US2626077A - Separator for cartridge cartons - Google Patents

Description

. bemore eiective Patented Jan. 20, 1953 SEPARATOR FOR CARTRIDGE CARTONS Richard C. Marshall, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Mars-Hall, Incorporated, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri `Application November 13, 1952, Serial No. 320,200

1 claim. (c1. 217-28) Thisinvention relates to packing cartons fon cartridges and particularly the separator for the ,cartridges contained within the enclosure or box portion of the carton, and the primary aim is to provide a separator for cartridge cartons that will I l than those heretofore employed in holding the cartridges in place and separated from each other within the carton, adequate to sustain the parts of the separator in place prior to. and during the introduction of the cartridges 'duringthe packaging operation, and self-adjusting inY response toforce exerted on partsl of the tor is introduced into the box portionl l and when cartridges Mare thereafter packaged between the hereinafter defined elements of separator I2,

The separator is composd of an initially at body of foldable material I6 bent back upon itself along a line of fold i8 topresent a pair of superimposed sheets 20. Each sheet 2011s provided with aplurality of parallel, laterally extending, elongated tabs 22 out from the'material of each sheet 20 along one of their longitudinal edges 24 and both ends 26'and 28, respectively, thereof.

separatorr as v.the cartridges are moved into the carton.`

other imprtant aims of this invention are to provide a separator for cartridge cartons that is ready for placement within the carton by machines that are capable of high speed production and which do not embody unusually complicated parts likely to become maladjusted or out of order during the production of the separator.

An even further object of this invention is to provide a separator for cartridge cartons that will maintain its set up condition during transportation from point of manufacture to point of Y use, and that has positive yet yieldable elements for maintaining the plurality or cartridge separating tabs in position to receive the cartridges therebetween, which yieldable elements form a part of the said separating tabs after they have served their purpose as just above set down and after the cartridges are packaged.

Details of construction respecting the manner of forming the tabs and retaining ears thereon constitute important objects of the invention and the same will become apparent during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cartridge carton equipped with a separator made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a. fragmentary, stretch-out view of the blank from which the separator is produced;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the separator, showing the same entirely removed from association with the box portion 0f the carton; and

Fig. 4 is a normally top plan view of the separator.

The box portion of the carton assembly shown in Fig. 1 and broadly designated by the numeral I0 is conventional and standard in type and includes an open top through which the separator l2 and cartridges I4 are moved when the separasimple inform and construction, relatively inexl v pensive to produce, andv capable of being made The opposite longitudinal edge of each tab 22 is formed by a line of fold 29 and a line of cut 30 in continuation of the straight line of fold 29, which line of cut 30 extends inwardly from the ends 28 of the tabs 22. Tabs 22 of the sheets 20 are in opposed relation, as shown inv Figs. 1 and 4, and extend laterally outwardly from their respective sheets 20 toward the Walls of box portion I0 to substantially bridge the distance between sheets 29 and the opposing wall of box I0, whereby to create stalls throughout the length of separator l2 and along each side thereof to receive cartridges ld in a manner illustrated in Fig. 1. The tabs 22 are identical in form and each is created from the sheets 20 by cutting and scoring as above specied.

When the blank shown in Fig. 2 is cut along lines 24, 26, 28 and 30 and scored along line 29, it is also provided with a line of score 32 extending transversely across the tab 22 from the point of juncture between line of score 29 and line of cut 30. This line of score 32 is extended across the tab 22 at right angles to the straight line formed by line oi score 29 and line of cut 30 to line of cut 24, to set on' an ear 3d denned by line of cut 30, that portion of line of cut 2li between line of score 32 and end line of cut 28, and the line oi cut 28.

A portion of the line of cut 24 forming one longitudinal edge of the tab 22 is inclined inwaruly Irom a point spaced from line o1' cut 28 forming the normally lower end of the tab 22, and this angled portion of line of cut 24 creates a narrower section on ear 34 and thereby a narrower part in the opening 36 which is developed in the sheet 20 when tab 22 is folded outwardly along line of fold 29 and line 0f cut 30. Thus, the ear 34, when folded outwardly and downwardly at an angle from the major plane of tab 22, will bridge the narrower part of opening 36 and frictionally engage the marginal edge of sheet 20 at the edge created by opening 36 when tab 22 is turned outwardly to.

the position shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The frictional engagement between ear 34 and the aforesaid portion of sheet 20 will maintain the ear 34 in place to hold its related tab 22 in a position perpendicular to sheet 20, but when a cartridge I4 is moved into the stall between adjacent tabs 22, theear ofY one ofthe tabswhich is engaged by theca'rtridge I`4 will be moved to the position shown in Fig. 1, where it lies in substantially the same plane as its supporting tab 22 and to cooperate therewith in presenting apart of the partition between adjacent cartridges I4.

'I'he rigidity of ear 34when theA separator is being transported, introducedfintoI box portion I0, or otherwise handled before the introduction l end progressively decreases as the lower end is approached; and a line of score extending trans- .,versely across the tab from the point of juncture between the said short cut and said relatively shortA line ofY fold aligned therewith to set 01T an of cartridges I4, is sufficient to maintain theftabs l 22 in place, thus to insure no maladjustment that would prevent quick packaging ofthe-cartridges at the point of` production. The ears 34 mand tabs Y22of. each ear;andtabrstructure are unitary, andthe doublezfunction `offears 34,-i. e.

that ofholding the tabs 22 in placebefore the cartridges I4 are positioned and that of forming apart of a partition between the cartridges after the latter are positioned, isv highly advantageous in a structure of this. character.

Having thus described the invention, what is Yclaimed as new and .desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A :separatore for cartridge cartons comprising a flat sheet of foldable material; a plurality of parallel, laterally extending. elongated tabs cut fromV thegsaid sheet ofmaterial, each tab being formed by a line of cut at one longitudinal edge and a line of cut at both ends thereofirespectively, and a relatively short line of` fold and an Y aligned short line of cut at the opposite Ylongitudinal edge, said short line of cut extending inwardly earv portion on the tab, said ear portion being inclined downwardly and outwardly from the line'ofscore and in engagement with the marginal edge of said inwardly inclined cut, when the tab is moved toits laterally extended position, whereby to bridge the opening in the sheet and to hold the tab againstv returning toward its initial'position i RICHARD C. MARSHALL.

' REFERENCES CITED VThe following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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