US2934233A - Composite molded paper pulp egg tray - Google Patents

Description

| scHwARTzBERG 2,934,233

COMPOSITE MOLDED PAPER PULP EGG TRAY e sheets-sheet i April 26, 1960 Filed July 19. 1956 April 26, 1960 LLLLLLLLLL BRG 2,934,233

April 26, 1960 L. scHwARTzBr-:RG

COMPOSITE MOLDED PAPER PULP EGO TRAY 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 19, 1956 4 @O P e NOO www wm ,NO O E E April 26, 1960 L. scHwARTzBERG COMPOSITE MOLDED PAPER PULP EGG TRAY 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 19. 1956 April 26, 1960 L. scHwARTzBERG COMPOSITE MOLDED PAPER PULP scc my 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 19. 1956 April 26, 1960 L. SCHWARTZBERG COMPOSITE MOLDED PAPER PULP EGG TRAY Filed July 19. 195s 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 United States Patent O CQMPGSHE MOLDED PAPER PULP EGG TRAY Louis Schwartzberg, Chicago, lll.

Application `luly 19, 1956, Serial No. 598,845

1 Claim. (Cl. 217-265) The present invention relates to shipping containers for eggs or similar fragile articles and more particularly to improvements in packing carriers of the individual cell type commonly known as egg trays. Still more specilically the invention is concerned with an egg tray of the integrally molded paper pulp type, as distinguished from those which are made from at sheet stock, and which lend themselves to the formation of cellular structures having excellent cushioning qualities. Such molded structures have the additional advantage that no folding or other assembly operations are required since the trays emerge from the molding process in an erect condition for immediate use.

Where standard shipping containers or egg crates having compartments each capable of receiving therein superimposed layers or tiers of eggs are concerned, the usual practice is to provide a series of composite egg trays, each including a lower tray form having pockets therein to receive the lower regions of the eggs and an upper tray form or cover member which is identical with or closely similar to the lower tray form and having cooperating or mating inverted pockets which are telescopicaliy received over the upper regions of the eggs, thus defining a series of individual cell-like compartments within which the eggs are individually housed when the two forms are assembled. Utilizing such tray structures, the compartments of the shipping container are packed progressively in tiers by placing a lower tray form, in each instance, within the compartment, inserting an egg in each of the various open pockets-of the form, and thereafter positioning an upper cover form over or upon the lower form, thus completing the packing of one tier. The process is repetitive until the desired number of packed tiers have been built up.

invariably, with such standard size shipping containers, such molded egg trays are designed to accommodate the packing of three dozen eggs in each tier, the cells being arranged so that the eggs are disposed in six horizontal rows of six eggs each and with the eggs being aligned both longitudinally and transversely in checkerboard fashion. Each tier thus contains three dozen eggs and the containers are of such xed and predetermined length, width and height that they will accommodate ten of the composite egg trays, i.e. tive to each compartment, or thirty dozen eggs in all. f

The present invention is designed as an improvement over conventional composite egg trays of the character brieliy outlined above in that it contemplates the provision of an egg tray having upper and lower tray forms of molded fibrous or pulp material, which forms do not deviate widely in their configuration from standard pulp forms yet which are capable of accommodating four and one-half dozen eggs for each composite egg tray instead of the usual three dozen and which, at the same time preserve and furthermore enhance the good cushioning and Ventilating effect of the standard egg tray.

The provision of a composite egg tray having increased "ice egg-storing capacity as indicated above being amongY the principal objects of the invention, a further object is to provide an egg tray of this character in which the upper tray form, as well as the lower tray form, is provided with egg-receiving pockets therein, the latter constituting the means whereby an increasedcapacity is afforded the egg tray.

Another object of the invention, in an egg tray of this sort, is to provide a two-part egg tray consisting of upper and lower tray forms in which the egg-receiving pockets of the upper tray form project downwardly below the upper rim of the lower tray form when the two forms are assembled and are supported by the lower form, the arrangement of pockets in both tray forms being such that when the composite egg tray is fully packed, the eggs carried by both forms are arranged in longitudinally extending rows with the rows of eggs carried by the upper form being slightly elevated above the rows of eggs carried by the lower form and with the eggs of the upper rows being uniformly staggered both longitudinally and transversely with respect to the eggs of the lower rows.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a composite egg tray of this character wherein, when a series of the trays are stacked upon each other in superimposed relation, as for example in the packing of an egg crate compartment, the eggs in the vertical rows afforded by such stacking of identical egg trays will assume a uniformly staggered relationship in a vertical direction.

The provision of a composite molded paper pulp egg tray which readily adapts itself to simple molding operations, utilizing either forming dies or suction filter screen processes; one which is capable of being manufactured at substantially the same cost as conventional egg trays of less capacity; one which preserves all of the cushioning and Ventilating qualities of the standard egg tray; one which readily lends itself to packingand unpacking operations without destruction of the tray forms and which may therefore be reused from time to time; and one which otherwise is well adapted to perform the services required of it, are further desirable features which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood. i

In the accompanying six sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification, a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a two-compartment shipping container or egg crate showing the same filled with packed composite egg trays constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. In this view a portion of one side wall of the container has been broken away to reveal the egg trays;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of the assembled mating portions of the two component parts, i.e. the upper and lower tray sections, of a single composite egg tray in the vicinity of one side region thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a corner region of the lower tray form fragment shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an exploded side elevational view of the composite egg tray showing the upper tray form in its proper position or orientation over the lower tray form with both forms receiving therein a full complement of eggs;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the composite egg tray showing one side section thereof; y

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the `line '6-6 of Figure 5` and showing both the upper and lbvveil'ry fr'nsflly'packed;

Figure 7 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 7-7 of Figure 5. and showing both the upper and lower tray forms fully packed;

Figure 8 is a sectional View similar to Figure 7 showing the unpacked upper tray form only; c

Figure 9 is a sectional View similar to Figure 7 showing the unpacked lower tray form only;

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 10-10 o Figure 5; and

y Figure l1 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken substantially along'the line 11-11 of Figure V5.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to Figure 1, a shipping container for eggs is designated in its entirety at and is shown as being of the conventional compartmented egg crate type having adja cent compartments 22 and 24 separated by a vertical partition wall 26. The container 20 is provided with a top wall 28, a bottom wall 30, side walls 32 and 34 respectively, and end closures, one of which is shown at 36, all in the usual manner of construction of such egg containers.

The compartments 22 and 24 are leach adapted to be substantially filled with a seriesk of superimposed or stacked composite egg trays which are designated individually in their entirety at 40, each composite tray being filled or packed with four and one-half dozen, i.e. fifty-four, eggs, in a manner that will be made clear presently. The container selected for illustration in Figure 1 has the capacity to receive iive of the composite egg trays 40 in each compartment thereof and thus the shipping container 20, when packed will contain, in the two compartments 22 and 24 thereof, forty-live dozen, i.e. five hundred and forty eggs. Y

Still referring to Figure 1, each composite egg tray 40 is comprised of an upper tray form 42 and a lower tray form 44, the two forms being arranged in superimposed relation as shown in Figure 2 when the tray is assembled. As will be pointed out presently, the upper form 42 when filled is adapted to contain one and one-half dozen eggs while the lower form, when filled, is adapted to contain three dozen eggs.

The upper and lower tray forms`42 and 44 respectively are each formed of molded paper pulp, preferably of the sulfite filter pack variety and each tray form is molded as an individual unit having three adjacent eggreceiving pocket sections as will become clear when the individual tray forms are described. The various tray forms 42'and 44 arejsubstantially square in overall plan configuration so that they will fit snugly within the horizontal confines of the compartments 22 and 24 of the container 20 in the superimposed relationship shown in Figure l. v

Referring now to Figures l and 3, the lower tray form 44 of each composite egg tray 40 is formed of three marginally joined transverse sections including side sections A and C respectively and a medial section B. The three sections are, in the main, of similar configuration and it is thought that a description of one section will, to a large extent, suffice for the others.

As best seen in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the side section C is in the form of a shallow tray-like 'structure having a continuous marginal rim 46, the outerside of which is free and the inner side of which merges with the rim of the medial tray section B. Projecting downwardly from the inner edges of the rim 46 on a slight inward incline are a pair of opposed side walls Y48 and a pair of opposed end walls 50, the loweredges of which walls are joined to the marginal regions of a` bottom wall 52. The bottom wall 52 is formed with a series or row of longitudinally aligned, equally spac'edcentral upstanding hollow posts 54 which Yare generally* of frusto-conical lconfiguration and the heightof'which somewhat -lessl than the overall height of the tray section. For purposes of description, reading from left to right in Figure 5, the various posts 54 have been labelled from 1 to 6 inclusive. The iirst post 54 in the series is spaced from the adjacent end wall 50 a distance slightly less than the spacing of the last post in the series from its adjacent end wall to serve a function which will become clear presently. As seen additionally in Figure 10, the truncated upper ends 5S of the posts 54 are of flat circular design and, in the assembled composite tray structure, they constitute the top walls of respective egg compartments as will also appear as .the following description ensues.

Still referring to Figures 3, 4 and 5, each sidewall 48 is formed with a series .of longitudinally spaced hollow ribs 56 in the form of truncated cone sections, there being six such ribs and each being in transverse alignment with one of the central upstanding posts 54. Each end wall 50 is formed -medially of its side edges with a similar rib 58, likewise of truncated cone shape design, the two ribs 58 being in longitudinal alignment with the row of posts S4. The tops 60 and 62 of the ribs 56 and 58 respectively are of flat substantially semi-circular design and lie in the horizontal plane of the peripheral rim 46 of the tray section.

Each central post 54 is joined to its adjacent two side wall ribs S6 by a shallow upstanding hollow transverse rib 64 of inverted tapered channel or U-shape design, the ribs 56 being integrally formed as a part of the bottom wall 52 of the tray section. Similarly, each post 54 is joined to its adjacent post by longitudinal ribs 66 of like configuration. The first and last post 54 in the series is joined to its adjacent end wall rib 58 by ribs 68 which likewise are of inverted U-shape design.

The side Walls 48 and end walls Sli merge at their regions of juncture in thefour corners of 4the tray section to provide a series of four corner posts 7@ which are generally in the form of truncated cone quarter-sections, the tops 72 of which lie within the horizontal plane of the rim 46. y

From the above description it'will be seen thatthe various posts 54 and ribs 264, 66 and 68, in combination with one another and with the bottom wall 52 of the tray section provide, in effect, two longitudinal rows 'of pockets 74, the pockets of each row being'labelled from 1 to 7 inclusive of Figure '5. The pockets labelled 2 to 7 inclusive are of uniform size and vare egg-receiving pockets, each beingadapted to receive therein the lower regions of a standard size egg as shown in Figures `4, 7, 9 and ll. The pockets labelled '1 at the left hand side of Figure 5 are of lessoverall size than the egg-receiving pockets on account of v'the lesser distance between the first post 54 in the series and the adjacent rim portion '46 as previously explained. These two latter pockets provide dead air spaces within the tray form section and the walls thereof afford additionalcushioning characteristics at the left hand end of the tray section.

`Since the pockets labelled 2 to 7 inclusive in each row are egg-receiving sections,v it will be observed that each of the three tray form sections A, B and C of the lower tray 44 of each composite tray unit 40 will, when placed in one of the compartments 22 or 24, as the case may be, of the container 20, may be packed or iilled withone dozen eggs, thus totalling three dozen eggs for the entire lower tray form.

Referring again to Figure 1, the upper tray form .42 of each composite egg tray 40 is, like the lower tray form 44, formed of three marginally joined transverse sections including side sections A and C respectively and a medial section B. The three sections being similar in their configuration, a kdescription of one of them will suffice for the others.

As seen in Figures 2 and 4, the side section C' is, to a'certain extentcomplemental to the side section C of the lower tray form 44fpreviously describedand is in the form of a' shallow' tray-like structure having.V a continuous marginal rim 80 the ,outer side of which is free and .the inner side of which merges with the rim of the medial tray section B. Projecting upwardly from the inner edges of the rim 80 on a slight inward incline are a pair of opposed side walls 82 and a pair of opposed end walls 84. The lower edges of the side and endwalls 82 and 84 respectively are joined to a top wall S6.' The height of the side walls S2 is somewhat greater than the height of the side walls 4S of the lower tray form sections and the overall height or vertical extent of the tray form section C is considerably greater than the overall height of its mating tray form section C inasmuch as portions of the upper tray form section are adapted to be nested within the confines of the lower tray form section when the two tray forms are assembled in superimposed relation to provide the completed egg ltray as will be made clear subsequently.

The top wall 86 is formed with a seri or row of longitudinally aligned, equally spaced, central depending hollow posts 8S which are generally of frusto-conical coniguration and the vertical extent of which is somewhat greater than the height of the side walls 82. In Fig. 4, for purposes of description, the various posts 88 have been labelled from 1 to 6 inclusive, reading from left to right. The iirst post in the series is spaced from its adjacent end wall 84 a distance slightly less than the spacing of the last post in the series from its adjacent side wall, the spacing being such that the serially arranged posts S8 will become axially aligned with the serially arranged posts 54 of the section C associated with the lower tray form 44 when the tray forms are assembled as shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 10, the truncated lower ends 90 of the posts S8 are of flat circular design and, in the assembled tray structure, they are adapted to register with and, at least in part, become supported on the circular flat top walls 55 of the frusto-conical posts 54 of the tray section C associated with the tray form 44.

Due to the generally complemental coniiguration of the upper tray form section C' with respect to the conguration of the lower tray form section C, needless repetition of description may be avoided by stating that the side and end walls 82 and 84 respectively of the section C are formed with inwardly projecting ribs 92 and 94 which are similar in their design -to the ribs 56 and S8 of the section C and are similarly disposed so that when the section C is superimposed on the section C the ribs 92 overlie the-ribs 56 and the ribs 94 overlie the ribs 96 as clearly shown in Figure 2. Similarly, longitudinal and transverse ribs 96 and 98 respectively connect the central posts 8S to the various marginal Iribs 92 and 94 and are similar in their design and placement to the longitudinal and transverse ribs 66 and 64 respectively. Quarter section corner posts 100 corresponding in design and placement to the corner posts 70 complete the structure of the upper tray section C.

As is the case in connection with the lower tray form section C, the various posts 8S and ribs 96 and 98, in combination with'one another and with the top wall 86, provide, in eiect, two longitudinal rows of inverted pockets 102 (Figure 2) the height of which is slightly greater than the depth of the pockets 74 but which are similarly placed in the tray form section C' so that when the two sections C and C are assembled in their superimposed relationship, the pockets 102 overlie respective pockets of the tray form C.

It is to be noted that due to the lesser distance between the rst post 88 in the series and the adjacent rim portion, as previously described, the size of the left hand end wall rib 94 is somewhat greater than the size of the right hand end wall rib Similarly, the relative sizes of the left and right hand corner posts 100 will be disproportionate.

As shown in Figures 4, 10 and 11, the depending hollow posts S8 provide, in effect, a series of upwardly fac- 75 when the upper tray form 42 is packed or tilled. Since there are six such pockets 104 associated with the upper tray form structure in each of the three sections A, B and C thereof, the tray form will accommodate one and one-half dozen eggs which, added to the three dozen eggs contained in the lower tray form 44, gives a capacity of four and one-half dozen eggs to each assembled composite-tray assembly 40.

Still referring to Figures 4, 10 and 11, and in addition to Figure l, each compartment 22 and 24 ot the egg container 20 is adapted to be progressively packed from the bottom upwardly. Toward this end, one of the lower tray forms 44 is first placed upon the bottom wall 30 as shown in Figure l and an egg is inserted in each of the twelve various upwardly facing pockets '74 of the two rows of pockets in each section A, B and C. Thereafter one of the upper egg tray forms 42 is introduced into the compartment and superimposed upon the iilled lower tray form 44 so that the sections A', B and C move 4into register with the sections A, B, and C respectively as shown in Figure 2.

Upon this positioning the upper tray form 42, the hollow posts 8S labelled 1 to 6 inclusive in Figure 4 register with and seat upon the inverted hollow cup-shaped posts 54 of the lower tray form with the post bottom 90- resting upon the post top 55 as seen in Figure l0. T he up standing rib portions 92, 94 and corner posts 100 of the upper tray form 42, together with the top wall S6 which pro-vide the various inverted pockets 102 enclose the upper regions of the two rows of eggs contained within the pockets 74 of the lower tray form and each pair of registering pockets 74 and 102 completes an individual egg compartment 106.

After the upper tray form 42 has been positioned upon the lower tray for, in the manner described above, an egg is inserted in each of the upwardly facing pockets 104 afforded by the hollow U-shaped posts S6, thus cornpleting the filling or packing of the lowermost composite tray assembly 40 within the compartment 22 or 24 of the egg'container 20. Thereafter a second lower tray form 44, is superimposed upon the upper tray form 42 within the compartment of the container 10 and the packing process is repeated with respect to this second tray form. Upon placing of the second lower tray form 44 within the compartment of the container 10 so that it rests upon the previously lilled upper tray form, the hollow spaces or pockets 108 (Figure l0) provided by the inverted hollow cup-shaped center posts 54 register with the pockets 104 provided by the upright hollow cup-shaped center posts of the lower tray form 44, thus deiining in each instance an egg-receiving compartment 110 with the truncated upper ends 55 of the posts 54 constituting the top wall of the compartment.

It is to be noted that in the assembled egg tray 40, the longitudinally extending ribs 96 and 66 of the upper and lower tray forms respectively assume vertically aligned positions wherein the spaces existing between the same define lateral openings 112 (Figure 11) therebetween establishing communication between each pair of adjacent transversely aligned compartments 102. Similarly, the transversely extending ribs 93 and 64 of the upper and lower tray forms respectively assume vertically aligned positions wherein the spaces existing ybetween them define lateral openings 114 (Figure 10) between adjacent compartments 102 in each longitudinal row thereof. In a similar maner, as best seen in Figure l1, the vertically aligned longitudinal ribs 66 and 96 of the lower tray form 44 of the second tray assembly which overlies the first tray assembly and of the upper tray form 42 of the iirst tray assembly.

As best seen in Figure 1l, the vertically aligned longitudinal ribs 66 and 96 of the superimposed tray forms 44 and 42 respectively, create therebetween a series of longitudnally extending passages or openings-116 establishing communication between theV adjacent compartments 110 in the single row thereof.

AfterV the second lower tray form 44 has been superimposed upon the first upper tray form 42 and packed in the manner described above, the second upper tray form 42 is placed in position over the second lower tray form to receive eggs therein. The process is repetitive until the compartment is iilled.

The invention is not Ito be limited to the: exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specication as various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit ofthe invention. throughout the specification and claim the term frustoconical or conical has been descriptively applied to the various upstanding or depending posts of the lower and upper tray forms 44 and 42 respectively, it should be distinctly understood that these terms are generic and include other forms of hollow tapered parts such as pyramidal posts or posts having other irregular horizontal conic sections, a cone being considered as a pyramid having an innite number of sides.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A composite egg tray for use in packing and filling the individual compartments of an egg container, said tray comprising generally complemental upper and lower tray forms of molded paper pulp material, said lower tray form being generally of rectangular congurationand having an upper open laterally extending flat continuous rectangular rim, said lower tray being comprised of three identical tray sections including a medial section and adjacent side sections, each side section being joined to the medial section by a narrow longitudinally extending web in the plane of said rim, each tray section being thus provided with a rectangular upper open laterally extending flat continuous rectangular rim including a portion of the tray rim and at least one of said longitudinally extending webs, side and end walls depending from said tray section rim, a bottom Wall connected to said side and end walls at the'lower edges thereof, said bottom wall being formed with a longitudinally row of upstanding spaced apart hollow posts medially of said side walls, the upper ends of said posts being closed and of generally circular design. with said ends terminating in a common horizontal plane which is disposed medially between the horizontal planes of said rim andbottom wall respectively, said side walls being formed with a plurality of pairs ot transversely opposed inwardly projecting upstanding posts in the lform ot truncated cone sections with the opposed posts of each pair being disposed in transverse alignment with one of said bottom wall posts, said end walls being formed with a pair of longitudinally opposed inwardly projecting upstanding posts likewise in .the form of truncated cone sections in longitudinal alignment with said row of posts, upstanding corner posts in the form of truncated cone quartersections projecting inwardly at the juncture between said side and end walls, each series of four adjacent postsand For example, where`A postv sections, in combination with said bottom wall, detiningthereb'etveen an open top pocket adapted to receiveltherein the bottomV portion of an egg, the respective posts and post sections of the three tray sections being? in transverse alignment, saidV generally complemental tray form` being inverted and having a lower open laterally extending at rectangular rim adapted to seat on the rectangularrim of the lower tray form, said complemental tray form being comprised of three identical Vtray sections including a medial section and adjacent side sections, each side section being joined to the medial section by a narrow longitudinalv extending web in the plane4V of said lat-ter rim, each tray section of the complemental form being provided with a rectangular lower open atrim including a portion of the tray rim and at least one of said longitudinally extending webs, side and end walls extending upwardly from said tray rim, a top wall connected to -theside and end walls at the upper edges. thereof,l said top wall being formed with a plurality of depending hollow truste-conical posts arranged so that when the upper tray form is superimposed and assembled on the lower tray forrn in operative relationship, they are in respective alignment with the upstanding frusto-conical posts on the bottom wall of the lower tray form, the lower ends of said hollow depending posts being closed and of generally circular design with said ends terminating in a common horizontal plane which is disposed below the horizontal plane of said tray rim, said latter posts defining open-top pockets each adapted to re- .ceive therein the bottom portion of an egg, said depending side and end Walls being formed with transversely and longitudinally opposed inwardly projecting posts respectively of hollow truncated cone section coniiguration, inwardly projecting corner posts in the form of truncated cone quarter-sections at the juncture between said dependingv side and end Walls, said side and end wall posts and said corner posts being arranged so that upon assembly of said tray forms they are in respective vertical alignment with the side and end Wall posts and the corner posts respectively of the lower tray form, each series of four adjacent upper form postsin combination with said top wall, deiining therebetween an open-bottom pocket designed for registry with an open-top pocket of the lower tray form and adapted to receive therein the upper portion of the egg contained in said latter pocket, the distance between the planes of the upper ends of the frusto-conical posts and the rirnof the lower tray form being equal to the distance between the planes of the lower ends of the frusto-conical posts and the rim of .the upper tray form,

References Cited in the le of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 2,045,771 Graham June 30, 1936 2,160,893 Newsom June 6, 1939 2,378,627 Grant .lune 19, 1945 2,455,295 Cox Nov. 30, 1948 2,575,192 Shepard Nov. 13, 1951 2,756,918 Schwartzberg July 31, 1956

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