Flexible straw and system and method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeHoffmaster Group, Inc.
InventorJohn P. O'Neill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A corrugating machine for forming a flexible paper drinking straw by forming annular corrugations in a tube, including a plurality of corrugating elements and means for moving the tube against the corrugating elements. Each of the corrugating elements is spaced apart from each other in both a lateral direction and a forward direction. The corrugating machine includes an assembly spool and a drum mounted to a side of the assembly spool for rotation about a common axis. A mandrel is mounted to the drum for reciprocation into and out of the spool assembly, to carry the tube against the corrugating elements mounted in an arc defined about the common axis.
Claims22
A machine for forming corrugations in a tube having a length and a diameter, the machine comprising:
- a corrugation machine including a plurality of corrugating elements, each spaced apart from each other in both a lateral direction and a forward direction, and each radially set apart from a common axis which is offset from a longitudinal axis of the tube;
- an assembly spool connected to the corrugation machine by a framework, the assembly spool having an axle coaxial with the common axis, the axle supporting a first plate and a second plate parallel to and spaced apart from the first plate by at least the length of the tube;
- a drum mounted to the first plate for synchronous rotation with the assembly spool about the common axis;
- and
- a mandrel mounted to the drum for reciprocation into and out of the assembly spool parallel to the common axis, the mandrel configured to carry the tube.
A method of forming corrugations in a tube having a length, a diameter, a circumference, and a longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
- loading the tube onto a feed track of a machine;
- inserting a mandrel having a mandrel longitudinal axis and an annular channel spaced along the mandrel longitudinal axis into the tube;
- rotating the mandrel and the tube about the mandrel longitudinal axis;
- moving the axially rotating mandrel and the tube into a position such that the annular channel aligns with a corrugating element on opposing sides of the tube;
- moving the axially rotating mandrel and the tube against the corrugating element to form a corrugation in the tube corresponding to the aligned annular channel;
- and
- moving the axially rotating mandrel and the tube against another corrugating element aligned with another annular channel to form another corrugation in the tube.
A method of forming corrugations in a tube having a length, a diameter, a circumference, and a longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
- loading the tube onto a feed track of a machine, the machine having an assembly spool and an adjacent drum that share a common axis;
- inserting a mandrel having a mandrel longitudinal axis and an annular channel spaced along the mandrel longitudinal axis into the tube, including sliding the mandrel parallel to the common axis from a starting position at least in part within the drum into an advanced position at least in part within the assembly spool and through the tube;
- rotating the mandrel and the tube about the mandrel longitudinal axis, including moving a portion of the mandrel into contact with a surface and moving the mandrel along the surface, the contact between the mandrel and the surface as the mandrel moves along the surface generating frictional rotation of the mandrel;
- moving the axially rotating mandrel and the tube into a position such that the annular channel aligns with a corrugating element on opposing sides of the tube;
- moving the axially rotating mandrel and the tube against the corrugating element to form a corrugation in the tube corresponding to the aligned annular channel;
- and
- moving the axially rotating mandrel and the tube against another corrugating element aligned with another annular channel to form another corrugation in the tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.