US2608341A - Fiber container with improved tearing strip - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 26, 1952 G. E. ECKMAN FIBER CONTAINER WITH IMPROVED TEARING STRIP Filed Oct. 20, 194'? INVENTO'R ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 26, 1952 UNITED Sm Es; m w

FIBER CONTAINER wi'rH VIMPROVED srnm George" E. Eokm'an, 'Oradell, N; J., assigr'ior' to" American Can Cmpany,'"New York N. Y., a. corporation ofiNew Jersey; i r.

Application October 20, 1947 ,-Serial 780,824

The present invention relates to containers having a body made of fibrous material for a variety of products including frozen food prodnets and the like and has particular/reference toan improved construction of tearing strip which facilitates opening the container forre moval of its product.

An object of the inventionis the provision of a container having afibre body equipped with. a tearing strip wherein the tearing strip is defined by score lines arranged in an an proved and novel'manner' on 'both sides of the material of the body to facilitate splitting of the material between the score lines when the tear- Another object is theprovision'of such a coning strip is removed to open the container;

scoreline, theslit being so small that it prevents escape of thecontents of the container dufirlgv m val of the tearing strip.

body near an end' thereof, which strip is defined by two spaced parallel score lines cut into one surface of the body wall throu'ghhalf the thickness thereof and which score linesare cooperatively assisted by at least one score line out into the opposite surface of the fibrewall and in spaced relation to said parallel score lines, so thatthe end portion of the container is severed by re-. moval of said strip. Numerous other objects andfadvantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, v

taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tearing strip container embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective View of a detailed portion of the container illustrated in Fig. 1 and showing the removal of the tearing strip;

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional views taken I 1 Claim. 01.22941) s r Q Still another object of the invention '15 the provision. of a tearing strip in a'fibre container 1. I; substantiallyalong' the andshowing the wall of the container before after removal of the tearing strip;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig.- 2, and showing a a modifiediormof the invention; and

Figs; 6 and '7 areviewssimflarto Figsx3 and 4;" the "views" being taken substantially along the lines c -s';' 1-1 mer 5. a

As a preferred embodiment of the instant invention Figs. 1, 2, 3 e ds" of the drawings illusj trat'e a rectangular shaped container for frozen" foodjproductsand the like, the container cojmprisingiatubularbody I I '(Fig. 1); made of suitable paper boardsuch'as sulphate. or-sulphite boards, or combinationsofthesefwith ground wood pulp, and s'heetmetal end members ,I Zfper manentlyfsecu'redto thefbody by suitable end seams 13. The body jpreferably is made from a single flat blank, folde'd'to provide four'sidewalls and rounded corners, themarginal edge" portions of thefblank .being overlapped and permanently united" by a. suitable adhesive to form a lapped side seam 14;?" I

Ini iise, one end rriember l2 is secured to the body 1 I and the resulting'container is then' filled' with the product; Aftenfilling, the container is sealedby the attachment of its other end member 12 and, the sealed container is then' passed through a contents. 3 l

Opening of the container to releaseits contents is effected by an improved removabletearing strip H which is formed in thelbody H and freezing DlQcess to freeze its "which extends completely therearound, preferably adjacent one ofthe end members l2 and terminating inatongue l8 disposed'adjacent the body ,sideseam M. This tongue is set off in the body by a pair of spaced V-shapednotches l9-which are .cut from the body? in the outer lapped'portion of the side-1 scam," the portion between the notches constituting the tongue.

The. tearing strip llof the body II is defined by-r'a pair of" spaced and parallelscore linesor weakened areas?! which are cut or "otherwise formedin theou'ter surface of the body and" which extend into the vmate'rlahoi*the body for 'substantially -one"'half ofthe thicknesslof the body wall, as best shown in Fig. 3. These score lines or weakened areas terminate preferably at the vertices of the notches l9 which set off the tongue [8 (see Fig. 1). On the opposite or inner surface of the body wall, the body I I is formed with a single score line or weakened area 23 which preferably is spaced midway between the two outer score lines 2| (see Figs.

lines 3 3, 4 :4 inr'igra nd j 3 2 and 3) and which extends completely around the body and longitudinally of the tongue 18 to its outer edge in parallelism with the score lines 2|. This inner score line or weakened area 23 is cut or otherwise formed in the inner surface of the body and extends into the material of the body for substantially one half of the thickness of the body wall. 3

Thus the tearing strip [1 is fully defined as to lateral dimension and depth by the three score lines or weakened areas 21, 23 disposed in opposite sides of the wall of the body. Hence when the tongue 18 is pulled outwardly in the usual manner to open the container, the material of the body splits or separates or tears along an area of cleavage which follows a plane parallel with the surfaces of the body wall and joining the bottoms of the score lines or weakened areas as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the line of tear extending from the bottoms of the score lines 21 toward and into the bottom of the score line 23, the removed tearing strip. being substantially one half the thickness of the body wall.

With the removal of this improved tearing strip ll, the wall of the body II is completely severed or cut through, the body being divided into two parts by a thin or narrow slit 25 (Fig. 4) which is the remains of. the inner score line or weakened area 23 and which is so small that no appreciable amount of the contents of the container can escape. Thusduring the removal of the tearing strip, the contents of the container are prevented from escape and are held intact until the tearing strip is completely removed and the two parts of the body manually separated to release the contents for use. This feature is of importancewhen the contents of an incompletely thawed frozen product may contain juices which may partially escape during the opening of the container.

In the modified form'of the invention, as disclosed in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the tearing strip. is defined by a pair of spaced and parallel outer score lines or weakened areas 3| and a pair of spaced and parallel inner score lines or weakened areas 32. The outer score lines 31 are cut or otherwise formed in the outer surface of the body 'II and extend'into the material of the body for substantially onehalf of' the thickness of the body wall as best shown in Fig. 6. These score lines terminate preferably at the vertices of the notches I9 which set off the tongue l8.

In a similar manner, the inner score lines or weakened areas 32 are cut or otherwise formed in the opposite or inner surface of the body II and extend into the material of the body for substantially one half its thickness. These inner score lines are located between the two outer score lines as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and extend completely around the body and longitudinally of the tongue l8 to its outer edge. in parallelism with the outer score lines 3|.

Hence when the tongue [8 is pulled outwardly in the usual manner, to open'the container, the material of the body splits or separates or tears along an area of cleavage which follows a plane parallel with the surfaces of the body wall at a place substantially midway of its thickness,

from the bottoms of the outer score lines 3| toward and into the bottoms of the score lines 32. Thus the body is severed or completely divided into two parts upon complete removal of the tearing strip as shown in Fig. 7. In this modified form of the invention a stepped tearing strip is produced, a portion of the removed strip having a thickness equal to the full thickness of the body wall and a portion having a thickness of substantially one half of that of the body wall. Such a tearing strip provides a gap 33 (Fig. 7) between the two divided body portions of the opened container, this gap being substantially greater than the slit of the preferred formand having some advantages for certain food products which are packed in containers of this type.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof. 7

I claim: a

A container for frozen foods and the like, comprising in combination a tubular body having a wall of fibrous material, a tongue formed in said and having a depth substantially half the thickness of the body wallfsaid score lines extending around said body, a pulling awayof said tearing strip causing the body material to split along an area of cleavage between said outer parallel score lines thus leaving a thin inner wall por- 1 tion cut by said single cooperating score linefor holding-the contents of the container intact until the tearing strip is completely removed and the two parts of the container are manually ""separated along said cooperating score line to Number Name Date 2,275,896 Geist 'Mar. 10, 1942 2,401,417 Engle June 4, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date-- 116,955 Australia May 5, 1943 470,316 Great Britain Aug. 12, 1937 release the contents.

' GEORGE E. ECKMAN.

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

UNI'IED STATES PATENTS

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