대표
청구항
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Having thus defined the invention, the following is claimed: 1. A container for packaging and unwinding a coil of welding wire to allow an uninterrupted flow of said welding wire from one said container to another said container, said coil of welding wire including a coiled portion having a top and a bottom, a first extension of said wire extending from said coil near said coil top to a feeding end and a second extension of said wire extending from said coil near said bottom to a transfer end, said transfer end of said one container being joinable to sa...
Having thus defined the invention, the following is claimed: 1. A container for packaging and unwinding a coil of welding wire to allow an uninterrupted flow of said welding wire from one said container to another said container, said coil of welding wire including a coiled portion having a top and a bottom, a first extension of said wire extending from said coil near said coil top to a feeding end and a second extension of said wire extending from said coil near said bottom to a transfer end, said transfer end of said one container being joinable to said feeding end of said another container, said container comprising: an outer packaging including at least one vertically extending sidewall, a closed bottom, a top opening for removing said welding wire and a wire coil receiving cavity within said outer packaging for receiving said wire coil, said feeding end and said transfer end being positionable near said top opening; said container further including at least one transfer control tab in said cavity near said top opening, said at least one tab being configured to selectively support said transfer end of said wire during the unwinding of said wire from said coil and to selectively release said transfer end during the transfer from said one container to said another container. 2. The container as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one control tab includes at least one upwardly opened tab. 3. The container as defined in claim 2, wherein said coil extends about a vertically extending container axis and said at least one control tab includes a plurality of tabs circumferentially space about said axis. 4. The container as defined in claim 3, further including at least one upwardly extending container wall defining a radially outward extent of said wire coil receiving cavity, said plurality of tabs being positioned on said at least one wall. 5. The container as defined in claim 4, wherein said plurality of tabs are formed from said at least one container wall. 6. The container as defined in claim 5, wherein said at least one container wall includes a radially inwardly facing wall surface which engages said coiled portion of said wire, said plurality of tabs each including a radially inwardly facing tab surface and a radially outwardly facing tab surface, said plurality of tabs supporting said wire by the engagement between said wire and said inwardly facing wall surface and said outwardly facing tab surface. 7. The container as defined in claim 6, wherein said each tab is joined to said at least one wall at a tab base, said plurality of tabs being pivotable about said base. 8. The container as defined in claim 7, wherein said each tab further includes vertically extending side edges extending from either side of said base, said side edges formed from slits in said at least one container wall wherein said tab is a portion of said at least one container wall. 9. The container as defined in claim 8, wherein said each tabs further includes a top tab edge opposite to said base edge, said at least one wall including a top wall edge, said top tab edge being near said top wall edge. 10. The container as defined in claim 8, wherein said each tabs further includes a top tab edge opposite to said base edge, said at least one wall including a top wall edge, said top tab edge extending above said top wall edge. 11. The container as defined in claim 8, wherein said each tabs further includes a top tab edge opposite to said base edge, said at least one wall including a top wall edge, said top wall edge extending above said top tab edge. 12. The container as defined in claim 1, further including an inner liner, said inner liner being positioned between said coil and said at least one vertically extending sidewall, said at least one control tab being joined to said liner. 13. The container as defined in claim 12, wherein said liner is an octagonal liner and said at least one control tab is at least four control tabs. 14. The container as defined in claim 13, wherein said at least one control tab is at least seven control tabs. 15. The container as defined in claim 13, wherein said at least one control tab is eight control tabs. 16. The container as defined in claim 13, wherein said at least one control tab includes at least one upwardly opened tab. 17. The container as defined in claim 13, wherein said at least one control tab includes at least one upwardly opened tab. 18. The container as defined in claim 13, wherein said at least one control tab is formed from said liner. 19. The container as defined in claim 13, wherein said coil extends about a vertically extending container axis and said at least one control tab is a plurality of control tabs circumferentially space about said axis. 20. The container as defined in claim 13, wherein said liner includes at least one radially inwardly facing liner surface which engages said coiled portion of said wire, said at least one control tab each including an radially inwardly facing tab surface and a radially outwardly facing tab surface, said at least one control tab supporting said wire by the engagement between said wire and said inwardly facing liner surface and said outwardly facing tab surface. 21. The container as defined in claim 12, wherein said coil extends about a vertically extending container axis and said at least one control tab is a plurality of control tabs circumferentially space about said axis. 22. The container as defined in claim 12, wherein said liner includes at least one radially inwardly facing liner surface which engages said coiled portion of said wire, said at least one control tab each including an radially inwardly facing tab surface and a radially outwardly facing tab surface, said at least one control tab supporting said wire by the engagement between said wire and said inwardly facing liner surface and said outwardly facing tab surface. 23. The container as defined in claim 12, wherein said at least one control tab is formed from said liner. 24. The container as defined in claim 12, wherein each said at least one control tab is joined to said liner at a tab base, said each tab being pivotable about said base. 25. The container as defined in claim 24, wherein said each tab is joined to said liner at a tab base, said each tab being pivotable about said base. 26. The container as defined in claim 25, wherein said each tab further includes vertically extending side edges extending from either side of said base, said side edges formed from slits in said liner wherein said tab is a portion of said liner. 27. The container as defined in claim 26, wherein said each tabs further includes a top tab edge opposite to said base edge, said liner including a liner wall edge, said top tab edge being near said top liner edge. 28. The container as defined in claim 26, wherein said each tabs further includes a top tab edge opposite to said base edge, said liner including a top liner edge, said top tab edge extending above said top liner edge. 29. The container as defined in claim 26, wherein said each tabs further includes a top tab edge opposite to said base edge, said liner including a top liner edge, said top liner edge extending above said top tab edge. 30. The container as defined in claim 25, wherein said each tab further includes vertically extending side edges extending from either side of said base, said side edges formed from slits in said liner wherein said tab is a portion of said liner. 31. The container as defined in claim 12, wherein said at least one control tab is at least four control tabs, said coil extending about a vertical container axis and said liner including at least four vertically extending liner walls generally coaxial with said axis, each said liner wall including one of said at least four control tabs. 32. The container as defined in claim 31, wherein said container has a polygonal cross-sectional configuration and said container further includes a plurality of corner supports between said coil and said at least one vertically extending sidewall, at least one said tab being joined to one of said plurality of corner supports. 33. The container as defined in claim 31, wherein said at least four control tabs are at least four upwardly opened tabs. 34. The container as defined in claim 33, wherein each said at least four control tabs is joined to said liner at a tab base, said each tab being pivotable about said tab base respectively. 35. The container as defined in claim 34, wherein said each tab includes a top tab edge and said liner includes a top liner edge, said top tab edge being near said top liner edge. 36. The container as defined in claim 35, wherein said each tab is formed from said liner. 37. The container as defined in claim 31, wherein said liner includes eight walls generally coaxial with said axis and said at least one control tab is eight control tabs positioned on each of said eight liner walls. 38. The container as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one vertically extending sidewall is a cylindrical sidewall. 39. The container as defined in claim 38, wherein said cylindrical sidewall includes an radially inner sidewall surface, said at least one transfer control tab being fixed to said inner sidewall surface. 40. The container as defined in claim 39, wherein said cylindrical sidewall further includes an inner cylindrical layer and an outer cylindrical layer, said inner cylindrical layer including said radially inner sidewall surface. 41. The container as defined in claim 40, wherein said at least one transfer control tab is formed from said inner cylindrical layer. 42. The container as defined in claim 41, wherein each said at least one control tab is joined to said liner cylindrical layer at a tab base, said each tab being pivotable about said tab base respectively; said each tab further including a top tab edge opposite to said tab base and said inner cylindrical layer further including a top layer edge; said top tab edge being near said top layer edge. 43. The container as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one control tab includes a rectangular control tab. 44. The container as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one control tab includes a trapazoidal control tab. 45. The container as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one control tab includes an arcuate tab edge. 46. The container as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one control tab includes a upwardly opened slit. 47. The container as defined in claim 46, wherein said upwardly opened slit has a width greater than the wire diameter of said wire. 48. The container as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one control tab includes a locking groove, said wire cavity including a radially outward wall having at least one groove receiving opening, said locking grooving being configured to lockingly interengage with said opening. 49. The container as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one control tab is a plurality of tabs including at least one tab from a first group of tabs and at least one tab from a second group of tabs, said first group of tabs having a first tab configuration and said second group of tabs having a second tab configuration, said first tab configuration being different than said second tab configuration. 50. A container for packaging and unwinding a coil of welding wire to allow an uninterrupted flow of said welding wire from one said container to another said container, said coil of welding wire including a coiled portion having a top and a bottom, a first extension of said wire extending from said coil near said coil top to a feeding end and a second extension of said wire extending from said coil near said bottom to a transfer end, said transfer end of said one container being joinable to said feeding end of said another container, said container comprising: an outer packaging including at least one vertically extending side wall, a closed bottom, a top opening for removing said welding wire, said feeding end and said transfer end being positionable near said top opening, said container further including a liner having a radially inner surface partially defining a wire coil receiving cavity within said outer packaging for receiving said wire coil, said liner extending vertically between said closed bottom and said top opening and including at least one transfer control tab near said top opening, said at least one tab being an upwardly opened flap. 51. The container as defined in claim 50, wherein said each tab is formed from said liner. 52. A container for packaging and unwinding a coil of welding wire to allow an uninterrupted flow of said welding wire from one said container to another said container, said coil of welding wire including a coiled portion having a top and a bottom, a first extension of said wire extending from said coil near said coil top to a feeding end and a second extension of said wire extending from said coil near said bottom to a transfer end, said transfer end of said one container being joinable to said feeding end of said another container, said container comprising: a square outer packaging including four vertically extending side walls having a top and a bottom edge, a closed bottom adjacent said bottom edges, a top opening adjacent said top edges for removing said welding wire, said feeding end and said transfer end being positionable near said top opening, said container further including a liner having eight vertically extending liner sheets that are sized to fit within said four vertically extending side walls, said eight liner sheets having radially inner surfaces partially defining a wire coil receiving cavity, said container further including a plurality of transfer control tabs on said liner near said top opening, each of said plurality of tabs being positioned on a different said liner sheet. 53. The container as defined in claim 52, wherein said plurality of control tabs is at least four control tabs. 54. The container as defined in claim 52, wherein said plurality of control tabs is at least seven control tabs. 55. The container as defined in claim 52, wherein said plurality of control tabs includes eight control tabs. 56. The container as defined in claim 52, wherein said plurality of control tabs are formed from said liner. 57. A container for packaging and unwinding a coil of welding wire to allow an uninterrupted flow of said welding wire from one said container to another said container, said coil of welding wire including a coiled portion having a top and a bottom, a first extension of said wire extending from said coil near said coil top to a feeding end and a second extension of said wire extending from said coil near said bottom to a transfer end, said transfer end of said one container being joinable to said feeding end of said another container, said container comprising: an outer packaging including at least one vertically extending side wall, a closed bottom, a top opening for removing said welding wire and a wire coil receiving cavity within said outer packaging for receiving said wire coil, said feeding end and said transfer end being positionable near said top opening; said container further including a plurality of transfer control tabs that are selectively securable to a portion of said cavity such that said container can be transformed into an endless wire container, said plurality of control tabs be selectively securable to said cavity near said top opening and being configured to selectively support said transfer end of said wire during the unwinding of said wire from said coil and to selectively release said transfer end during the transfer from said one container to said another container when secured to said cavity. 58. The container as defined in claim 57, wherein said plurality of control tabs is a plurality of self-adhesive control tabs packaged in said container. 59. A method of joining a container for packaging and unwinding a coil of welding wire with another said container of welding wire to allow an uninterrupted flow of said welding wire from said one container to said another container, said method including the steps of: providing said container comprising said coil of welding wire including a coiled portion having a top and a bottom, a first extension of said wire extending from said coil near said coil top to a feeding end and a second extension of said wire extending from said coil near said bottom to a transfer end; an outer packaging having a top opening and a wire coil receiving cavity within said outer packaging for receiving said wire coil, said feeding end and said transfer end being positionable near said top opening; providing at least one transfer control tab in said cavity near said top opening, said at least one tab being configured to selectively support said transfer end of said wire during the unwinding of said wire from said coil and to selectively release said transfer end during the transfer from said one container to said another container; providing said another container comprising another said coil of welding wire including another coiled portion having a top and a bottom, a first extension of said wire extending from said another coil near said coil top to a feeding end and a second extension of said wire extending from said another coil near said bottom to a transfer end; another outer packaging having a top opening and a wire coil receiving cavity within said another outer packaging for receiving said another wire coil, said feeding end and said transfer end being positionable near said top opening; positioning said another container next to said container; joining said feeding end of said another container to said transfer end of said container to form a continuous wire extension between said coil in said container and said another coil in said another container; and, positioning said transfer end of said wire in said at least one transfer control tab. 60. The method as defined in claim 59, wherein said positioning step is before said joining step. 61. The method as defined in claim 59, wherein said container further includes a liner and each said at least one control tab is joined to said liner at a tab base, said each tab being pivotable about said base. 62. The method as defined in claim 61, wherein said at least one tab is formed from said liner and said method further including the step of slitting said liner such that each said at least one tab includes vertically extending side edges extending from either side of said base. 63. The method as defined in claim 62, wherein said each tabs further includes a top tab edge opposite to said base edge, said liner including a liner wall edge, said top tab edge being near said top liner edge. 64. The method as defined in claim 62, wherein said each tabs further includes a top tab edge opposite to said base edge, said liner including a top liner edge, said top tab edge extending above said top liner edge. 65. The method as defined in claim 62, wherein said each tabs further includes a top tab edge opposite to said base edge, said liner including a top liner edge, said top liner edge extending above said top tab edge. 66. The method as defined in claim 59, wherein said providing at least one transfer control tab in said cavity includes packaging a plurality of said at least one control tabs in said container and securing said plurality of tabs after the package is opened by an end user of said container, said end user securing said plurality of tabs near said top opening.
