US2157407A

US2157407A - Package

Info

Publication number: US2157407A
Application number: US4437A
Authority: US
Inventors: Theodora B Frost
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-02-01
Filing date: 1935-02-01
Publication date: 1939-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 1956-05-09

Description

G. S. FROST May 9, 1939.

PACKAGE Fild Feb. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR G. s. FROST May 9, 1939.

PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 1, 1935 lNVE 23 22 5} BY 9 I! a; ATTORNEY Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,157,407 PACKrQGE "George S. Frost, Baldwin, N. Y.; Theodora. B. Frost executrix of estate of said George S.

Frost, deceased Application February 1, 1935, Serial No. 4,431

2 Claims.

My invention relates to packages and while it may be usedas a package for containing any kind of product, it is particularly advantageous as a package for holding and protecting pies from the time they are made in a bakery to the time they reach the consumer.

The object of my invention is to provide a package including a body or receptacle having a frusto conical wall near its open end and a cover for closing the open end made either of one or more pieces, which cover may be attached by simply placing it on the package and pressing it into place and the cover is automatically lockedwhen pressed onto the frusto conical flange of-the body. This automatic locking feature makes it unnecessary to use any machine for-closing the package.

Even bakeries having very small. daily productions may use the present package because no machine is required to close the packages and they may be very rapidly closed by hand. In fact, an operator may close and lock the present packages faster than he or she could feed them to a closing or stitching machine. The present package is substantially 'air tight and will therefore fully protect the contents from dust and moisture. A pie placed in my present package will keep for weeks without forming mould.

In my co-pending application Serial No. 753,- 283 filed November 16, 1934, which matured in Patent No. 2,041,537 there is disclosed a package having an automatic lock for hand closing but the present invention has certain advantages bothin regard to the manufacture of the package as well as the effectiveness of its operation.

In the present device I provide means for looking the clamping ring which, forms part of the cover onto the frusto conical flange of the plate or receptacle, and in certain forms of the invention I provide means on the ring to prevent it' from being forced downwardly beyond the looking position. Other features of my invention will be set forth in the following detailed description.

- In the drawings forming part'of this applica- Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a pie portion of the ring used in the construction shown in Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing my invention in a modified form,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the material from which the ring shown in Figure 5 is derived,

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of a package showing my invention in still another form,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a section of the ring used in the construction of Figure 7,

Figure 9 is a sectional view of the portion of the package containing my invention in still another form, and

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a portion of the ring employed in Figure 9.

I will first describe the form of my invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 which form I consider the preferred one. Herein I have shown a container in the form of a pie plate, preferably made of fibre or pulp in order to be stiff enough to support'and protect the pie and. at the same time be economical in cost so that the entire package may compare favorably with the cost of other types of packages. This plate is shown as having a bottom wall I, anupwardly extending, frusto conical wall 2 forming with the bottom wall a compartment to receive the article to be contained in the package, which in the drawings is illustrated as a pie 5.

At the upper edge of the frusto conical wall 2 I have shown an outwardly and horizontally extending shoulder 3 and around the outer edge of this shoulder there is an outwardly and downwardly inclining flange 4 which extends around the package and is of frusto conical shape. This type of flange is shown in my said co-pending application and it forms a part of the combination in the present package. This flange, be-

cause of its shape and disposition may be temporarily constricted and clamping ring so that the at its outer free edge 6 squeezed in by the diameter of the flange may be temporarily reduced in the manner hereinafter described.

In the form of my invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 a portion of the cover consistsof a flexible sheet 1 of transparent material such as CellophaneZwax paper or other thin material of a pliable and transparent nature. This sheet is preferably cut circular if the package is circular and it is disposed across the open end of the package extending across the product contained in the package, also across the shoulder 3, thence downwardly against the outer surface of the frusto conical flange-4 and its edge is turned inwardly around the free edge 6 of this flange when the locking ring is closed on the container.

The locking ring is constructed of edgewise stiff and laterally flexible sheet material, preferably fibrous material, and shown in Figures 1 and 2 as consisting of an annular or cylindrical member 8 of less diameter than the plate flange 4 and arranged at the inner side of one or both ends with an annular reinforcing and relatively rigid shoulder, and shown as arranged at both ends of the annular member in said Figures 1 and 2. These shoulders are formed by turning inwardly the marginal end portions of the member 8, as at 9 and In, one of said reinforcing shoulders, such as 9, which may be turned inwardly to a less extent than the shoulder II], is adapted to be engaged below the free edge 6 of the flange 4 and clamping thereto the portion of the sheet Ill turned over said edge. The other reinforcing shoulder I0 is adapted to engage and clamp the sheet onthe upper face of the plate flange 4 and I retain the securing member upon the plate flange.

Where the inwardly turned portions of the ring are formed by rolling the same with dies, enlargements of the ring formed by the rolled portions will be substantial and solid, making the ring as a whole firm and. more easily handled.

When assembling a package like that shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pie or other article to be protected by the package is inserted into the chamber of the pie plate. The transparent sheet is then placed across the open side of the package. The ring is then brought down onto the transparent sheet so that the lower reinforced edge 9 presses on the outer portion of the transparent sheet and againstthe outer surface of the frusto conical flange 4. When the clamping ring is first presented over the package in the manner described, the diameter of the free edge 6 of the frusto conical edge of the plate will be slightly greater than the perimeter of the shoulder 9 of the clamping ring, the parts being so.

formed as originally made.

As the clamping ring is pressed downwardly the shoulder 9 causes an inward pressure against the outer side of the frusto conical flange 4 so that this flange is temporarily bent inwardly and constricted until the shoulder 9 rides over the flange to position below the free edge 6 of the frusto conical flange and as soon as this occurs, the flange due to its inherent springiness springs outwardly to its original position, the free edge 6 passing over and into position behind the shoulder 9 into engagement with the body or member 8, as shown in Figure 2. As the clamping ring is moved to position with the shoulder 9 below the edge of the plate flange 4 the shoulder Ill engages the sheet 1 upon the outer surface of the plate flange 4, and as said flange engages the body of the clamping member 8 under the inherent tension thereof it exerts an upward force upon the shoulder l0 yieldingly urging it upwardly and thereby the shoulder 9 into firm engagement with theedge of the plate flange 4.

Without the upper shoulder III on the clamping ring, the latter might be pressed downwardly either at certain portions or throughout, causing the ring to pass below the frusto conical flange 4,

thereby defeating the purpose of the ring. However, with the shoulder H! at the upper edge of the clamping ring of a diameter which causes it to engage upon the outer surface of the frusto conical flange 4 the shoulder prevents the clamping ring from being moved downwardly beyond the desired locking position.

To remove the annular or ring member it from the container flange to permit removal of the covering sheet I downward pressure is applied to said member 8, the shoulder H! at the top of said member forming a cam surface and by the pressure applied to the annular member constricting and squeezing in the container flange and permitting said shoulder to ride off from the container flange.v

In Figures 3 and 4 I have shown a modified form in which the shoulders do not contact directly with the frusto conical flange, but upon the portion 3 of the plate. In this case the plate is the same as the plate shown in Figure 2. The locking ring consists of the annular member i2, the upper edge of which is turned inwardly as at I3 and the lower edge is turned inwardly as shown at H, preferably to a less extent than the portion l3. When the sheet I is V placed over the plate and pie, the lower inturned portion 14 is passed downwardly until it rides over the free edge 6 of the flange of the plate. At this time the upper shoulder [3 comes to rest against the sheet 1 and against the portion 3 of the plate instead of directly against the frusto conical flange. In this construction the ring is locked against upward movement due to the inherent tension of the plate flange 4 to spring outwardly by the lower shoulder 14 engaging the edge of the flange and it is locked against downward move- 'ment by the upper shoulder l3 pressing against the portion 3 of the plate.

In Figures 5 and 6 I have shown another form of my invention ,and one which may be produced at a very low cost by machinery now in general use. The plate shown in this form of the invention is the same as that shown in Figure 2, and theparts are similarly numbered. The transparent sheet is also spanned across the open top of the plate and extends down and around the frusto conical flange 4.

The locking ring in this construction consists of a strip of corrugated board which may be produced in the form shown in Figure 6 on an ordinary machine for making corrugated board. I

extending in parallel lines and projecting outwardly from the backing sheet l5 to form raised projections. The sheet shown in Figure 6 will be cut into strips, each strip having at least two of the corrugations 11 extending lengthwise thereof and the strips are formed into circles or hoops with the ends attached so as to make an endless, annular member as shown in Figure 5. This type of ring is applied in the same manner as those previously described; that is to say, the ring is moved downwardly against the outer portion of the transparent sheet and against the frusto conical flange '4 so that one of the corrugated projections I1 presses the free edge 6 of the frusto conical flange inwardly until this corrugated projection escapes past the lower free edge of the flange 4, whereupon the flange springs back into its original shape and the edge lies between the two corrugated projections of the ring, as shown in Figure 5, the clamping ring functioning in a manner set forth in connection with Figures 1 and 2, the inherent resiliency of the plate flange tending to urge it outwardly exerting a force on the shoulder I1 that tends to move it upwardly and thereby bringing the shoudler l1 into engagement with the edge of the plate flange 4.

The ring is thus automatically locked on the plate, with one corrugated projection lying below and engaging the free edge of the flange 4 and the other resting on the flange above so that the two corrugated projections lock the ring against upward and downward movement. As stated above, this form of ring is very inexpensive to make and well known corrugating machinery can be used for making the ring.

In Figures 7 and B I have shown another form of the invention. In this case the plate and transparent sheet are the same as before. The ring consists of a strip of material ID of annular shape the same as the annular member 8 in Figures 1 and 2.

One edge of this strip is folded twice to form an inturned shoulder E9 of double thickness and the opposite edge is turned inwardly and folded twice to form the'double thickness shoulder 20 which isparallel with the upper shoulder. This may be eifected by rolling the opposite end portions of the member 8 inwardly and'then flatten the same by pressure. In this case the ring is pressed onto the flange of the plate in the same manner as described in connection with the other form of the invention. When the lower shoulder 20 is moving downwardly the free edge of the flange 4 is temporarily sprung inwardly until the shoulder 20 passes the free edge of the flange 4, whereupon the flange assumes its original dimensions and the free edge is locked between the upper and lower shoulders of the ring as described in connnection with the arrangement of Figures 1 and 2. There are known machines adapted for double folding the edge of the strip which forms the ring in this construction.

In Figures 9 and I have shown another modification resemblirg somewhat the one shown in Figures 7 and 8. In this form the plate and transparent sheet are shown as corresponding with the previous forms. The locking ring in this case consists of an annular wall 2| having one edge folded inwardly upon itself to form the shoulder 22 and having its lower edge folded inwardly once to form the shoulder 23. The portion of the ring intermediate the shoulders is pressed outwardly to form the corrugation 24. In this case when the ring is pressed into position the lower shoulder 23 passes over the free edge of the flange and this free edge then springs outwardly so that it lies between the upper and lower projections and partly in the corrugation 24 and functioning in the manner of the ring shown in Figures 1 and 2. This type of ring may be produced by single inward folds at top and bottom which will bethick enough in view of the fact that part of the free edge of the flange extends into the corrugation 24.

In the different forms of the invention the transparent sheet is pressed against the plate at two different places, to wit, the one ring shoulder pressing the sheet against the surface of the flange 4, and the other shoulder clamping the sheet against the-edge 6 of the plate flange. This forms a double protection against the entrance of dust or moisture into the package.

In all forms of the invention I provide either a one or two piece cover for a receptacle having a frusto conical flange, which latter is capable of being momentarily pressed inwardly to a lesser diameter, so that the cover or ring may be applied to the package by simply pressing it downwardly thereon into locking engagement with the flange of the receptacle. This eliminates the necessity of using any type of stitching or gluing machine for closing the package and it eliminates the necessity of using metal in the construction of the article. The inward projection at the upper edge of the ring prevents the ring from being moved downwardly beyond the locking position so that the ring is more firmly held in every direction upon the package and there is no likelihood of the ring being pressed entirely over the flange. M

Having described my invention, what I claim is: 1. A display and storage package comprising an Open top container having an outwardly extending and downwardly inclining resilient annular peripheral flange, a sheet of transparent flexible material spanning the top and flange of the container, and means to clamp said sheet to the container flange comprising an annular continuous member of edgewise stiff sheet material of less diameter than the container flange and having relatively rigid, continuous, annular, spaced and inwardly extending shoulders on the inner side thereof, said member being adapted to be applied to the container flange to clamp the sheet thereto by engaging the annular member upon the container flange and pressing downwardly thereon to constrict and squeeze in the flange and cause one shoulder on the annular member to pass over the edge of the container flange, and said container flange by the resiliency thereof springing over said shoulder and engaging the interior of the annular member between said shoulder and the other shoulder, and said latter shoulder forming a cam surface for permitting the removal of the annular member by pressure applied to said memher to constrict and squeeze in the container 2. A package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shoulders on the annular member consist of inwardly rolled beads at the top and bottom of the annular member.

GEORGE S. FROST.