US1991425A - Packing means for fragile articles - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 19, 1935. H, SHERMAN PACKING MEANS FOR FRAGILE ARTICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 5, 1932 I Invenfiow:

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Patented Feb. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- Application October 5,

Claims.

My present invention relates to the packing of fragile objects, such as eggs, and aims to provide more convenient, safer and otherwise improved containing and packing means forthat purpose,

5 both for use in packing and shipping such objects in large lots as well as in their retail distribution in one-dozen or other lots.

In the drawings, illustrating by way of example one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a unit packing means, shown assembled with a container, a portion of the latter being broken away, and the manner of its assembly and removal being indicated by the broken lines;

Fig. 2 is an end view of an assembled package as in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan of one form of holder or filler useful as the inner or article-receiving element, showing it in folded or set-up condition;

Fig. 4 shows the holder of Fig. 3 in flat condition;

Fig. 5 is a. perspective view of a retaining element or tray, in set-up condition;

Fig. 6 illustrates the blank for the tray of Fig. 5, upon a smaller scale, prior to folding;

Fig. 7 is a cross-section of said tray, in partially set-up condition, looking toward the inner face of one of its ends;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section taken as if upon the line 8-8 of Fig. 5, but showing a holder or filler positioned in the tray, illustrating a particular cooperative relation between these parts;

Fig. 9 is a plan view, upon a similar scale as 'Fig. 6, of a container, carton or wrapper such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but in collapsed or flat-folded condition;

Fig. 10 is an end view, upon an intermediate scale between that of Fig. 9 and Fig. 1, showing said container, carton or wrapper in set-up condition; and

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1, illustrating one form of securing means. 1

In the packing and shipment of eggs in large quantities it has heretofore been the general practice to pack the eggs in wooden crates, in 30-dozen lots, the crates beingsubdivided into half -sections each holding fifteen dozen eggs, in five layers. In each layer three dozen eggs are placed in 6 x 6 honeycomb or assembled crossed-strip fillers, the several layers being separated and cushioned by flats. For retail distribution the eggs are customarily removed from these crates, candled and repacked into 2 x 6, 3 x 4, or similar 1932, Serial No. 636,302

honeycomb fillers in flap-covered cartons of appropriate size.

The packing means of my invention, as herein illustrated, is useful both in connection with small lot retail distribution of the eggs and also 5 in their packing and shipment in said -dozen or other large lots, whereby the repacking of the eggs fromtheir filler and flat arrangement in the'crates, into the small lot containers, may, if desired, be eliminated. 1

In accordance with my present invention, the eggs are received in a holder or filler in which they are individually positioned, separated and cushioned. Such receiver or holder may be variously formed but preferably is of the folding sheet type such as disclosed and claimed broadly in my co-pending application Serial No. 297,629, filed August 6, 1928. The particular form of such folding sheet receiver here selected for purposes of illustration is that of my Patent No. 1,815,683, granted July 21, 1931, upon an application copending with said Serial No. 297,629, and coming within the broad scope of the claims of said earlier application.

As best seen in Fig. 4, such holder or receiver comprises a sheet 12 having a plurality of parallel fold formations 13, 14, 15 demarking the sheet into hingedly connected strips 16, 1'7, 18 and 19. The adjacent inner strips 17, 18 each have a series of concavities or hollow formations 20, while the outer strips 16 and 19 have cooperatingseriesof raised partitioning and cushioning formations 21, in a generally similar manner as in my said Patent No. 1,815,683. In its original, unfolded or flat condition as in said Fig. 4, this holder is substantially .uniplanor. These holders, while flat, may readily be stacked or nested in bundles for shipment to the user. When set up for use the described holder is folded along the lines 13, 14, 15 into troughed form, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and in plan in Fig. 3. In this folded or set-up form rows of cellular pockets are presented for the individual eggs or other objects. I

Novel means is herein provided for retaining the described holder in set-up condition, either for packing in, crates or cases, or in retail containers, or for household handling by the consumer, which means also cooperates in a particular manner with the carton, container or outerpackage element to be described. As illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8, and as seen also in Figs. 1 and 2, this element comprises a folding or collapsible open-topped device or tray.

The blank from which this tray element is formed is seen in Fig. 6. A sheet of fibrous material such as cardboard or the like, of generally rectangular form, is formed for folding along the longitudinal parallel lines 22, 22, and along the transverse parallel lines 23, 23, as indicated by the broken lines in said figure. The central portion 24 of the blank defined by said lines 22 and 23 furnishes the bottom for the tray, while the longitudinal portions 25, 25 and end portions 26, 26 outside said lines are adapted to be folded up as enclosing side and end walls for the tray.

Referring still to Fig. 6, the corner portions 27 of the blank are slitted at 28, 28, and 29, 29, as indicated by the full lines in line with the longitudinal fold lines 22. Said end portions 26 of the blank between the slits 28 and 29 are extended beyond said corner portions 27, and have transverse fold lines 30, providing locking strips or flaps 31, 31.

In setting up the tray for use the side portions 25 of the blank are turned up along the lines 22 to form the tray sides. The corner portions 27 are turned inwardly, along the ends of the transverse fold lines 23, and are brought into parallelism with the end sides or walls 26. These operations will readily be understood by reference to Fig. 7, a cross-sectional view looking toward the inside of one end of the tray, showing it in the process of being set up.

The completely assembled tray is seen separately in Fig. 5 wherein the sides 25 and the ends 26 have been turned up into vertical position to provide completely enclosing side walls. The

' corner portions 27 then lie fiatwise against the members 2'7 to move either outwardly or upwardly. Hence the side walls 25- as well as the end walls 26 are locked and retained in their upright assembled positions.

A tray element such as that of Figs. 5 to 7 is proportioned and arranged to receive the holder or filler of the desired size and number of cells for the particular purpose, whether the latter be of the 2x6 arrangement illustrated herein, or 1 x 6, 2 x 3, or otherwise. Theproper filler is inserted or dropped into the corresponding tray, in which position it cooperates to retain the tray in set-up condition. As is readily apparent in Fig. 1, and as also seen in the partial longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 8, the ends of the inserted holder lie adjacent or abut the inner faces of the tray ends, and accordingly hold the downturned locking flaps 31 against unfolding. It is particularly noted that the embodiment of the holder-retaining element or tray as herein illustrated is assembled and secured without necessary resort to gluing, stitching or other additional fastening means, and. that the tray and holder intercooperate mutually to retain each other in their assembled conditions. Said tray element may be otherwise formed than as illustrated; for example the corner or looking parts 27 and the locking flaps 31 might be transposed with respect to the parts to which they are attached.

The described assembly of holder or filler and retaining element or tray may be quickly set up and assembled, manually or by automatic means,

and is then ready to receive the eggs or other contents to be packaged. This two-element assembly, with contents, may then be placed directly in the ordinary wooden 30-dozen egg crate or other container, for storage and shipment in lots. In such instance the described one-dozen units may be placed in five layers of three dozen each, preferably with the one-dozen units in succeeding layers disposed at right angles to those of the layer above or below. If desired, but not necessarily, the succeeding layers may be levelled or separated by cardboard or other sheets, which 1188(23 not be cushioned in the manner of usual fla admirably adapted for use in the novel 30-dozen case such as disclosed and claimed in my 00- pending application Serial No. 455,247, filed May 24, 1930.

In preparation for retail distribution the described one-dozen assemblies or packing units are placed in suitable outer containers, cartons or wrappers. I have herein illustrated for the purpose a collapsible tubular element, seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and separately in Figs. 9 and 10, with which the tray and holder elements previously described are combined and cooperate in the practice of my present invention.

Referring to Figs. 9 and 10, the tubular carton, container or wrapper referred to is preferably formed from a single sheet of cardboard or like material. The sheet is made foldable along four parallel lines 32, 33, 34 and 35, demarking the blank into horizontal Walls 36, vertical walls 37 and a securing flap or glue lap 38. The blank is folded along said lines 32 to 35, to

The described packing assemblies are give it the tubular form'as seen in Fig. 10, and is initially, that is, prior to use, secured in said tubular form, as by gluing or otherwise fastening the securing flap 38 flatwise against the adjacent portion of the next wall, herein one vertical wall 37. The tube so formed is easily collapsed or folded down into the flattened state shown in Fig. 9, for shipment to the user.

The previously assembled tray and holder or filler elements, with their contents, are readily assembled with the described tubular container in a telescoping manner, the tubular element receiving the other elements of the package through one open end, by relative endwise sliding of the parts. I

In the completely assembled condition of the three described packing elements, as in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the opposed walls of two adjacent cell rows of the holder or filler, being foldably joined along their top edges provide a common longitudinal member or rib, at the portion 14, between the cell rows and substantially centrally of the tray and of the tubular carton, this intertrough wall or rib being at the highest portion of the holder, where it immediately underlies and affords support to the upper wall of the tubular carton, intermediate the sides of the latter. It is also apparent that the intermediate or retaining element or tray not only serves to retain the filler in set-up condition, .but also affords markedly increased reinforcement to the tubular container, particularly transversely. In this connection the infolded end locking portions or flaps 31, held closed by the inserted holder, present a double-walled transverse reinforcement affording extreme rigidity transversely of the package as a whole. Further, the portions 27'at either end substantially contact or actually abut each other, giving further transverse reinforcement as well as additional thickness of material and cushioning effect at the ends of the package.

The package may be secured in assembled condition in any suitable manner whereby the tray and holder are retained against unintentional displacement from the tubular carton. I prefer to employ for this purpose, and have herein illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 11, a securing means comprising a wire stitching or staple 39 joining the intertrough top wall or rib 14 of the holder with the overlying wall 36 of the tubular carton, desirably at or near one end of the latter, or at both ends if desired. Said fastening means not only anchors the parts longitudinally but further contributes to the firmness and strength of the package as a unitary whole, by preventing relative twisting or other tortional movements of the parts and insuring the intercooperating bracing and reinforcing effect of one part upon another. The stapling means 39 has the further advantage that it may be quickly removed, as by simply tearing out the surrounding portion of the container top wall, but nevertheless cannot easily be released without leaving evidence that the package has been tampered with.

To open the package, the user has but to tear out or otherwise release the fastening means, whereupon the tray and holder with the contents may quickly be slid out of the tubular carton, which latter may then be discarded. To facilitate withdrawal of the tray and filler I may provide a finger piece or cut-out tab at one or both end portions of the tray, as illustrated at 40 in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6.

- From the foregoing it will be apparent that my invention comprises among its features the novel tray element itself and the combinations of such element with the holder or filler and with the tubular container, carton or wrapper, in the -manner above fully described. As pointed out agency for assembly into the combination and relation constituting a retail package as contemplated by my present invention. If desired, the

tray and holder assembly may be enclosed in a transparent or other wrapping, as of waxed paper, or of material such as sold under the trademark Cellophane, and in such case the assembly so wrapped may be used without other outer container, or may be inserted in a container, such as the tabular carton described. It wil be seen that both the tray and the carton or container afford flat surfaces which are admirably adapted for the reception of identifying printing, advertising matter and the like.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiment shown and described herein by way of example, its scope being pointed out in the following claims.

I claim: I

1. A package for fragile objects such as eggs comprising, in combination, a folding, troughed cellular holding having a central longitudinal inter-trough wall as its highest portion, an,.,opentop holder-receiving tray having a bottom and.

walls, folded up from a flat blank and adapted to receive and confine said folded holder transversely and lengthwise; a collapsible, circumferentially continuous, tubular carton proportioned to receive the tray and holder; and staple means on the package so formed, securing said holder rib to the carton top.

3. In packing means for fragile objects such as eggs, said means including a cellular holder, an open-top retaining element for such holder comprising a rectangular bottom member, opposite side walls and end walls foldably connected along the edges of said bottom member and being of less height than said cellular holder, iii-folding corner locking pieces hinged respectively to two opposite walls, and securing flaps on the other two opposite walls foldable downwardly over said locking pieces to retain all the walls in up-folded position, said element formed from a one-piece blank and constituting an open-top tray for receiving and retaining such cellular holder in operative condition, with the upper portion of the holder protruding above the tray and said tray itself adapted to be held in locked position by engagement of the holder with two opposed in-folded locking pieces.

4. Packing means for fragile objects such as eggs, comprising, in combination, a holder comprising av one-piece sheet element having a plurality of parallel sections with transverse protuberances on them, said sections being folded along parallel lines to provide one or more rows of cells for individual objects, a tray completely open at the top having a bottom and upstanding self-supporting side walls terminating below the top of the holder, said tray having the holder set into it and retaining and bracing the latter in its folded condition by confining engagement with its lower side and fold portions while exposing the holder cells for filling- .and inspection purposes, an enclosing container including bottom, side and top walls, said container receiving said tray with the holder settherein, and means securing the top of the holder to the container top.

5. A package for fragile objects such as eggs,

comprising in combination: a cellular holder' formed of fibrous material and having folding sections with transverse protuberant formations,

said sections providing, in folded condition, a

plurality of rows of cells, opposed walls of two adjoining rows being foldably joined along their top edges to provide a common upstanding longitudinal rib between said rows; a collapsible, circumferentially continuous, tubular carton proportioned to receive said holder; and one or more stapling elements extending through and interconnecting an upper part or parts of said rib and the adjacent overlying top wall of the tubular carton and thereby securely retaining the holder in the tubular carton.

FRANCIS H. SHERMAN.

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