US2316186A - Bottle holder - Google Patents

Description

H. K. POWELL BOTTLE HOLDER April 13, 1943. 7

Filed Aug. 4, 1938 Patented Apr. 13, 1943 BOTTLE HOLDER.

Henry K. Powell, Chicago, Ill., asslgnor to Morris Paper Mills, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illi- I nois Application August 4, 1938, Serial No. 222,963

(01. zze zs) Claims.

This invention relates to containers, of the collapsible or knock-down type, which are adapted to be set up at the point of use for the purpose of packaging a plurality of articles, such as a number of bottles, in a manner such as to retain them securely and permit them to be carried conveniently as a group.

A general object of the present invention is the provision of such a container which can be made very economically from paper board or similar inexpensive material in sizes and proportions such as to hold securely bottles of the order of 14 ounce capacity or larger, with use of minimum amount of material and without requiring the application of special or additional fastenings at the time they are set up or assembled.

Another object is the provision of such a container which can be made. of relatively light paper board and yet have the necessary strength to act as a holder and carrier for a number of such bottles, say one-half dozen, and which will permit of the insertion and removal of the bottles, when desired, without requiring any dismantling or mutilation of the container itself, thus permitting its being preserved as a repository for the bottles when they are empty and as a means for transporting them back to the place of purchase,

Yet another object' is the provision of such a container having the attributes, mentioned above and which, in knocked-down condition, can be packaged in numbers in very small space.

Other and further objects of the'invention will be pointed out or indicated hereinafter or will be apparent from the following description or upon actual use of the devices themselves.

For the purpose of aiding in an explanation of the invention, I show in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and hereinafter describe, one form in which it may be embodied. It is to be understood, however, that this is presented merely ior purpose of illustration, and isnot to be construed in any fashion for the purpose of limiting the appended claims short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In said drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle holder embodying the present invention, showing same in assembled condition and illustrating in dotted lines the positions occupied by bottles packaged in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the blank constituting the body member of the device shown in Fig. l,

. same being shown on a scale considerably small- B and C, as the case may be.

er than that of Figs 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the body member in its flat folded or collapsed condition; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the girth mem ber illustrated in Fig. 2, but showing the same in a partially collapsed or flat folded condition.

The nature of the invention will be most quickly ascertained from a description of the embodiment shown in this drawing, which is as follows.

The container comprises a body member and a retainer member, both formed of fiat sheet material, such as paper board, and both adapted to be collapsed to a flat folded form so that they may be stacked, for packaging and shipment, in a greatly reduced space, as compared with the cubage which they occupy in set-up condition. In Fig. 3 is shown the body member blank in its primary form. It is comprised of a continuous strip of approximately uniform width creased transversely with a top crease at A, inner bottom creases at B, and outer bottom creases at C, all of said creases being parallel. The areas between crease A and the respective inner bottom creases B constitute inner panels l0 and I0 while those between the respective creases B and C constitute bottom panels II and I l', and those outwardly beyond the creases C constitute outer panels l2 and i2. pierced by handle-receiving apertures l4, and its side margins are formed with oppositely disposed notches iZa in the outer panels and la in the inner panels, said notches being of the 7 same extent lengthwise of the blank and at the same spacing from the proximate crease lines By. virtue of these notches, the margins of the sheet are formed with shoulders l5 on the inner and outer panels.

The retainer member is illustrated in Figs. 2,

and 5. It is primarily a closed band or tube, formed of a strip of paper board or the like with its ends fastened together and subdivided by corner creases into outer walls 20, inner walls 2|, and end walls 22. The tube is split transversely along a median line so that the outer walls and the adjacent end walls are each severed into two sections, but the inner walls 2| are left conjoined along a medial crease line D. This permits the inner walls 2| to be flexed into surface contact with each other, as may be seen in Fig. 2. When On'the crease A the sheet is so flexed, and the end walls flexed into perpen-' ally disposed compartments which are .open at the top and bottom.

For purpose or packaging and shipment, the retainer member is collapsed to a flat form with the inner walls 2| in the same plane and against the inner surfaces of the outer walls 20.

For packaging, the body member is folded to a flat form as illustrated in Fig. 4, by first flexing it on the fold lines B so as to lay the bottom panels and outer panels over on top of the inner panels l and Ill, and then flexing it on line A to bring the opposite surfaces of the inner panels into engagement with each other.

A suitable handleis provided for mounting in the handle holes ll, such a handle being illustrated in Fig. 1 as comprising a bail having an arcuate portion 25 and parallel leg portions 26 at its ends and aligned trunnion portions 21 extending toward each other from the lower ends of said leg portions. The spacing of the leg portions 26 corresponds'to the spacing of the handle holes I4.

To set up the container from the collapsed condition, the body member is first unfolded along the line A, so that the inner panels I0 and Ill are brought into the same plane. Then it is bowed or arched transversely, so as to bring the handle holes I! close enough to each other to permit the ends of the trunnion portions 21 of the handle to be inserted through them. The respective trunnions having been through the respective handle holes, the body member is then released so that it springs back to its flat form, thus securing the trunnions 21 under the portions of the sheet intermediate the holes, thus fastening the handle to the body memher.

Then the outer panels are flexed on the lines C relative to their associated bottom panels H, and the bottom panels and lower ends of the inner and outer panels are inserted through the: compartments of the retainer member, which has been opened up to approximately the shape shown in Fig. 2. The body member isthus inserted in the retainer member until the latter passes into the notches Illa, whereupon the outer walls 20 are swung to perpendicular relationship to the end walls 22 and the bottom panels I l are swung into perpendicular relationship to the inner and outer panels. The shoulders l thus are engagedover and under the margins of the end walls of the retainer member at both their inner and outer corners.

Thus the container is put into the set-up form shown in Fig. 1, the shoulders l5 holding the retainer member against sliding upwardly or downwardly on the body member, and the connection with the inner walls 2| on the fold line D limiting the extent to which the inner panels HI and I0 may be swung apart.

The bottles are placed in the container simply by introducing them into the upwardly opening compartments between the inner and outer panels, and standing them on the bottom panels II and ll'p Thus the bottles are retained in sep arate rows at opposite sides of the inner panels. Thebuter panels l2 are preferably of such height as to extend a substantial proportion of the height of the bottles, and the retainer member is of such height, and the notches Illa. and I211. so disposed, that the end walls of the compartinserted ments, which are formed by the end walls 22 of the retainer member; extend a substantial proportion of the height of the bottles. Thus the bottles are securely retained against sliding off the bottom panels or toppling out of the compartments.

When so packed, the container and its contents are carried with convenience by means of the handle, which has a flexible or rocking connection by virtue of the bearing of the trunnions 21 in the crotch at the upper ends of the inner panels. By virtue of this rocking connection the sheet material is not subject to serious strain or distortion incident to the swinging or moving of the package while being carried by the handle.

By virtue of the leg portions 26, the handle may drop down to a position Where th arcuate bail portion 25 is below the tops of the bottles, the handle thus being out of the way, for the purpose of permitting other similar packages to be supported on the tops of the bottles conjointly.

The bottles may be removed whenever desired without involving any distortion, mutilation or taking apart of the holder, and when some or all of the bottles have been removed, the holder still retains its proper set-up form, ready to receive them again.

This holder requires 'but little more area than is requisite to accommodate the bottles which it contains, hence it is adapted to be used in crates or cases in which larger numbers of the bottles customarily are acked, for example, cases of two dozen bottles. Thus it forms a sub-unit in the case package, permitting the-bottles to be removed from the case and in the ready packaged condition, six at a time. Inasmuch as all of the bottles are visible in the holder, it can be ascertained at a glance whether or not the case or any particular holder has its complete contents and whether or not any of the bottles have been unstoppered.

When supported'bythe handle, the bottom and outer panels are very securely sustained by the retainer member, which becomes a quite rigid structure because of the support afforded the outer and end walls by the abutment of the inner walls 2| againsteach other under the weight of the contents, and the abutment of the lower portions of the inner panels l0 and I0.

It will be observed that this holder retains the bottles very securely, and afiords them protection againstbeing bumped against other objects, and also grasps them tightly in the holder when it is being carried by the handle, due to the drag or pressure against the bottom panels by the weight of the bottles, which tends to swing the lower portions of the inner and outer panels inwardly and thus offset them somewhat relative to the intermediate portions which are held braced apart by the intervening double thickness of the inner walls 2|. To emphasize this-efiect, the notches IS in the outer panels l2 and I2 may be set slightly lower, or closer to the fold lines C, than are the notches IS in the inner panels l0 and ID to the fold lines B.

What I claim is:

1. A container for carrying bottles or the like comprising a body member and a retainer member both formed of sheet material and adapted to be collapsed to flattened form, said body member comprising a pair of irmer panels which are connected at their upper ends, bottom panels extending outwardly from the lower ends of the inner panels respectively, and outer panels extending upwardly from the outer margins of the 2,816,188 bottom panels; and the retainer member comprising portions arranged to encompass the body member and form end walls extending across the space between the outer panels and inner panels at the ends of the bottom panels and having portions disposed between the inne panels; the body member being provided with a handle at the upper ends of the inner panels. v

2. A container for carrying bottles or the like comprising a body member and a retainer member both formed of sheet material and adapted to be collapsed to flattened form, said body member comprising a pair of inner panels which are connected at their upper ends, bottom panels extending outwardly from the lower ends of the inner panels respectively, and outer panels extending upwardly from the outer margins oi. the

bottom panels; and the retainer member comprising portions arranged to encompass the body member and form end walls extending across the space between the outer panels and inner panels at the ends of the bottom panels and having inner walls disposed between the inner panels nected at their upper ends, bottom panels extend ing outwardly from the lower ends of the inner panels respectively, and outer panels extending upwardly from the outer margins of the bottom 7 panels; and the retainer member comprising portions arranged to encompass the-body member and form end walls extending across the space between the outer panels and inner panels at the ends of the bottom panels, said retainer member havinga pair of inner walls connected respectively to outer walls by end walls to form collaterally disposed compartments, said inner walls' being connected to each other along longitudinal margins, and one each of the inner and outer panels of the body member extending through the respective compartments; the body member being provided with a handle at the upper ends of the inner panels.

'4. A container for carrying'bottles or the like comprising a body member and a retainer member both formed of ,sheet material and adapted to be collapsed to flattened form, said body member comprising a pair of inner panels which are slipping off and being provided with a. handle at I the upper ends of the inner panels.

5. A container for carrying bottles or the like comprising a body member and a retainer member both formed of sheet material and adapted to be collapsed to flattened form, said body member comprising a pair oi! inner panels which are connected at their upper ends, bottom panels extending upwardly from the outer margins of bottom panels; and the retainer member coma prising portions arranged to encompass the member and form end wallsextending across the: space between the outer panels and inner panels? at the ends of the bottom panels, the outer and inner panels being notched at their outer ends and the retainer member having portions seated in said notches; the body member being provided with a handle at the upper ends of the inner panels.

6. A container for carrying bottles or the like inner panels respectively, and outer panelsexi comprising a body member and a retainer member both formed of sheet material and adapted to be collapsed to flattened form, said body mem-- ber comprising a pair of inner panels which are connected at their upper ends, bottom panels extending outwardly from the lower ends of the inner panels respectively, and outer panels extending upwardly from the outer margins of the bottom panels; and the retainer member comprising portions arranged to encompass the body member and form end walls extending across the space between the outer panels and inner panels at the ends of the bottom panels, the outer and inner panels having shoulders extending over the upper margins of the end walls, the said shoulders of the outer panels being closer to the bottom panels than arethose or the inner panels; the body member being provided with a handle at the upper ends of the inner panels.

7. A container for carrying bottles or the like comprising a body member and a retainer member both formed of sheet material and adapted to be collapsed to flattened form, said body mem-' ber comprising a pair of inner panels which are connected at their upper ends and which inner panels are connected to outer panels by bottom panels at their lower ends, whereby the bottom panels may be flexed to approximately riglit angular relationship to the inner panels and the outer panels may be flexed to positions approximately parallel with the inner panels; the retainer member comprising portions arranged to encompass the body member and form end walls extending across the spaces between the outer panels and inner panels at the ends of the bottom panels, the outer panels having portions engageable over portions of the retainer member to 'retain them against sliding'downwardly from it and the inner panels having portions engageable with the retainer member to hold it against sliding downwardly on them; the body member being provided with a handle at the upper ends of the inner panels whereby the container may,

be carried.

8. A container for carrying bottles and the like comprising a collapsible body member formed of a sheet of paper board creased to provide a pair 01' inner panels which are connected to each other along a top crease line at their upper ends and are connected at their lower ends to respective, outer panels by respective bottom portions, means for supporting the inner and outer panels in upstanding angular relationship to the bottom portions when the container is in set-up condition, said body member being provided with handle holes spaced from each other on said top crease line, a pre-formed rigid handle having a bail with trunnion extending toward each other from it ends, said trunnions being insertable through said handle holes endwise only and the spacing of their inner ends being less than the spacing of the handle holes; said sheet, when in its flat condition, being flexible intermediate said handle holes to bring them close enough 'together to permit insertion of the handle trunnions through them to positions where they en-" cage under the sheet along said top crease line when the container is in set-up condition, to form a carrying support for the body member.

9. A container for carrying bottles or the like

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