US2364916A - Package - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 12, 1944.

c. H. RASMUSSENf 2,364,916

PACKAGE Filed March 12, 1941 J0 V I INVENTOR Patented Dec. 12, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE Charles H. Rasmussen, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Ferdinand Gutmann & 00., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 12, 1941, Serial No. 382,925

7 Claims. (01. 206-56) The invention relates to packages, and more particularly to a package for tablets or lozenges in which the wrapper is of tearable material so as to permit the withdrawal of the tablets or lozenges only as a removal of a part of the wrapper.

Prior to the present invention, it was the practice to Wrap tablets or lozenges either in a paper wrapper held in position by folding the edges thereof against the ends of the stacked tablets or lozenges, or to similarly wrap the tablets or lozenges in a metal foil, providing an outer wrapping of paper and weakening the covering. structure in a manner to facilitate the separation of the portion of the covering adjacent a tablet or lozenge when removing one of the tablets or lozenges from the package.

Packages having the above characteristics were objectionable because, in the event of tearing of the wrapping when removing a tablet or lozenge, the adjacent tablet or lozenge was so exposed as to accumulate dirt or be impaired by moisture.

To correct the objectionable characteristics above referred to, it was attempted to use a skirted metal shell, the skirt of which had a close friction fit with the tearable wrapping material carried by one end of the package, which closure was removed when a tablet or lozenge was to be taken from. the package, accompanied by the tearing away of the adjacent portion of the wrapper, and replaced so as to protect theuppermost of the remaining tablets or lozenges from dust and dirt and the effects of moisture.

This expedient, however, did not prove satisfactory because, upon the succeeding removal of the closure, it was found that the uppermost tablet or lozenge, in many instances, was removed from the stack with the closure and it was practically impossible to remove the tablet or lozenge from this closure without mutilating the tablet or lozenge. Furthermore, the presence of the tablet or lozenge in the closure prevented the replacement of the closure upon the body with a sufficiently tight fit to ensure its retention upon the body of the package. I,

If the skirt of the closure were to have a free sliding fit with the wrapping of the package, allowing sufiicient clearance to permit a tablet or lozenge to drop freely therefrom, the close friction fit between the skirt of the closure and the wrapping, necessary to ensure the closure remaining in place so as to protect the contents of the package, was impossible.

It has also been found by extensiveexperiment that the retention of the uppermost tablet or lozenge by the skirted closure is a matter of such frequent occurrence as to make the use of such a structure commercially impracticablen With the above conditions in mind, I have pro.- duced a package, the body portion of which consists of flexible tearable material wrapped about stacked tablets or lozenges and folded to close the ends of the covered stack, one end of which body has removably mounted thereon a skirted slip closure so constructed as to permit'the ejection therefrom, when the closure is removed, of a tablet or lozenge which may be removed from the stack by the engagement therewith of the skirt of the closure.

The closure is so constructed that the skirt thereof will take a firm grip upon the exterior of the flexible material of the body of the package, consisting of the wrapping for the tablets or lozenges, or upon the exposed edge of the end tablet or lozenge if this is exposed, as a result of the tear in the wrapper extending below the top of the tablet or lozenge.

The closure is also so constructed as to protect the uppermost tablet or lozenge from dirt and moisture and avoid possible injury thereto from the instrumentality used in forcing the tablet or lozenge'from within said closure.

The invention consists primarily in a package embodying therein a body formed of a tearable wrappin closely enveloping a stack of tablets or lozenges, and a closure having a skirt of a form to slip over an end of and frictionally engage the exterior of said body, and a top having an opening therethrough permitting the passage of a push rod for ejectingfrom the closure after its removal from the stack a tablet or lozenge which may be frictionally retained within the skirt of the closure and accidentally removed from the stack with the closure, whereby replacement of the closure upon the stack is permitted; and in such other novel characteristics as are hereinafter set forth and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a package embodying the invention with portions of the wrapping envelope and the closure broken away;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the closure, upon a slightly larger scale, partly broken away; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional illustration view of the closure.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing, which is upon an In actual practice, thi wrapping consists of an inner ply of metal foil II, or other weatherproof readily tearable material, and an outer ply I2 consisting of a paper label, which also may be readily torn by the fingers in removing a tablet or lozenge from the package. When a tablet or lozenge has been removed, the uppermost one remainin in the package is usually exposed throughout its entire top area and generally also about a portion of its edge, since there is no clearly defined line of tearage of the material of the body.

"To protect the exposed areas of one or more of the upper tablets or lozenges, I provide a closure havinga skirt I3 and :a top Id. The skirt I3 conforms generally to the contour of the tablets or lozenges and :has inside dimensions which will ensure a close frictional .fit with the body of the package and force the plies II and 12 towards .and against the edges of tablets or lozenges in the stack I10 .in .a manner to preclude possibility of accidental escape of the closure from the body. Some flexibility of :the skirt is essential toavoid tearage of the body wrapping when applyin the closure and to permit the skirt to adapt itself to tablets or lozenges or slightly different dimen-- sions.

The skirt I8 has a plurality of spaced inwardly directed nubs I5 towards its lower edge which take a .firm zbite upon the body :II-I-Z and provide gripping areas at zdivergent points about the tablets or lozenges while affording intermediate free slidin areas sothat the edges of the skirt may ,treely pass over the body without likelihood of age and, by refiex-ure, causing a continuing pressure of the nubs against same. Preferably, the nubs are elongated verticallyof the skirt and are of 'a length to lap two adjacent tablets or lozenges. v

If, in removing a tablet or lozenge, the plies II and I2 are so torn-as =to expose a substantial part of the edge of the uppermost tablet or lozenge remaining in the stack HI, the nubs I5 are, when applying the closure to the body, pressed directly against the tablet or lozenge so that upon the succeeding removal of the closure, thi tablet or lozenge is retained by the nubs within and adjacent the top I4 of the shell of the closure.

Experience has shown that .a tablet or lozenge so retained within'the closure cannot be removed without breaking it, if access to it can be had only through the open bottom of the closure; that the "skirt cannot be flexed sufliciently to relieve the grip :of ".the nubs I5, and that its presence within the closure usually prevent the restoration of the closure to the body of the package with a sufliciently tight fit to retain itin place.

To permit the removal of the tablet or lozenge from the closure under the conditions above referred to, I provide the top II of the closure with package.

The opening I! permits air to enter the shell of the closure, with outward movement of the imprisoned tablet or lozenge, with sufficient rapidity to relieve any sub-atmospheric pressure which may result from such movement, although the space between the nubs I5 will admit some air.

i-o prevent dirt and moisture enteringthe closure through the opening -I I affecting the portion of the tablet or lozenge exposed therethrough, I

provide a liner I 3 within and bearing upon the top 14 of the closure. 'Iiheedge of this liner frictionally engages theskirt I3, and while it may be moved when electing a tablet or lozenge from the closure, its accidental 'escape from the closure before application is prevented by such frictional engagement with the skirt and by the hubs I5 located between. it and the open bottom of the closure.

The package of the invention as actually used and as :shown in the accompanying drawing, is :ylindrical. Whenplaced on sale, the inner wrapping 'II .is folded over both-end of the stack Ill and theouter wrapping I2 has its vertical edge portions glued together. The closure is slipped over the top of the package, as indicated by the label.

When it is desired to remove one of the tablets, the closure is removed and a portion of the wrappings II and 1I'2 about the uppermost tablet or lozenge .is removed by tearing. 'While the inner wrapping I'I may :have a crease defining the meeting races 'of adjoining tablets or lounges, the wrappings usually are torn irregularly, leaving an exposed edge area of the tablet :or lozenge below that removed.

As the closure is replaced upon the body, if one orJmore of the nubs :I 5 engages this exposed area, upon the next removal of the closure, the .uppermost tablet or lozenge will be gripped by these nubs and retained within the shirt. If the uppermost tablet or lozenge remaining .in the body of the package is removed, :a sufficient length of nubs I5 is covered by the tablet or lozenge within the skirt of the closure to leave :an exposed length of nubs insufficient :to more than lightly grip the body :of thepackageand there is great likelihood of the closure fallingmfi the body.

Hence, I iprovidethe Opening 1-1 and liner I 9 to permit lthe forcibleejection 'or expulsion of the tablet or ilozenge from the closure. This may not be "required with the removal 'of each tablet or lozenge, but it does occur sufficiently frequently to make theme of the package commercially impracticable unless some provision be made to remove a tablet or lozenge imprisoned in the closure :so a to permit the closure to be replaced uponth'e remaining =portiono'f thebody after the removal o'f a'tabletor lozenge.

By terminating the nubs above thebottomedge of the skirt, the portion of the skirt below the nubs .seryes'to guidetheclosure and prevent tearing of the body wrappings'when placing or replacing it upon the :body, and the tapered lower ends :of :the nubs .act to develop the -desired "localized pressure only after the closure is properly positioned on the body of the package.

The closure is preferably made of thin gauge tin or aluminum. The liner I9 may be of thin paper surfaced on the top with any desired material to increase its moisture resistant properties. The top M of the closure and the liner l9 may be slightly dished or domed as shown.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the specific details shown and described, it being. apparent that such details may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. A package made as shown in the drawing has, however, been in extensive, successful use.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent is:

1. A package embodying therein a body formed of a tearable wrapping closely enveloping a stack of tablets or'lozenges, and a closure having a skirt of a form to slip over an end of and frictionally engage the exterior of said body, and a top having an opening therethrough permitting the passage of a push rod for ejecting from the closure after its removal from the stack a tablet or lozenge which may be frictionally retained within the skirt of the closure and accidentally removed from the stack with the closure whereby replacement of the closure upon the stack is permitted.

2. A package embodying therein a body formed of a tearable wrapping closely enveloping a stack of tablets or lozenges, and a closure having a flexible skirt of a form to slip over an end of said body, said skirt having a plurality of spaced inwardly directed nubs for frictional engagement with the exterior of said body, and a top having an opening therethrough permitting the passage of a push rod for ejecting from the closure after its removal from the stack a tablet or lozenge which may be frictionally retained within the skirt of the closure and accidentally removed from the stack with the closure whereby replacement of the closure upon the stack is permitted.

3. A package embodying. therein a body formed of a tearable wrapping closely enveloping a stack of tablets or lozenges, and a closure having a flexible skirt of a form to slip over an end of said body, said skirt having a plurality of spaced inwardly directed nubs for frictional engagement with the exterior of said body, said nubs being tapered towards and merged into the material of the skirt adjacent its lower edge, and a top having an opening therethrough permitting the passage of a push rod for ejecting a tablet or lozenge from within said skirt.

4. A package embodying therein a body formed of a tearable wrapping closely enveloping a stack of tablets or lozenges, a closure having a skirt of a form to slip over an end of and frictionally engage the exterior of said body, and a top having an opening therethrough permitting the passage of a push rod for ejecting from the closure after its removal from the stack a tablet or lozenge which may be frictionally retained within the skirt of the closure and accidentally removed from the stack with the closure whereby replacement of the closure upon the stack is permitted, and a, liner within said skirt adjacent said top and extending across the opening therethrough, said liner being retained in place by the frictional engagement of its edge with said skirt.

5. A package embodying therein a body formed of a tearable wrapping closely enveloping a stack of tablets or lozenges, a closure having a flexible skirt of a form to slip over an end of said body, said skirt having a plurality of spaced inwardly directed nubs for frictional engagement with the exterior of said body, and a top having an opening therethrough permitting the passage of a push rod for ejecting from the closure after its removal from the stack a tablet or lozenge which may be frictionally retained within the skirt of the closure and accidentally removed from the stack with the closure whereby replacement of the closure upon the stack is permitted, and a liner within said skirt adjacent said top and extending across the opening therethrough, said liner being retained in place by the frictional engagement of its edge with said skirt.

6. A package embodying therein a body enveloping a stack of tablets or lozenges, consisting of an inner ply of metal foil and an outer ply of paper, a closure having a flexible skirt of a form to slip over an end of said body, said skirt having.

.a plurality of spaced inwardly directed nubs for frictional engagement with the exterior of said body, said nubs being tapered towards and merged into the material of the skirt adjacent its lower edge, and a top having an opening therethrough permitting the passage of a push rod for ejecting a tablet or lozenge from Within said skirt, and a liner within said skirt adjacent said top and extending across the opening therethrough, said liner being retained in place by the frictional engagement of its edge with said skirt.

7. In a package of the type herein described, a closure consisting of a metal shell having a flexible cylindrical skirt having a plurality of spaced inwardly directed nubs tapered towards and merged into the material of the skirt above its lower edge, and a top having an opening therethrough for the passage of an ejector rod, and a liner within said skirt adjacent said top and'extending across the opening therethrough, said liner being of a diameter to cause its edge to frictionally engage said skirt.

CHARLES H. RASMUSSEN.

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