US3530494A - Ribbon of bandages and dispenser - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 22, 1970 v. J. BARATTA RIBBON OF BANDAGES AND DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 25, 1968 INVENTOR.

Sept. 22, 1970 BARATTA 3,530,494

RIBBON OF BANDAGES AND DISPENSER Filed April 25, 196k 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

BY VINCENT JBARATTA ATTORNEY United States ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to adhesive bandage strips having a bandage pad secured to an adhesive coating on a surface of the bandage strip and having a backing paper or ma terial to protect the adhesive until the bandage is ready for use, and in particular, this invention contemplates a series of such bandages on a single backing ribbon defined as a carrier ribbon so that each bandage may be easily removed from the carrier ribbon for application. Carrier ribbons may be of indeterminate length, and may be in combination with dispensers particularly adapted for holding the ribbon while a bandage is stripped off. In some forms of the invention, the carrier ribbon is adapted to be coiled spirally about itself and sealed or fastened with a seal around each bandage individually, such seal holding coils of the carrier ribbon together with bandages between them in sterile chambers so that as the leading edge of the carrier ribbon is unreeled, the seal will be broken individually for each separate bandage as desired so that the bandage can be kept sterile until the seal between coiled portions of the carrier ribbon is broken so that the bandage may be stripped off.

This invention relates to surgical dressings and more particularly to adhesive bandage wherein the soft absorbent bandage pad is attached to an adhesive coated bandage strip. Adhesive bandages of the type to which the invention relates are used in the treatment of cuts, burns, abrasions, and the like. They consist usually of a strip of surgical adhesive tape with a soft absorbent pad or dressing disposed on the adhesive face thereof, said adhesive coating extending beyond edges of the pad to secure the pad in place in use, and a protective facing material overlying the pad and the adhesive coating, and designed for removal just prior to application of the bandage in use.

Adhesive bandages as described are generally packed in individual sterile envelopes sometimes having means i such as a tear string or a tear strip to adapt the envelopes for easy removal of the bandage. After removal of the bandage, the backing paper or material must then be removed so that the bandage can be utilized.

It is an object of this invention to provide a plurality of such bandages readily available for use, eliminating the tedious steps of breaking the envelope and removing the backing paper, an operation which usually requires both hands of the doctor, nurse or technician (hereinafter called the operator).

The object of this invention is achieved by providing a continuous ribbon of backing material of indeterminate length on which a successive series of badages may be stored in a sterile manner, and which requires only the lifting or stripping of a bandage from the backing material in one deft motion to render the bandage immediately available for use.

It is also a part of this invention to provide storing and dispensing means for such a ribbon of bandages which will help in keeping the bandages sterile and minimize mechanical contamination.

It is a further object to provide such dispensing means atent which will include means to hold the ribbon while the bandage is being stripped off.

Bandage ribbons and devices made in accordance with the invention are particularly adaptable for use in a hospital, laboratory or physicians ofiice where an operator such as a doctor, nurse or technician, in the course of treating the patient, will require a quick bandage to cover, for example, a puncture from a hypodermic needle. Prior to my invention, it was necessary for the operator to fumble first with the envelope of the bandage and then to remove the backing paper. With my invention, all the operator need do is strip a bandage from the sterile ribbon.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a length of bandage ribbon of the invention showing one bandage completely removed and one bandage partially removed;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a bandage ribbon of the invention showing a bandage during a bandage stripping operation;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a dispenser of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of another dispenser of the invention shown on a table;

FIG. 5 is a dispenser substantially similar to that shown in FIG. 4 shown on a wall mounting with parts broken away;

FIG. 6 is yet another form of dispenser used in combination with the invention;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a third form of bandage ribbon;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another form of the invention, partly in diagram form, showing the manner of fabrication of the ribbon of bandages illustrated in the figure;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view along the lines 99 in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view along the lines 1010 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a bottom plan View of the carrier ribbon of the invention as shown in FIG. 8 after a bandage strip has been affixed and prior to coiling the carrier ribbon;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the cylindrical surface of roller as shown in FIG. 8 flattened out for illustrative purposes;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of another form of dispenser of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of FIG. 13 showing a manual reeling crank;

FIG. 15 is a front elevational view similar to FIG. 14 showing another form of dispenser with a motorized reeling unit; and

FIG. 16 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 13 of another form of dispenser.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the ribbon of adhesive band ages of the invention comprises a carrier ribbon 10 and a plurality of bandage strips 12. Each bandage strip 12 has at least a portion of one surface coated with adhesive 14 and a bandage pad 16 secured to the adhesive 14.

In FIG. 2, we see a carrier ribbon 10 and a plurality of bandage strips 12a having bandage pads 16. It is to be noted that the ribbon of bandages 20 as shown in FIG. 1 has a relatively wider ribbon 10 than the ribbon of bandages 22 as shown in FIG. 2, and also that the bandage strips 12 are square with the bandage pad 16 relatively centrally located whereas the bandage strips 12a, as shown in FIG. 2, are generally oblong with a bandage pad 16 almost as wide as the strip. This is by way of illustration 3 that the ribbon of adhesive bandages of the invention may be of any size and carry a plurality of bandages of various shapes.

It is also to be understood that a number of bandages of different widths may be contained in lateral arrangement on a single ribbon, or that bandages of different lengths may be arranged in a longitudinal relationship on a single ribbon. In the usual practice, however, a ribbon would contain a plurality of bandages of the same size arranged longitudinally and separately on the ribbon. The word separately or separate is used to define that although the bandages are held together on the carrier ribbon 10, they are indeed separate from one another as a single bandage may be stripped off the ribbon 10 without affecting the position, placement and mounting of the next succeeding bandage or of any other bandage on the ribbon.

A bandage strip 12 may have its surface completely covered with adhesive 14, or a portion of the surface with the adhesive coating may be left free of adhesive in order to assist the operator in starting the peeling or stripping of the bandage strip 12 from the ribbon 10. This is illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings at reference numeral 26 which shows a leading edge of a bandage clear of adhesive and at reference numeral 28 which shows a trailing edge of a bandage strip 12 clear of adhesive. Again in FIG. 2, reference numeral 30 shows a leading edge clear of adhesive and reference to leading and trailing edges of bandage strips 12 and 12a as well as any other bandage strip of the invention is a term relative to the direction in which the bandage ribbon is unreeled or many be drawn from a dispenser. Such direction for the ribbon in FIG. 1 is designated by arrow A and for the ribbon of FIG. 2 is designated by arrow B. Thus, a clear portion of surface free of adhesive on any bandage strip of the invention may be provided at any portion of the bandage strip to serve as a starter for stripping. I prefer that the clear portion be either at the leading or trailing edge of the bandage strip or at both the leading and trailing edges of the bandage strip.

I may also provide a tab 32 at either the leading or trailing edge of a bandage strip 12 as shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings. The tab may have adhesive coating between it and the carrier ribbon 10, or the tab may be free of adhesive coating to assist in starting. It is understood that FIG. 7 of the drawings may represent ribbon of adhesive bandages 34 depicted therein as having a tab 32 at any portion of the bandage strip 12, it being understood that such tab 32 could be at the leading edge or the trailing edge or any other portion of the bandage strip 12.

In FIG. 3 of the drawings, I show a ribbon of adhesive bandages such as ribbon enclosed in a hand held dispenser 36. The dispenser 36 has a main frame or body portion 38 adapted to be hand held. It has a storage area 40 which may serve as a means for rolling or reeling a length of bandage ribbon 20 within the container 36, and

there are dispensing means such as the opening 42 through which the bandage ribbon 20 can be pulled for dispensing and use. Adjacent the dispensing means there is a holding means such as a platform 44 over which the bandage ribbon 20 may be drawn. The operator would hold end 46 of bandage ribbon 20 in his right hand to draw it from the dispenser 36, holding the dispenser 36 in his left hand. When a sufiicient quantity of ribbon was drawn out to provide for separating a bandage strip 12 from the leading end of the bandage ribbon 20, the left thumb 48 of the operator could squeeze the ribbon 20 as shown in FIG. 3, holding it firmly in place. The operator would then take his right thumb and forefinger and start to peel a bandage strip 12 off at the point designated by reference numeral 50 while still holding the main portion of the ribbon of bandages 20 with his left thumb. Thus, in one easy motion, an entire bandage strip 12 is stripped off ready for use from the ribbon 10.

In FIG. 4, I show a dispenser 54 having a main frame or housing 56 which would contain means for storing or reeling a ribbon of bandages such as ribbon 20, a dispensing outlet 58, and friction braking means comprising a platform 60 and a brake mechanism including a brake shoe 62 and a brake arm comprising operating means Such as a spring or torsion device as shown at reference numeral 64. The frame or housing would also contain a weighted portion 68 and perhaps a friction type bottom 70 which would be comprised of felt or other friction material. The operator would grasp the leading end of the ribbon 20 as shown at reference numeral '72 and pull it in the direction of arrow C until a sufficient quantity was exposed. The force of the spring or torsion means, in cooperation with the weighted dispensing housing 54, would be sufficient to permit the ribbon 20 to be withdrawn without dislodging the dispenser when on a table top 76. Yet, the force of this arrangement must be sufiicient to hold the ribbon 20 firmly against the peeling pull of the operator when a bandage strip 12 is stripped off starting at reference point 78 in the direction of arrow D.

In FIG. 5 I show a dispenser 80 which is substantially similar to dispenser 54 except that it is mounted on a wall 82 by means of a fastening bracket 84.

In FIG. 6 I show another wall mounted dispenser 86 which is simply a reel 88 mounted on a bracket 90 on a wall 92, the reel 88 holding a quantity of adhesive bandages as in a ribbon 22. In stripping a bandage strip 12 from the devices as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the ribbon of bandages 20 is held firmly, either by the thumb 48 or the brake shoe 62, and it is preferable to strip starting from the trailing edge of the bandage strip 12 as shown in the drawings. In the form of invention shown in FIG. 6, the operator would grasp the leading end of ribbon 22 as at reference numeral in one of his hands and start to strip bandage strip 12a from the leading edge with his other hand pulling away from the first mentioned hand. In this manner, the ribbon 22 may be withdrawn by the same hand which holds it firmly against the stripping of the bandage strip 12a.

In FIGS. 8 through 11, I show another form of the invention in which a series of bandage strips 12b, which are similar to bandage strips 12a, are placed on a bottom surface 108 of a carrier ribbon 110. Carrier ribbon 110' also has a top surface 112.

Bandage strips 12b may be placed on the bottom surface of the carrier ribbon in any manner or means known to the art, either by hand or by machinery. The bandage strips 121) will adhere to the bottom surface 108 of carrier ribbon 110 by means of the adhesive 14 of the bandage strip. The bottom surface 108 of the carrier ribbon thus serves as a backing material for the adhesive 14 of bandage strip 1211 until it is ready to be stripped off for use.

In FIG. 8 of the drawings, I have illustrated in diagrammatic form one method of preparing the ribbon of adhesive bandages in spiral form 116 comprised in the form of invention illustrated in FIGS. 8 through 11. A carrier ribbon 110 is fed through an assembly line comprising one or more pieces of machinery in which there is included a take-up reel 118 suitably mounted on a shaft 120. The machinery is also provided with a finger 122 adapted to push a single bandage strip 12b upwardly so that it be afiixed to the bottom surface 108 of carrier ribbon 110. Means is provided to supply a series of bandage strips 12b to that portion of the machinery at which the finger 122 is stationed so that the finger may operate to supply bandage strips 12b to the bottom surface 108 of carrier ribbon 110. An adhesive 124 is applied to bottom surface 108 of carrier ribbon 110 by means of a fountain roller 126 and print roller 128. The adhesive 124 is placed on bottom surface 108 so that it will provide a complete seal around each bandage strip 12b. This is done by providing the adhesive print roller 128 with a circumference 130 having a printing portion 132 which, when flattened out as shown in FIG. 12, will appear as a rectangle and will be larger than the size of the outside perimeter of bandage 12b so that the adhesive 124 will be placed around the perimeter of bandage strip 12b in such a manner and location that when it becomes a securing means around the bandage, it will enclose the bandage within a chamber 146 located between said securing means and a bottom surface 108 of carrier ribbon 110 and a top surface 112 of carrier ribbon 110. The bandage within the chamber may subsequently be sterilized by any means known to the art. The chambers 146 will be formed as the carrier ribbon 110 moves forward with bandage strips 12b surrounded by adhesive 124 until it reels upon itself to form a coil or spiral of bandages 116 as shown in the right hand portion of FIG. 8.

I may also provide' knurling means such as the roller 140 having knurled portions 142 to knurl those portions of the carrier ribbon 110 which come together with some adhesive between them in order to enhance the securing means. The action of the finger 122 and the other mechanism diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 8 is not explained because these components of packaging and labeling machinery are well known in the art, and need no further explanation, it being understood that the entire system can run off the main drive of one device or be a combination of several devices, and the particular form or system shown is for illustrative purposes only, it being further understood that the bandage ribbon 116 can be made in any manner, either manually or mechanically. The resulting coil 116 will contain a series of chambers held together by the securing means or adhesive 124. Each chamber will be defined by adhesive sides 150 and 152 and adhesive ends 154 and 156. The adhesive thus described will hold together a portion of a bottom surface 108 to a portion of a top surface 112 of the coiled carrier ribbon 110. The bandage coil 116 can also be made with the adhesive sides 150 and the adhesive sides 152 in a continuous unbroken line for the entire length of the ribbon 110. In such case, the ribbon would be sealed on both sides and each bandage strip 12b would be placed in a separate pocket by the provision of cross lines of adhesive 154 and 156; or the cross lines 154 and 156 can be merged into a single line, it being understood that any arrangement of the securing means will be satisfactory so long as a bandage strip 12!) is separately contained within its own chamber 146 and so long as the securing means has the' quality of permitting the bottom 108 and top 112 surfaces of the carrier ribbon 110 to be separated by hand pulling.

Wl 1ile I have described the securing means as an adhesive such as a glue or a pressure sensitive type adhesive, or any other adhesive which could be used in making bandage packages, the securing means may also be by means of a heat seal, or by any other securing or sealing means which will permit the portions of the carrier ribbon 110 to be separated by hand pulling. Many of these means are well known in the art, and need no further explanation or description.

In FIG. 13 of the drawings, I illustrate a dispenser which may be used in combination with the bandage coil 116. The dispenser 160 comprises a body portion 162 in which provision is made to mount a slideable shaft 164. Shaft 164 is adapted to be slideably mounted on shaft guides 166 which may be formed into the walls of the body portion 162. Reel 118 and its coil of bandages 110 is mounted on shaft 164 and shaft 164 together with its load is urged toward opening 168 by means of springs 170 if desired. The carrier ribbon 110 is drawn through opening 168 around a rounded edge 172 along a sloping front 174 and back into the dispenser 160 at an opening 176 to be reeled around a take-up reel 178 on a shaft 180. Thus, as ribbon 110 is pulled away from the coiled bandages 116, it will break the seal at rounded portion 172 of the dispenser 160 thereby exposing a bandage strip 12b as shown in FIG. 13. Just enough of the ribbon 110 is pulled away from the coil 116 to expose a single bandage 12b on the slope 174 of the device 160 leaving all of the rest of the bandage strips 12b within their sterile chambers 146 within the coil 116 within the dispenser 160. The exposed strip 12b may then be stripped off for use. When another bandage strip is desired, shaft 180 is rotated in the direction of the arrow, causing ribbon to move and causing coil 116 to rotate in the direction of its arrow, advancing another bandage strip 12b to the slope 174 for dispensing. This dispensing means may be either manual, mechanical, motorized or by any other means of advancing the ribbon 110 for dispensing.

In FIG. 14 of the drawings, I show a dispenser such as dispenser having a mechanical mechanism as a dispensing means. The mechanical mechanism comprises a crank 182 which is connected either directly or through a gear or other transmission means to shaft 180. Working the crank 182 will advance the ribbon 110.

In FIG. 15 of the drawings, I show a dispenser 160a which has a motorized dispensing means 184. Reference numeral 184 represents a motor, usually an electric motor of a one-revolution type which may be activated by means of a starting switch 186 to move the ribbon 110 the required distance to expose a bandage strip 12b. The motor is connected to shaft and the type of motor, the means of connection, as well as starting and stopping means for such motor are not described as all are well known to the art, and it is within the ordinary knowledge of a person skilled in the art to provide such a system where a touch of a switch such as switch button 186 Will advance the ribbon 110 for the length required to properly expose a bandage 12b on the slope 174 so that it may be taken off by a doctor, technician or other operator. While I have shown an electric cord 188 adapted to be plugged into an outlet, the motorized unit 184 may also be battery run such as a cordless type.

In FIG. 16, I show a manual dispensing means where the ribbon 110 is advanced by pulling manually until a bandage strip 12b is exposed for dispensing. The end 190 of the ribbon 110 is grasped by the operator and pulled until a suflicient amount of ribbon 110 has been exposed.

In all of these forms as shown in FIG. 13 through FIG. 16, the principle of exposing the bandage involves hand pulling the ribbon 110 against an edge or rounded corner such as corner 172 to break the seal of that part of the ribbon 110 which is pulled through opening 168. The balance of the coil 116 inside the dispenser 160 which has not yet contacted edge 172 remains in perfect sterile seal.

While I have described some of the dispensing means as motorized or mechanical, the force necessary to break the seal would be the same force as hand pulling, and it is to be understood that the term hand pulling as a means of separating the securing means of the invention is to cover any type of separation in dispensing, whether by hand, mechanically, or by machine as describing the pulling force necessary to separate the portions of the ribbon as well as the required properties of the adhesive or heat seal in that such securing means must have the property of being separable by hand pulling.

The ribbons of bandages of my invention are made of the usual components used in making individual bandages of this type which are already well known to the art. The material for the ribbon 10 or 110 may be selected from those materials that have been found useful in the adhesive bandage industry such as crinoline, plastic film, film laminates, foil, foil laminates or treated or coated paper and the like.

The body portion of the bandage strip 12 or 12a or 12b may comprise any of the fibrous or non-fibrous backings that are customarily used in the adhesive tape industry. Plastic films or cloth are preferred, but paper, non-woven bonded webs or tissue may be used if desired. The plastic films include synthetic or natural films such as cellophane, rubber, cellulose acetates, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, as well as other cellulose esters or ethers, poly-vinyl esters, salts or acetates, polyethylene, super polyamides and the like. Cloth backings may be coated or uncoated or cross-woven or knitted if extensibility is desired.

The material of the bandage pad 16 may be an absorbent material such as paper, fabric, cellulose pulp, absorbent cotton fibers, absorbent rayon fibers of all types, cellulose wadding of paper or fiber made absorbent by any conventional method, mixtures of such materials and their equivalents, and the adhesive 14 may be any suitable adhesive known in the bandaging art.

The securing means which has been described as adhesive 124 may be selected from any adhesive having the properties for the purpose; that is, the property of permitting the sheets of material held by the adhesive to be separated by hand pulling. In this sense, securing means is defined to encompass a meaning broader than adhesive since it also covers any type of securement or seal such as a mechanical seal or a heat seal which is capable of maintaining a sterile enclosure around the bandage strips. The form of invention illustrated herein is illustrated with an adhesive 124. However, any sealing means known to the art may be used for the securing means.

The invention lies in the particular disposition of separate bandages on a continuous ribbon, or web, as described hereinabove so that separate bandages of a plurality of bandages on such ribbon may be kept sterile and available for immediate use with a minimum of fumbling and movements.

I have described a specific example of bandage having a bandage pad as a wound covering. This invention may also be constructed by providing a bandage strip made of an absorbent material adapted to be a wound covering in and of itself. Such a strip may be provided with an adhesive coating leaving a centrally located portion free of adhesive and serve the same purpose as an adhesively coated strip with a bandage pad attached to the adhesive. It is, therefore, to be understood that the term wound covering as used herein and in the claims hereinbelow defines any means or construction which can be used in the art to cover a wound, whether such means is separate from the bandage strip or integral therewith.

While I have described my invention in its preferred forms, there are other forms which it may take without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I, therefore, desire to be protected for all forms coming within the claims hereinbelow.

Wherefore I claim:

1. A ribbon of adhesive bandages comprising a carrier ribbon and a plurality of adhesive bandage strips, said bandage strips comprising an adhesive coating on one surface thereof with a wound cover, in which the carrier ribbon comprises a top surface and a bottom surface and is substantially coiled about itself spirally, and in which the said bandage strips are in end spaced relationship from each other with each bandage strip being positioned between portions of said carrier ribbon comprising a bottom surface of a portion of a coil of said ribbon and a top surface of a portion of a coil of said carrier ribbon, with said bottom and top surface portions of said coiled carrier ribbon being secured together by securing means capable of being separated by hand pulling, said securing means providing a seal around the perimeter of each bandage strip.

2. The ribbon of adhesive bandages as defined in claim 1, in which the securing means comprises an adhesive.

3. The ribbon of adhesive bandages as defined in claim 1, in which the securing means comprises heat sealing means.

4. The ribbon of adhesive bandages as defined in claim 1, in which the bandage strips are relatively narrower than the carrier ribbon, and said bandage strips are sealed in chambers formed by said carrier ribbon and said securing means.

5. The ribbon of adhesive bandages as defined in claim 1, in which the securing means comprises knurling.

6. An article dispensing ribbon for dispensing articles packaged therewith comprising a carrier ribbon and a plurality of packaged articles, in which the carrier ribbon comprises a top surface and a bottom surface and is substantially coiled about itself spirally, and in which said packaged articles are in spaced relationship from each other with each packaged article being positioned between portions of said carrier ribbon comprising a bottom surface of a portion of a coil of said ribbon and a top surface of a portion of a coil of said carrier ribbon, with said bottom and top surface portions of said coiled carrier ribbon being secured together by securing means capable of being separated by hand pulling, said securing means providing a seal around the perimeter of each. packaged article.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,330,471 7/1967 Timms 20656 1,313,942 8/1919 Elliott 221--72 1,410,559 3/1922 Elliott 221-72 X 2,133,609 8/1938 Eustis 206632 X 2,276,297 3/ 1942 Flood. 2,341,583 2/1944 Tuve 20659 X 2,367,417 1/1945 Milem 20663.2 2,377,117 5/1945 Watkins 20663.2 X 2,816,655 12/1957 Crozier et al. 3,259,507 7/1966 Smith 20656 FOREIGN PATENTS 396,418 7/1933 Great Britain.

1,002,733 11/1951 France.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 20656; 221-73

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