US2124324A

US2124324A - Package

Info

Publication number: US2124324A
Application number: US113114A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter E Weeks
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-11-28
Filing date: 1936-11-28
Publication date: 1938-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 1955-07-19

Description

-July 19, 1938. W E, WEEKS 2,124,324

` PACKAGE Filed Nov. 28, 1956 Patented July 19, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFI'CE PACKAGE Walter E. Weeks, Baltimore, Md.

Application November 28, 1936, Serial No. 113,114

8 Claims. (Cl. 20S-46) The invention relates" to a package for loose particles of food as nut kernels or meats, candies or small cakes and the like, in and by means of which the food particles are attractively displayed and at the same time are protected from deterioration by the action of air, moisture and other harmful agencies and protected from crushing and breakage. While the package is primarily a food package, it may be used for other small articles.

The package comprises a bag or other sealed Wrapper preferably a tubular section of transparent sheet material which is Water resistant and may be to a large degree water proof. This 15 material is to the best advantage capable of sealing by heat though materialsotherwise sealed may be employed. While moisture resistant material is preferred, other transparent materials may be used.

The material which has been used for this purpose inthe practice of applicants invention is cellulose hydrate in the form of sheets which are flexible, transparent, non-absorbent and highly resistant to the action of water and also selfadhesive under the action of heat so that it is easily sealed by heating without the use of a separate adhesive.

The bags may be filled and sealed in accordance with the method described in United States 30 Patent #1,986,422 or in any suitable manner, the bag or inner package being preferably at or capable of flattening. In accordance with the method of the patent, a strip of Sheet cellulose derivative of the kind described or any suitable kind of material is bent laterally into tubular form about a feed tube which feeds the food particles into the transparent wrapping tubeas it is formed. For convenience, this wrapper material may be referred to as Cellophane, it being understood however that this word Cellophane is a trade-mark applied to the product of one manufacture and that other sheet materials of this character may be used for this purpose. The tube is sealed longitudinally and is also sealed transversely and cut at the center of each transverse seal so as to form a series of closed lled bags, each having flattened portions at its ends where the front and back of the bags are joined by sealing.

In accordance with the present invention these bags which when unprotected or unsupported are subject to breakage by bulging with-the consequent spilling of the contents, and are also lacking in protection for the food product which is apt to becrushed and broken in handling are well protected. Also these bags in the unsupported form are shapeless and not adapted for quick and easy handling or for packing uniformly in quantities.A

In accordance with the present invention, these filled bags or packages are given a uniform shape and supported and protected from bulging by means of a paper or other relatively stiff opaque envelope or backing which is quickly applied and inexpensive and which exposes the food product in an attractive manner for exhibition an-d examination.

This wrapper is easily and cheaply applied and of attractive appearance and provides conveniently for the display of advertising matter in connection with the product, and the package as completed has the further important advantage that the food product does not come in contact With-the paper backing at any point so that there is no absorption of grease by the paper with the dlspleasing appearance of greasiness and discoloration and no loss of the food constituents by the absorbent properties and porosity of the paper which are unavoidable incidents to other paper wrapping or backings. In the accompanying drawing,'I have illustrated a package embodying the features of the invention in the preferred form. In the drawing:

Figure 1 isl a plan view of the paper blank which forms the backing or outside Wrapper, the same being flattened for purposes of illustration.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the bag or inside wrapper of transparent sheet material containing the food product ready for the backing.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the backing partially folded, i. e. having one side ap folded, the unfolded iiap being also shown in broken lines in the flat position.

Figure 4 is a .top plan view of the completed package.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the same, looking at the long side of the package.

.Referring to the drawing by'munerals, each of which is used to indicate the same or similar parts in the different figures, the bag or Wrapper A in which the food product is initially enclosed, indicated by reference character I has in practice been composed of cellulose hydrate which is self-adhesive when heated and therefore capable of sealing by heat without any additional adhesive, other cellulose derivative as cellulose acetate may be substituted being sealed by means of an adhesive or a solvent.. 'I'hese materials are highly resistive to Water and non-absorbent, other transparent sheet materials which have joined and sealed at 3.

pose. The inner package indicated by reference character I is sealed at the ends where it is flattened, the two layers of the transparent sheet adhering at I". The longitudinal edges are also The details and manner of joining, closing and sealing the inner wrapper and package may be widely varied. 'I'he bag or inner wrapper I, while it protects the food from' deterioration by moisture and the action of air and other agencies, is soft and the package I' lis shapeless being subject to breakage by bulging and it does not protect thefood product from crushing.

,This bag or= envelope is protected and supported and still retains its facility for displaying the product when partially enclosed within a toughl paper or other backing in accordance with the invention. This backing is shown flattened y or spread out in Figure 1, being indicated by reference character 2. The backing as shown is elongated or oblong, the package being likewise of oblong form and is creased at each side at 5 in parallel with the outside edges 6. It is also creased transversely at the ends at I in parallel with the end edges 8, the creases 'I being preferably spaced inwardly from the end edges 8 by a distance considerably greater than the distance of the creases 5 from the edges 6, the creases 5 and 'I cross near the corners at 9 and to contribute to the neatness of the ypackage and to decrease spondence with the dimensions of the inner package I" or bag I as filled but slightly greater to facilitate the closing of the flaps of the backing and the fastening of the bag I within the backing 2. The outline of the bag is shown in dotted lines in Figure 4, the edges of the bag being indicated by reference character 4. l

In the practice of the invention to date while the bags are formed and filled by means of an automatic machine, the nal wrapping operation, i. e. the enclosing of the bag in the backing 2, has been performed by hand. In this operation the blanks being provided cut and scored as shown in Figure 1 and properly printed with the advertising matter desired, are spread iiat on the work table as shown in Figure 1. A corresponding inner package or lled bag I is then placed on the flat blank, the edges 4 of the bag beingrelated to the scores"5, 1 substantially as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4.` The side flaps I I are then folded inwardly over the edges 4- of the inner package about the scores 5 and the end aps I5, I 5 are then folded inwardly over the ends of the bag and over the ends of folded flaps I4, after which the package is stapled at I2 at each corner, the staples preferably passing each of them rst through the flaps I5 near the corners I6 and then through the flaps I4, then through the corresponding corners of the bag, i. e. through the ends of sealed flat portions I and nally through the main body I'I of the backing so that the backing 2 is not only secured about the back of the inner package and over the edges of the package but the bag is definitely fastened 2,124,824 the desired properties may be used for this purat its corners or at other convenient point within the backing.

It is of interest as to the ilnished package that the package is stiifened and the product thereby protected,- also the package is given a ilat rear or 5 bottom surface being thus rendered of uniform shape for convenience in packing in quantities.

, The product is most attractively displayed at the front where the bag or inner wrapper I and its contents bulge forwardly as shown at I8 and fully protected from contact with the paper and consequentdiscoloration of the paper and deterioration of the product from this source and from exposure to air, moisture, germs and dirt. The method of wrapping described also has the advantage of 1.,

simplicity, cheapness and speed being also adapted for performance by automatic machinery if desired. Itis of further advantage that the method of wrapping provides for advertising display on the back of the package on the outside, on the body of the backing on the inside behind the product, and above and below the product and alsoon the front as to the flaps or edges of the wrapper.

I have Ythus. described specifically and in detail a package embodying the features of my invention in order that the manner of constructing, applying, operating and using the invention may be fully understood. However, the specific terms herein are used in a descriptive rather than in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined inthe claims.'

What I claim as new and desire to secure by 'Letters Patentis: 1

1 A package containing particles, and com- 3 prising a transparent flexible relatively non-absorbent wrapper therefor completely enclosing the particles and having thin substantially flat -edge portions and in addition thereto a relativelyA stiff backing of sheet material covering 4 the back side of said package on the outside and also covering. said ilat edge portions on both the. front and back sides of said at edge portions, which are substantially in the plane of said back, said transparent sheet and said contained par- 4 ticles covered thereby being exposed at the front between said edge portions.

2.,A package containing small particles, and comprising a transparent flexible inner wrapper therefor completely enclosing the small particles 5 and having relatively thin iiat edge portions and a relatively stiif backing of opaque sheet material covering the back side of said package on `the outside and also covering said edge portions on both the back and front sides of each said edge 5 portion said thin flat edge portions being substantially in the plane of said back, said transparent sheet and said particles being exposed at the front between said edge portions, and means securing said thin edge portions to the backing.

3. A package containing food particles, and comprising a transparent flexible relatively nonabsorbent inner wrapper therefor completely enclosing the food particles and having relatively back sides offsaidedge portions, said transparent 70 sheet and said food particles being exposed at the front between said edge portion, .and means l passed through said backing and through said transparent 'sheet securing the latter to the backing.

4. A package containing food or other particles, and comprising a transparent flexible wrapper therefor enclosing the small particles and having relatively thin edge portions and in addition to said wrapper relatively stili` backing of opaque sheet material covering the back side of said package on the outside and flaps folded' over and covering said edge portions oppositely to said back side, said edge portions being covered on both the front and back sides and being substantially in the plane of said back, said transparent sheet and said particles being exposed at the front and bulging forwardly `between said aps. and means passed through said naps and through said backing and through saidwrapper securing the latter to the backing, and securing the flaps vof said backing, covering said edges in closed tion of the front of said tube exposed, the extreme outer portions of the folded ends being substantially flat in a single plane. u

6.A package. comprising a .container tube of transparent material and particles enclosed therein, the tube being closed at the ends which are thus flattened lying substantially in a single plane and a substantially flat protecting backing i of opaque relatively stiff sheet material covering the back of said tubular portion on the outside of said tube and having flaps folded lover said closed ends the end ,portions of the tube being covered on both the front and back sides by said backing, said end folds having a single crease, and the backing adjacent the crease being flattened substantially in the plane of the back and fastening means passed through said flaps and back and through said closed ends of the transparent sheet tube.

7. Apackage containing a quantity of food or similar particles, the package comprising a transparent sheet of flexible material completely enclosing the particles, and having front and rear walls flattened substantially into a single plane at the ends which are thus closed, and in addition to said sheet. a relatively stiff backing for said package secured externally of said sheet, the backing having portions connected thereto covering and secured to the end edges of said package outside the transparent material and oppositely to said backing, said connected portions at each edge of the package thus covered having a single crease about which said connected portion is folded, forming with the adjacent portion of the back an acute V-fold, the transparent sheet and the particles covered thereby being exposed oppositely to Said backing.

8. Apackage containing particles, and comprisixig a transparent flexible wrapper completely enclosing the particles and having substantially flat edge portions and in addition thereto a relatively stiil.' at backing of sheet material 'covering the back side of said package on the outside of said wrapper and also covering said flat edge portions on botl' the front and back sides the said covered nat edge portions being substantially in the plane of said backing, .said transparent sheet and said food particles covered thereby being exposed at the front between said edge portions.

, WALTER E. WEEKS.