Patent 7014046 was granted and assigned to Sonoco on March, 2006 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
An improved support post for cushioning and supporting large products is provided. The post is made from a sheet that is convolutely wound around a mandrel and shaped into a desired shape. The improvement comprises making the sheet from multiple thicknesses of paper so that, upon winding the sheet into a tube, the middle layer of the tube is thicker than the outer layers. The post has a higher axial compression strength than a conventional post, but the same amount (weight) of material.