US2136744A - Hat packing stay and combination package - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 15, 1938. J. G. HUYE HAT PACKING STAY AND COMBINATION PACKAGE F11/ed Aug. 24', 195e 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Smc/wm Joseph 6?. f1

Nov. 15, 193s. J, Q HUYE A 2,136,744l

HAT PACKING STAY AND COMBINATION PACKAGE Filed Aug. 24, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES Bgel HAT PACKING STAY ANDK COMBINATION PACKAGE Joseph G. Huye, New Orleans, La; Application August 24, 1936, Serial No. 97,703

8 Claims.

This` invention relates to hat packing stays and is primarily intended for use by the hat manufacturer in packing and shipping his product.

In the felt hat manufacturing business it is of great importance from the commercial viewpoint that felthats shall be so packed that as shipped they will not be subjected to the pressure of any sustaining packing ring, or impressed or indented or marked by any packing ring. Also, it is of importance that they shall `not be dented or mussed up in any manner, but shall be received substantially in perfect ironed condition, the same as the conditionin which they were `at the time of completion at the factory.

Also, it is of importance to reduce as far as possible` the number of packing boxes required, the weight `of material used in making such boxes, and in general the expense incident to such packmg. i

The present invention has been developed with the foregoing considerations in mind and has for its object to provide a combination of elements whereby a plurality of felt hats may be packed in superposed or nested relation in such manner that no hat in the package will be subjected to the weight of .any other hat or to any pressure of any part; to provide means for centering and anchoring the lower hat against endwise or sidewise movement; to provide separateindividualy means `for centering or preventing endwise or sidewise movement of each of the superposed hats; to provide means` for preventing the movement of any hat in a direction endwise of the stack of hats in case the box or container should be inverted incident to handling in shipping, such means being so related to said individual centering means and the respective brims of the respective hatsV as not to be in contact with the brims of, the respective hats when the shipping containeris in normal position; to provide said anchoringmeans in each of said centering means it in aheavy board or corrugated board shipping box such as is now the common practice.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1V represents-a vertical sectional view on the line i-I 4of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, through a box in which a plurality of hats are packed bythe aid of the combination `of elements embodying `my invention; i Figure 2, a Sectional view on the line 2 2 of Figurefl, looking in the `direction of the arrow;

Figure 3', a sectional view on 'the `line 3-3 of Figure 2looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4, aperspective View from the underneath of o ne of the centering elements;

Figure 5, a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6,.a top perspectiveview of the anchoring element; i l

Figure 7, a plan view of the top spacing element |20, in flat condition;

Figure 8,4 atop plan view of the anchoring element .I, in flat condition;

Figure 9fa view similar to Figure 5, of a modied form; and

Figure 10, a fragmentary detailed perspective body A of the box to rest against the upper base of the bottom C thereof, f

Said anchoring element I is formed as a flat sheet and hasan octagonal, vertical supporting rim or flange 2 integral therewith, said flange `being made up of sections or portions scored for fold lines at 2a, cut or severed from the body of anchor element I on lines 2b from the respective score lines 12a tozthe adjacent corners, to form Vfree end portions, said sections being folded into vertical position` along scored lines 2c extending between the transverse score lines 2a. When folded intoY this position the free end portions are folded alongscore lines 2a intolapping relation and each such pair 'of lapping ends are secured together in any known suitable and usual manner as-by a wire staple 2d) `Said supporting rim may be about the height of the sweatband, or approximately 2" in height, but in any event should be of such height as to support the immediately next above centering and supporting element I2 or I20 at such point that the interior ofthe hat supported by the latter will not engage or press against the crown of the next lower` hat.

The flat area of the anchor element I is formed with two pair of end centering wings or fingers 3 and two side centering wings or ngers 4, said wings or fingers 3 and 4 being integral with anchor member I. The wings 3 are formed in pair by being severed along the lines 5 and 'I and the line 9 common to the two wings, three of each pair, and when erected in the operative position are folded along the score lines so as to present their operative end edges 5 toward, and to engage, the sweatband d adjacent, and equal distance from, the respective ends of the lower hat D. The side centering wings or fingers 4 are formed by being severed along the lines 6 and 8 and in operative position are folded into vertical position along the score lines I0, wherein their laterally outer operative edges 6 will engage the respective side portions of the sweatband d.

Prior to actual use in connection with the packing and shipping of hats the anchoring element I will be stored, shipped, and kept in collapsed or flat condition, wherein it is simply a flat sheet of paper board or cardboard capable of being kept in large` quantities in a very small space immediately available at hand for instant use, and as used it will v have its flange 2 erected and stapled together and its end centering wings 3 and its side centering wings 4 erected in the vertical position before being inserted into body A of the box to rest against and be supported by the bottom C thereof.

The centering and supporting elements I2, five in number in the preferred style of package, and the spacing centering element |20 are each formed with an elliptical or oval centercentering opening I4 corresponding in general outline, except for the two end notches, to the cross-sectional form of the crown of the hat D received thereby and being of such size as to be spaced at all points at a slight distance from the outer face of the hat crown, say by an interval of approximately not in excess of nl: of an inch at all points from said hat crown. The purpose in providing this space or clearance between the wall yof opening I4 and theopposed face of said hat crown is to avoid contact by said wall with said crown when the package is in normal upright position, and yet to provide a support for the hat crown, and the hat as a whole, in case the package should be tilted or laid upon its side, the very small interval between said hat crown and wall avoiding the attaining by said hat of any such momentum as might be calculated to dent or mar said hat crown, it being noted in this connection that each hat is supported and centered by its respective supporting and centering means for element I2 and its spacing and centering means |20, and that the weight of no hat in transmitted to any other hat.

Each centering and supporting element I2 is formed with two stops or spacing ears I3 respectively integral with said element and folded into vertical position along scored fold lines I 3'. Said stops or spacing ears I3 respectively are attached to and depend from the respective portions of their respective members adjacent the respective ends of said centering opening I4. Each said stop or spacing ear I3 isV of a length slightly less, by say a quarter of an inch, than the height of the supporting rim or. iiange 2 of the immediately next lower anchoring element I or centering element I 2, as the case may be. The purpose of this lower end edges of the respective stops or spacing ears I3 from resting upon or even lightly contacting the brims d of the respective next lower hats, when the package is in normal position. By having only a very slight diierence between the vertical length of the stop or spacing ears I3 and the langing or supporting rims 2, the lower end edges of the respective stops or spacing ears I3, while maintained out of contact with the brims d of the respective hats when the package is in normal position, are spaced at such a slight interval from said brims d respectively that should the package be inverted in shipping or handling no hat would have any appreciable vertical movement toward said stops or spacing ears I3 and could not attain any such momentum in such movement as would in any way indent, or mar, or muss any of said hats.

Preferably each said member I2 and the spacing centering m-ember |20 is formed with two iinger holds I5, respectively, adjacent the respective stops or spacing ears I3 to the end that the packer may stick his forengers, respectively, through the respective holds I5 and hold the respective stops or spacing gears I3 back out of the way so as not to muss up the next lower hat as the hats and elements are inserted in the body A of the box during the packing operation and also to provide a convenient finger grip for removing the spacing and centering and supporting elements |20 and I2, respectively, from the box without mussing up any of the hats as the same are unpacked by the hat dealer.

Each centering and supporting member or element I2 is provided with a supporting rim or 0 flange 2, preferably octagonal in outline, constructed, erected, and in all other respects the same as the rim 2 heretofore described in detail in connection with the anchor element I.

'I'he spacing and centering element |20, which is the topmost element in the box, is provided with a supporting octogonal flange or rim 20 constructed and erected in the same manner as described with relation to the rim 2 of the anchoring element I, except that said rim 20 is approximately double the height of the rim 2, in any event being of such height as to extend upward appreciably beyond the highest point of the crown of the top hat D, and preferably to substantiate the upper edge of the body A of the box, so as to protect the crown of the upper hat D against being dented, mashed or otherwise mussed.

To use the anchoring element I is erected as above described, a hat is applied to the anchoring means 3 and 4 and thereafter the anchoring element I is inserted in the body A of the box to rest upon the top of bottom C thereof. Thereafter the centering and supporting elements I2 erected as above described and the hats D are inserted in the body A in alternation, the corners of the centering and supporting elements I2 extending across and resting upon the upper edges of the lap ends of the rim 2 of the anchoring element I and the immediately next below rim 2 of the respective centering and supporting elements I2, until six hats D shall have been packed into the box, after which the spaces and centering top element |20 is inserted in the body A and thereafter the top B is applied to the box and secured thereto by a string or any other suitable securement means, and the package is ready for shipment.

Of course as erected each of the centering and supporting means or elements I2, the anchoring difference Vin length is to prevent the extreme means I, and the spacing and centering element `therein by insertion in an endwise direction of said body, there being just suiiicient play between the edge faces of the respective elements I, I2 and l2@ to permit such insertion and not suilcient .play to permit any `appreciable movement of the respective elements transversely of the body A.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 9 the construction, operation, combination, and mode of use are in all respectsthe same as described with relation to the preferred form shown in the first eight figures, except that a round corner box is used instead of a square box, and consequently the corners of the spacing element l20 and of the centering supporting element and the anchoring element, are similarly rounded so as to conform in shape thereto.

In the modification shown in Figure 10 of the supporting ange or rim 2', the construction and operation of said rim or flange are in all respects the same as described with relation to flange or rim 2 of the preferred form, except that instead of the securing staple 2d, the lapped free end portions are cut from opposite edges for slightly in excess of one-half of their vertical height and are interlocked as indicated at 2e. The centering and supporting element of this modification is designated l2..

I claim:

1. A storing and shipping package comprising a box comprising a tubular body, a bottom closing the lower end of said body, and a top closing `the upperend of said body, in combination with a plurality of hat centering and spacing means disposed in said body in stack relation and a plurality of hats disposed in said body in superposed loosely nested'relation, said centering and spacing means and said hats being arranged in alternation in stack form vertically of said'body, each of said centering and spacing means having a body of sheet form with portions closely adjacent the inner face of said box body at both ends and at both sides of each said centering and spacing means and having a vertically extending supporting rim, the lowest of said centering and spacing means resting on the upper face of said box bottom and having anchoring centering means extending upward into the crown of the lowest hat and engaging the inner face of said crown adjacent both ends and on opposite sides thereof and receiving and supporting the brim of said lowest hat on the upper face of its body between said anchoring centering means and said rim, the remaining spacing and centering means each having a similar bracing and supporting rim and being formed with a centering supporting opening, a pair of stops disposed in a vertical direction, and finger holes adjacent said stops, each said spacing and centering means resting on the supporting rim of the spacing and centering means immediately next below, each said centering and supporting opening being of such size and shape as to receive the crown of the hat immediately below and so that the wall of said opening will be very closely adjacent to said crown but `slightly spaced therefrom substantially at all points in the normal upright position of the package, said stops depending closely adjacent to the brim of the hat immediately next loeneath their respective centering and spacing means without touching said brim when the package is in normal uprightposition, said ringer holes permitting the packer to hold said stops back during the packing operation and to remove the spacing means in unpacking without damaging the hats, and the rim of the extreme upper spacing and centering means being higher than the rims of any of the other said means to extend above the top of the crown of the top hat to protect the latter and substantially to the top' or" the box body to supplement the latter in supporting any load that may be placed on the top of the package, each body of each said spacing and centering means, excepting the extreme top said means, supporting by its upper face the individual weight of the hat resting thereon.

2. A storing and shipping package comprising a box comprising a tubular body, a bottom closing the lower end of said body, and a top closing the upper end of said body, in combination with a bottom anchoring means, a top spacing means, a plurality of intermediate hat centering and spacing means disposed in said body in stack relation and a plurality of hats disposed in said body in superposed loosely nested relation, said anchoring means, top spacing means and said intermediate means and said hats being arranged in alternation in stack form vertically in said body, each said intermediate means having a sheet form body with portions closely adjacent the inner face ci said box body at both sides and ends of each said means and having a vertically extending supporting rim, said anchoring means resting on the upper face of said box bottom and having anchoring means engaging the interior of the crown of the lowest hat to anchor the same and receiving and supporting the brim of the lowest hat and being provided with a supporting rim, each said intermediate means being formed with a centering and supporting opening, a pair of stops disposed in a vertical direction, and nger holes adjacent said stops, and each said intermediate means resting on the supporting rim of the spacing and centering intermediatev means next below and supporting by its upper face the weight'of an individual hat, and said top spacing means resting onthe rim of the upper intermediate means and having a rim extending above the crown of the upper hat.

3. A storing and shipping package comprising a box comprising a tubular body, a bottom closing the lower end of said body, and a top closing the upper end of said body, in combination with a plurality of hats, a bottom anchoring means formed with means engaging in the interior of the crown of the lowest hat to center and anchor the same and provided with a supporting rim, a top spacing means, and a plurality of intermediate hat centering, spacing and supporting means, said anchoring means, intermediate means and top spacing means and the said hats being arranged in alternation in stack form vertically of said box body, each of said intermediate means having a sheet form body of such size and shape as to make a snug sliding fit in said box body and having avertically extending supporting rim and being formed with a centering supporting opening and a pair of stops disposed in a vertical direction closely adjacent to but normally out of contact with the upper face of the brim of the hat immediately below their corresponding intermediate means body, each said intermediate means and said top spacing means resting on the supporting rim of the means immediately next below and said anchoring means resting on the upper face of the box bottom, and each said intermediate individual hat.

4. Packing means to be used in a shipping box to pack hats for shipment and storage, said means comprising the combination of a bottom anchoring means, a topy spacing means, and a plurality of intermediate spacing centering supporting means, all said means being arranged in superposed stacked relation and being of such size and outline in operative condition as to substantially conform in size and outline to the crosssection of the interior of the shipping box, each said means in initial collapsed condition being of thin iiat sheet form and having an integral portion erectible into vertical position to constitute a vertical spacing and supporting rim at all points outwardly beyond the brim of a hat resting on the upper face of any of said means, said top spacing means and each said intermediate means being formed with a central opening of such size and shape as to receive the crown of a hat with the Walls of said opening closely adjacent thereto but normally spaced slightly therefrom, said top spacing means and each said intermediate means being formed with integral stop means in operative position depending vertically, said anchoring means and each said intermediate means individually supporting an individual hat and receiving the brim thereof at all points inward of the supporting rim of said means, said top spacing means and each said intermediate means resting on and being supported by the supporting rim of the means immediately next below, and said stop means of said top spacing means and of each of said intermediate means Very closely approaching the brim of the hat supporte-d by the means immediately next below but being out of contact therewith in the normal upright position of the shipping package.

5. A plurality of hat spacing, centering and supporting elements to be used in association, each said element comprising a body of resilient sheet form paper board material, a supporting rim portion initially disposed in the same plane as said body and integral therewith and erectible into a position perpendicular to the face of said body to constitute ,a continuous spacing and supporting rim, and a pair of stops integral with said body and depressible to constitute vertically extending stop ears, each said body being formed with a central opening to receive the crown of a hat and in operative association with the remainder of said plurality of elements being supported on the spacing and supporting rim of the element immediately next below and the stops' of each said element being of less length than the vertical height of the spacing and supporting rim of the element immediately next below each said stop being located between said opening and said spacing and supporting rim.

6. A hat packing stay comprising a slightly resilient sheet form paper board body formed with a large central oval aperture to receive a hat crown and having an upper surface at all points about said aperture of sufficient breadth to receive and support a hat brim, in combination with an integral initially iiat marginal portion erectible into a vertically extending continuous spacing and supporting rim, and a plurality of integral stops initially flat and depressible into vertically extending depending position, each said stop being of slightly less length than the width or height of said rim and being located between said aperture and said spacing and supporting rim.

7. A hat packing stay comprising a sheet form body formed with an oval aperture and having an upper surface at all points about said aperture to support a hat brim, in combination with a collapsible supporting rim connected with said body and two oppositely disposed depending stops connected with said body, each of said stops being located between said opening and rim and of slightly less length than the height of said rim.

8. A hat packing stay comprising a sheet form body formed with an aperture to receive a hat crown and having an upper surface at all points about said aperture to support a hat brim, in combination with a supporting rim connected with said body and two stops connected with portions of said stay and so located, formed and adapted as to depend therefrom closely adjacent to and directly above and slightly spaced from the brim of the rst mentioned hat as to limit movement of said rst mentioned hat axially of the opening in said stay.

JOSEPH G. HUYE.

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