Method and apparatus for packaging reels

1. A method for packaging paper, pulp, or board reels, the method comprising:

transporting a reel to a wrapping station by a conveyor along a transport path, the wrapping station comprising supporting elements for supporting the reel during wrapping and the conveyor running between the support elements, wherein the step of transporting is carried out without moving the reel laterally from the conveyor toward the wrapping station for wrapping;

wrapping the reel with a wrapping material fed from at least one feeding device while the reel is supported on the supporting elements;

winding the wrapping material around an entire surface of a jacket of the reel;

bringing, from a storage location, end shields to ends of the reel, the storage location storing end shields of different sizes; and

moving the reel away from the wrapping station by the conveyor,

wherein the end shields are brought to the ends of the reel from the same side of the supporting elements as the wrapping material, and

wherein the step of bringing end shields is carried out when the reel is supported on the supporting elements and in the transport path through which the conveyor extends.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a feed path of the end shields is higher than a feed path of the wrapping material.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the wrapping material is wrapped around the reel using lapped wrapping or spiral wrapping.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wrapping material is wrapped around the reel using lapped wrapping or spiral wrapping.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor comprises first and second conveyors for respectively transporting a reel to and from the wrapping station.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first and second conveyors are separate conveyors.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of moving is carried out without moving the reel laterally from the wrapping station toward the conveyor.

8. An apparatus for packaging paper, pulp, or board reels, the apparatus comprising:

a wrapping station comprising supporting elements for supporting a reel during wrapping and at least one conveyor for transporting the reel to and from the wrapping station, the at least one conveyor running between the supporting elements;

at least one storage location storing end shields of different sizes;

an end-shield feed device for moving one or more of the end shields to ends of the reel on the wrapping station; and

one or more wrapping material feed devices for feeding a wrapping material from at least one wrapping material reel to the reel on the wrapping station, the wrapping material being adapted to wrap around substantially an entire surface of a jacket of the reel,

wherein the storage location and the end-shield feed device are arranged on the same side of the supporting elements as the wrapping material feed devices, and

wherein the end-shield feed device applies said one or more of the end shields to ends of the reel supported on the supporting elements and in the transport path through which the conveyor extends.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein a feed path of the end-shield feed device is arranged to be higher than a feed path of the wrapping material.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the end-shield feed device is arranged above the feed path of the wrapping material.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the end-shield feed device is arranged above the feed path of the wrapping material.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the conveyor comprises first and second conveyors for respectively transporting a reel to and from the wrapping station.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first and second conveyors are separate conveyors.