US3365112A - Compartmented container formed from blanks - Google Patents

Description

1968 D. A. PRIEST ETAL 3,355,112

COMPARTMENTED CONTAINER FORMED FROM BLANKS Filed June 30,1966 5 Sheets-Sheet. l

[Ml Ewe: 004/440 4. Pens-37 ATTOEn/EYJ T 'j' F] I Q I w I R3 N x i i 32 Ni v: t v I 1 Jan. 23, 1968 D. A. PRIEST ETAL 3,365,112

COMPARTMENTED CONTAINER FORMED FROM BLANKS Filed June so, 1966 5 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTORS Jan. 23, 1968 11 PR|E$T ETAL 3,365,112

COMPARTMENTED CONTAINER FORMED FROM BLANKS Filed June 30, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 [IVE/T625 Dan A40 A. Pezssr fawneo 1-. MAI/V0606 Len/M desk:

Jan. 23, 1968 D. A. PRIEST. ETAL 3,365,112

COMPARTMENTED CONTAINER FORMED FROM BLANKS Filed June 50, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 m [own/e0 F. MA/aa as Few/1v 00566 D. PRIEST ETAL 3,365,112

Jan. 23, 1968 COMPARTMENTED CONTAINER FORM ED FROM BLANKS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 30, 1966 Arraeyars United States Patent 3,365,112 (IQMPARTMENTED CONTAINER FGIZMED FRGM BLANKS Donald A. Priest, Miami Springs, Fla, and Edward F. Manogue, Cincinnati, and Erwin Doerr, Fortsrnouth,

Ghio, assignors to The ll iead Corporation, Dayton,

@hio, a corporation of Ghio Filed June 31), 1965, fies. No. 551,858 6 Claims. (Ci. 229-23) This invention relates to containers for shipping and/ or storing commodities such as farm produce and the like and, more particularly, to a compartmented container formed from blanks of paper products such as corrugated or solid paperboard, fiberboard, boxboard and the like.

Containers of such general type are known and have been employed successfully. In general, two prior types have been employed. One such type has divider portions which are inserted into an ordinary box or other container to provide the desired compartmentation. In another such type, telescoping inner and outer structures were employed together with insert partitions to provide the compartmentation. Insofar as applicant is aware, all such prior containers are subject to one or more disadvantages which may include difiiculty in or cost of manufacture and/or assembly, shipping and/or storage of empty containers per se, cost of and/ or excessive waste blank material, and inadequate structural strength.

Accordingly, a general object of the invention is to provide an improved container and to obviate the above mentioned difficulties.

Another object is to provide a two-piece compartmented container structure that is extremely durable and is of rugged and novel construction to provide improved load withstanding characteristics.

A further object is to provide an improved partitioned container having vertically adjustable walls to compensate for settling of certain commodities that may be placed therein and having improved strength characteristics for withstanding heavy compression loads imposed thereon when pluralities of loaded containers are placed on one another in stacked relationship.

Still another object is to provide an improved container having reinforcing panels and which can be formed with a minimum of waste material from substantially rectangular blanks of a paper product.

A further object is to provide an improved container having elements that can be shipped or stored in a flat or folded condition, and which is easily assembled and in which certain manufacturing steps are eliminated.

Additional objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a box embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a blank from which the body portion of FIGURE 1 is formed;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective View illustrating an intermediate stage of assembly of the body portion;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a blank from which the outer shell portion of FIGURE 1 is formed;

FIGURE 5 is a view illustrating an intermediate step in the erection of the outer shell portion;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the fully erected outer shell portion;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view, partly exploded, illustrating a modified embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of a blank from which the outer shell portions of FIGURE 7 are formed; and

FIGURE 9 is a view illustrating an intermediate step in the erection of an outer shell portion of FIGURE 8.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a container in accord- 3,3d5,ll2 Patented Jan. 23, 1968 ance with the invention includes a body portion 10 which functions as a bottom support member and also as a partial receptacle for commodities to be carried by and in the container. Body portion 16 is formed from a blank (FIGURE 2) indicated generally at 11. Blank 11 is substantially rectangular in shape and is arranged into a plurality of useiul panels in a manner as to keep waste material to a minimum.

lank 11 comprises a bottom panel 12 which is foldably connected at its opposite sides along score lines 13, 14 to an upper and lower series of panels 15, 16. The upper series 15 includes a middle panel 17 which is foldably connected along score lines 13, 1? to end panels 20, 21, respectively. Similarly, the lower series 16 includes a middle panel 22 which is foldably connected at its ends to end panels 23, 24 along score lines 25, 26, respectively. A flap panel 27 is foldably connected to end panel 2 3 along a score line 2% and a similar flap panel 29 is similarly connected to end panel 24 along a score line 31 The adjacent edges of bottom panel 12 and flap panels 27, 2h are separated by cut lines 31, 32 respectively.

Each of end panels 2t 21, 23, 24 is provided with an opening 33, 34, 35, 36, respectively. These openings are disposed so that openings 33 and 35 will be in registry and openings 34 and 36 will similarly be in registered relation when the body portion is assembled and erected as will appear more particularly hereinafter.

Each of the middle panels 17 and 22 is provided with a slot 37, 38, respectively, which extends inwardly from the respective edges 3?, 40 of panels 17, 22 to a point about halfway between edge 39 and score linev 13 and substantially halfway between edge 4% and score line 14 as the case may be. If desired, to facilitate assembly, the corners of slots 37, 38 may be cut away as at 41, 42, 43, 44.

Body portion 14) is assembled by first bending flap panels 27, 29 upwardly along their respective score lines 28, 3d, then bending ends 23, 24 along lines 25, 26, and then bending middle panel 22 upwardly along score line 14. At this stage of partial assembly, each of flap panels 27, 29 overlies one half of bottom panel 12; and together, they completely overlie bottom panel 12 and thereby from a two-ply bottom if panel 12 is rectangular in shape. If panel 12 is square rather than rectangular, one of panels 2'7, 2? will overlie the other and, together, both will completely overlie bottom panel 12 to thereby form a three-ply bottom. Together with the two or threeply bottom thus formed, the then upstanding end panels 23, 24 and middle panel 22 form opposed ends and one side of the partially assembled body portion 10, as is best shown in FIGURE 3 (rotated relative to FIG- URE 2).

The assembly of body portion 10 is completed by bending middle panel 17 upwardly along score line 13 and then bending end panels 20, 21 inwardly along score lines 18, 19 into overlying relationship with end panels 23, 24 respectively. The completed body portion 10 thus formed comprises a two or a three-ply bottom formed by panels 12, 27, 29, two-ply ends formed by panels 21 23 and 21, 24 respectively, and sides formed by panels 17 and 22, respectively. For reasons which will appear as the description proceeds, it is not necessary to provide means for securing together the various panels of the body portion it). However, if desired, additional securing means such as glue, adhesive tape, stitching, etc., may be employed, without departing from the invention, to connect together, for example, panels 21 and 24- and/or panels 2t? and 23.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 1 also includes a shell portion 5t which is formed from a blank indicated generally at 51 (FIGURE 4). Blank 51 is substantially rectangular in shape and comprises a plurality of panels 52-57 inclusive foldably interconnected by score lines 58-62 inclusive. Panels 53 and 55 are each provided with an opening 63 and 64, respectively, each of which is similarly shaped and is adapted to register with either openings 33, 35 or openings 34, 36 when assembled. For reasons which will appear as the description proceeds, panel 57 is provided with slots 65, 66. The outermost sides of slots 65, 66 are substantially aligned with score lines 62 and 67 as indicated at 65a and 66a, and a flap panel 6'5 is foldably connected to panel 57 along score line 67.

Optionally, shell portion 50 may be provided with cover means including a plurality of cover flaps. In such case, blank 51 also includes flaps 69-73 inclusive foldably connected to panels 52-56 inclusive along score line 74 with each such flap being separated from an adjacent flap by cuts 75-78 inclusive.

Shell portion 50 is assembled by bending panel 52 along score line 58. Panels 53-56 are then similarly bent, all in the same direction, along score lines 59-62, respectively. Flap panel 68 is then bent along score line 67, in the opposite direction of bending, so that panels 56, 57 and 68 from a Z-shaped configuration as is best shown in FIGURE 1. The overlapped portions of flap panel 68 and panel 54 and also panels 52 and 56 are secured together by any convenient securing means such as glue, adhesive tape, stitching, etc. As illustrated, glue is applied to one face of panel 68 and is similary applied to the opposite face of panel 56 adjacent the edge 65:! of slot 65 and adjacent score line 62 to secure together panels 54 and 68 and also panels 52 and 56.

The assembly of the complete container is then accomplished by telescoping shell portion 50 over the body portion 10. The lower portions of panels 17 and 22 are received by slots 65, 66 in panel 57 which thus forms a partition wall which divides the container into two separate compartments. Similarly, the upper portion of panel 57 is received by slots 37, 38.

Thus, containers in accordance with the invention have greatly improved strength characteristics for several reasons. As noted above, the bottom of the container is of either two or three-ply construction depending upon the specific shape of bottom panel 12. When shell portion 59 is telescoped over the body portion 10, the end walls of the container are of three-ply construction provided by bottom portion end panels 20, 23 and shell portion panel 53 and the similar three-ply construction provided at the opposite end of the container. Because the shell portion is telescoped over the body portion, the need for additional securing means for the body portion is obviated although such securing means may be employed if desired. Additionally, the side walls of the container are of two ply construction provided by panels 17, 54 and panels 22, 52, 56. When assembled in the manner described above, each of the container side walls is a substantially continuous and unbroken wall throughout its extent and over about half of its height and yet is adjustable in height in an amount approximating about one half of the height thereof.

A modified embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGURES 7-9 inclusive in which like elements bear like designations. The body portion 10, blank 11, and the construction, assembly, etc., thereof are identical with that illustrated and described in connection with FIGURES 1-6 inclusive. The embodiment shown in FIGURES 7-9 differs primarily in the shell portions 50a. Two identical shell portions 50a are provided which are utilized and which function in substantially the same manner as shell portion 50, but, since two identical shell portions 50a are provided, the embodiment shown in FIGURES 7-9 provides a means whereby the height of the side and end walls of the separate compartments of the container may be individually adjusted independently of the other compartment.

Shell portion 50a is formed from a substantially rectangular blank 79 arranged into a plurality of useful panels 80-84 by scores lines -88. Panel 80 is provided with an opening 89 similar in shape to and adapted to register with openings 33-36 when the container is assembled. Panel 82 is provided with slots 98, 91 therein of similar shape and disposition as slots 65, 66 except that the outermost edges of slots 90, 91 are substantially aligned with score lines 8-6, 87 as indicated at 90a, 91a.

Shell portion 50a is assembly by bending seriatim panels 80-84 along score lines 85-88 respectively with panels 80 and 84 in overlapped relationship as is best shown in FIGURE 9. The overlapped panels 89 and 84 are secured together by any convenient securing means such as glue, adhesive tape, stitching, etc. Assembly of the complete container is then accomplished by telescoping shell portion 50a over one half of body portion 10 substantially in the manner described above in connection with the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1. The lower portions of panels 17 and 22 are received by slots 99, 91 in panel 82 which thus forms one half of a partition Wall which divides the container into two separate compartments. A second shell portion 50a is similarly telescoped over the other half of body Portion 19 to complete the assembly of a container having all of the advantages noted above in connection with FIGURE 1 and having the additional advantage of increased strength provided by double thickness of the divider panel since the panels 82 of each of the shell portions Stla are in face-to-face relation and are maintained in such relation by slots 37, 38- into which they are received. As noted heretofore, the embodiment shown in FIGURE 7 has the further advantage of providing individual and separate height adjustment of each of the separate compartments of the completed container. Alternatively, if desired, the individual panels 82 of the individual shell portions Stla may be foldably or otherwise connected by gluing or stitching, etc., to form a unitary shell portion similar to shell portion 50 but differing in that such unitary shell portion has a double thickness or two-ply divider partition instead of the single thickness of panel 57.

Thus containers in accordance with the invention have greatly improved strength and rigidity characteristics as noted heretofore. Additionally, the components of such containers may be shipped and stored in a flat or folded condition and may be partially or completely assembled by a user. For example, shell portions secured together and shipped in a folded condition merely require an unfolding operation and a telescoping operation to make the container ready for use. A further advantage resides in the fact that containers constructed of corrugated material and in accordance with the invention obtain additional strength benefits because the direction of the corrugations or flutes can be vertically disposed in all of the side and end walls of the container thereby providing still additional stacking strength thereto.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed:

1. A two-piece compartmented container comprising a body portion having a bottom panel with end and side panels connected thereto, said side panels having disposed midway between the ends thereof a slot extending downwardly from the upper edges of said side panels to a location about midway between said upper edges and said bottom panel; and a shell wherein the walls of said shell has disposed at each of the side edges thereof a slot extending upwardly from the bottom edge of said walls at least to a height corresponding to said location fittingly engaging a respective side panel, and telescoped over said body portion and comprising a tubular sleeve and having a wall slidably and fittingly engaged within said slots and dividing said body portion into compartments and with said end and said side panels being encompassed by said shell.

2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said side panels and said body portion are foldably connected to said bottom panel along opposite sides thereof, end panels are foldably connected to opposite ends of one of said panels, and other end panels having bottom reinforcing panels foldably connected thereto are foldably connected to opposite ends of the other side panel.

3. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said wall is connected to and between opposite sides of said shell.

4. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said shell is of two piece construction consisting of a pair of tubular sleeves.

5. Structure according to claim 4 wherein each of said sleeves comprises a plurality of interconnected panels and 6 wherein said wall comprises one panel of each of said sleeves.

6. Structure according to claim 5 wherein individual panels of each of said sleeves are interconnected to form a wall of double thickness and a unitary shell structure combination.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,316,457 4/ 1943 Royce. 2,401,742 6/ 1946 Bentham. 3,049,279 8/ 1962 Mairs et. a1 229-27 3,058,643 10/1962 Wilson. 3,202,337 8/1965 Cramer et. al.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,030,573 5/ 1966 Great Britain.

DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A TWO-PIECE COMPARTMENTED CONTAINER COMPRISING A BODY PORTION HAVING A BOTTOM PANEL WITH END AND SIDE PANELS CONNECTED THERETO, SAID SIDE PANELS HAVING DISPOSED MIDWAY BETWEEN THE ENDS THEREOF A SLOT EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID SIDE PANELS TO A LOCATION ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN SAID UPPER EDGES AND SAID BOTTOM PANEL; AND A SHELL WHEREIN THE WALLS OF SAID SHELL HAS DISPOSED AT EACH OF THE SIDE EDGES THEREOF A SLOT EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM EDGE OF SAID WALLS AT LEAST TO A HEIGHT CORRESPONDING TO SAID LOCATION FITTINGLY ENGAGING A RESPECTIVE SIDE PANEL, AND TELESCOPED OVER SAID BODY PORTION AND COMPRISING A TUBULAR SLEEVE AND HAVING A WALL SLIDABLY AND FITTINGLY ENGAGED WITHIN SAID SLOTS AND DIVIDING SAID BODY PORTION INTO COMPARTMENTS AND WITH SAID END AND SAID SIDE PANELS BEING ENCOMPASSED BY SAID SHELL.

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