Reel supporting structure

Claim 1

A PACKAGING AND SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR A TAPE REEL HAVING A HUB FORMED WITH AT LEAST ONE AXIALLY EXTENDING SEMICYLINDRICAL SHAPED GROOVE COMPRISING A HOLLOW SLEEVE HAVING A RECTANGULAR OPEN END, A COMBINATION UNIT FORMED WITH A FIRST SIDE PANEL, A SECOND SIDE PANEL AND AN END WALL JOINING SAID SIDE PANELS, SAID FIRST SIDE PANEL HAVING AN OPENING FORMED THEREIN AND A CORE MOUNTED IN AND OVER SAID OPENING, SAID UNIT BEING SLIDABLY INTERFITTED WITHIN SAID SLEEVE AND SAID END WALL ENCLOSING SAID RECTANGULAR OPENING THEREOF, SAID CORE COMPRISING A MALE PLUG FORMED WITH A CYLINDRICAL WALL PORTION PROJECTING THROUGH SAID CIRCULAR OPENING IN SAID FIRST SIDE PANEL AND END WALL ENCLOSING ONE END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL PORTION AND A RADIALLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE ENCIRCLING THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL PORTION AND ENGAGING ONE SIDE OF SAID FIRST SIDE PANEL, A FEMALE PLUG FORMED WITH A CYLINDRICAL WALL PORTION HAVING AT LEAST ONE RADIAL PROTUBERANCE ADAPTED TO FIT WITHIN A SAID GROOVE IN THE REEL HUB AND FORMED ON THE OUTER PERIPHERAL SURFACE THEREOF AND EXTENDING AXIALLY THE LENGTH OF SAID WALL PORTION, AN END WALL SUBSTANTIALLY ENCLOSING ONE END OF SAID FEMALE CYLINDRICAL WALL PORTION AND A RADIALLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE ENCIRCLING THE OPPOSITE OPEN END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL PORTION OF SAID FEMALE PLUG AND SAID AT LEAST ONE RADIAL PROTUBERANCE, SAID FEMALE PLUG BEING ALIGNED WITH SAID MALE PLUG AND SNUGLY FITTED AND FRICTIONALLY HELD ON SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL OF SAID MALE PLUG EXTENDING FLANGE ENCIRCLING THE OPPOSITE OPEN END OF SAID SIDE OF SAID FIRST SIDE PANEL, WHEREBY AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CORE IS PREVENTED RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST SIDE PANEL, AND NODULES ON THE SURFACE OF THE FLANGE OF SAID FEMALE PLUG OPPOSITE SAID SECOND SIDE OF SAID FIRST SIDE PANEL AND PRESSED INTO SAID FIRST SIDE PANEL TO AFFORD MEANS PREVENTING ROTATION OF SAID PLUGS RELATIVE TO SAID COMBINATION UNIT.