US2842261A - Container - Google Patents

Description

CONTAINER Filed June 22, 1951 ZQQ I w 2, Q/ I %/z INVENTOR Step/wen Lighter 2,842,261 Patented July 8,1958

United States Patent Ofiice.

CONTAINER Stephen Lighter, Milwaukee, Wis. Application June 22, 1951, Serial No. 232,969 1 Claim (Cl. 206-4531) This invention relates to containers and more particularly to a device for holding and displaying a number of articles in unitary relationship.

It is therefore an outstanding object of this invention to provide a container-formed of sheet material which will retain a number of articles in assembled relation for shipment and sale. I I r Another object of the present invention is the provision of a container which retains articles by means of resiliently-biased opposed portions of said carton.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container which clamps contained articles between opposed flanges of the container, the flanges being resiliently biased in a novel manner.

it is a still'further object of the instant invention to provide aflange for a container which flange is resiliently biased in a sirfiplefineirpensive manner.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a container which holds a number of articles in assembled relation and, at the same time, displays them.

- Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a display container which involves little wastage of material and yet sacrifices none of its usefulness in retaining articles.

A still further object of this invention lies in a novel method of forming a resilient clamping flange on containers formed of sheet material.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a display container which can be fabricated cheaply and efficiently of inexpensive sheet material by unskilled labor on automatic machinery.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, the mode of its operation and the manner of its organization may be better understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Figure l is'a plan view of the container of the present invention in dismantled condition and with portions thereof broken away for the sake of illustration.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the container of the invention in assembled condition and shown retaining a number of small packages in unitary relationship.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of the assembly shown in Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure l and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 shows a sectional view of a side of the container of the invention in an intermediate condition.

Figure 6 shows an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 shows a greatly enlarged view of a modification of the invention,

Like reference characters al figures of the drawings.

In the past the state of the container art has been such that a given container either did not display the articles embraced by it, in which case the container could be built fairly strongly; or it did display its contents, in which case the usefulness of the container as a retaining,-

strengthening,-and protecting agent was limited. The use of transparent windows is not desireable in many applications because of the expense involved in fabricating such a style of carton. In other words, any emphasis on strength, etc., has resulted in a loss of ability to display, and vice versa. The applicant, in his Patent Number 2,395,558, disclosed a carton which overcomes the ditficulties described above. v.The present invention involves. a container which accomplishes a similar end, as will be evident from the. description which follows.

Referring first toFigure 1, the container of the invention is shown in the form in which it exists prior to being formed into a container. It is an elongated blank made of paperboard, sheet plastic,'or any other sheet material having the desired characteristics. The container blank may be formedof strip material and die-cut on an automatic machine. It can be seen that very little wastage results. The container consists generally of elongated side walls 9 and 10, shown with portions broken away because of drawing limitations. Adjoining these side walls are shorter end walls 11 and 12. The side and end walls are defined one from another by transverse score lines 13. One extremity of the'blank is formed with an i ntegral, transversely scored flap defined from the adjacent side wall 9 by a score line 13. The flap 14 is provided with a tongue 16 pressedfrom the central portion thereof and a tongue 15 formed on its-periphery. .Theother end of the blank is formed with, a relatively short flap 18. In the central portion of the end panel 12 are two opposed slits 17.

Running along the free edges of the side walls 9 and 10 are inwardly-directed flanges 19, to be described further later, and along the free edges of the end panels 11 and 12 are flanges 20 having rounded ends. The construction of the flanges 19 and 20 can best be shown by reference to Figure 4 which shows an enlarged transverse sectional view taken through the wall 11. After the blank has been die-cut, the flanges 20 are folded in against the wall 11, as shown in the drawing. Then, the area-adjacent the juncture of the wall and flange is provided with a stiffening means such as the coating 21. In the preferred embodiment this coating is of a plastic material. Instead of a coating, however, the stiffening means may be a plastic impregnation, as shown in Figure 7, or a lamination of sheet material; the important feature is that the stiifening means be such that there is a considerable resistance to movement of the flange away from the wall.

This come about when the material of the lamination impregnation, or coating has a greater elasticity than the container material and is applied when the flange is adjacent the wall. When the flange is moved away from the wall to the position shown in Figure 5, the stiffening means resists this movement and, when the flange is released, it returns to its initial position adjacent the wall. Furthermore, it can be seen that when an object 22 is placed between opposite flanges, as in Figure 6, in such a manner that the flanges are almost at right angles to the wall. In that position the flanges exert a strong clamping force on the object.

By reference to Figure 2, which best shows the manner in which advantage is taken of the unusual features of thedenote like parts in the sever- Furthermore, the flanges 20 clamp all four sides of the object 22 and hold it firmly in place within the container. An examination of Figure 3 shows the manner in which the flanges are arranged preferably with the flanges of the end walls overlying the flanges of the side walls. It can be seen that the object is displayed in a novel way and, at the same time, is protected and enclosed in such a manner as to be consistent with the ordinary requirements for strength, etc.

The method of arriving at the resiliently-biased flange deserves further description. As has been stated above, the stiffening means may be a coating or impregnation, usually of a material in liquid form which later hardens, or a lamination of sheet material. In any case the material in the final state must have a substantially greater elasticity than the material of which the container is formed. In other words, while the joint between the wall and the flange would ordinarily be stressed beyond the elastic limit and would not tend to return the flange to its initial position adjacent the wall, the stiffening means is not so stressed and continues to bias the flange properly. However, it is not necessary in most applications that the stiffening means be able to withstand repeated stresses of the sort encountered when the flange is rotated ninety degrees or more from the plane of the wall. It is important that the stiflening means be applied at a point in the construction of the box when the flanges are folded inwardly and lie in juxtaposition to their respective walls on the side thereof that is later to become the inside surface of the box. This is substantially the condition of the container blank shown in Figure 1. it can be seen that, once the stiffening means has reached its final state, it will attempt to return the flange to this initial, unstressed condition when the flange is rotated out of the plane of the wall. This resilient bias is used to retain the contents of the container, as has been described.

While certain novel features of the invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutes, and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patents is:

A blank for a display container formed of sheet material comprising a first rectangular side wall, a flap hingedly attached to one edge of the first side wall, a first rectangular end wall hingedly attached to the edge of thc first side wall opposite the flap, a second rectangular side wall hingedly attached to the edge of the first end wall opposite the first side wall, a second rectangular end wall hingedly attached to the edge of the second side wall opposite the first end wall, said flap and said second end wall being formed with tongue and slot means adapted to interlock with one another, integral flanges hingedly attached to the free edges of the side and end walls, a stiffening means applied to theneighborhood of the at tachment of the flanges to the free edges of the walls, said stiffening means biasing said flanges so that they normally rest adjacent to their respective walls and resiliently resist movement therefrom, said stiffening means consisting of a lamination of sheet material having a substantially greater elasticity than the sheet material of which the wall and flange are formed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,444,404 Wagernaker Feb. 6, 1923 1,754,060 Striss Apr. 8, 1930 2,021,950 Thomas Nov. 26, 1935 2,032,351 Chaplin Mar. 3, 1936 2,099,936 Kieckhefer Nov. 23, 1937 2,388,267 Iunkin Nov. 6, 1945 2,395,558 Lighter Feb. 26, 1946 2,548,985 Lighter Apr. 17, 1951

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