US2364012A

US2364012A - Container

Info

Publication number: US2364012A
Application number: US394006A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard R Walton; John J Austin; Gordon E Gott
Original assignee: Dewey and Almy Chemical Co; Container Corp
Current assignee: Dewey and Almy Chemical Co; Container Corp; Smurfit Kappa Packaging Corp
Priority date: 1941-05-17
Filing date: 1941-05-17
Publication date: 1944-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1961-11-28

Description

Nov. 28, 1944. v R. R. WALTON ET AL I CONTAINER Filed May 17, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 fnverziars d .53 walz firz, ai /652172, and Gordon, Z 6052?.

N 28, 1944- I R; R. WALTON ETAL V 2,364,012 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1944- R. R. WALTON ETAL 2,364,012

CONTAINER 4 Sheets- Sheet :5

Filed May 17, 1941 J (2124652572 and .E Goff.

Q I Gordon Nov. 28, 1944.

R. R. WALTON ET AL 2,364,012

CONTAINER Filed May 17, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 28, 1944 CONTAINER Richard R. Walton, Wellesley, John J. Austin, Milton, and Gordon E. Gott, Arlington Heights, Mass., assignors of one-half to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware, and one-half to Dewey and Almy Chemical Company, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 17, 1941, Serial No. 394,006

Claims.

This invention is concerned with vapor-proof storage and shipping containers. The new container is particularly useful in connection with frozen foods but may be used at other temperatures to protect any product which must be maintained incompletely stable atmospheric con- .dition.

Among the objects of the invention are 'to provide a storage and shipping container for substances which suffer either from gain or loss of moisture and in which such substances may be shipped and stored without change; to provide an inexpensive shipping and storage container which will eliminate loss of moisture from foodstuffs throughout the time of their frozen in storage; to conserve storage space; to provide a dispensng container for retailers which may -be resealed; to protect the remaining foodstuffs I after the sale of one of the individual packages;

to avoid the labor and expense of protecting individually each retail package; and to provide both a mechanism and a process whereby groups of retail packages may be protected against moisture loss.

Food, such as peas, green and Lima beans, and fish fillets, lfOl' example, are usually prepared for frozen storage by packing them in cardboard containers holding 12 ounces or somewhat larger quantities. The packages are then overwrapped with cellulose or wax paper sheets and frozen and stored. It is extremely difficult and quite expensive to seal long margins of sheet stock in a completely vapor-proof manner and neither cellulose sheet nor wax paper is completely vaporproof. Consequently, foodstuffs, although better protected than if left exposed to the atmosphere, lose moisture and deteriorate slowly as the monthsin storage pass.

In carrying out our invention, we take advantage of the fact that certain materials, such as rubber, sheets of latex rubber, rubber hydrohalide, polyvinyl acetals and other of the newer elastomers form substantially vapor-proof films a stiff, close fitting lining which maintains the relative position of all parts permanently. We have selected a container suitable for frozen foods as our preferred example. For this use, sheet latex rubber is the preferred substance. Consequently, in the following description, the words rubber, rubber latex, etc., are to be taken as illustrative of an operative material and 'We do not intend that a limitation to the specific material shall be implied.

Figure 1 of the drawings shows in perspective a presently preferred form of exhaust box and a fiberboard outer container about to be inserted in operative position within the box;

Figure 2 illustrates the next step in forming a multiwalled container in accordance with our invention and shows the wayin which a bag of elastic material is stretched over the upper edge of the outer container;

Figure 3 is a similar view, partly in section, showing the way in which the bag stretches when vacuum is applied to the exhaust box;-

Figure 3alis an enlarged sectional view showing the detailed construction of the exhaust box and of the exhaust pipe associated therewith.

Figure 4 shows a preferred form of inner lining in accordance with our invention.

Figure 5 shows the manner in which the bottom flaps of the liner of Figure 4 are i'nfolded; Figure 6 shows the liner of Figure 5 after it has been collapsed to facilitate insertion into the elastic bag;

Figure 7 shows the collapsed liner of Figure 6 about to be inserted into the elastic bag while the latter is stretched as shown in Figure 3;

Figure 8 shows the multiwalled container after.

the flaps on the inner. lining have been pushed down to substantially coplanar position;

Figure 9 illustrates the removal of the multiwalled container from the exhaust box after the vacuum has been released;

Figure 10 shows the multiwalled container.

after the bottom flaps have been closed and sealed, in this instance, by the use of tape;

Figure 11 shows the multiwalled container after Figure 15 shows the filled multiwalled conthe closing flaps 3|, 3| and'32, 32.

tainer just before the top flapsare closed and sealed.

We provide an exhaust box or receptacle l having a base H and upstanding walls l2. The top is open but around its inside margin we place a peripheral gasket of rubber l3. Preferably, the

- box I0 is made of sheet metal and preferably also the rubber gasket I3 is retained by bending over the margins of the walls l2 and pinching the rubber between the inturned margin and the wall. The air exhaust connection l5 projects a short distance into the receptacle I0 and is cut on a bevel, as the small section Figure 3a shows. This expedient prevents the'carton' and the sack which are later inserted from shutting off the flow of air, but other means, such as studs, on the walls |2 located below the gasket I3, or air permeable pads of burlap similarly located, are equally effective.

As Figure 1 shows, a carton l6, for example one made of corrugated fibre board having its bottom flaps l1 extended and generally occupying the plane of the walls 22 of the carton, 'is pushed into the open end of the exhaust box The top flaps N3 of the carton are bent outwardly and turned down against the carton walls 22 and then, as shown in Figure 2, the mouth portion H! of an extensible and flexible sack 2| is snapped over the open end of the carton 6 in such a manner that the end is completely closed by the sack. A valve not shown is then opened connecting a vacuum I pump to the exhaust connection l5 and the air that pushing a carton which has its bottom flaps exto force the rubber sack directly against the walls of the carton and leave no fillet in the useable carton space which might later stress and tear the sack.

We next insert a liner 26. Preferably this is a slotted corrugated fibre board carton, the outside dimensions of which substantially equal the interior dimensions of the outer carton IS. The slots 28 .at its corners are carried to approximately A? above the score lines 29 which define the flaps 3|, 3| and 32, 32. In addition, all four of its side walls are provided. with

fold lines

33, 33 or scores which extend not only along the walls of the liner 26 but also across For this reason, if one pair of flaps-32, 32, for example, is folded into the liner first and down against its side walls and then flaps 3|, 3| are pushed inwardly and downwardly into the liner in such a manner that the

flaps

32, 32 are held down against the side walls, as shown in Fig. 5 the liner can be collapsed into the star shape shown in Fig. 6. In this collapsed condition the liner 26 is inserted into the rubber-lined outer carton l6 (see Fig. 7) and is then expanded as shown in Figure 8, so that the distribution of rubber is equalized and the sack 2|: is uniformly held against all of the interior surface of the carton l8. Flaps 3|, 3| are then turned down and after this

flaps

32,32 are turned down so that the bottom and side walls are lined with the corrugated board. It is not essen- I tial that the bottom of the liner 26 be completely closed as long as it is sufliciently'so to prevent damage to the sack 2|. .We prefer to use the box form of liner just described because there never is any difiiculty in positioning various parts and. because the final case is stronger but, obviously, separate lining pieces could be used.

The liner 26 holds the sack 2| securely in a.

fully expanded position and although the sack may try to shrink or collapse, it cannot. The valve is then closed so that the vacuum on the exhaust box I0 is broken and the lined carrton is pulled out of the exhaust box l0 (Fig. 9). The fullness of the sack 2| is then pushed down behind the bottom flaps I! which may then either be taped or machine sealed (Fig. 10).

We believe it the better procedure to expand the sack 2| into a carton which has its bottom end flaps left open but it is possible, however, to expand the sack into a set-up carton and still reduce the fillet formed between the sack and the floor and walls of the carton to negligible size if sufficient venting is provided and if the vents are so placed that the expanding sack cannot act as a valve and shut off the flow of I air. Occasionally certain carton designs vent sufliciently without special precaution but it is preferable because more certain to out small vents in the four lower corners of the carton. With out vents air from behind the fillet may be pumped out in nearly all cases and the fillet will practically disappear if the exhaust is continued to the necessary degree.

The lined carton is now loaded with a number of retail packages 34 and when full the flaps 3|, 3| and 32, 32 are bent down over the packages. If thesev contain fish, vegetables or meat such substances are better preserved if air is pumped out of the packages and the carton. This operation is performed in the following manner. The mouth portion |9 of the sack 2| is unsnapped from the carton l6 and its fullness gathered about an evacuating nozzle 35 as shown in Fig. 12. When the air has been pumped out from the sack, the carton is twisted through sev- V of the carton I6.

-are sealed in any convenient manner.

eral revolutions while the mouth part of the sack 2| is still gripped tightly against the vacuum nozzle 35. This operation forms a twisted seal as shown at 36 which experience has proved to be moisture and gas tight. Still holding the portion 36 against unwinding; the operator then stretches it, as Fig. 14 shows, until the mouth l9 can be snapped over one of the top flaps l8 unwind. The opposing top-flap is then turned in and the closing flaps are turned down. These If air has not been removed from the container. the

sack itself may-be twisted to form the seal 36' strawboard. In that case, waterproofed or' Thereafter the seal cannot dense millboard stock is preferable. Such packages may be stored for long times while stacked to considerable height without softening or may keep it in his own freezer without risk of deterioration until the last package is sold rnerely by untwisting the neck as each sale is made, taking out one retail package and then forming the seal again. By this means the packages may be protected against all desiccation and contamination up to the moment of sale, yet the heavy expense of wrapping each individual package in a vapor-proof manner is entirely eliminated.

As we have stated, we prefer to utilize formed bags for the liner. Where-the package is not too large and the reduction in the thickness of the extensible material does not become too great, it is possible to practice this invention using fiat sheets rather than a formed envelope.

The margins of the sheets in this case are merely turned down and held against the top flaps of the carton. As the air is removed, the sheet stretches until a sack is formed which lies closely against the sides of the case.

For cigarettes and other articles, where the.

retention of moisture is important but which arenot frozen, we utilize a material which has a lower transmission of moistu're at room tem-.

perature than does latex-rubber. For such uses we prefer to use sheets or sacks of vulcanized rubber, or heat softened rubber hydrohalide, but

polyvinyl acetals and other like materials are also useful.

' From the above it will be apparent thatwe have described a new and extremely advantageous container and packaging method, many modifications of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. We do not, therefore, desire to be limited to the embodiment of our invention hereinabove describedflfo'r purposes of illustration, but only, by the scope of the appended claims. I

We claim:

1. A container comprising a shipping carton having top and bottom closing flaps, an openmouthed sack of impervious sheet material placed against the set up walls of the carton and I a lining placed within and coextensive with all 7 portions'of the sack disposed against the set up walls, said sack having a twisted neck portion forming an air tight seal and having its extreme mouth portion drawn over a flap of the carton. whereby the twisted neck of .the' sack is held against unwinding.

2. The process of lining ashipping container which comprises providing an open-ended receptacle having upstanding walls adapted to receive at least the open end flaps of a fibre shipping carton, snapping the open rim of an extensible vapor-impervious sack over the turned down top end flaps of the carton, exhausting the air in the receptacle and in the carton whereby the free air pressure forces the extensible material into contact with the interior walls of the carton at least below the fold line of the bottom flaps, inserting a collapsed liner having a wall extent corresponding to the interior wall extent of the carton, removing the carton from the receptacle and sealing the bottom flaps.

3. The process of lining a shipping container which comprises covering an; open end of a fibre shipping carton with a sack of extensible vapor-impervious material, forcing the extensible material into close'contact with the interior walls of the carton, inserting a liner having a perimeter and wall extent corresponding to the interior perimeter and wall extent of the carton and closing the bottom of the carton.

4. The process of lining a shipping container with vapor-proof extensible material which comprises closing an end of the carton with a sheet of extensible material by engaging its margins with the margins of the carton, exhausting air from within the carton whereby the extensible material expands to cover and to lie closely against the upstanding walls of the carton permitting the material to expand until the wall portions of the sackso formed cover atleast the permanent upstanding walls of the carton, in-

serting a liner within the sack and closing the bottom of the carton.

5. A container comprising a shipping carton having top and bottom closing flaps, an openmouthed sack of extensible impervious sheet material placed against the set up walls of thecarton and a lining placed within and coextensive with all portions of the sack disposed against "theset up walls, said sack having a twisted neck portion forming an air-tight seal and having its extreme mouth portion drawn over a flap of the carton whereby the twisted neck of the sack is held against unwinding.

RICHARD R. WALTON. JOHN J..AUSTIN.

GORDON E. (50171.