US2336655A - Carton - Google Patents

Description

Patented Dec. 14, 1943 I an es CARTON Leon H. Tobey and Raynor M. Holmes, Newark, N. Y., assignors to Bloomer Bros. Company, Newark, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 30, 1942, Serial No 436,856

Claims.

This invention relates to containers, or cartons, of the variety commonly made from foldable sheet material, such as cardboard blanks, cut, scored and folded into carton shape, on object of the invention being to provide such a carton having combined closure and handle means of a simple, economical and eificient character.

Another object is to provide such combined closure and handle means in a form particularly adapted for containers for liquid or semi-liquid materials and insuring a relatively liquid-tight closure, with mean for securely locking the same in closed position, while at the same time affording efficient handle means for carrying the carton.

A further object is the provision of a carton of the character described and capable of being economically formed from a cardboard blank of the usual quality, without any substantial increase in the amount of stock required, the combined closure and handle means being formed inexpensively from integral parts of the blank itself, so as to eliminate separately formed attachments of metal or other different materials.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a view of the blank before being folded to form the carton;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the carton after being erected but before being closed;

ig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the top portion of the carton after being closed;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the closed carton, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the carton showing the closure and handle mean arranged in position for carrying the same.

The invention is disclosed in the present instance, by way of illustration, as embodied in a carton of the type known as a pail, made from a cardboard blank cut, scored, folded and glued in erected or set-up condition, such pails having a relatively leak-proof construction, particularly adapted for holding liquid or semi-liquid materials and having a top opening which is closed by folding flaps. Such pails have commonly been made with attached metal clip means for securely holding the top flaps together to maintain a tight closure and also with attached means of tape, metal, wire, or the like, to serve as a handl for carrying the pail. The present invention provides combined closure and handle mean for such a carton formed integrally and economically from the material of the blank itself so as to eliminate separately formed and attached fastening and handle means.

Referring more particularly to the drawing,

Fig. 1 shows the cut, scored and glued blank which is folded to form the carton. This blank, made from a single piece of cardboard of the weight and quality usually employed for uch cartons, is formed with the usual scores to assist in folding, as along the lines I, 2, 3, and 4, enclosing and defining a bottom portion 5. Extending radially outward from the corners of the bottom 5 are scored folding lines 6 to [3, inclusive, with the bottom score lines, enclose and define the four side walls l4, l5, It, and H, These side walls taper in width, as usual in such pails, and are erected by folding upwardly on the bottom score lines I to 4, inclusive.

The webs of material connecting the adjacent side walls, at each corner of the pail, are each substantially bisected by a folding score line, as at 18, so as to provide folding sections l9 and 26. This construction is the same at each corner of the pail, so that a description of one of the corners will suffice. As the side walls l l'and l5 are folded into erected position, their connecting Web sections, as l9 and 2B, are folded along the line l8, first outwardly and then toward the side wall M. The corresponding web sections on the other side of side wall M are similarly folded outwardly about the score line 2| and then toward the side wall [4 so as to lie under the overlapping sections I9 and 20. The web sections between the side walls l5, l6, and H, are folded outwardly in the same manner and then in overlapping'relation against the side wall I6.

The corner folds are preferably secured in erected position by the application of .suitable glue or other adhesive comprising, in the present instance, a glued area 24 by "which the corner section 23 is secured to the wall M. A similar spot of glue 25 serves to secure the section 20 to wall 84 and a glue spot 26 secures section 20 to section 22. The corner folds are thus securely attached to theside walls on oppositesides of the carton, so as to avoid any bottom or sidewall joints, thus affording a construction which is liquid tight and which also substantially reenforces the side walls. Y

The top closure is preferably provided in part by flaps 21 and 28 extending integrally upward from the tops of the side walls I! and iii, respectively, with score lines at the tops of the side walls to assist in folding. These extensions form the inner pair of closure flaps, being preferably long enough to overlap, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The other pair of opposite side walls 14 and I6 are integrally extended upwardly to form the outer pair of top closure flaps 29 and 38 which are folded inwardly along score lines at the tops of the side walls. These outer closure flaps are suificiently long to overlap one another and are formed integrall with the combined closure securing and handle means for the pail, now to be described.

To this end, fiap 29 is provided with a pair of spaced, transversely extending and alined cuts 30 and 3| (Fig. 2) extending through the material. The outer end of out 30 is preferably widened somewhat into a slot turned angularly inward as at 32 and the outer end of cut 3| has a similar angular extension 33. Cuts 33 and 3| are preferably joined by an outwardly bowed,

generally semi-circular slot 34 which produces an enclosed tongue 35 hingedly connected with the flap 29 by the uncut area between the spaced inner ends of the cuts 33 and 3|. The ends of slot 34 are somewhat spaced from the inner ends of the cuts 3|] and 3|, as shown, so as to leave lateral shoulders 36 and 31, extending outwardly at the base of the tongu 35. The extreme distance across these shoulders is preferably substantially equal to the diameter of the opening 4| in flap 38 hereafter described.

The other outer flap 38 is somewhat reduced in width by the inwardly extending edges 39, so as to leave an extension portion 40 preferably having inwardly converging sides and a reduced width at its outer end, as shown. 40 is preferably marked oil? from fiap 38 by a folding score line 40a, as shown, and formed adjacent such score line with outwardly projecting shoulders 42 and 43. The extreme distance across shoulders 42 and 43 is preferably substantially equal to the distance between the ends of the cut portions 32 and 33 of the opening formed in flap 29. Portion 40 has formed therein a generally circular opening 4| located mainly outwardly beyond the folding score line between portion 40 and flap 38.

After being filled, the pail is closed by first folding down the inner top closure flaps 21 and 28. Then the outer flap 29 is inclined inwardly and the hinged tongue 35 depressed below the flap so as to present an opening defined by the lines 39 to 34, inclusive. The opposite outer nap 38 is then inclined inwardly and its somewhat pointed extremity 40 inserted from below upwardly through and beyond the opening defined by the lines 30 to 34, inclusive, in generally cross ing relation with the flap 29. As portion 49 is thus threaded upwardly through the opening in flap 29, hinged tongue 35 is threaded from below upwardly through and beyond the opening 4| in generally crossing relation with flap 38 and its portion 43. As the outer flaps 29 and 38 are folded downwardly substantially fiat across the top of the carton and portion 43 of flap 38 reaches its maximum projection through the opening in flap 29, shoulders 42 and 43 of portion 40 pass through and beyond the extremities of the angular outer ends of the opening and interlock with the sides thereof, and any upward pull or retraction on the flap causes the shoulders to ride up further on the angular ends 32 and 33 and interlock more securely with the edges of the opening. In this interlocked relation of portion 40 with flap 29, tongue 35 is projected toward the lower portion of the circular opening 4| of portion 40 so that its shoulders 36 and 31 engage over the converging edges at the bottom of the circular opening and so interlock the tongue 35 with the flap 38 thus forming a Portion second or double interlocking of the outer closure flaps with each other.

The inner and outer closure flaps of the pail are thus interlocked in closed position by fastening means formed integrally from the material of the carton blank itself, which holds the flaps effectively in closed position and securely resists any strain tending to unfold or open them. At the same time this effective closure construction is of such a character as to afford means serving as a handle for the pail and likewise formed integrally from the material of the blank itself, as will now be described.

It will be noted that portion 4|) of the closure securing means projects substantially beyond the opposite flap 29 as best shown in Fig. 4, so that it may be folded upwardly along th score line 43a adjacent its base and along the cut portions 3|) and 3|, thus effecting a still more secure interlocking with flap 29, as shown in Fig. 5. In this upwardly folded position, portion 43, with its finger-siz opening 4|, serves as an efficient handle means for carrying the pail. Preferably, also, the extremity of flap 29 is of sufficient length to be folded upwardly at the uncut portions beyond the outer ends of lines 33 and 3| which portions are preferabl scored for folding as at 29a. The extremity of flap 29 may thus be folded upwardly parallel with and against portion 40 of flap 38 and the extremity of flap 29 is likewise formed with a finger opening by the slot 34 and the downward bending of the locking tongue 35. By this means a handle portion of double thickness and substantial strength is produced, with a convenient finger opening in each thickness, so as to provide convenient handle means for the pail formed integrally from the material of the blank itself.

When the pails are packed in quantity, one upon another, in a larger container, the closure means described, taking the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is adapted to lie fiat across the top of the pail so as to interpose no obstacle to the compact stacking of the pails one upon another. After being carried, the pails may be readily unlocked and opened by swinging the handle portions down to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and disengaging the shoulders of each flap extension from the opening in the other flap.

It will thus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects by providing combined and effective closure locking and handle means for a carton integrally and economically constructed from the material of the blank itself, and while the invention has been disclosed in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that such disclosure is intended in an illustrative sense and not by way of limitation, as it is contemplated that various modifications in the construction and arrangement of parts will readily occur to those skilled in the art, within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A carton made from foldable sheet material and having four side walls, one pair of opposite side walls having flaps at their tops folded inwardly to form inner top closure flaps, the other pair of opposite side walls having flaps at their tops folded inwardly over said inner flaps to form outer top closure flaps, each of said outer flaps having therein a finger receiving, opening and each having a portion projecting from below upwardly through and beyond said opening in the other of said outer flaps and formed with shoulders for interlocking engagement with the edges of said opening, each of said outer flaps having its extremity foldable upwardly about a fold line adjacent said opening therein to serve as a handle for said carton.

2. A carton made from foldable sheet material and having four side walls, one pair of opposite side walls having flaps at their tops folded inwardly to form inner top closure flaps, the other pair of opposite side walls having flaps at their tops folded inwardly over said inner flaps to form outer top closure flaps, each of said outer flaps having an extremity foldable upwardly about a line of fold at which each of said outer flaps abuts the other thereof to provide handles for the carton, each of said outer flaps having an opening therein extending adjacent said fold line thereof, and a portion projecting from each of said outer flaps through and beyond said opening in the other of said outer flaps and formed with shoulders for interlocking engagement with the edges of said opening, to provide a double interlocking of said outer flaps to secure said closure flaps together.

3. A carton made from foldable sheet material and having four side walls, one pair of opposite side walls having flaps at their tops folded in- Wardly to form inner top ClOSlllG flaps, the other pair of opposite side walls having flaps at their tops folded inwardly over said inner flaps to form outer top closure flaps, one of said outer flaps having an opening cut therein and a hinged tongue with lateral shoulders formed from the material cut from said opening, the other of said outer flaps having a portion passed from below upwardly through and beyond said opening in the first mentioned outer flap and formed with lateral shoulders in interlocking engagement with said opening said portion having an opening cut therein adjacent the first mentioned opening through which said tongue of the first mentioned outer flap is projected upwardly and interlocked, and said outer flaps having extremities folded adjacent said openings therein to extend upwardly and serve as handles for said carton.

4. A carton made from foldable sheet material and having four side walls, one pair of opposite side walls having flaps at their tops folded inwardly to form inner top closure flaps, the other pair of opposite side walls having flaps at their tops folded inwardly over said inner flaps to form outer top closure flaps, one of said outer flaps having a finger receiving opening cut therein and a hinged tongue with lateral shoulders formed from the material cut from said opening, the other of said outer flaps having a portion passed from below upwardly through and beyond said opening in the first mentioned outer flap and formed with lateral shoulders in interlocking engagement with said opening and said portion having a finger receiving opening cut therein adjacent the first mentioned opening through which said tongue of the first mentioned outer flap is projected upwardly and engaged to provide a double interlock for securing said outer fiaps together.

5. A carton made from foldable sheet material and having four side walls, one pair of opposite side walls having flaps at their tops folded inwarclly to form inner top closure flaps, the other pair of opposite side walls having flaps at their tops folded inwardly over said inner flaps to form outer top closure flaps, each of said outer flaps having an extremity foldable upwardly about a line of fold at which each of said outer flaps abuts the other thereof to provide handles for the carton, one of said outer flaps having a. finger receiving opening cut therein adjacent said fold line thereof and a hinged tongue with lateral shoulders formed from the material out from said opening, the other of said outer fiaps having said extremity thereof passed from below upwardly through and beyond said opening in the first mentioned outer flap and formed with lateral shoulders in interlocking engagement with said opening and said interlocked extremity having also a finger receiving opening cut therein adjacent said fold line thereof through which said tongue of the first mentioned outer flap is projected upwardly and engaged to provide a double interlock for securing said closure flaps together,

LEON H. TOBEY. R OR M- H S,

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