US2028085A - Carton handle - Google Patents

Description

` an.. M, i936.

` J. P. BRUNT CARTON HANDLE I Filed'Jan. '7, 1955 Patented Jan. 14, 1936 oniTEo STATES CARTON HANDLE .lohn Paul Brunt, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Brunt & Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application January 7, 1935, Serial No. 639

10 Claims.

This invention pertains to handles for contalners and in the preferred form of the invention the handles are so arrangedthat in a collapsed container the handle lies flatly or snugly upon the exterior surface of the collapsed container but when the container is assembled for use enough slack will be found in the handle to permit insertion of the hand thereunder.

With certain classes of merchandise there exists a very definite demand for handles to facilitate carrying of the packages by the customers. When such a handle is required on a collapsible container, which is shipped to the manufacturer of merchandise or a merchant either of whom may nil the package, difficulty has been experienced heretofore in providing a handle attached by the container manufacturer which will not interfere with stacking of collapsed containers. Also another important consideration is that the handle provided on packages should not interfere with the placing of the packages on shelves in the store or stacking them one upon another on the shelves. Furthermore, such handle when provided should not be sc loose as to invite the danger 0i it being caught on other packages or garments accidentally.

A number of variations in the manner of using the invention are possible as will be perceived by those who are skilled in the art upon an examination of the following description in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown for the purpose of illustrating the nature of the invention. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited in its scope to this illustrated embodiment.

In the drawing, wherein the preferred form of the invention is shown:

Fig. `l shows a plan view of a. collapsed container provided with the handle in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same container assembled and entirely closed but with the handle not yet distended,

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the same assembled container showing the handle distended to facilitate carrying, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial sectional View of the container in the condition it is shown in Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawing, the collapsed container will include an end wall I which will become the top wall at the time the package is being carried by the handle. A side wall 2 is hinged to the end wall I at the score line 3 and a (Cl. 2.29-52A) corresponding end wall 4 and side wall 5 will be provided as shown best in Fig. 3. These walls may be made of any desired material, preferably thin sheet material, and in most cases will be made of fiber board, either corrugatedor plain.

In the preferred embodiment flaps 6 and I are hinged at the score lines 8 and 9 to the end wall I, intended to be iolded inwardly when the container is being assembled for filling with merchandise. Each of the elongated side walls 2 and 5 will be provided with hinged flaps similarto the flaps il and I2, While the other end wall 4 will have flaps i3 and I 4. VIt will be apparent that these end and side walls, together with their flaps, when the latter are folded inwardly, will constitute a closed container of rectangular shape and the meeting line of opposite flaps may be covered with tape, as is common practice, in order to iinally seal the container. The exact dimensions of the flaps and the manner of sealing them together does not form a part of this invention. Rather the invention is concerned with the positioning of the handle I5 on the end wall.

As shown in the drawing, this handle is in the nature of a strap, preferably, and may be made of woven cloth, leather, or some other material suitable for this purpose. The end wall I is provided with a pair of slots I6 and I'I which preferably are parallel when a flat strap handle is being employed. Should one desire to use a handle of circular cross-section or of some other shape not flat, then slots can be made to correspond. In any case, the end portions of the handle will extend through the slots I l and I1 and be secured to the inner surfaces of the flaps s and 1.

In the preferred manner of utilizing this invention the length of the strap between the points at which it is secured tothe hinged flaps will be such that when the container is flatly collapsed 40 all of the slack in the handle will be taken up. This will make certain that the exposed middle portion of the handle lying outside of the co1- lapsed container will lie flatly and snugly thereupon so as not to catch upon other containers and soas not to interfere with efficient stacking of the containers.

Upon reference to Fig. 3 it will be observed that even when the `container' is foldedto .constitute a rectangular structure the handle I5 will still lie flatly and snuglyupon the end or what is now the top Wall of the containen 4VHence the package may be placed on a shelf or stacked on other packages Without any danger that the handle will l tents thereof.

seriously interfere with free movement of the packages.

When a customer or clerk desires to utilize the handle it is extremely easy to grasp this flat intermediate portion and pull out the slack as suggested in Fig. 5, thus aording ample room for one to insert the fingers of his hand beneath the handle.

It will be observed that when a container is provided with a handle as shown in the drawing, the weight of the load is not carried on the top wall but rather is carried upon the vertically extending iiaps 6 and l, which, in the assembled container, will-be secured by adhesive or adhesive strips to the flaps H, l2 and the two corresponding elongated flaps hinged to the wall 5.

Preferably the slots l and l'l will be arranged close to the score lines 8 and 9, one advantage being that thus the strap where it extends inside of the package will not interfere with the con- Y However, these slots may be further removed from the score lines, if desired.

It is, of course, not necessary that the strap be applied to the wall surface of the container which has the smallest area. Howeverfin the illustrated embodiment the handle is so mounted Ythat the longest dimension of the container hangs vertically therefrom and the flaps 6 and 'l to which this handle is secured are locked within the elongated flaps ll and l2 and the corresponding pair on the other side. As explained before, a strip of paper or cloth with adhesive thereon may be remployed to cover the seam I8 where two opposing flaps meet, or these opposing flaps may merely be glued to the underlying shorter flaps. However, it should be understood that the various hinged flaps on the container need not be in every case arranged inthe same relationship as is shown inthe drawing. The shape, size and manner of using such flaps is a matter which willl vary with the dierent shapes and sizes and purposes of the containers.

Having shown and described the invention, I claim:

1. A container having a top wall and two sidev walls hinged thereto constructed so that all three `may be extended flatly in the same plane, said top wall being provided with slots, and a handle having end portions extending inwardly through said slots and secured to said side walls adjacent their vhinged connection with the top wall, the length Vwith a pair of slots, the side wall elements of Ysaid container being hinged to said Wall member be extended flatly in the same plane.

4. A containerihaving a wall member provided l with a pair of slots, the side wall elements of said container being hinged to rsaid wall member at opposite sides thereof, and av strap handle extending through said slots and secured to said elements near their hinged connection with said member, the length of said handle being just sufficient to permit said elements and wall member to be extended flatly in the same plane and thus take up substantially all the slack in said handle.

5. A container comprising a strap handle, a top wall having a pair of slots, and a pair of opposite side walls hinged to said top walls, the end 10 portions of said handle extending inwardly through said slots and being secured to the inner surfaces of said opposite side walls.

6. A container having a top wall member provided with slots, side walls hinged to said member, and a flexible strap handle extending inwardly through said slots and secured to said side walls a substantial distance from said hinged connection whereby extension of the member and wall in the same plane will take up at least some of the slack lying between the nearest adjoining slot and said point of securement.

7. A collapsible -container comprising a wall member provided with slots located near opposite edges thereof, a pair of wall members hinged to said rst wall member at opposite sides thereof, said hinged wall members being intended when the container is collapsed to lie flatly in the same plane with the first wall member, and a flexible handle having its end portions extending inwardly through said slots with its middle portion outside of the first wall member and said end portions secured to said pair of wall members in such manner that when the container is flatly collapsed said handle extends in a straight line and lies flatly without slack.

8. A collapsible container comprising a wall member provided with slots, a pair of wall members hinged to said rst wall member at opposite sides thereof, said hinged wall members being intended when the container is collapsed to lie flatly in the same plane with the rst wall member, and a flexible handle having its end portions extending inwardly through said slots with its middle portion outside of the first wall member and said end portions secured to said pair of wall members in such manner that when the container is flatly collapsed said handle extends in a straight line and lies flatly without slack.

9. A collapsible container having three wall members lying flatly in the same plane in the collapsed container, the two outside members being hinged to opposite sides of the intermediate member and occupying three different planes in vthe container whenl arranged for use, said intermediate wall member having a pair of slots, and a flexible handle extending through said slots secured at its ends to said outside hinged members arranged to be drawn taut by the outside, members when the container is collapsed, and

Vproviding slack when said container is assembled for use.

the inner surfaces of said hinged members.

J OI-IN PAUL BRUNT.

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