US2294690A - Prewrapped box - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 1, 1942. w. H.,PERRY I 2,294,690

PREWRAPPED BOX Filed se a. 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l v INVENTOR Wi/liam H. Har y 8 j I r 6? 6402224 /0 7 20 W {I'TORNEY Sept. 1, 1942. w. H. PERRY PREWRAPPED BOX Filed Sept. 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Y, INVENTOR M /l im 1'7. P y BY Patented Sept. 1, 1942 UNITED STATES ATET PREWRAPPED BOX William H. Perry, Brookline, Mass.

Application September 1, 1938, Serial No. 227,903

2 Claims.

This invention relates to boxes, particularly boxes of the type ordinarily used in packing merchandise in retail stores.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a knockdown box which is provided in its knockdown form with an outer wrapper attached so that, when the box is assembled and packed with merchandise, it will be unnecessary to add to the box an outer wrapper of plain or fancy paper as is customary.

Another object of my invention is to provide a knockdown box which may be shipped fiat and thus occupy but little room in transportation or in stock, to which is afiixed an outer wrapper attached in such a way that it will give the appearance, when the box is assembled, of a box which has had an outer wrap applied by hand.

Another object of my invention is to provide a box suitable for use in stores, which will be so constructed that the nature of the operation of assembling and closing the box will be apparent to the clerk by mere inspection, thus eliminating the necessity for detailed instruction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cheap and simple method of constructing boxes of this type, so that the cost of distribution of goods may be correspondingly reduced.

These and other objects of my invention will appear as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective of my box with the wrapper thereon, assembled and ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the box and wrapper with one end closed and the other end partly closed.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the box and wrapper completely closed.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line l4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a broken-away section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, showing one method of constructing the inner box.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the box alone, show ing another method of constructing the box.

Fig. '7 is a perspective of the box assembled without the outer wrap in place.

Fig. 8 is a perspective of the outer wrap assembled and ready to be slid into position over the box.

Fig. 9 is a plan View of the box blank and wrapper blank secured together and ready for assembly as a unit.

Fig. 10 is a side View of the box blank and wrapper when assembled.

Fig. 11 is a perspective of the completed box and wrapper in knockdown position.

Fig. 12 is a section on the line l2l2 of Fig. 11.

Upon referring to the drawings it will be observed that my unit is comprised of an inner foundation box 2 about which is positioned an outer wrap 4 which may be of plain or decorative paper.

In Fig. 1 the completed box ready to be filled with merchandise is shown. The box proper shown in Fig. '7 consists of four sides, 6, 8, l0 and I2, ordinarily made of a single sheet of material scored or creased to facilitate bending, which are folded together in a rectangular form. It is intended, however, that my invention is applicable to all boxes of three or more sides, as the principle involved is common to all forms.

To the end of the box are attached end flaps I4 and I6 which may be either integral with or separate members glued or otherwise secured to the box proper. The particular construction or size of the end flaps is immaterial provided they afford an anchorage for the wrapper and are able to properly close the box ends.

The box 2 is customarily made from a blank, as shown in Fig. 9, which, when assembled to rectangular form,,may be secured by the longitudinally extending corner strip 18, shown in Fig. 5, or by gluing together the overlapping edges, as at 20in Fig. 6.

Whether the box be assembled in advance of the application of the outer wrap or whether the box and the outer wrap are assembled simultaneously is immaterial so long as the final form constitutes the inner foundation box plus the outer wrap secured thereto in such a manner that the wrap is free to shift circumferentially a suitable amount at the edges of the box as it is erected or collapsed before packing.

This construction may be observed in Figs. 1, 2, and 9 in which the outer wrap is secured to the box at the end flaps l4 and It so that the wrap will be free to shift circumferentially a lim- -ited amount about the box as the latter is moved from knockdown to assembled form, or vice versa. I further contemplate that myouter wrapper may be secured to the box so as to be relatively immoveable with respect to any one of the sides of the box, but moveable slightly with respect to the other sides so that there will be no binding or puckering at the edges as the box is erected or collapsed.

This is a very important feature, for if the box and outer wrap are to give the appearance of a box wrapped in the ordinary manner, it is essential that there be no binding at the edges between the wrap and box. By securing the box and wrap together only at the end flaps or to one side only, it is possible to provide a unit which may be freely handled, assembled, filled with merchandise and closed without the wrap becoming misplaced in any Way and at the same time to give a resulting package with the appearance of a box wrapped in the usual manner.

After the box 2 with the outer wrap 4 has been constructed in either the manner shown in Figs. 7 and 8 or 9 and has been assembled ready for use, as shown in Fig. 1, it may be filled with merchandise and the end flaps l4 and Hi, to which the overlying wrap portions l5 and I! have been secured, as by gluing, swung downwardly to the position shown by end flap M in Fig. 2. Thereafter the diagonal side parts 28 and 22 of the outer wrap are folded inwardly in the usual manner and the remaining portion 24 of the wrap folded up to the position shown in Fig. 3, thus giving an end closure of the exact appearance of a box wrapped in the ordinary manner.

When the box is in knockdown form, as shown in Fig. 12, the wrap 4 makes an acute angle at 26 and an obtuse angle at 28. When the box is shifted to assembled position so that the sides 6, 8, l and 12 form right-angles at 26 and 28, it is apparent that the wrap 4 must be free to shift circumferentially with respect to the box if the proper condition at the edges is to be maintained. That is to say, if the outer wrap were glued smoothly to the four sides of the box when in knockdown condition, upon assembly to usable form the wrapwould pucker at edge 26 and be stretched possibly to the breaking point at edge 28. Thus, by the construction that I employ, whereby the wrap is secured against movement with respect to one side only, either by attachment to the end flaps or to the side in question, adjustment may take place between the box and wrap so that the appearance of the separately wrapped box is maintained.

In securing the outer wrap to the end flaps it is relatively immaterial whether the entire flap be glued to the wrap or whether it be glued only in part. It is merely necessary that there be sufiicient securing means between. the two to prevent the wrap from sliding longitudinally off the box and at the same time be so connected that when the end flap is folded to position, it will carry the wrap with it. Other means for holding the wrap to the flaps could be used, as, for example, by stapling.

In the ordinary case I contemplate having the end flaps l4 and H at opposite ends of one of the four sides of the box, as this facilitates the ease with which the wrap may shift the necessary amount circumferentially about the edges of the box as it is erected from knockdown to assembled position. If desired, the end flaps to which thewrap is connected may be associated with different sides of the box, provided the connection is such that there will still be enough play between the wrap and box to give the desired result. However, I do not consider this form as desirable, as it requires reversal of the box during the wrapping operation.

When the wrap is prepared, as in Fig. 8, for application to the box, the wrap may be overlapped and secured by gluing or the like, as at 30 in Fig. 8, or the overlapping may be along the center of one of the main sides, as at 32 in Fig. 3. In any event, however, the overlapping edges of the wrap are so connected that the freedom of movement on the box is not affected. I further contemplate that where the overlapped portion of the wrap is glued, as at 30 and 32, it shall be done in such a way that the glued condition will not be noticeable to the average person.

When the box and wrap, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, are assembled, the following procedure is followed. The box 2 is formed, as customary in this work, over a blank of exact dimensions and secured together preferably along one edge, as shown in Fig. 5 or 6, to produce a box of the type shown in Fig. '7. The outer wrap 4 is also formed to shape over a blank the size of the box that it is to cover, being secured at the overlap, as at 30 and 32 as shown in Figs. 8 and 3 respectively.

Having thus prepared the box and covering wrap, the two are then slid together, the wrap over the box, and upon reaching the proper position the end flaps of the box, to which glue or other adhesive material has been previously applied, are pressed firmly against the overlying wrap at those areas; thus the wrap is firmly secured in position so that it cannot shift with respect to the end flaps, or longitudinally of the box, but at the same time the box may be folded to knockdown position or erected to size with perfect freedom.

The other method I use in assembling my box is to prepare the box blank, scored or creased at 34, 38 and 38, as shown in Fig. 9, so that it may be readily formed. I then bring into overlying or underlying position, as the case may be, a sheet of the wrap 4 that is to be used therewith, which sheet has been previously out to the proper size. The end flaps l4 and lb of the box, which, as stated before, may be either integral with the box blank itself or additional pieces secured thereto, are coated with adhesive 40 of any suitable type, which coating operation may have been performed either before or after the Wrap has been brought in proximity. The wrap and end flaps are then pressed together with the result that the wrap is secured in fixed relation to the box by means of the adhesive.

While the outer wrap is customarily secured to the box by some form of adhesive, it is also contemplated that any other suitable means of attachment may be used, as, for example, by mechanical means such as stapling, slotting of the end flaps to receive suitably prepared edges of the outer wrap or by any other convenient method or means of securing the two together.

Thereafter the box blank and wrap may be shaped together over a form of the size required, the meeting longitudinal edges of the box being secured in any suitable fashion, as at l8 or 20 in Figs. 5 and 6, and the overlapping edges of the wrap may also be made 'fast to each other, as at 30 or 32 in Figs. 8 and 3.

In addition to the construction already described in which the outer wrap is prevented from shifting longitudinally with respect to the box by attachment to the end flaps, I also contemplate that in certain cases the outer wrap may be held in proper longitudinal position by frictional engagement with the box rather than by actual fixed attachment thereto.

Thus, when the box has been assembled to the form shown in Fig. 1, by virtue of assembly from the condition shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the outer wrap 4 may be maintained in longitudinal and circumferential position in the box by virtue of a very close fit between the two. I have found that when so constructed the box may be collapsed or erected without subjecting the corners of the wrap to unnecessary strain as the frictional engagement between the box and the wrap allows a sufiicient circumferential movement by the wrap with respect to the box as the latter is erected.

From the foregoing description of my invention it will be apparent that I have provided a pre wrapped collapsible box in which the wrap is prevented from shifting longitudinally out of position either by direct anchorage to the flaps or one side or by frictional engagement therewith.

Under either circumstance the construction is such that a clerk in using the box will know at once the procedure that must be followed to complete the closure. After merchandise has been placed in the box the operator will naturally fold the end flaps down into position, as shown in Fig. 2 and in so doing the material 15 of the wrap overlying the end flap M will be folded into proper position, and this will be true whether the wrap is glued or otherwise afiixed to the end flap or whether the outer wrap is merely secured frictionally,

Havin folded the end flap to the position of Fig. 2, it is apparent at once what procedure must be followed to complete the closure to bring it to the final form as shown in Fig. 3, at which time it may be permanently secured by any of the commonly used means, as, for example, string, ribbon, or glued tape or stickers.

From the disclosure herein given it is believed apparent that the dimensions, proportions, or number of sides of my box may be varied at will,

as the principle involved is applicable to all containers of this general construction.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of my invention, I do not intend to be limited thereby, but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A box comprising a tubular member formed of a plurality of hingedly connected walls folded upon themselves to form a collapsed carton, a single end flap at each end of said carton, both of said end flaps formed from separate pieces of carton material and secured in overlappin relation to opposite ends of the same carton wall, an outer tubular wrap extending completely and continuously around said tubular member and beyond the ends thereof to a distance sufficient to cover at least a majority of the area of both end flaps but not beyond the ends of said end flaps, said wrap being secured to said carton at said end flaps only whereby upon erection of said box and closure of said end flap the first operation in the closure of the extending portion of said wrap will be performed simultaneously, said outer wrap being free from said carton walls so that said carton may be erected or collapsed without causing any strain or puckering of the wrap at the carton corners.

2. A box comprising a tubular member formed of a, plurality of hingedly connected walls folded upon themselves to form a collapsed carton, an end flap at each end of said carton, each end flap formed from a separate piece of carton material and secured in overlapping relation to the end of the wall to which it is attached, an outer tubular wrap extending completely and continuously around said tubular member and beyond the ends of the connected walls a distance sufficient to cover at least a majority of the area of each end flap as it lies in extended position with respect to the side to which it is connected, said wrap being secured to said carton at said end flaps whereby upon erection of said box the closure of each end flap will result in the simultaneous movement of the portion of said wrap that overlies said flap, said outer wrap being sufficiently free from said carton walls so that said carton may be erected or collapsed without causing any strain or puckering of the wrap at the hingedly connected edges of thecarton walls.

WILLIAM H. PERRY.

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