US1892722A - Method and means for packaging articles - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 3, 1933. M' Q DQDGE 1,892,722

METHOD AND MEANS FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES Filed Sept. 5,1951

Patented Jan. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MILO C. DODGE, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGN'OR TO COLUMBIAN ROPE COMPANY,

OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK METHOD AND MEANS FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES Application filed September 5, 1931. Serial Ito/561,433.

My invention relates to a novel method and means for packaging articles and has to do, more particularly, with means by which one or more articles may be bound together.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide a binding means which is low in cost. I

Another object of my invention is to provide means to be employed in the place of wire, metal straps and twine and which can be speedily tied without knots and without independent fastening devices.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a binding means for packages which will not break or stretch in use, which will not out the object bound, which lies flatly against the object and which is not subject to snagging upon foreign objects with which it comes in contact.

Another object is to provide a tie for such binding means which, though easily untied when desired, has, in use, security equal to that of any knot.

A further object istoprovide a binding means for packaging which may be sold to commercial houses in large rolls from which the desired lengthsmay be out asneeded, yet which, because'it is more or less limitedto package binding in utility, will have less theft appeal than common twine.

A still further object is to provide a binding means upon which advertising or similar matter may. be conspicuously printed.

' Another object is to provide a tie for package binding means which is almost unnoticeable.

Another object is to provide a tie for package binding means which is flat and across which-a tell-tale seal may be readily and firmly attached.

Further objects, and objects relating to details and economies of construction and op eration will definitely appear from the detailed description to.follow. In one instance, I accomplish the objects of my 'inventionby the means set forth in the following specification. My invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the appended claims. Structures constituting preferredembodiments of my invention are illustratedin the accomals refer to the same panying drawing forming a part of my specification, in which:

Figure l is a view, in perspective, of a tape and tie formed in accordance with my invention and applied to a rectangular object;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional vew through such a tape and tie as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the tie in Fig. 2 and taken on the line; 33 thereof;

Fig. 4 is a View, in perspective, of the ends of the tape, with the several folds thereof separated so that one end may be telescoped within the other end to form a tie in accord ance withthe embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3; v

5 is a transverse sectional view tarough a modified form of tape tie;

Fig 6 is a view, in elevation, of one end of. a paper strip from which four ply convolulated tape is formed, the location of the fol s being shown. in dotted lines; and v Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through a four ply tape and tie, formed in accordance With my invent-ion, as applied to an object having a curved surface, such as a rolled stack of sheets.

In the drawing, the same reference numerparts throughout the several views. I

In general, my invention consists in tightly drawing, around an object or objects to be bound, a strip offie'xible material folded lengthwise upon itself, inserting the folds at one end of the strip between the folds at the other end and pressing the fold surfaces into such strong frictional contact with each other that the ends of the strip cannot be separated by normal strains imposed upon the strip.

Referring to the drawing, my preferred binding tape 10 is of four-ply convoluted construction formed by longitudinally folding a ribbon ofkraft paper upon itself three times and providing plies a, b, 0, (Z. In the broadest aspects of this'invention, the tape be formed of other materials and With inexpensive, strong, and lends itself eXtre1nely well to the present method embodying my invention.

The tying together of the ends 11 and 13 of the tape is preferably effected in the following manner shown in Figs. 1 to 4. The plies a, b, 0, d, at the end 11 of the tape, are separated from each other and the end 11 enlarged, as shown in Fig. 4. The plies a, Z), 0, (Z are also separated at end 13 but to a slightly lesser degree, and the end 13 is inserted and telescoped into the end 11 with the ply portion 130 ensheathed between ply portions 11a and 110, ply portion 13d between 11?) and 11d, while ply portion 11a is ensheathed between ply portions 13a and 180, and ply portion 11?) between 13?) and 1345. The tape is drawn tightly about the object to be bound, and the slack in the tape is taken up by the telescoping operation just described. Thus, it will be seen that the length of the telescoped or lapped portion 12 will be determined by the length of the tape as compared to the girth of the objectbound. A good tie may be had in five-eighths inch tape with a lap in the ends of as little as one inch, though a three inch lap is to be preferred for security. After the ends of the tape have been thus telescoped, the tape is shifted around the object 14 until the telescoped or lapped portion 12 is disposed upon a corner or curved surface 14a of the object and conforms thereto so that there is a transverse bend made in the lapped portion. This bend and pressure against the corner 14a bind the contacting surfaces of the several plies so tightly against each other that separation of the ends 11 and 13 is practically impossible. When it is desired to disconnect the ends, it is necessary merely to shlft the lapped port-ion 12 to a flat surface of the object and pull the ends apart.

In Fig. 5 I have shown, in cross section, a somewhat modified form of tie for four-ply convoluted tape. It will be noted that the inner plies a and b, so far as the tie 15 is concerned, are employed as a single ply of double thickness. The tie is in a sense, then, the form of tie applicable to three-ply tape. In this embodiment of my invention, ply portion 13d is ensheathed between ply portions 116 and 11d as in the case of the tie shown in Figs. 1 to 4, but ply portion 130 is associated with end 11 as to ply 0 only, and ply portion 13b is associated with end 11 as to ply a only, whereas ply portion 13a is disposed between ply portions 135 and 130 and is wholly out of association with end 11 of the tape. In this form, the ply 13a serves as a reinforcing stiifening element, and ply 11a also serves in this function in addition to its contact with ply 13b. The tie is, therefore, stronger than a tie in common three-ply tape would be. In addition, and as its special feature of merit, it is extremely easy to form in four-ply tape. As to the manner of locking it on a corner of the object to be bound and as to the manner of untying the ends, the form shown in Fig. 5 is similar to the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

In the case of cylindrical objects and other objects such as bundles which have surfaces more or less round in configuration, the lapped point should be placed at the point of greatest curvature, 16a. In Fig. 7 such a construction is shown. Tying and untying of the tape is effected in the same general. manner as with an angular object, but, if the object is of a compressible nature, as for example a rolled stack of sheets 16, these operations are greatly facilitated by temporarily slightly constricting the object ad] acent the tape.

It will thus be appreciated that I have provided a binding means for packages which is cheap, strong, easy to apply and remove, which is not subject to being snagged upon foreign objects, and which may be applied to delicate objects without danger of injuring them. If desired, printing may be placed upon the tape. A tell-tale seal may be readily placed across the ends of the tape to indicate that the package has been opened.

The disclosed mode of packaging is applicable to almost any object, whether wrapped or bare, unitary or composed of many small pieces. By way of example, it has utility and merit in the packaging of laundry, toothpicks, matches, pencils, cigars, books, sheet paper, magazines, paper currency, in the binding of grain to be shocked, and of other articles too numerous to mention.

While in the preferred embodiment, the

tape tie is disclosed as applied to a four-plyv convoluted tape, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not so limited, and that the present invention is applicable to tape having any number of plies from two up. Likewise, the invention is not limited to kraft paper tape, but may be employed with tape of various grades of paper, cloth, or flexible sheet metal. While the corner or curvature of the object bound is ample as a means of maintaining frictional contact between the plies of the tape tie, and constitutes one salient feature of this invention, this function could be accomplished by a clamping device, if desired, without avoiding the broader aspects of my invention. Similarly, other methods are contemplated by which the ends of the tape may be telescoped with or without the assistance of an implement. An independent reinforcing strip of sheet metal or fiber may be incorporated in the lapped portion to lend stiffness and increase the effective strength of the tie. I am aware that numerous other changes and refinements may be made in the means herein disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention. 1, therefore, claim my invention broadly as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A package comprising a bundled object having a tendency to expand or come apart, and a band of adjustable size inextensibly encircling and snugly binding said object, said band comprising a ribbon of thin flexible material folded lengthwise upon itself a plurality of times to constitute a flat narrow tape of uniformly convoluted multi-ply construction, said tape having its end portions tightly telescopically interlaminated.

2. A package comprising a bundled object having a tendency to expand or come apart,

and a band of adjustable size inextensibly encircling and snugly binding said object, said band comprising a ribbon of thin flexible material folded lengthwise upon itself a plu- 2o rality of times to constitute a flat narrow tape of uniformly convoluted multi-ply construction, said tape having its end portions telescopically interlaminated with the several plies alternately interposed and interlapped in tight frictional contact.

3. A package comprising a bundled object having a tendency to expand or come apart, and a band of adjustable size inextensibly encircling and snugly binding said object, said band comprising a ribbon of thin flexible sheet material folded lengthwise uponitself several times to constitute a flat narrow tape of uniformly spirally convoluted multi-ply construction, said tape having its end portions telescopically interlaminated and snugly disposed across an angular or curved surface of said object.

MILO C. DODGE.

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