US2356656A - Container and package - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 22, 1944. G. J. DATZ I CONTAINER AND PACKAGE Filed July 12, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

z N f n. mMw www W w Aug. 22, 1944. G. J. DATZ CONTAINER AND PACKAGE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 12, 1941 5 Y R O E WWW w0 m8 M Wv fi+ w r w G Patented Aug. 22, 1944 signor to Pepsi-Cola Company, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 12, 1941, Serial No. 402,086

V 3 Claims. This invention relates to bottle carriers, containers and packages of the type'suitable for use by consumers for carrying fromstore to home a small number of beverage bottles,- six' being the customary number. Carriers of this'type which have been most successful commercially have been constructed of cardboard or similar material, and are lacking in firmness and. durability; their handles being toothin forcomfortable use.

A general purpose of this invention is to provide 7 a carrier, container and package of the indicated type that will be'within the. commercially prac-' ticable limits of cost, but which is constructed of when the containers are made of still material and are not collapsible.

, Qther objects are to provide a carrier or container construction that can be readily packed andemptied'in-the plant or the home, and which is convenient to handle when containing less than the full quota of bottles. The invention also instronger, stiifer material than thecardboa'rd in' 7 general use. A feature'of the invention is the provision of a novel handle structure especially adapted for construction from such relatively stifl, thicker material which is stronger and more eludes the provision of a container construction which is adapted to'be readily manufactured from standard sheet material and which can be shipped knocked down, being readily assembled at the :point-of use. Other objectsand'advantages will appear from the following description considered in connection withthe accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is-a side. view, partly in section, of a package containing six bottles with the handle memher in retracted position, its upper operative pocomfortable to use than the handles made of cardboard or the like. A, further feature is the provision of a handle madeof said stiff material that can be shifted into non-projecting position within the body of the container and betweenthe V V bottles to facilitate vertical stackingof thereontainer or packages, but which is readily lifted into projecting carrying position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container and a package construction which will facilitate the packing and stacking of such containers or packages both horizontally and verti-- cally without wasting space and in exactly the same space for a, given number of containers or packages. The type of carrier heretofore in general use is made of relative flexible material which the diameters of thebottles may vary considerably in practice, the resulting variation in transverse dimensions of a number ofpackages arranged side by side is quite substantial. With the constructions disclosed herein the containers orpackages will always fit accurately into a carton or other packing receptacle constructedfor them.

Another feature is the provision of an arrangement in which either the packages or the empty containers can be stacked efliciently in vertical series or tiers. In the preferred form the con-' tainers are constructed-and arranged so that when they are filled with bottles toform packages and are stacked vertically, theweight of superposedpackages rests on the bottles. Another specific feature is. the provision of a container structure of the indicated type which facilitates stacking of the empty containers vertically in substantially less space than that required when the containers are filled, animportant factor sition being indicatedby broken lines;

Fig. 2 is an end view, in section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, of the package with the handle member similarly shown; i

. Fig-3.is an end'view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modifiedform; V V

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary'vertical section on line 4 lof Fig. 3;'and V Fig. 5 is a detail section through the handle member guide construction on-line 5-5 of Fig, 4.

The invention is illustrated in a carrier designed to holdsix bottles, though the same construction may be employed for carriers accommodatingany even number of bottles. The carrier comprises a body 10 including end H, sides [2 and bottom I3 is formed of material sufliciently conforms to the dimensions of the bottles; but as};

stiff to retain substantially the same contour during use. Such material may be wood, fiberboard,

vulcanized fiber,'-pressed. or laminated wood, or

7 any of the various plastic-materials or combinations thereof which are available or suitable for production in sheet form. The carrier may also be made'of metal, or of various combinations of diiferent' materials. Itsparts should, however,- have suflicient thickness to'provide the necessary strength and rigidity. v In the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the bot tom 13 is composed of strips l4 overlapping the lower edgesof-ends II and sides l2 and slightly spaced'adjac'ent the center of the carrier as at l5. The sides It! overlapends II, and the overlapping body elements are suitably attached to each other as by nails l8 extending into the ends H ,With this construction, ends ll may be made of wood or other material intoywhich the nails may be effectively driven, while sides IZ'and bottom I3 may be of fiberboard, pressed wood or |1 vertically slidable on ends I I between. upper" carrying position and lower retracted position. In the lower position member l1 does not project above the upper margins of the bottles I8 in the carrier, and in upper position extends above thebottles for a distance sufficient for convenient grasping and use of the member in carrying the container when the bottles are in place. 1

For this purpose member H is advantageously mounted in vertical guideways in ends II pro-' I8. The latter arrangement has been found to be advantageous, and the upper margins of nds II and handle member I1 are, therefore, located slightly below the level of the tops of bottles l8. Said upper margins of ends II may, however, be provided with a fiat portion 24 of suflicient extent t'o support a superposed container when no bottles are in the lower container.

The upper side :portions of the ends II are advantageously cut away to expose the outer portion of the upper partsof bottles I8. In the form illustrated this arrangement includes the provision of opposed sloping margins 25 extending from the ends of the flat top margin 24 to flat side'margins-26 of ends II. The body sides I2 advantageously'extend to the tops of side mar- A gins 26, or at least not above such tops, at points sufficiently high on the bottle bodies 2| to hold vided with suitable stops to limit the movement of the member in upper and lower positions. In the form illustrated these guideways consist of vertical slots I9 in ends II slidably fitting guide tongues integral with member I1. The outer ends of tongues 20 are flush with the outer faces of body ends II, and the tongues '20 extend vertically for a distance sufficient to prevent any material lateral movement of the upper margin of member II. The ends of slots I9 serve as stops engaged by the registering upper and lower faces of tongues 20 to arrest the member in the proper upper position for'carrying, and in lower position suitable for stacking. In the form shown the lower faces of tongues 20 are flush with the bottom of member I1.

The bodylII is dimensioned so that the bodies 2| of bottles I8 will fit fairlysnu'glyagainst each other and the adjacent portions of the body, both at oppositesides of the carrier, the illustrated embodiment being proportioned so that the lower edge of member I1 barely clears the adjacent portions of bottle necks 22. This illustration, however, is not intended to be restrictive, since the invention includes an arrangement in which the lower portion of member I'I extends into contact with or between said rows of bottles, serving in lowermost position to assist in holding the bottles in place.

Handle member I1 is provided with a finger opening 23 extending horizontally for a distance sufficient to accommodate the fingers. Opening 23 is spaced from the upper dge of handle mem- -thebottles securely in position. In the form shown sides I2 and side margins 26-extend substantially to the top of the bottle bodies 2|. If

desired, sides l2 may be apertured to expose the labels or other portions of the bottle bodies.

In the modified construction illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 reinforcing straps 30 which may be'of thin metal readily bent to the desired'shape and readilypierced by nails I6 xtend, across bottom I3 andsides I2 in'register with ends II, the nails I6 passing through straps'30, which may terminate about half way up the sides I2 as I1, differing principally in the supporting and mounted on member 31 in register with guide tongue 20 and having a portion engaging the outer face of the adjacent endl I to prevent endwise movement of said tongue in its slot I9. The

' specific form of guide member illustrated consists of a fiathead 39 lyingagainst the outer face of tongue 20 and extending inwardly at each side of the tongue'beyond the adjacent end II. An inturned fiange 4|! at each side of head 39 lies against the inner face of the head and connects it with a face plate 4| which lies against the side her I1 by'a distance sufficient to provide a strong rigid handle, and overlaps the spaces at each side of the neck 22 of the central bottle, providing finger space for the user which facilitates insertion of fingers in opening'23 when the member I1 is in lower'position and the container is filled upper carrying position being part of the normal procedureof the user in picking up the carrier. The'clearance between tongues" and slots I9 is advantageously suflicient to permit member I1 to drop of its own weight into retracted position when the carrier has been set down and the member I1 released by the user.

The construction as described is adapted for verticalstacking with the superposed container resting on either the upper margins of body ends II (and on the upper margin of handle member I1 if desired) or upon the upper ends of bottles Q with bottles, the movement of member I1 into face of tongue 20 and extends inwardly along the surface of handle member 31, to which it is attached by suitable means. In the form shown such means includes a retaining tongue 42 struck from each face plate 4| and forced into the material of member 31 (Fig. 5), each tongue 42 extending toward head 39. Further retaining elements may also be provided, such as pointed retaining projections 43 located above and below each tongue 42 and likewise forced inwardly into the material of handle member 31.

The various parts of guide member 38 may readily be formed from a single piece of standard sheet metal by simple operations, and the members 38 may be readily placed in position over tongues 20 after the latter have been inserted head 39 beyond ends ll, suitable recesses 44 may be provided in the outer faces of ends H at either side of slots 19, into which the lateral projecting portions of guide member heads 39 extend with flanges 40 slidingly engaging the inner faces of the recesses 44 and with the outer faces of heads 39 flush with or inset from the outer faces of ends II.

In this form the lower margin of handle member 31 extends downwardly into register with the bodies 2| of bottles l8, being positioned between the bodies of the two rows of bottles and serving to hold the bottles in :place, with the bottles of one row out of contact with the bottles of the other row. For this purpose the lower -margin of member 31 is shown as extending below tongues 20, though this showing is not intended to'be restrictive.

The disclosed type of construction provides a particularly neat and attractive package in which the upper portions of the bottles are visible and accessible, although the bottles are securely held in place. It also provides economy of material and simplicity in cutting. Moreover, it permits ready stacking of the empty containers with economy of space. .When a row of containers is placed with sides I! contacting and in register, a second row may be stacked thereon by inverting the containers of such row and placing them between the containers of the first row with the sloping margins 25 resting on each other. Additional pairs of tiers maybe similarly superposed.

This construction also provides adequate material around guide slots IS, the upper ends of which are advantageously spaced about equally from the top margins 24 and'sloping margins 25, to provide the required strength and rigidity.

The container constructed in the indicated manner is strong, light and convenient to use. The bottles may be readily-and rapidly inserted and removed. In the form illustrated in Figs.

1 and 2 the distance between the top of each side l2 and the lower margin of the handle member H in retracted position is advantageously greater than the width of a bottle body 2| to facilitate insertion of the first row of bottles and removal of the last row. The second row can be inserted by lifting handle member l'l if necessary, though the parts can be proportioned so that this is not necessary. Moreover, if the member I! tends to obstruct the withdrawal of a bottle it will automatically be lifted by such withdrawal until it is free of the bottle. In the form shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 the handle member 31 can likewise be lifted to facilitate insertion or removal of the bottles l8, though normally this is not necessary since the bottles are free for vertical movement when handle member 31 is in lowerposition.

While a construction has beendescribed which is assembled from a plurality of flat elements, and such an arrangement has many advantages, the'disclosure is not intended to be restrictive, since contiguous portions. of the body ID, or

even the entire body, are adapted to be formed either from a single sheet of material which is appropriately bent or otherwise shaped to the desired contour, or from plastics or other deformable or moldable materials which may be cast, pressed or otherwise shaped into the desired form. Likewise, although the handle memher I! has been disclosed in the form of an integral sheetof material provided with a finger opening, this disclosure is not intended to re-' strict the invention, either as to the form of the handle or the particular arrangement for mounting it slidably on the body In.

I have described what 'I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a body forming a compartment open at the top and having substantially rigid opposed ends provided with registering guideway slots, and a handle member slidably mounted in the slots including a retaining member extending through a slot and slidably engaging an outer face portion of the contiguous end, said contiguous end being formed gaging elements fitting said recesses and located entirely within the plane of the outer face of said contiguous end. I

2. A container for two parallel rows of bottles comprising substantially rigid bottom, side and end walls of sheet material forming a compartment open at the top the end walls of the compartment extending above the side walls and being reduced in width above the tops of the side walls to facilitate access to the bottles in the compartment, said end walls having registering vertical guide slots in the reduced portions of said end walls, and a sliding handle member having a body of sheet material formed with a finger hole and provided with a tongue rigid with and projecting from each end of said body, each of said tongues extending with a slide fit in a respective guide slot and each of said tongues having an upper surface contacting a complementary surface in the upper end of each said slot to thereby support the container and its contents, the length of said slots being sufficient to permit said handle member to extend above the tops of the bottles in position for grasping in upper position and below the topsand between the rows of the bottles when in lower position.

- 3. A container as set forth in claim 2, wherein upper margins of the end walls are provided with a flat portion of sufiicient extent to support a superposed container when no bottles are in the lower container or when the height of the bottles in the lower container is less than that of the end walls.

, GEORGE JAMES DATZ.

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