US2575192A - Article pack - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 13, 1951 E. L. SHEPARD 2,575,192

ARTICLE PACK Filed Feb. 9, 1948 INVENTOR. ERNEST L. SHEPARD Patented Nov. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTICLE BACK Ernest L. Shepard, Fairfield, Maine, assignor, by mesne assignments, to .The. Canal National Bank of Portland; and William B. Nulty, trustees, both of Portland, Maine Application February 9, 1948-, Serial No. 7,069

2 Claims. (01. 22;9- -.2.5)

Thisinventionrelates to carton structures for thepackaging, shipment and display of fragile articles, and has for its main object to provide alstructure which will effectively protect the articles packed therein against breakage; which can readily be folded upon itself into a compact unit which will occupy the minimum shipping and/or storage space;. and which can be easily tornapart along its fold section to provide two individual carton units which can be used for take-home delivery of:a lesser numberof articles than the original article complement of the. carton,

Other objects and advantages, of my improved carton structurewill appear as this description proceeds. j

Inattaining my objects, Iprovide :a carton structurecomprising at least two individual carton units, each consistingof a. pocket sectionand alcover section hinged to each other along their adjacent longitudinal edges to overfold and form aclosed pack. The carton units are also hinged t0.- each other along their adjacent transverse edges-by a hinge connection which is of a length sufficient to permit one, unit to be folded over upon the other with the pockets of said units closely nesting with each, other in acompact, space-saving manner. When the carton units are to be separated from one another, this hinge connection serves as a convenient tear-section along which the original carton may be broken apartso that the individual carton unitsmay be used for take-home delivery of a lesser number of; articles than the original article complement of the carton.

In the accompanying drawing wherein I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention. Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my novel carton Structure when open.

Fig. 2 is a front edge view thereof, Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and, t

Fig. 4 is an end elevation showing howi my. carton structurevmay. be overfolded upon itself to provide a compactlshipping container.

For the purposes, of thisapplication I shall show and describe acarton structure particularly adapted for the packaging and display of incandescent bulbs. It will be understood-.zhowever, that such disclosure is illustrative only, and that the principles of my invention are applicable to the packaging of a wide variety of other articles, and particularly of frusto-conical or frusto-pyramidal shape, such as radio tubes, flash light bulbs, lamp chimneys and the like.

Likewise, for the purposes of this application; I shall show and describe a carton structure designed to carry four articles arranged in two groups of two articles each, said groupsbeing foldably connected to each other along their ad: jacent transverse edges by a fold section which when torn. apart converts the carton structure into two equal sized carton units or secondary cartons. It will be understood however. that the carton structure may contain a greater or lesser number of article pockets and may bedesigned to tear apart intocarton units, which, are either equal or unequal in size or'for tearing apartalong .more thanone tear line. to provide carton. units containing, any desired number or combination of numbers ofarticle pockets.

Myv carton structure. is preferably made of molded pulp and as here shown consists .of; two carton units. Aand B which are spacedapart from each other a substantial distancev and fold.- ably connected along their adjacent transverse edges by a hinge section C of sufficient length to permit said units to be overfolded upon one another to provide. the compact, closely nesting, shipping and storage container shown in Fig. 4.

Each carton unit, as molded, consists of a pocket section It! and a cover section H which are coextensive witheach other and are hingedly connected to one another at their adjacent longitudinal edges tooverfold upon one another along the indicated lines of fold [2. The pocket sections are in longitudinal alignment, and the cover sections are in longitudinal alignment.

The hinge connection C which foldably connects the units A and B to one anotherat their adjacent transverseedges preferably consists of a pair of strap-like members l3 and M of substantial width and length. The strap member l4 lies substantially in the plane of the adjacent transverse edges of the pocket sections and is long enough to extend between the pocket sections when the carton units are overfolded with the bottoms of the pocket sections in juxtaposition; The strap member I3 is longer than member l4, and has a developed length as molded sufficient to extend between the cover sections I I when the carton units are overfolded. These may beof any suitable material but are preferably integral parts of the pulp sheet'from which the units A and B are molded.

As a result of this construction, the pocket and cover sections I0 and of the respective units A and B may be overfolded along the longitudinally aligned fold lines l2 to provide a closed carton or pack for the articles, which pack may be locked closed by any suitable fastening means (not shown) and the filled units A and B may be overfolded upon one another along the hinge connection C into the stacked and nested relationship shown in Fig. 4, wherein it will be observed that the pocket sections are complementary, and the outer surfaces of the cover sections are substantially parallel. made of a lesser number of articles than the full article complement of the carton, as where two articles are sold, the units A and B may be separated from one another by tearing off the hinge When a sale is.

connection C and one or the other of the units contoured to provide individual pockets (here shown as two in number) of the proper size, depth and shape to accommodate the articles to be packedtherein. Where the articles are incandescent bulbs, or like articles of frustoconical or frusto-pyramidal shape, the pockets are of a depth to accommodate approximately the lower halves of the bulbs and are arranged side by side lengthwise of said section with their major axes disposed transversely of the sheet and with the reduced neck portion of one pocket disposed opposite to the enlarged rounded portion l6 of an adjacent pocket so as to reduce to the minimum the space required for packing the bulbs.

Adjacent the neck portion of each pocket the sheet is preferably provided with a pair of spaced oppositely disposed upstanding hollow formations ll which assist in restraining the bulbs against sidewise movement within the pockets. Preferably also the neck portions of the pockets are intersected by longitudinally extending hollow stiffening ribs l8.

Each cover section II of each unit A or B is tray-like in cross section, consisting of a substantially flat bottom wall l9 and an enclosing upwardly sloping wall of a height sufiicient to provide a compartment of the required depth to enclose the upper 'halves of the articles seated in the pockets of the complemental pocket section In when the carton is closed.

If desired the enclosing walls of the cover sections 1 l of the units A and B may be provided with one or more hollow stiffening ribs 2!.

It will be noted that when the carton units are closed and overfolded one upon the other (see Fig. 4) the pocket-formations of their pocket sections are complementary and closely nest with each other. I It will also be noted that the outer surfaces of the bottom walls 19 of the cover sections H furnish substantially flat surfaces well adapted to receive printing.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing it will be evident that I have provided a carton structure within which a predetermined complement of bulbs or other fragile articles may be safely packed and shipped; that said structure may be overfolded upon itself to occupy the minimum shipping and/or storage space; and that when a sale is made of a smaller number of articles than the full article complement, the structure may be readily converted into two secondary units A and B of lesser capacity for take-home delivery by simply tearing off the hinge connection C.

Various modifications in the design shown may be made within the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: l. A foldable and tearable article pack of molded pulp comprising a pair of spaced carton units each of which has a pocket section and a cover section, said pocket sections being in iongitudinal alignment and said cover sections being in longitudinal alignment, said pocket sections 'being hingedly connected to their respective cover sections. along fold lines which are in longitudinal alignment, said pocket sections being connected along their adjacent transverse edges by a strap member of substantial width lying substantially in the plane of said transverse edges and of a length sufficient to extend between the pocket sections when the carton units are overfolded with the bottoms of the pocket sections in juxtaposition, said cover sections being connected along their adjacent transverse edges by a strap member of substantial width and of a developed length as molded greater thanthat of the strap member connecting the pocket sections and sufficient to extend between the cover sections when the carton units are overfolded.

2. A foldable and tearable article packsof molded pulp comprising a pair of spaced carton units each of which has a pocket section con-' toured to provide individual pockets and .a traylike cover section, said pocket sections being in longitudinal alignment and said cover sections being in longitudinal alignment, said pocket sections being hingedly connected to their respective cover sections along fold lines which are in longitudinal alignment, said pocket sections being connected along their adjacent transverse edges by a strap member of substantial width lying substantially in the plane of said transverse edges and of a length sufficient to extend between the pocket sections when the carton units are overfolded with the bottoms of the pocket sections in juxtaposition, said cover sections being connected along their adjacent transverse edges by a strap member of substantial width and of a developed length as molded greater than that of the strap member connecting the pocket sections and sufiicient to extend between the cover sections when the carton units are overfolded, said carton units being shaped so that when the carton units are overfolded, the pocket sections are complementary and the outer surfaces of the cover sections are substantially parallel.

ERNEST L; SHEPARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references'are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Randall Oct. 7, 1947

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