first lateral side (12c) with a first side segment (42c) of the paper web (42) unrolled from the paper roll (22) and at least partly covering the second lateral side (12d) with a second side segment (42d) of the paper web (42) released from the paper magazine (26); attaching a proximal attachment portion (49) adjacent to the distal end (45) of the paper web (42), the proximal attachment portion (49) being formed of a proximal paper web segment (42e) between the paper roll (22) and the first side segment (42c), thereby at least partly covering the rear side (12b) of the pallet of goods (12) with paper; and cutting the proximal paper web segment (42e) between the proximal attachment portion (49) and the paper roll (22).

25. A paper wrapper (10; 110) for wrapping goods (11 ) loaded on a pallet (13), comprising a conveyor (14) configured to translate a pallet of goods (12) relative to a wrapping gate (16) along a wrapping path (18), the pallet of goods (12) having a front side (12a) facing towards the wrapping gate (16), a rear side (12b) opposite to the front side (12a), a first lateral side (12c) and a second lateral side (12d); a paper supply (20) on a first side (18a) of the wrapping path (18), the paper supply being configured to supply a paper web (42) from a paper roll (22); a paper holder (26) on a second side (18b) of the wrapping path (18) and defining, together with the paper supply, the wrapping gate (16), the paper holder (26) being configured to hold a distal end (45) of the paper web (42) such that the paper web (42) defines a paper curtain (44) extending across the wrapping path (18) at the wrapping gate (16); a paper web deflector (32) movable across the wrapping path (18); at least one paper attacher (36) configured to attach the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and a proximal attachment portion (49), separated from the distal end (45) by a paper loop extending about the pallet of goods (12), along an attachment plane (P) which is parallel to the rear side (12b) of the pallet of goods (12); and a paper cutter (34) configured to cut the paper web (42) at a cuttingposition between the paper supply (20) and the proximal attachment portion (49).

26. The paper wrapper according to claim 25, comprising control circuitry (46) configured to operate the paper web deflector (32), the paper attacher (36) and the paper cutter (34), wherein the control circuitry (46) is configured to, in response to a pallet of goods (12) having passed through the wrapping gate (16): operate the paper web deflector (32) to move across the wrapping path (18); operate the paper attacher (36) to attach the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and the proximal attachment portion (49); and operate the paper cutter (34) to cut the paper web (42) between the proximal attachment portion (49) and the paper supply (20).

27. The paper wrapper according to any of the claims 25-26, wherein said at least one paper attacher (36) is configured to attach the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) and the proximal attachment portion (49) at an interface (39a; 39b) between the rear side (12b) and one of the lateral sides (12d; 12b) of the pallet of goods (12).

28. The paper wrapper according to claim 27 in combination with claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is configured to operate the paper attacher (36) to attach the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) at said interface (39a; 39b) between the rear side (12b) and said at one of the lateral sides of the pallet of goods (12); and operate the paper attacher (36) to attach the proximal attachment portion (49) at said interface (39a; 39b) between the rear side (12b) and said one of the lateral sides (12d; 12c) of the pallet of goods (12).

29. The paper wrapper according to any of the claims 25-28, wherein the paper attacher (36) comprises an adhesive applicator (194) configured to apply adhesive to the paper web (42) upstream of the paper web deflector (32).

30. The paper wrapper according to any of the claims 25-29, wherein the paper attacher (36) further comprises a pressing element (26, 32; 190) for pressing the paper web (42) against the pallet of goods (12), for example a flexiblestroking element (190), such as a resilient stroker strip, for stroking the paper web (42) against the pallet of goods (12).31 . The paper wrapper according to any of the claims 25-30, further comprising a paper nip (141 a, 141 b) configured to hold the distal end (45) of the paper web (42) at the rear side of the pallet of goods (12) while operating the paper attacher (36).

32. The paper wrapper according to any of the claims 25-31 , wherein the paper web deflector (32) is configured to deflect a proximal segment (42e) of the paper web (42), the proximal segment (42e) comprising the proximal attachment portion (49), from the first side to the second side (18b) of the wrapping path (18).

33. The paper wrapper according to any of the claims 25-32, wherein the paper holder (26) is configured as a paper storage reel configured to receive a length of paper unrolled from the paper roll (22).

34. The paper wrapper according to any of the claims 25-33, comprising control circuitry (46) configured to, after having operated the paper cutter (34) to cut the paper web (42) between the paper supply (20) and the proximal attachment portion (49), operate the paper holder (26) to attach a free end (45’) of the paper web (42), extending from the paper supply (20), to the paper holder (26).

35. The paper wrapper according to claim 34, further comprising at least one paper nip (41 a, 41 b) and control circuitry (46) configured to operate the at least one paper nip (41 a, 41 b) to, prior to operating the paper cutter (34), nip the paper web (42) between the paper supply (20) and the cutting position and to move, after having operated the paper cutter (34), the free end (45’) of the paper web (42) extending from the paper supply (20) to the paper holder (26).

36. The paper wrapper according to any of the claims 25-35, further comprising a deflection carriage (30; 130) movable across the wrapping path (18), the deflection carriage (30; 130) carrying the paper web deflector (32) and the paper cutter (34), and optionally, a paper attacher (36) of the at least one paper attacher and / or the paper nip (41 a, 41 b) according to claim 35.

7. A paper-wrapped pallet of goods (12) comprising a pallet (13); goods (11) loaded on the pallet (13); and a continuous length of paper wrap (60) forming a loop about the pallet of goods (12), the continuous length of paper wrap (60) having a first end (45) and a second end (49), and comprising a front segment (42a) at least partly covering a front side (12a) of the pallet of goods (12); at least one rear wrap segment (42b, 142b) at least partly covering a rear side (12b), opposite to the front side (12a), of the pallet of goods (12); a first side segment (42c) at least partly covering a first lateral side (12c) of the pallet of goods (12); and a second side segment (42d) at least partly covering a second lateral side (12d), opposite to the first lateral side (12c), of the pallet of goods (12), wherein the first end (45) is attached to the second end (49) along an attachment plane (P) which is parallel to the rear side (12b) of the pallet of goods, and / or the first end (45) and the second end (49) are attached at the pallet of goods (12).

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