Reinforced box with roll suspension

A combination comprising:

• at least one roll of goods selected from the group consisting of paper, metal, plastic and cloth coiled about an axis and weighing in excess of a ton;
• and
• a container for the roll, the container comprising:
• a pair of walls parallel to each other and spaced apart axially relative to the roll for supporting the roll;
• and
• a pair of substantially planar reinforcing plates extending between the walls and connected to each of the walls at at least four spaced-apart locations, the locations being selected so that the plates lie respectively in imaginary planes that intersect at an edge and form a dihedral angle with each other of substantially 30 degrees, the roll being mounted so that its axis is parallel to the edge, and an imaginary plane containing its axis and the edge bisects the angle;
• wherein each of the walls is formed with an opening, further comprising means selected from the group consisting of (a) a pair of plugs respectively engageable with the roll at axially spaced apart locations of the roll and respectively engageable within the openings and (b) a pair of core extensions respectively extending from the roll at axially spaced apart locations of the roll and respectively engageable within the openings.

A shipping method comprising:

• providing at least one roll of goods selected from the group consisting of paper, metal, plastic and cloth coiled about an axis and weighing in excess of a ton;
• providing a container for the roll, the container comprising a pair of walls parallel to each other and spaced apart axially relative to the roll for supporting the roll and a pair of substantially planar reinforcing plates extending between the walls and connected to each of the walls at at least four spaced-apart locations;
• selecting the locations so that the plates lie respectively in imaginary planes that intersect at an edge and form a dihedral angle with each other of substantially 30 degrees;
• mounting the roll so that its axis is parallel to the edge, and an imaginary plane containing its axis and the edge bisects the angle;
• forming an opening in each of the walls, providing means selected from the group consisting of (a) a pair of plugs respectively engageable with the roll at axially spaced apart locations of the roll and respectively engageable within the openings and (b) a pair of core extensions respectively extending from the roll at axially spaced apart locations of the roll and respectively engageable within the openings;
• and
• shipping the roll in the container.