US2348509A - Means and method of packaging potato chips - Google Patents

Description

7 May 9, 1944.

R. w. WHEELER MEANS AND METHOD OF PACKAGING POTATO GHIPS Filed Jan. 10, 1941 1 IN vzw-rom 4 m wa- Patented May 9, 1944 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS AND METHOD OF PACKAGING POTATO CHIPS 7 Ralph W. Wheeler, Cleveland, Ohio Application January 10, 1941, Serial No. 373,987

Claims.

This invention, as indicated; relates to a means and method of packaging potato chips and the like. More particularly it has in view the provision of uniform sub-packages in a standard car-. ton, and resiliently supporting the contents of the carton, so as to avoid direct shock and displacement with a resulting high percentage of breakage of the crisp potato chips or other like frangible articles. The invention includes the method of packing the potato chips in parallel horizontal position in sub-packages and preventing the turning and breaking of the marginal chips, by resiliently holding the greater bulk of the contents of each sub-package in resilient spaced relation edgewise at the sides and ends, with reference to adjacent sub-packages and to the inner walls of the carton. Chip breakage by shocks delivered edgewise to the chip layers tends to rotate the contents and through theshifting weight of the mass behind the turned chips causes extensive fracturing of the marginal chips and starts further turning movement progressively.

The conditions of shipment and sale require inexpensive packaging and at the same time adequate air-sealing to maintain the crisp dry freshness of the product. Since potato chips are usually purchased for home use in bulk cartons, cans and bags, and used in fractional proportions of such quantity, there oftenresults rapid deterioration of the product through oxidation of the cooking oils comprising approximately 40% of the weight of the potato chips. It is desirable to subdivide the contents of the carton and seal the same in separate air-tight bags of waxed paper, foil and the like, such bags preferably containing about four ounces of the product. Such bags when filled, like coffee bags, with full uncushioned edgewise contact of the chips with the side walls of the carton would produce the efiects above described and subject the potato chips to reduction in size with a high percentage of small fragments.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an individual serving of potato chips mechanically undamaged and uncontaminated by reason of oxidation through enclosure in subpackages having cushioning effects when shipped in multiple with companion units in cartons of less cubic capacity than the full expanded subpackage containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carton and sub-package to fit within said, carton in such manner that the contents will be held against turning movement or mass shifting,

against marginal units in sufficient amount to cause injury to the product.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carton having internal cubic capacity less in a predetermined amount than the full expanded cubic capacity of the sub-package units to be placed therein so that a plurality of inclined wall surfaces may be presented on all side and end areas of the sub-packages, with the cushioning effect thus provided for.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carton of a size to receive a predetermined number of sub-packages and to provide along two dimensions sub-packages of bellows-like or gabletype side and end walls and with the remaining dimension transversely of said sub-packages being a fixed dimension fitting closely in multiple with companion sub-packages between the walls of the carton.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear in the course of the following description.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means and method hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain means and methods embodying the invention, such disclosed means and methods constituting, however, but several of various forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view broken away in part and showing a carton enclosing four sub-packages or fractional containers;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section showing the carton and sub-packages, as seen along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1 with the right-hand wall of the carton removed;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing the carton and sub-packages as seen along the line 3-3, Fig. 1, with the end wall of the carton removed;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing an unfilled sub-package container;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a filled subpackage container showing the bellows-typeside portions and projecting or gable end portions;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified form of carton having auxiliary bellows type side walls; and

Fig. -7 is a perspective view of a carton packed With three sub-packages in vertical alignment.

As is clearly shown in Figures 1 to 5 of the drawing the potato chip package comprises a carton I within which are contained sub-packformed end I.

ages 2. The cartons are rigid or semi-rigid, and may be transparent, semi-transparent or opaque. The containers may be flexible or semi-flexible, and of transparent, semi-transparent or opaque material. The sub-packages are bellows-type containers, the preferred units being in the form of bags which when expanded to their full cubic capacity have a greater cubic capacity than that of the carton, such excess cubic capacity bein indicated in the dotted outline 3 shown in Figure 1. By using sub-packages in the form of oversize bag units, each loosely filled, and such bags having one or two point line-contact with the inner walls of the carton, a cushioning effect for the contents of the carbon is provided. Accordingly it will be noted that the individual bag 2 shown in Figure 4 has an outward vshaped end 4 and bellows-type sides 5 which when filled with potato chips as shown in Figure 5 has also a gable shaped, or outwardly V- As is. more clearly shown in Figures '2 and 3 the potato chips 6 do not contact the inner walls of the carton over substantially the full extent of their lateral edge portions through the V-shaped portions of the bag spacing such chips away from the side wall and causing the point of greatest pressure within the sub-package at a point removed from the side wall and thus associated with sufiicientresiliency of the mass to prevent fracture under the customary shocks of handling the package.

Thi action takes place at both the lateral edges of the individualbags and at the ends of said bags, and results in the delivery of a product mechanically undamaged, as well as'through the air-sealing of the individual bags in portions suitable for individual serving resulting in the maintaining of the high percentage of cooking oils comprising approximately 40% of the weight of the potato chip from contamination through oxidation.

Thecarton illustrated in Figure 1 is a'dapte to receive a pound of potato chips, and each subpackage within the same is designed to hold four ounces. The carton illustrated is-ten inches square with a depth of five inches, and the sub-' package bags are approximately five inches in Width and eleven inches in length and three inches in depth. Thu the sub-packages are of sufficient oversize to provide the proper angular relation to the side walls and end walls of the carton. With a carton and sub-packages of the relative size. set forth, four of the" four ounce subepack-ages may be placed in a number of different positions within the carton',.-but in every instance having. thelateral edge portions of the potato chips protected against heavy shocks which would result in breakageaof the product. As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the bags are posi tioned in pairs in parallel relation. This subdivision of the contents of the package has the advantage of providing not only. external but internal cushioning for the potato chips, the inner bellows portion 8, 9', shown in Figure 3 coactingto absorb severeshocks delivered in substantially'anydirction- In-order to provide for shipment having to experience unusually severe handling, or to' be shipped over extended distances, the carton itself may be provided with suppl'mentalzinn'er walls" in the manner shown in FigureG. In this type of container the carton H has attached to, or associated witli, the sidewalls iii and I3 thereof suppleilnental walls" Hi, F5; respectively, having inwardly directed V-shaped portionsadapted to fit in within the bellows side portions of the sub-package bags. The end walls may be provided with attached or'associated complementary supplemental walls It with at least one inwardly projecting portion ll to interfit between the gable ends of the respective packages, heretofore described, to securely hold the same during shipment. The end supplemental wall may be secured to the inner faces of the folding end enclosures of the carton and will thus readilymove into holding position for the sub-packages, In any event the supplemental side walls will not extend into the extreme corners of the carton in order to leave the gable ends of the individual units free to fill the full width of the end portions of the cartons.

While ordinarily an even number of bags would be placed within the carton the invention nevertheless is applicable to the packaging of an odd number of bags, as is clearly shown in Figure '7, wherein the carton I8 is disclosed as holding three sub-packages I9. In each of the sub packages the sideand end portions are held in shapeto' serve as resilient cushioning mom-- hers by reason of such containers being of suitable oversize in relation to the cubic capacity of the carton.

Through the use of sub-packages ofthe character hereinabove set forth fresh potato chips may be insured for the user at all times in suitable sub-packages, and such sub-package's when opened Will be substantially free of break age or reduction to small fragments of the con tents, as not infrequently happens when bull packages ofpotato chips are given severe treatmerit in shipping.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of those explained, change being made as regards the means and steps herein disclosed, provided the meansstated by any of the following claims or the'e'c uiw alent of such stated means be employed. I I therefore particularly point out and di'stin'ctv ly claim as my invention:

1. A method of packaging potato chips which includes the steps of providing carton determined size to receive a number of sub-packages in collapsible flexible bags of teuews type structure, the bag size being fixed in transverse dimensions; but variable in lengthand thickness so as to have a cubic capacity in excess ofthe cubic capacity of the" container, when fully ex:-

panded, and provide resilient lateral and endw'ise cushions when loosely filled and engaged within the restricted size carton.

2; A method of packaging potato chips which includesthe steps of inserting said chips-in sub stanti-ally parallel horizontal position within unit containers having bellows type side portions and. gable type end portions providing resilient cush ions completely around the edges of said units and thereafter placing said units within acone tainer for a multiple number of said units-whereby: said units will have line-contact with atleast two inner walls of said container and becushe;

31 A package for potato chips which a' carton of square outline as viewed inplan and of one-half the dimension of such square in -h'e'iglit, four sub-package units of bellows type structure of normally oversiz'e' cubic" capacity collectively iii relation to the cubic capacity of the same, providing line-contacts around all of its lateral edges and spacing the side walls of said units from contact with the inner Wall portions of said carton.

4. A package for potato chips having in combination, a carton, a plurality of sub-containers within each of which said potato chips are placed, said sub-containers being of bellows type structure and of a light flexible character and a uniform transverse width representing one dimension or a sub-multiple thereof of said carton and having its other two dimensions of oversize as to the dimension of such carton or a sub-multiple thereof whereby the lateral edges of said sub-packages will have line-contact with the Walls of the car ton, and with the adjacent portions of said subpackages and said sub-containers collectively will present resilient cushioning elements to space substantially the entire contents of the carton from full contact with the side walls.

5. A package for potato chips having in comlectively will present resilient cushioning elements to space substantially the entire contents of the carton from full contact with the side walls, and supplemental positioning means associated with at least two of the inner walls of said container to have full surface contact with said units intermediate the points of line-contact of said units with the container walls.

RALPH W. WHEELER.

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