US1848120A - Pie container - Google Patents

Description

March 8, 1932. J. B. FISHER 1,848,120

PIE CONTAINER Filed NOV. 12, 1929 2 IBIVENTOR J c]. B.Fc'8her v Q .m A321,.

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 8, 1932 resin: 3. rrsmm, or. sraa'rmtona. cmroa1wu r11: con'rmna Application fled hovember 12, 1929. Serial No. 406,594. 7

This invention relates to food containers and especially to one -.parti cularly designed culiar shape of a pie segment.

and intended to hold a segment f pie.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a container for thispurpose so shaped and constructed that not only is the pie protected from crushing. or damaging engagement with other objects but is also prevented from collapsing or losing its shape as it is otherwise liable to do on account of the usual soft or fragile character and pe- My improved container has been evolved in view of the-very obvious need for some means to enable a piece of pie to be packed in a lunch box or basket, such as is carried by countless workers, without danger of the delicate pie being crushed by the-other articles in the box, and so that the pie will be able to withstand the jolting or vibration incident to transportation of the box without danger of collapse or disintegration. The container for the above purpose would preferably be constructed so as to be of a permanent character capable of being used any number of times. The container however is also adaptable for use by those restaurants or caterers which put up lunches to be taken out by the purchasers and eaten elsewhere.

In the first instance the container would preferably be made of a non-corrosive sheet metal, whereas for the second use mentioned pressed paper pulp or some similar relatively cheap material, adapted to be discarded after use, would be employed.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of ref- .erence indicate corresponding parts in the several views: 7

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved container.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the bottom or lower member only.

Fig. 3 is a sectional; elevation of the ,container showing a segment vof pie disposed therein. 3

Referring now more particularly ,to the characters of reference on the drawings, the container consists 'of two separate parts, .the main and lower pie-supporting member and the top or cover mem r. Said main lower member comprises a flat bottom 1 of segmental shape conforming in size and shape to the bottom area of an ordinary sized segment of pie. From'the back'or widest portlon'of the bottom a back wall 2 slopes upwardly at the same angle and to the same height as the sides of an ordinary pie-baking pan; a horizontal flange 3, parallel to the bottom 1, extending outwardly from the upper edge of the wall 2 and corresponding in position to the similar rim flange found on ordinary pie pans. Side walls 4 project upwardly from the side edges of the bottom 1 and extend from end to end of the same and also extend over the flanges 3 at the ends of the same and to a certain height, as indicated in Fig. 2. This member may be pressed out of a single piece of sheet metal or other material, or may be built up of separate pieces, but in any event it is arranged to form a substantially water-tight compartment so that no juice from the pie can leak out between the bottom and the adjacent walls.

The top or cover of the container comprises a main frame portion 1 symmetrical in shape and size to the bottom 1, but formed along the back with a raised swell or ridge 6. Depending from.and extending as a continuation of the swell along its outer or back edge isa skirt 7 adapted to overlap and closely follow the contour of the back edge flange 3 of the lower member. Side walls 8 depend from the cover to frictionally fit over the sides of the main lower member from end to end of the same; said side walls extending unbroken from the bottom edge'of the skirt at its ends to the apex of the main cover portion 5. The top surface of this cover including the back ridge may if desired be 'fancifully ornamented or shaped as indicated in simulation of the ornamentation frequently given the top crust or surface of a pie.

To aid in preventin undesired displacement of the cover and also to prevent the same being pressed down too far at its outer or back end, the flange 3 is provided with a plurality of outwardly projecting lips or lugs 9 which are adapted to project through similarly disposed slots 10 in the skirt 7; said slots preferably being arranged in vertically spaced pairs as shown in Fig. 3. A piece of pie 11 placed in the container will be supported not only over its bottom area butover the overhanging and relatively heavy back edge portion 11a as well; said back portion originally fitting against the sloping side of the pie pan and the outwardly projecting rim flange of the same. The peculiar shape of the cover at the back protects this edge portion of the pie from being crushed, whileat the same time the cover as a whole fits close enough to the top surface of the pie throughout its area to prevent undesired upward movement of the same.

In placing the cover after the pie is in place the slots in the back skirt are first engaged with the lugs by tilting the cover upwardly somewhat toward the front before pressing the same down onto the side walls of the lower member; said side walls of the bottom and cover being arranged to have a close fit with each other. If the edge portion 11a of the pie is thick the lower slots would be engaged with the lugs so as to hold the adjacent swell of the cover correspondingly high and away from the pie portion. If, on the other hand, the edge portion is thin the lugs will be engaged with the upper slots so as to prevent undue upward displacement of the adjacent portion of the pie from its seat in the container.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

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

1. A container for a pie-segment comprising a lower member of substantially triangular form to receive asegment of pie; the back of said member sloping upwardly to conform to the slope of the back of the segment, a flange extending outwardly from the top of said back to support the relatively overedge of its wide end, projecting lugs along the outer edge of the flange and integral therewith, a cover to engage the container in close frictional contact, the wide end of the pover having slots capable of receiving said ugs.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOSEPH B. FISHER.

hanging edge portion of said segment, and a cover to removably fit over the lower member to completely enclose the pie segment contained therein, the cover being formed with a raised swell along its wide end in the plane of the flange 'to avoid contact with the pie seg-

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