US2367675A - Container - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 23, 1945. R J GREEB-ILEAF, 2 2,367,675

CONTAINER Filed June 2'7, 1941 INVENTOR fic h'ar James 6'! v W ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 23, 1945 CONTAINER Richard James Greenleaf, II, Ipswich, Mass, assignor of one-half to Victor H. Barwood. Brookline, Mass.

Application June 27, 1941, Serial No. 400,017

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to containers, and more particularly to containers for sandwiches and the like.

When the dispenser sells sandwiches made from round bread rolls, like egg and hamburger sandwiches, he is frequently troubled by the fact that the egg, the meat or other juices drip from below the sandwich, with consequent possible damage to the customers clothes. This difficulty may be overcome by dispensing the sandwich in a container provided with a bottom wall for collecting the drippings. Containers, however, have not only bottom walls, but side and end walls, as well. When the sandwich is retained in the container during eating, the side walls, if high enough, are in the way, so as to prevent further biting into the sandwich when less than half consumed; and if the side walls are low, they do o afford a sufiicient grip for holding the sand- 1. It has accordingly been proposed to profurther biting area by recessing the side a of the container. This proposal has here- -e been made, however, in connection with liners having pointed, or unstable, bottom ails, adapted more particularly for sandwiches with square corners. For round sandwiches, of course, containers of this kind arenot practicable because, when they are set down, the drippings leak out of the container by way of the end or side walls. The dispenser is thus compelled to hold the container, with the sandwich therein, in his hand until he actually delivers it to the customer; and the latter similarly dares not place it, even temporarily, on a counter or a table, but must keep it in his hand until the sandwich has been consumed, or until the container and its remaining contents are ready to be thrown into a waste-receptacle.

An object of this invention, accordingly, is to provide a container that, though having more general utility, is adapted particularly for a round-roll sandwich,

With the end in view of facilitating packaging and stacking, and to occupy a minimum of space during storage and shipping, a further object of the invention is to provide a container of the above-described character that may be made from a novel fiat or knocked-down blank.

Unless the container is readily assembled from its blank, of course, it can not be commercially A further object is to make a container and a blank therefor that shall be cheap to manufacfacture and highly efficient.

Other and further objects will be explained hereinafter, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan of a novelblank out of which the novel container may be formed; and Fig. 2 is a perspective of the container made from the blank of Fig. 1.

Th novel container of the present invention,- as well as the blank out of'which it may be formed is generally designated at 2. The blank may be constituted of thick paper, out along the full lines, and scored along the dotted lines, of Fig. 1. The container is shown provided with a flat closed bottom wall 82 that serves as a stable base upon which the container is adapted to rest stably. This bottom wall is constituted of a centrally disposed substantially rectangular bottom-' wall portion 82 of the blank. The long sides of the rectangle are foldably provided with sidewall- portions 4 and 8, respectively the former being foldably disposed along the scored line 6 and the latter along the scored line I0. The container is thus provided also with closed side walls 4 and 8, as well as end walls 80 and 84 connecting the side walls. The oppositely disposed side walls 4 and 8 are separated from the bottom-wall portion by scored lines 6 and II], respectively, and the oppositely disposed end walls 80 and 82 by scored lines and 30, respectively. The endwall portions 80 and 84 are foldably disposed along the scored end lines 20 and and the side-wall portions along the scored end lines 6 and ll} of the bottom-wall portion 82. At the top, the container is open. The container is of rectangular cross-section in planes parallel to til the bottom wall 82, but the open top is relatively long compared to the relatively short bottom. In

longitudinal cross-section, the container has the.

shape of a trapezoid, with the lower shorter base" of the trapezoid closed and the upper longer base open. Along the sides of the trapezoid, the con-f tainer is provided with somewhat trapezoidal,

end walls that slope between the ends 20 and 30 of the closed bottom wall 82 and the ends 58 and 64 of the open top.

At the top open end of the container, the sides 4 and 8 are each shaped into circular or other arcuate form to provide the sides of the contained, at the top, with oppositely disposed recesses. The circular arcs 10 and 16 of the respec round roll -may be placed, so as to permit the upper portion of the sandwich to project above the.

open top thereof. The sandwich drippings will be collected in the bottom of the container. The

purchaser may thus consume the sandwich from.

the top, without danger of the drippings getting on to his clothes. Hemay bite into parts of theof the container, may be pushed upward with the fingers from below, thus causing the sandwich to rise up in the container to permit further consumption thereof.

Because round-roll sandwiches. are. not usually of uniform thickness, but have more body in the center than along the periphery, the open upper end of the container is rendered somewhat wider than the bottom. To thi end, the upper edges 58 and 640i the end walls 80 and 84, respectively, are made wider than theirrespective lower edges 20. and at thescored lines of junction with. the bottomwall 82. The rectangle at the open top of the container is thus wider than that at the closed bottom. wall. This construction serves a further purpose in that itenables stacking, the container each. inside its lower neighbor after they have become folded from their blanks.

.A flap I2 is separated from the end-wall portion 80 by a scoredline l4: along which it is fold-- able. Oppositely disposed to this flap I2 is a flap l6 i'oldably disposed with respect to the end-wall portion 80' along a scored wall It. Similar oppositely disposed. flaps 22. and 2B aresimilarly foldably disposed along scored edges 24 and 28, respectively, of the end wall 84.

The outer edge 68 of the. flap- I2 is separated from the edge 58 of the end-wall portion 80, by an. edge 56 and tapers outward therefrom. The flap I6 is similarly provided. with. a. similarly tapering outer edge l4 separated from the edge 58 by a similar. edge 60. The flap 22 is similarly providedwith a similarly tapering edge 12, separated from the edge 84 of the end-wall portion 84 by an. edge82, and theflap26 islikewiseprovided with an edge 18- tapering outwardly from the edge 64- of the end wall 84, but separated therefrom by an. edge 66.

The flap l2 terminates, at its end opposite to the edges 55, 58, in a tongue that is separated from the body of the flap 12 by a slit 4!]. The flap l6 similarly terminates, at its end opposite to the edges 60 and 58, in a tongue that. is separated from the body of the flap l8 by a slit 44. The flaps 22 and 26 arev similarly provided with terminating'tongues, respectively separated from the bodies of the respective flaps by a slit 48 and a. slit 52,.

The outer curved. margin 10 of. the side wall portion 4 is provided with twoslits, 4'2. and 50 for respectively receiving. the respective tongues of; the flaps l2 and 22, as illustrated in Fig. 2, when. the blankis folded. into the form of a container. The outer curved margin 18 of the side-wall portion 8 is similarly provided with slits 46 and 54 for respectively receiving the tongues of the flaps l 6 and 26, respectively. The tongues and the slits in which they are received cooperate to hold the blank, when folded, in the form of a container.

The end-wall portions 80 and 84- constitute the The outer edges 14 and 18 of the flap l6 and 26 and the outer edge 16 of the side-wall 1:0-tion 8 similarly constitute the outer boundary of the side 8 of the container.

The outer edges 10 and 16 of the side- wall portions 4 and 8 taper correspondingly to the tapering edges of the flaps I2, 22 and I6 and 26, respectively. These taper from the center outward, so as to merge into the tapers of the respective flaps, thus to constitute, with the tapering edges and the tongues of therespective flaps, the oppositely disposed recesses in the sides of the container before mentioned. By reason of this construction, these arcuate recesses are caused to taper continuously from near the edges 58 and 84 of the end walls and 84,- respectively, toward the bottom wall 82. The. edges 58, 60, 62and168, however, are

' shown substantially parallel to the bottom wall 82.

Modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, and all such are considered to fall within the spirit. and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1.. A sandwich. container having substantially the shape, in longitudinal cross-section, of an equilateral trapezoid, the container being closed by a fiat bottom wall along the shorter base of the trapezoid upon which the container is adapted to rest stably, the container being open along the longer base of the trapezoid, the. container having fiat trapezoidal outwardly flaring end walls along the sides'of the trapezoid sloping between the ends of the bottom wall and the top, the end walls being. wider at the top than at the bottom, the container having flat side walls of substantially the same length as the length of the bottom wall. connecting the end walls, the side walls being provided at the top of the. container with oppositely disposed recesses curving from near both end walls towards the bottom wall of the container, the, container being of substantially rectangular cross-section in planes parallel to the bottom wall, and the rectangle at the,

open top being wider than the rectangle at the closed bottom, a sandwich being adapted to be confined. in the. container by'the bottom, the end walls and the unrecessed portions of the side walls, the drippings from the sandwich being adapted to be collected in the bottom of the container between the lower portions of the end walls and the lower unrecessed portions of the sidewalls, andthe unrecessed portions of the side walls providing an area for gripping the container with the sandwich therein.

2.. A. foldable-container blank comprising a centrally disposed. flat bottom-wall portion having oppositely disposed ends and oppositely disposed sides, flat end-wall portions foldably disposed along the ends and each having oppositely disposed foldable flaps, flat side-wall portions of substantially the same length as said bottom wall foldably disposed along the sides and each provided with means for cooperating with the flaps'to holdthe blank, when folded, in the form ofa container having outwardly flaring end walls, the bottom-wall portion constituting the flat bottom wall of the. container, the end-wall portions constituting oppositely disposed flat end walls of the container, theside-wall portions and the flaps constituting oppositely disposedflat sides of the container, theouter edges of the end-wall portions constituting the outer boundaries of the end walls of the container, the outer edges of the side-wall portions and of the flaps constituting the outer boundaries of the sidesof the container,

the outer edges of the flaps tapering outwardly from near the outer edges of the end-wall portions and said flaps cooperating with said flat side-wall portions to form oppositely disposed recesses tapering from near both end walls toward the bottom wall.

3. A foldable-container blank comprising a centrally disposed fiat bottom-wall portion having oppositely disposed ends and oppositely disposed sides, fiat end-wall portions foldably dis posed along the ends and each having oppositely disposed foldable flaps, flat side-wall portions of substantially the same length as said bottom wall foldably disposed along the sides and each pro vided With means for cooperating with the flaps to hold the blank, when folded, in the form of a container having outwardly flaring end walls, the bottom-Wall portion constituting the fiat bottom wall of the container, the end-wall portions con"- stituting oppositely disposed fiat end walls of the container, the side-wall portions and the flaps constituting oppositely disposed sides of the conftainer, the outer edges of the end-wall portions constituting the outer boundaries of the end walls of the container, the outer edges of the side-wall portions and of the flaps constituting the outer boundaries of the sides of the container, the outer; edges of the flaps tapering outwardly from near the outer edges of the end wall portions and the outer edges of the side-Wall portions tapering cor respondingly from the center outward to merge with the tapers of the flaps to provide the side walls at the top of the container with oppositely disposed recesses tapering from near both end walls toward the bottom wall.

4. A foldable-container blank comprising a c entrally disposed fiat bottom-Wall portion having oppositely disposed ends and oppositely disposed sides, flat end-wall portions foldably disposed along the ends and each having oppositely dis-- posed foldable flap members constituting a first group of members, flat side-wall-portion members of substantially the same length as said bottom wall foldably disposed along the sides and constituting a second group of members, one of the groups of members each having a tongue and the other group of members each having a tongue-receiving member for receiving one of the tongues to hold the blank, When folded, in the form of a container having outwardly flaring end walls, the bottom-Wall portion constituting the fiat bottom wall of the container, the end-wall portions constituting oppositely disposed fiat end walls of the container, the side-wall portionsand the flaps constituting oppositely disposed flat sides of the container, the outer edges of the end-wall portions constituting the outer boundaries of the end walls of the container, the outer edges of the side-Wall portions and of the flaps constituting the outer boundaries of the sides of the container, the outer edges of the flaps tapering outwardly from near the outer edges of the end-wall portions and said flaps cooperating with said fiat side-Wall portions to form oppositely disposed recesses tapering from near both end walls toward the bottom Wall.

5. A foldable-container thick-paper blank cut and scored to provide a centrally disposed fiat substantially rectangular bottom-wall portion, flat end-wall portions foldably disposed along-the ends of the rectangle and each having oppositely disposed foldable flaps, the outer edges of the flaps tapering outwardly from near the outer edges of the end-wall ortions at one end and each terminating in a tongue at the other end,

posed along the sides of the rectangle, the outer margins of the side-wall portions being provided with slits for receiving the respective tongues to hold the blank, when folded, in the form of a container having outwardly flaring end walls, the bottom-wall portion constituting the fiat bottom wall of the container, the end-wall portions constituting oppositely disposed flat end walls of the container, the side-wall portions and the flaps constituting oppositely disposed fiat sides of the container, the outer edges of the end-wall portions constituting the outer boundaries of the end walls of the container, the outer edges of the side-wall portions and of the flaps constituting the outer boundaries of the sides of the container, the outer edges of the side-wall portions tapering correspondingly to the tapering edges of the flaps from the center outward to merge with the tapering edges of the flaps to constitute with the tapering edges of the flaps and with the tongues oppositely disposed recesses in the sides of the container tapering from near both end walls toward the bottom wall.

6. A foldable-container thick-paper blank cut and scored to provide a centrally disposed flat substantially rectangular bottom-wall portion, flat end-wall portions foldably disposed along the ends of the rectangle and each having oppositely disposed foldable flaps, the outer ends of the end-wall portions being wider than their inner ends along the line of fold, the outer edges of the flaps tapering outwardly from near the outer edges of the end-wall portions at one end and each terminating in a tongue at the other end,

flat side-wall portions of substantially the same length as said bottom-wall portion foldably disposed along the s des of the rectangle, the outer margins of the side-wall portions being provided with slits for receiving the respective tongues to hold the blank, when :folded, in the form of a container having outwardly flaring end walls, the bottom-wall portion constituting the fiat wall of the container, the end-wall portions constituting oppositely disposed flat end walls of the container, the side-wall portions and the flaps constituting oppositely disposed fiat sides of the container, the outer edges of the end-wall portions constituting the outer boundaries of the end walls of the container, the outer edges of the side-wall portions and of the flaps constituting the outer boundaries of the sides of the container, the outer edges of the side-wall portions tapering correspondingly to the tapering edges of the flaps from the center outward to merge with the tapering edges of the flaps to constitute with the tapering edges of the flaps and with the tongues oppositely disposed recesses in the sides of the container tapering from near both end Walls toward the bgttom wall.

7 A container formed fromv a :foldable-container blank, the container having a flat stable bottom wall upon which the container is adapted to rest stably, the bottom wall having oppositely disposed ends and oppositely disposed sides, the

container having oppositely disposed'substantial- 1y trapezoidal fiat outwardly flaring end walls formed by folding the blank along the-ends of the bottom wall at an obtuse angle to the bottom wall and oppositely disposed central portions of flat 3 de walls of substantially the same length as the length of the sides formed by folding the blank along the sides of the bottom wall substantially at right angles to the bottom wall,

I flat side-wall portions of substantially the same length as said bottom-wall portion foldably diswhereby the container has substantially the shape, in longitudinal cross-section, of an equiq lateraltrapezoid, with-the bottom wall at the shorter base of the trapezoid, the container being open along the longer base of the trapezoid, the end walls being wider at the top than at the bottom, each end wall having oppositely disposed flaps folded to constitute end portions of the side walls, the central portions of the side walls being provided with means for cooperating with the flaps to hold the flaps tothe central portions 01 the side walls in order that the central portionsof the side walls and the flaps may constitute the side walls of the container, and the outerv edges of the flaps tapering from near the outer edges of the end walls and the outer edges of the central portions ofthe side walls tapering correspondingly from the center outward to merge with the tapering edges of the flaps to provide the side walls at the top of the container with oppositely disposed recesses tapering from near both end walls toward the bottom wall ofthe' container. a

8. A container formed from a foldablecon.-- tainer blank, the container having a fiat stable bottom wall upon which the container is adapted to rest stably, the bottom wall having oppositely disposed ends and oppositely disposed sides, the container having oppositely disposed flat out- Wardly flaring end walls formed by folding the blank along the ends of the bottom wall and oppositely disposed central portions of flat side walls of substantially the same length as the length of the sides formed by folding the blank along the sides of the bottom wall; each end wall having oppositely disposed flaps folded to constitute end portions of the side walls, each flap having a tongue, the central outer portions of the side walls each having to tongue-receiving member for receiving one of the tongues to hold the flaps to the central portions of the side walls in order that the central portions of the side walls and the flaps may constitute the end walls ofthe container, and the outer edgesof the flaps tapering from near the outer edges of the end walls and the flaps cooperating with the flat side walls to form oppositely disposed recesses tapering from near both end Walls toward the bottom wall of the container.

9. A container formed from a foldable-container blank, the container having a flat stablesubstantially rectangular bottom wall upon which the container is adapted to rest stably, the container having oppositely disposed fiat outwardly flaring end walls formed ,by folding the blank along theends of the rectangle and oppositely disposed central portions of fiat sidewalls of substantially the same length as the length of the sides formed by folding the blank along the sides of the rectangle, the end walls being wider at the top than at the bottom, each end wall having, oppositely disposed flaps folded to constitute end portions of the side walls, each flap having a tongue, the outer'margins of the central portions of the side walls-being provided'with slits for receiving the respective tongues to hold the flaps to the central portions of the side walls in order; that the central portions of the side walls and the flaps may constitute the side walls of the container, the outer edges of the flaps tapering from near the outer edges of the-end walls and the outer edges of the central portions of the side walls tapering correspondingly from the center outward to merge with the tapering edges of the flaps to constitute with the tapering edges of the flaps and with the tongues oppositely disposed recesses in the sides of the container tapering from near both ends toward the bottom wall of the container.

10; A container formed from a foldable-container blank, the container having a flat stable bottom wall upon which the container is adapted to rest stably, the bottom wall having oppositely disposed ends and oppositely disposed sides, the container having oppositely disposed fiat out-- wardly flaring end walls formed by folding the blank along the ends of the bottom wall and op-' positely disposed central portions of flat side walls of substantially the same length as the length of the sides formed by folding the blank along the sides of the bottom wall, each end wall having oppositely disposed flap members folded to constitute end portions of the side walls, the flap members constituting a first group of members, the central portions of the side walls constituting a second group of members, one of the groups of members each having a tongue and the other group of members eaclrhaving a tongue-receiving member for receiving one of the tongues to hold the flaps to the central portions of the side walls in order that the central portions of the side walls and the flaps may constitute the side walls of the container, and the outer edges of the flaps tapering from near the outer edges of the end walls and the flaps cooperating with the flat side walls to form oppositely disposed recesses tapering from near both end walls toward the bottom wall of the container.

11. A sandwich container formed from a foldable-container blank, the container having a stable flat bottom wall upon which the container is adapted to rest stably, the bottom wall having oppositely disposed ends and oppositely disposed sides, the container having oppositely disposed flat outwardly flaring end walls formed by folding the blank along the ends of the bottom wall and oppositely disposed central portions of flat side walls of substantially the same length as the length of the sides formed by folding the blank along the sides of the bottom wall, each end wall having oppositely disposed flaps folded to constitute end portions of the side walls, the cen tral portions of the side walls being provided with means for cooperating with the flaps to hold the flaps to the central portions of the side walls in order that the central portions of the side walls and the flaps may constitute the side walls of the container, the outer edges of the flapstaperingfrom near the outer edges of the end walls and the flaps cooperating with the flat side walls to form oppositely disposed recesses tapering from near both ends walls toward the bottom wall of the container, a sandwich being adapted to be confined in the container by the bottom Wall, the end walls and the unrecessed portions of the side walls, the drippings from the sandwich-being adatped to be collected in the bottom of the container between the lower portions of the end walls and the lower unrecessed portions of the side walls, and the unrecessed portions of container with the sandwich therein.

RICHARD J. GREENLEAF, II.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,567,675. January 25, 191;.5.

RICHARD JAMES GREENIEAF, II.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows Page 2, first column, line 22, for container read containers--; page 5, second column, line 14h, claim 6, after "flat" insert --bottom--; page h, first column, line L5 claim 8, for "end" read --side--; and second column, line 65, for "adatped" read -adapted--; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this Zhth day of April, A. D. 1911.5.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

Images