US2110615A - Container - Google Patents

Description

I March 8, 19380 1. L. WILCOX 2,110,615

CONTAINER Filed July 25, 1935 INVENTOR.

wag/w ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 8, 1938 PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Isaac L. Wilcox, Fulton, N. Y., assignor to Oswego Falls Corporation, Fulton, N. -Y a corporation of New York Application July 25, 1935, Serial No. 33,082

1 Claim.

This invention relates to containers, and more particularly to containers for solid and semisolid products. The container is particularly adaptable for solid or semi-solid food products,

such for example as ice-cream.

An object of the invention is a container which is cheap to manufacture, light and durable in service.-

Another object of the invention is a container of suchnovel construction that the contents of the container may be conveniently removed as desired without spilling the contents, or soiling the fingers, during such movement.

Another object of the invention is a container of the class described of such novel construction as renders it particularly adaptable as a container for food products which are eaten, or consumed, from the container and by which construction the surfaces of the container which may go be contactedduring the eating of the contents thereof are always sanitary.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention consists in the novel features 35 and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the 30 views.

Figure 1 is a'perspective view of the casing of the container and the bag therefor in position to be assembled in the casing.

Figure 2 is an axial, sectional view of the con- 5 tainer and contents ready for shipment.

Figure 3 is a view, similar to Figure 2, showing the bag of the container and the bottom closure of the casing together with the contents of the bag in slightly elevated position.

40 Figure 4 is a view, similar to Figure 3, showing the bag partially withdrawn from the container.

Figure 5- is a, similar view showing the bag substantially entirely withdrawn from the container.

45 The invention comprises, in its entirety, 9. casing formed of rigid material, such as heavy paperboard, metal, or the like, a bottom closure slidably mounted in the casing, a bag formed of thin, flexible material and having secured to its 50 open end a sleeve of rigid material. The bag is suspended in the casing with the sleeve surrounding the outer side of the casing. Preferably, the sleeve is slidable on the outside of the casing. 5 Ref rring to the drawing, III designates a. tu-

bular casing which may be of any desired shape, form, or size. As here shown, the casing is cylindrical. The casing may be open at both ends. As here shown, one end is infolded, or crimped, as at H to support a slidable bottom closure 12. 5 The casing 10 is preferably formed of comparatively rigid material, such as heavy paperboard, metal, or the like. A bag [3 of thin, flexible material is suspended in the casing with the bottom of thebag adjacent the bottom closure I2, 10 and the open end of the bag extending outwardly through the open, or upper, end of the casing I 0. The open end of the bag is secured to a sleeve l4 also of comparatively rigid material, and of such diameter as to fit the outside of the 5 casing I0 in sliding relationship. This container is particularly adapted for solid and semi-solid food products, such as ice-cream. It is a matter of common knowledge that a great deal of ice-cream is sold at wayside stands, and soda fountains, in the well known ice-cream cone which, in itself, also consists of eatable material. However, when theioe-cream contacts the cone, it renders the same soft and as the ice-cream melts it invariably leaks through, or from the 5 cone. Also, children often drop the ice-cream out of the cone which not only involves the loss of an anticipated pleasure on the part of the child, but often the cream drops on clothing, or the upholstery of automobiles and like articles. Also, the cones are handled by the clerk when they are filled with ice-cream which, obviously, produces an undesirable, unsanitary situation. Some of the disadvantages enumerated are overcome by sealing the ice-cream in small paper containers. However, this necessitates the use of a paper spoon, or some implement to remove the ice-cream from the container. This method does not, in all instances, give the same satisfaction as eating the ice-cream from the cone.

An important use of my invention is a container for ice-cream and provides a liquid tight and sanitary package while at the same time permitting the ice-cream to be consumed directly from the container in similar fashion to that S ll he produces a slight pressure upon the slidable bottom closure I2. Inasmuch as the bag I3 is freely suspended in the casing, the bag, together.

with its contents, is elevated, or pushed, out of the open end of the casing, as indicated in Figure 3. The cap or closure I6 may be then conveniently removed without the aid of any particular instrument. The upper portion of the contents I5 may be then consumed, and as consumed the slidable bottom closure I2 is pressed further in the casing and a fresh portion of the contents is extruded. It will be observed, that the upper edge of the bag I3, extending over the upper edge of the casing I0, is sanitary inasmuch as it is in a sanitary state at the time the contents I5 is placed in the bag. Or, in other words, that portion of the bag which may be contacted by the lips of the consumer has never been touched after the bag has received its contents.

As before stated, the sleeve I4 is preferably slidably mounted upon the outside of the casing it.

Inasmuch as the bag i3 is freely suspended in the casing and is formed of thin, flexible material, such as Cellophane, Pliofilm, or the like, the bag may be conveniently withdrawn over the upper edge of the casing it by simply sliding the sleeve M downwardly over the outside of the casing Ill, as indicated in Figure 4 of the drawing. The sleeve can be thus slid down the outside of the casing until the bottom of the bag has been elevated to the top of the casing, as indicated in Figure 5, and the entire contents consumed. It will be observed that inasmuch as the bag 03 is formed of one piece of material, it is liquid tight and therefore, there is no possibility of the contents of the bag leaking out while being consumed. If the consumer should unfortunately drop the container with contents, it is only necessary to elevate the bag by either applying pressure to the closure I2, or sliding the sleeve I4 downwardly over the outside of the casing, thus extruding an amount of the contents, the top portion of which may be readily removed in the event that it has become dirty or contaminated because of the dropping of the container.

The sleeve I4 may be omitted, and the upper or open end of the bag secured directly to the upper end of the casing III, in which event the bottom of the bag may be elevated by pressure upon the slidable closure I2. Or, the bottom closure I2 may be entirely omitted and the bag elevated simply by a sliding operation of the sleeve I4. In either event, the container is liquid tight and may be operated to extrude the contents as desired.

What claim is: I

A container for frozen comestibles and the lik comprising a tubular casing formed of fibrous material, the lower end of said casing being folded inwardly to iorm an internal shoulder adjacent the lower end of the casing, a disk of fibrous material arranged in the casing and seating upon said shoulder and being freely movable axially oi the casing, a ring member of fibrous material encircling the upper end of said casing and being slidable axially 0n the outside of the casing toward the lower end thereof, a bag formed of flexible, moistureprooi material such as cellophane, or the like, arranged in said casing, the side wall of said bag being of pleated formation and extending over the upper end of the casing and being secured to said ring member, whereby the comestible may be extruded from the casing and the bag upon axial movement of said ring member toward the lower end of the casing.

ISAAC L. W'HEOX.

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