Paper statements and mailing inserts have conventionally been printed using large rolls of paper. Printers and mail insert apparatus used in industrial and commercial applications, such as in paper mills and warehouses, often use a large paper roll having a hollow cylindrical cardboard core as a starting material to print high volumes of letters and forms. These paper rolls are typically over four feet in diameter, and each one can weigh eight hundred pounds or more. These rolls of paper are typically coiled around cardboard cores that are mounted on round air-based drive shafts. For example, these airshafts may have a metal core that is surrounded by an air bladder. Once inserted into an opening in the cardboard paper core, the air bladder may be inflated until the air bladder presses against an inner surface of the cardboard core. These airshafts may be mounted on large printing systems for printing the statements and other inserts. This process takes a significant amount of time, as the airshaft must be inserted into the cardboard core and the airshaft needs to be inflated.
Due to the high weight of the paper any leak in the airshaft and/or gap in the interface between the airshaft and the cardboard core may result in the airshaft slipping within the cardboard core, which leads to uneven winding of the paper about the cardboard core. Additionally, both the airshaft and the cardboard core may wear out over time and necessitate replacement. The costs associated with such replacement are quite high. Moreover, the airshafts and cardboard cores are quite heavy—upwards of 75 pounds, making them difficult to move and mount on the printers or other equipment.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds