US3152688A

US3152688A - Bottle package

Info

Publication number: US3152688A
Application number: US101152A
Authority: US
Inventors: John V Mahon
Original assignee: Container Corp
Current assignee: Container Corp; Smurfit Kappa Packaging Corp
Priority date: 1961-04-06
Filing date: 1961-04-06
Publication date: 1964-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 1981-10-13

Description

Oct. 13, 1 64 J. v. MAHON I 3,152,688

' BOTTLE memes Filed April 6, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y jkfafuz, KMa/zcn J. V. MAHON BOTTLE PACKAGE Oct. 13,1964

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United States Patent 3,152,688 BOTTLE PACKAGE John V. Matron, Norristown, Pa, assignor to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 101,152 3 Claims. ((31. 2116-65) The present invention relates to a bottle package, to a form of carton from which the bottle package may be produced, and to a packaging method.

An important object of the invention is to provide an economical form of carton which will afford a maximum degree of protection to a group of contained bottles from a blank of minimum area and minimum caliper or grade of paperboard.

Another object of the invention is to provide a form of bottle package in which the carton enclosing a group of bottles has internal cushioning parts, arranged at the junctures of the vertical walls and top wall, which engage the shoulder portions of the end bottles of a contained group of two rows of bottles, thereby tending to protect such end bottles from breakage even though the package is subjected to severe handling.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bottle package which may be formed by wrapping the carton blank around a bottle group, such carton blank being well adapted for use in high-speed bottle packaging equipment. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a form of carton which may be utilized either as a wrap-around carton or may be preglued into tubular form at the carton plant, in which case bottles may be loaded into the open sides of the tubular carton.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a bottle carrier, adapted either to be wrapped around a bottle group or adapted to be utilized in preglued, tubular form, an improved top wall structure formed with restricted bottle neck receiving openings designed to be forced over the necks of capped bottles and, when so assembled, will be held from removal by the edges of the bottle caps.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel packaging method wherein a group of bottles is delivered within a tubular, set-up carton having an apertured top wall for receiving the bottle necks, the carton end walls being higher than the bottle height and having inwardly foldable, cushioning portions, whereby the top wall and cushioning portions may be brought simultaneously into bottle engaging condition to form a package.

Additional and more specific objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the carton in its fully set up condition but, for clarity, omitting showing the bottles contained within the carton;

FIG. 2 is a vertical, sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, illustrating bottles within the carton and showing the cushioning elements bearing upon the sloping shoulders of the bottles;

FIG. 3 is a transverse, sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

. FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail view showing the parts which form the cushioning element at one end of the carton;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary detail View showing the end structure of the carton in the process of being folded into final position; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a preferred form of blank from which the carton may be made.

ice

The carton, as herein disclosed, is formed from foldable paperboard as a one-piece blank, cut and scored to provide an elongated bottom panel located centrally of the blank. End wall panels at each end of the bottom panel are formed of a dimension longitudinally of the blank which is greater than the bottle height. The upper part of the end wall panels comprises two narrow sections arranged to be folded inwardly and serve as cushioning members. At each end of the blank are partial top panels arranged to be secured in overlapping position to form a composite top wall panel. The top panel sections are apertured to receive the necks of the bottles when the top panel is in final position. The bottom and end wall panels preferably have narrow edge extensions foldable inward along the sides of the package to partially enclose such sides. The top wall panel also has extended edge portions arranged to be folded down and secured to the folded extensions on the end walls.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the paperboard blank is generally rectangular and has a bottom panel 1, end panels 2, 2, supplemental

end panel sections

3, 3 and 4,4 and

top panels

5,5. The bottom panel is defined from the end panels by fold lines 6, 6 and the supplemental

end panel sections

3 and 4 are each foldable along fold line 7.

Sections

3, 3 are foldably joined to main end wall sections along

fold lines

8, 8 and

sections

4, 4 are foldably joined to the top wall panels along

fold lines

9, 9.

The bottom panel is formed with a plurality of U- shaped cuts to provide upwardly foldable tabs 10, 10 which serve to separate the bottles 11, 11 contained in the package.

The bottom and end panels preferably have

flap extensions

12 and 13, 13 at each side arranged to be folded into the plane of the package sides and secured to each other, as by means of adhesive. The top panel sections are preferably formed to follow the contour of the contained bottle group and for this purpose the sections are scored at 14, 14 to provide fold lines separating the main top panels from supplemental top panel sections, indicated at 5a, 5a. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, these supplemental top sections in the completed form of the package are inclined to the main sections and generally follow the contour of the sloping shoulders of the bottles. The sections 5a, So at one end of the

blank carry flaps

15, 15 hinged along

fold lines

16, 16, and at the other end of the blank the

flaps

5a, 5a carry flaps 17, 17 hinged along

fold line

18, 18. At the extremity of the blank narrow V-shaped cuts 19,19 are formed in alignment with the

fold lines

18, 18 for a purpose to be explained presently.

The top panel sections are each preferably formed with two

oval openings

21, 21 to receive the necks of bottles and at the outer free edges of the sections there are form-

ed U-shaped cuts

22, 22. The top panel sections are designed to be secured together in overlapping relation and the extent of overlap is sufiicient to cause the pairs of U-shaped

cuts

22, 22 to form elongated, oval openings substantially the same as

openings

21, 21.

The top panel sections are secured together preferably by adhesive and with the extended flaps 17, 17 placed below

flaps

15, 15. The V-shaped cuts 19, 19 are thus disposed so that their edges lie at the sides of the

fold lines

16, 16 on the overlying panel section (see FIG. 2) thus avoiding excessive paperboard to be folded when the overlapping

flaps

15 and 15 are to be bent over relative to their attached top panel sections.

The supplemental

end panel sections

3 and 4 are designed in the completed package to form reentrant, or infolded, dihedral angles which provide cushioning members for the end bottles of the rows, as shown in FIG. 2. In the present instance, section 3 is inclined inwardly and 3 upwardly to assume approximately the same angle as the sloping bottle shoulders.

In assembling the carton around a bottle group advantage is taken of the elongated openings in the top panel sections. The longer dimension of the openings is formed greater than the diameter of the

bottle caps

20, 20, and the smaller dimension is formed smaller than the cap diameter and approximately the same as the outside bottle neck diameter. Thus, the top panel sections may be forced down so that the capped bottle tops snap through the opening. This is permitted by upward deflection of the stock at the longer sides of the opening as the capped top is passing through. After the caps: have all passed through their openings there will be definite resistance to removal of the top panels upward off the bottle necks. In fact, removal of such caps through the openings usually involves tearing of the panels unless particular care is exercised.

It is to be noted that, by folding the

cushioning sections

3 and 4 inwardly and simultaneously pressing down the top panel sections over the bottle caps, the top panels will be retained in position tending to hold the cushioning panels in folded position.

Additional means are preferably provided for retaining the top panel and the cushioning panels in position. This is effected by adhesively, or otherwise, securing flaps 15 and 17 on the panel sections a to the upper end portions of folded flaps 13 on the end walls. For obtaining still greater strengthening of the ends of the cushioning panels, each panel 3 has a triangular section 23 at each end defined from its attached panel by a diagonalror gusset fold line 24. The triangular section 23 is attached to an end extension 13a of flap 13 along hinge line 25. The extension 13a is hinged to the main portion of flap 13 along fold line 26. As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 5, as the panel 3 is folded inward this will tend to pull the triangular section 23 inward, and section 23 and the extended portion 13a of flap 13 can be brought into contact. These parts may then be folded inward at the same angle that panel 5a will assume in its final position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Panel 5a in the completed package will completely overlie the infolded

parts

130 and 23 and the fold line 25 between these parts will be in substantial registration with the outer edge of the panel 50.

By this construction the upper parts of the bottles are well protected against danger of breakage by reason of rough handling. The gusset folds at the corners of the package provide a particularly rigid construction which assures a high degree package strength even when relatively light caliper board is employed.

The top panel sections are each provided with finger openings formed by making U-shaped

cuts

28, 28, leaving tabs 2a, 29 in place and foldable along score lines 3%), 3i). The score lines 3%, 3% in the completed package will extend along the outer edges of the top panel sections. Thus, between the openings formed by

cuts

28, 28, is a double thickness of paperboard that adds strength where the stress is greatest when the package is carried by insertion of a persons fingers through the finger openings. It is to be noted that..the tabs 29 when forced inward and upward below the double thickness of paperboardadd an additional thickness at this point and provide rounded edges which make the package easier to carry.

The carton may be loaded with contents by utilizing known forms of machines which wrap the carton around the bottles. It may also be loaded by pregluing the carton in tubular form and moving the bottles into the carton through the open sides. In carrying out the latter method of forming the package, the cartons will be prepared in collapsible, tubular form by adhesively joining the top panel sections as above described. The cartons may thus be delivered in fiat, tubular form to the user. The cartons will first be brought to open rectangular form with the

side extensions

12 and 13 left in the planes of their attached panels. Also the supplemental top panels 5a and their extensions 15 and 17 will be allowed to extend outward in the plane of the top panels. The

cushion forming panels

3 and 4 will remain unfolded to lie substantially in the plane of the end wall panels. Bottles of the relative height indicated in FIG. 2 will then be loaded in upright position onto the bottom panel. It is to be noted that the bottles will pass easily below the top panels due to the fact that the cushioning panels have not been folded thus maintaining the top panel well above the bottle tops. The bottles when delivered onto the bottom panel will be brought into positions where their necks are in registration with the openings in the top panel. This panel will then be brought down toward the bottles and, at the same time, the cushioning panels are preferably folded inwardly and the end panels are held against the bottles at the ends of the rows. After the top panel has been brought down so that the bottle caps pass through the openings, the top panel will be held from upward movement. The

parts

23 and 13a will then be folded as shown in the drawings and the supplemental top panel 5a will be swung down thereover. Adhesive is applied at an appropriate time to the areas of extensions 15 and 17 which are to overlap the extensions l3, l3 and these parts are brought together and held until the adhesive has set.

If desired, adhesive will also be applied between the contacting surfaces of the extensions 13a and the supplememtal top panels 5a. The

extensions

12, 12 on the bottom panel will then be folded up and their ends adhesively secured to the

extensions

13, 13.

The tabs 1t), 10, serving as separators between adjacent bottles, may be folded upward in any suitable manner as the bottles are in the process of being delivered through the open sides of the carton.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the form of carton herein disclosed is effective in the packaging of a group of bottles. The cushioning pants at the upper ends of the package provide a relatively rigid end structure serving to protect the packages during handling and affording desirable package rigidity for stacking in retail stores. The inwardly and upwardly folded side extensions serve to increase the strength and rigidity of the carton and due to these features it is feasible to utilize relatively light caliper paperboard in producing the carton.

While the present description sets forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, numerous changes may be made in the construction and in the steps involved in producing the packages without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A package comprising a group of capped, slopingshoulder bottles arranged in two rows within an open-side, paperboard carton comprising an elongated bottom panel, an end'wall panel carried at each end of the bottom panel, a top wall panel, internal cushioning members at each end of the package, each cushioning member comprising two elongated, narrow panels hinged together along their lateral edges, the outer lateral edge of one panel. beingv hinged to the upper end of the end wall panel and the outer lateral edge of the other panel being hinged to the end of the top wall panel, the first narrow panel, connected to each end wall, being inclined upwardly and inwardly to contact fiatwise along the sloping shoulders of the end bottles of the rows, and the second narrow panel being inclined outwardly and upwardly away from the bottles, the top wall panel having openings formed therein receiving the capped bottle tops, a part of the edge portions of the top wall panel around at least some of the openings being in looking engagement below the edges of the bottle caps to hold the top wall panel at a level below the caps and thereby retain the narrow panels in cushioning position.

2. A package comprising a group of capped, slopingshoulder bottles arranged in two rows within an openside, paperboard carton comprising an elongated bottom panel, an end wall panel carried at each end of the bottom panel, a top wall panel, internal cushioning memhers at each end of the package, each cushioning member comprising two elongated, narrow panels hinged together along their lateral edges, the outer lateral edge of one panel being hinged to the upper end of the end wall panel and the outer lateral edge of the other panel being hinged to the end of the top wall panel, the first narrow panel, connected to each end wall, being inclined upwardly and inwardly to contact flatwise along the sloping shoulders of the end bottles of the rows, and the second narrow panel being inclined outwardly and upwardly away from the bottles, the top wall panel having a plurality of elongated openings formed therein through which the bottle tops project, such openings, at least at the ends of the top wall panel, having their lesser dimension less than the diameter of the bottle caps, whereby the marginal portions of the caps will engage downwardly against edge portions of the top wall panel at the openings and retain the top wall panel beneath the level of the bottle caps.

3. A package comprising a group of sloping-shoulder bottles arranged in two rows within an open-side, paperboard carton comprising an elongated bottom panel, an end wall panel carried at each end of the bottom panel, a top wall panel, internal cushioning members at each end of the package, each cushioning member comprising two elongated, narrow panels hinged together along their lateral edges, the outer lateral edge of one panel being hinged to the upper end of the end wall panel and the outer lateral edge of the other panel being hinged to the end of the top wall panel, the first narrow panel, connected to each end wall, being inclined upwardly and inwardly to contact flatwise along the sloping-shoulders of the end bottles of the rows, and the second narrow panel being inclined outwardly and upwardly away from the bottles, the end wall panels having extended edge portions along their vertical edges projecting inwardly along the sides of the package, and the longitudinal edges of the top wall panel each having flaps extending downward and secured respectively to the upper ends of the extended edge portions on the end wall panels, whereby the top wall panels are held in place and the inturned cushioning flaps are held in cushioning position; wherein the first narrow, cushioning panel hinged to the top of each end wall panel has a triangular section at each end, each of which is hinged along a gusset fold line terminating at the point of intersection of the hinge of such first cushioning panel and the juncture of the extended edge portion on the end Wall, the upper end of each extended edge portion on the end wall having a top extension hinged thereon and hinged to the outer edge of the respective triangular sections, whereby, after infolding the two cushioning panels, the infolded top extensions are disposed fiatwise against the respective infolded triangular sections on the first cushioning panel, the flaps on the edges of the top wall panel being secured in overlapping relation to the respective inturned extended edge portions on the end walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,006,475 OReilly July 2, 1935 2,282,619 Swan et al. May 12, 1942 2,345,566 Arneson Apr. 4, 1944 2,654,474 Ringler Oct. 6, 1953 2,663,413 Foster Dec. 22, 1953 2,847,152 Van Antwerpen Aug. 12, 1958 2,877,942 Van Antwerpen May 17, 1959 2,889,040 Fisher June 2, 1959 2,975,891 Stone Mar. 21, 1961 2,986,857 Ganz June 6, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 759,256 Great Britain Oct. 17, 1956

Claims

3. A PACKAGE COMPRISING A GROUP OF SLOPING-SHOULDER BOTTLES ARRANGED IN TWO ROWS WITHIN AN OPEN-SIDE, PAPERBOARD CARTON COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BOTTOM PANEL, AN END WALL PANEL CARRIED AT EACH END OF THE BOTTOM PANEL, A TOP WALL PANEL, INTERNAL CUSHIONING MEMBERS AT EACH END OF THE PACKAGE, EACH CUSHIONING MEMBER COMPRISING TWO ELONGATED, NARROW PANELS HINGED TOGETHER ALONG THEIR LATERAL EDGES, THE OUTER LATERAL EDGE OF ONE PANEL BEING HINGED TO THE UPPER END OF THE END WALL PANEL AND THE OUTER LATERAL EDGE OF THE OTHER PANEL BEING HINGED TO THE END OF THE TOP WALL PANEL, THE FIRST NARROW PANEL, CONNECTED TO EACH END WALL, BEING INCLINED UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY TO CONTACT FLATWISE ALONG THE SLOPING-SHOULDERS OF THE END BOTTLES OF THE ROWS, AND THE SECOND NARROW PANEL BEING INCLINED OUTWARDLY AND UPWARDLY AWAY FROM THE BOTTLES, THE END WALL PANELS HAVING EXTENDED EDGE PORTIONS ALONG THEIR VERTICAL EDGES PROJECTING INWARDLY ALONG THE SIDES OF THE PACKAGE, AND THE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF THE TOP WALL PANEL EACH HAVING FLAPS EXTENDING DOWNWARD AND SECURED RESPECTIVELY TO THE UPPER ENDS OF THE EXTENDED EDGE PORTIONS ON THE END WALL PANELS, WHEREBY THE TOP WALL PANELS ARE HELD IN PLACE AND THE INTURNED CUSHIONING FLAPS ARE HELD IN CUSHIONING POSITION; WHEREIN THE FIRST NARROW, CUSHIONING PANEL HINGED TO THE TOP OF EACH END WALL PANEL HAS A TRIANGULAR SECTION AT EACH END, EACH OF WHICH IS HINGED ALONG A GUSSET FOLD LINE TERMINATING AT THE POINT OF INTERSECTION OF THE HINGE OF SUCH FIRST CUSHIONING PANEL AND THE JUNCTURE OF THE EXTENDED EDGE PORTION ON THE END WALL, THE UPPER END OF EACH EXTENDED EDGE PORTION ON THE END WALL HAVING A TOP EXTENSION HINGED THEREON AND HINGED TO THE OUTER EDGE OF THE RESPECTIVE TRIANGULAR SECTIONS, WHEREBY, AFTER INFOLDING THE TWO CUSHIONING PANELS, THE INFOLDED TOP EXTENSIONS ARE DISPOSED FLATWISE AGAINST THE RESPECTIVE INFOLDED TRIANGULAR SECTIONS ON THE FIRST CUSHIONING PANEL, THE FLAPS ON THE EDGES OF THE TOP WALL PANEL BEING SECURED IN OVERLAPPING RELATION TO THE RESPECTIVE INTURNED EXTENDED EDGE PORTIONS ON THE END WALLS.