US2000738A - Egg carton - Google Patents

Description

May 7, 1935. 1 BE'NOIT 1 2,000,738

EGG CARTON I Filed Aug. 31, 1931 v 2 sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May `7, 1935 UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE EGG CARTON Leon Benoit, Chicago, Ill.v Application August 31, 1931, Serial No. 560,2845

(Cl. 22S- 29) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a cellular container for eggs capable of serving either as a fillery or a carton, according to the use' to which' it is put. The improvements are directed to features imparting simplicity and strength, ease with which its components may be assembled, and enhanced protection which is afforded to the eggs or other articles which are received Within the container.

These and other objects are realizedl by my invention, a suggestive embodiment whereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in th manner following:

Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of the container;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of one of the crbss walls;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the container;

Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective View showing a modification in the construction of the con-I tainer;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the cross walls illustrated in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section through a container having a further modified construction.

Referring firstv to the construction of Figs. l, 2 and 3, I have shown a blank A of suitable fibrous resilient material having certain parallel bend lines a, b, c, d and e defining in the setup structure a front wall IIl, a slanting bottom Il, two steeply inclined longitudinal walls |2 and I3 forming a central partition, also a second slanting bottom I4, and a rear wall I5. If desired, the last wall may be extended to provide a top Hiv from which depends a ap having, if desired, a locking tongue I' receivable through a slit I9 in the front wall. The blank which is formed to provide these several walls may be of suitable dimensions to produce a carton of standard size, preferably a 2x6 having a capacity for one dozen eggsI or other articles.

Formed in the blank at equi-distant intervals are certain aligned transverse slots 20, 2| and 22, arranged three in a series.. The s1ot'20 extends from close to the bend line b practically all of the way across the bottom towards the bend linea. The slot 22 which is formed in the other bottom section |4 is similarly disposed.

` The remaining slot 2| extends from the bend line c, the ridge of the'central partition, down the two walls l2 and I3 for an appreciable distance, terminating a considerable distance from the bend lines b and d.A A plurality of such slots, arranged three in a series as above described, are provided, one for each of the cross walls B which subdivide the interior of the container into cells. y l f f Referring now to Fig. `2, each cross 1Wallis in the general'iorm` of` a rectangular,l card having vertical ends25 and 26, Iand horizontal top and bottom edges 21 and 28 respectively.` The bottom edge at each of its opposite ends is notched by a horizontal incision 29 extending inwardly to join Witha vertical incision 3|!y which proceeds inwardly lfrom the bottom edge. h Extend- Ving inwardlyvfrom the bottom edge centrally of the Wall is a flaring opening defined by a pair of converging edges 3| forming an angle .with other horizontal edges 32 constitutinga pair of shoulders, there being still other edges 33 slightly inclined towardeach other extending upwardly to join with a top horizontal edge 34. By the construction just described, the several edges k32, 33 and 34 d ene an opening in the body of the cross Wall in the general form of a truncated triangle having an entering slot midway of its base.

A blank A together with a plurality of cross walls B,'as hereinbefore described, may be conveniently assembled to produce a cellular container, as shown in Fig. l.` In set-up condition, each cross Wall extends in part through one of the series of slots. 20, 2|, and 22,` thebottom edges of `the cross wall being disposed through the slots 2|) and 22, and the portion of the cross wall body above the truncated opening being receivable through the slots 2| in .both walls of the central partition. The arrangement of the parts is such that thefpartition portions lying between the central slots 2|, and the bottom. slots 20 and 22 are received within the truncated openings of the cross walls where they lie adjacent and parallel to the inclined edges 33, as indicated best in Fig. 3. 'I'hese portionsl of the blank are rested upon the shoulders 32 so as to derive support therefrom and be held against displacement from the position shown.

The bottom portions of the blank beyond the slots 2|)` and 22 itinto the notches at the ends of the cross wall bottoms so as to rest against the edges 2,9 and 3|), as shown. `The ridge formed at the bend c may be located'in a plane sub` stantially even with the top edges of the front and rear walls I0 and 5, so that if a cover I6 be extended from the'latter, it may lie across the container and engage with the ridge, also downward pressure which might injuriously affect articles rested within the container cells.

`In the modiedform shown in Figs. 4 and 5, inclusive, I may utilize a blank C having certain parallel bend lines u, v, w, y and z whichdefine between them and the upper edges of the container sections 40, 4I, 42, 43, 44 and 45, the latter constituting the carton rear Wall which may optionally be extended past a bend line z' to provide a cover 46 having at its free edge a depending flap 41 with a tongue 48 receivable through a slot 49 in the section 40 whichfconstitutes the front Wall of the container. With such a blank I assemble a plurality of cross walls D each having a central truncated opening 50 with oppositely inclined edges 5I proceeding from spaced aligned shoulders 52, there being an entering slot 53, all very similar to the cross wall shown in Fig. 2. The opposite ends of the cross walls, however, are each slanted inwardly to a slight extent as at 54 to join with a shoulder 55 forming an offset approximately half Way between the upper and lower edges of each wall.

Formed in the carton blank are a plurality of transverse slots similar to those shown in Fig. 1, the ends of the central slot 56 terminating at 51, the remaining slots 58 and 59 being each extended from' close to the bend lines v and :c to a point which lies adjacent the cross wall shoulder 55. With the several cross walls tted in place, the central partition defined by the walls 42 and 43 of the blank is received in part within the truncated openingsy 50, of the cross walls so as to lie parallel and adjacent to their 'edges 5I, and the lower portions of the blank,

. ends of .the slots 58 and 59 being suspended upon the shoulders 52 and 55, respectively. The provision of bottom end lines `u and y results in the formation of a pair of troughs each adapted to be rounded out somewhat in conformity with the shape of the article placed therein, as, for example, an egg. The contents'of each slot are maintained in suspension above the bottom plane of the container, due to the hooking of the two troughs upon the shoulders 52 and 55 of the cross walls; In Fig. 6, I have illustrated the same construction modified to the extent that the blank consists of two independent parts which meet in unconnected fashion at the centralridge.

`The feature of suspension is present in both forms of carton which I have described herein. In the one case, Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, one end of each bottom section is maintained in an elevated position by support from the shoulders 32. When required to support a load, as, for instance, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the front and' rear walls of the container are prevented from pulling in toward the center partition in response to imposition of the load upon the bottom walls. -This is due to provision of the vertical shoulders 30 vnear the ends of the bottom edge. A like principle of suspension is utilized in the other construction shown in Figs. band 6 wherein the shoulders and opposite ends of each trough perform similarly.

The container which I have herein described may be made inexpensively with an expeditious assembly of its components. Thev parts will normally remain in assembled condition due to the .engagement of the container bottom sections 1. A container in which is comprised a blank having aligned series of slots, together with parallel bends defining front and rear walls with intermediate pairs of slanting bottom walls, together with connected partition walls extending centrally of the container, and a plurality of separable, bifurcated cross walls, one for each series of slots, and each wall provided in its body with a central truncated opening with opposite slanting edges and a base Aformed of two aligned but spaced shoulders between which an entrance slot is extended through to the bottom edge of the cross wall, there being also at each of the opposite edges of the cross wall a further shoulder, the blank being assembled with the cross walls in such manner as to receive one of the latter through each of the aligned series of slots with unslotted portions of the blank accommodated within the truncated opening adjacent its opposite slanting edges and supported upon the shoulders thereof, and with other unslotted portions of the blank rested against the shoulders at opposite edges of each portion of the bifurcated cross wall whereby intervening portions of theblank are suspended in distended relation above the bottom plane of the cross walls.

2. A container in which is comprised two sets of intersecting walls defining a plurality of cells, one set vof walls beinglformed with a series of aligned slots, and the other set of walls being individually separable and provided on each side of their vertical centers with oppositely facing internaland external shoulders adapted to intert with the first set of walls through insertion of portions of their bodies within the' aligned slots thereof, the shoulders, both internaland external, engaging the slot ends in a manner to sustain with a desired suspension the intervening portions of the walls having the aligned slots.

3. A cellular holder for eggs and the like, comprising parallel folded, slotted blank portions meeting at a ridge centrally of the holder,

and separable, bifurcated cross walls straddlingv said vridge and extending into said slotted blank portions dividing said portions of the holder into .a plurality of cells, each bifurcated'portion of the cross walls having inner and outer edge portions providing laterally spaced shoulders adapted to interlock with slots of the associated blank portions, whereby to shape and support said blank portions in definitely spaced relation to each other.`

LEON BENOIT.

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