US2383352A - Cheese package - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 21, 1945. J SNYDER 2,383,352

CHEESE PACKAGE Filed Jan. 27, 1939 I :Lmes E'Sqyder Patented Aug. 21, 1945 CHEESE PACKAGE James E. Snyder, Akron, Ohio, assignor to Wingfoot Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application July 27, 1939, Serial No. 286,813

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a package and the method of forming the same. More particularly it relates to producing irom a fiat envelope a packing which in final form has approximately the shape of a right angled hexahedron. The material employed in forming the package is rubber hydrochloride film. The package may be used for materials such as process cheese, cream cheese, peanut butter. lard, margarine, chocolate syrup. frozen foods and other products. The package is especially suitable for products of a greasy or juicy nature where a leakproof, airtight and moistureproof wrapping is required.

A preferred form of the invention is a package of cheese which has been packaged in a hot plastic condition. Process cheese or cream cheese may be readily hot-packaged in an air-tight container as described herein.

The rubber hydrochloride film which is employed in producing this package is a non-tacky film such as that described in Calvert 2,139,647. In its manufacture,- it may be desirable to employ highly refined solvent in order to eliminate possible odor or taste. The film may be plasticized and may contain photochemical inhibitors such as described in Calvert 1,989,632 except where such materials are detrimental, as in the packaging of cheese or other food products which may take up some unfavorable taste from the stabilizer or plasticizer.

The method of forming the package is most easily described in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view 0! the envelope from which the package is formed.

Fig. 2a shows a side view of the envelope after being blocked to form a square bottom bag.

Fi 2b is a bottom view of the same.

Fig. 3 shows the same with the ears turned up and the bottom inserted in a box.

Fig. 4a is an elevation of the same in the box with the top drawn out so that the upper edges of the envelope meet.

Fig. 4b is a top view of the same.

Fig. 5a shows the top flange bent over and Fig. 5b is a top view of the same.

Fig. 6a shows the package with the top ears folded in and down ready for covering.

Fig. 6b is a top view of the same.

Figs. 7 and 8 show apparatus for blocking the flat envelope to form a square bottom bag.

Fig. 9 shows an alternative form of seal.

The envelope shown in Fig. 1 is formed by doubling a fiat film of rubber hydrochloride and heat sealing ltat the edges b. The fold is shown at c. To form the heat-seal at the edges 1) the necessary heat is applied to soften the rubber hydrochloride and make it tacky and by pressure the seam is formed. The temperature required depends upon the length of time that the rubber hydrochloride is subjected to heat but a temperature above 200 F. will ordinarily be employed. The seams may be formed by rolling a hot iron over the edges or by pressing with a hot iron. This softens the rubber hydrochloride and sufficient pressure is applied to unite the two faces within the area indicated by the dotted lines at the edges 1).

Various types of envelopes may be used in the formation of the package. Although an envelope of gusset or plicated end construction may be used, a perfectly fiat envelope is preferably employed. Instead of creasing a single sheet of the rubber hydrochloride film as shown at c in Fig. 1, two pieces of film may be used and sealed together at c as well as at b. Or a single sheet may be used and folded at b, b and sealed at c and the seam joining the ends of the film may be located at one of the edges of the envelope or at some point intermediate the ends. Instead of heating overlapping portions of the film to unite them, adhesives, solvents, solvent and heat or other methods of making leak-proof seams may be used in forming the envelope.

This envelope is then opened and blocked into a square bottom bag by any suitable means. Apparatus for doing this is shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The apparatus comprises the two blocks I which are fastened to a suitable support by the hinges 2 so that they may be tilted toward one another as shown in Fig. 7 and then brought to the upright position shown in Fig. 8. This is done by moving the rod 3 which is connected to the blocks by the toggle joint 4.

To block the envelope the rod 3 is lowered. This tilts the blocks toward one another. The envelope,

a, is then spread at the mouth and placed over the tilted blocks. It is brought down over the blocks until the bottom touches the top of the blocks. The rod 3 is then raised so that the blocks are brought to the upright position. The envelope is smoothed down around the blocks. This produces the triangular ears shown in Fig. 8 and also Figs. 2a and 2b. These ears are pressed to the side of the envelope (as shown in Fig. 3) as the envelope is fitted into the box e as a lining. This is preferably done while the envelope is still on the former. By tilting the blocks of the former, the box and envelope are then removed from the former. The envelope clings to the box rather than the blocks assisted by static electrical attraction. Fig. 3 shows the box 6 with the bag or envelope in it. Figs. 2a and 2b show the bag in upright position with the ears d brushed out horizontally before the box is placed over them.

The dotted lines indicated by the numeral in Figs. 7 and 8 represent openings in the blocks l for the passage of air. These prevent the formation of a vacuum which would complicate the removal of the blocked envelope from the former, after the box has been placed over it.

The bag is filled when in the position shown in Fig. 3. For instance hot process cheese may be run into the bag to fill it to the level of the top of the box e. Spreading fingers are then inserted in the open top of the bag and spread so as to extend the top of the envelope and bring the top edges of the bag together as shown in Figs. 4a and 4b. This naturally lowers the top of the bag and the spread portion which forms the flange I extends along the center of the top of the box.

In the closing operation or after closing but prior to sealing, the top of the bag is pressed against the cheese or other contents so as to force trapped air out from between the top surface of the contents and the bag.

The flange is then heat-sealed throughout its length preferably as close as possible to the surface of the contents by the application of a completely transverse seal. Any suitable means for supplying heat and pressure may be employed. In Fig. 4a the letter 9 is used to indicate three fine lines along which the opposite sides of the envelope have been united by heat to form a completely fiat transverse seal across the fiattened mouth portions of the bag.

The flange may then be folded down fiat over the contents of the filled bag into a plane transverse to that of the main and end panels of the bag as shown in Figs. 5a and 5b. By folding the ears in and then down onto the top of the bag the package assumes the form shown in Figs. 6a and 6b. It is then ready for closing. If a wooden box is used a wooden cover may be nailed onto it. If a cardboard carton is used a similar carton of somewhat larger size may be slipped over the top of the package to close it. After closing the box or carton the package may be turned upside down to shape the contents to the box and permit'any small amount of trapped air accidentally remaining after pressing the envelope onto the contents prior to sealing, to be distributed through the body of the contents by rising through it. All of any small amount of trapped air may be absorbed into the cooling cheese, for example, in this way, the oxygen thus being reduced ineflectiveness for support of mold or bacterial growth.

Air trapped in the triangular ears d of Fig. 2 and i of Fig. 6 may be prevented from contacting the contents of the package by sealing across the ears at 7' in Fig. 2b and h in Fig. 5b. This may be done by gripping the ears with heated irons along the lines and h.

Any of these heat-sealing operations may be done by hand but of course are advantageously performed by suitable automatic apparatus. A machine designed for sealing this general type of package is shown in the copending application Serial 438,073, filed April 8, 1942 by Charles E. Gardner.

Comparing the finished package with the envelope from which it is made, (disregarding the heat-sealed flange I oi Figs. 4a and 4b) the following facts are noted: The height of the package Plus its width equals the depth of the envelope shown in Fig. 1. The length of the package plus its width equals the length of the envelope shown in Fig. l. The ears of Figs. 2b and 4b are right angled triangles. Their height is one-half the width of the package. Accordingly, a flat envelope may readily be designed for producing a package of any dimensions. The package may be a cube or any right angled hexahedron.

Instead of using a former such as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 to block the envelope, any suitable means may be employed for lining the interior of the box with the envelope. For example, the envelope may be placed in the box by hand and pressed down into the box until the bottom of the envelope conforms to the interior of the box.

Although in a preferred embodiment of the invention prefabricated flat envelopes are blocked and used to line the boxes or cartons, sheets or rolls of the rubber hydrochloride film may be made into square bottom bags, preferably by automatic machinery, and placed in the boxes or cartons.

Any suitable means for lining the boxes with an air-tight lining of rubber hydrochloride film with open ends protruding as in Fig. 3, may be used. The protruding open ends of the liner may be closed in any way that results in a leakproof closure. In packaging cheese it is desirable or necessary to elminate trapped air before sealing the package.

When a flat envelope is used it may be closed in any suitable manner. Fig. 9 indicates an alternative method of sealing a package made from an envelope. The envelope is first inserted in a box or carton as shown in Fig. 3 and filled. The ends 1:, :c are first folded in onto the contents, and then the sides 1/, u are folded into place. The folding may be reversed with the sides 1/, 1 first folded into place and then the ends a:, a. After the folds are made, trapped air is pressed out and then the overlaps are sealed with heat and pressure to form an air-tight package.

The invention is advantageously employed in packaging process cheese and also cream cheese which is run into the bag in a hot plastic condition and then allowed to cool and set while contained in the bag and while the bag is in the box. The cooled and solidified cheese may then be easily removed from the box while still in the bag by inverting the box.

The present invention has many advantages over the older methods of packaging, for example, process cheese. It permits the use of a completely transparent wrapper, printed in'multicolor effects if desired, including complete transparency of all seams, folds and multiple thicknesses of wrap. Mold growth is prevented. The package is waterproof and highly moisturevapor-proof. Its attractiveness is not impaired by prolonged exposure to damp atmospheres. The wrap is easily removed, i. e. portions do not tear off and cling to the contents, as is the case for example in packaging cheese in metal foil.

I claim:

1. The method of forming a package from a flat envelope of sheet material having a continuous fluid-tight and fusible inner surface the two walls of which at the top are free from seams and folds between the ends thereof which comprises spreading the bottom of the envelope to conform to the interior of a box, filling the envelop to substantially the height of the upper edge of the box, separating said ends of the walls of the envelope at the top thereof until the walls are brought together at the top and uniting them by heating to cause them to coalesce.

2. The method of forming a package from a flat envelope of sheet material having a continuous fluid-tight and fusible inner surface the two walls of which at the top are free from seams and folds between the ends thereof which comprises spreading the bottom of the envelope to conform to the interior of a box, filling the envelope to substantially the height of the upper edge of the. box, separating said ends of the walls of the envelope at the top thereof until the walls are brought together at the top and uniting them by heating to cause them to coalesce, and after fllling the box and before sealing removing trapped air from the interior of the envelope.

3. The method of forming a package from a flat envelope of sheet material having a continuous fluid-tight and fusible inner surface the two walls of which at the top are free from seams and folds between the ends thereof which comprises spreading the bottom of the envelope to conform to the interior of a box, filling the envelope to substantially the height of the upper edge of the box, separating said ends of the walls of the envelope at the top thereof until the Walls are brought together and heat-sealing the walls together at or near the top edges thereof by a seal parallel to said edges.

4. The method of packaging material in a flat envelope of sheet material having a continuous fluid-tight and fusible inner surfacethe two walls of which at the top are free from seams and folds between the ends thereof which comprises opening and blocking the envelope so as to shorten the height thereof by an amount equal to one-half the width of the block formed, folding to the blocked envelope the ears produced at the bottom by blocking and fitting the blocked envelope into a box to thereby line the box, filling the envelope and then separating said ends of the walls of the envelope at the top thereof to bring the walls together and heat-sealing the walls together across the top of the box to make an airtight seal.

5. The method of packaging material in a flat envelope of sheet material having a continuous fluid-tight and fusible inner surface the two walls. of which at the top are free from seams and folds between the ends thereof which comprises opening and blocking the envelope so as to shorten the height thereof by an amount equal to onehalf of the width of the block formed, folding to the blocked envelope the triangular ears thus produced at the bottom of the blocked envelope velope at the top thereof to bring the walls to-1 gether and to bring the envelope into contact with the top of the contents of the package thereby producing ears at the top of the package and a flange across the top of the package formed by'bringing the walls of the envelope together, heat-sealing the walls together across the top thereof to form a permanent flange and sealin the triangular ears at the bases thereof to prevent air trapped in the cars from aflecting the contents of the package.

6. The method of fluid-tight Packaging which comprises providing a collapsed envelop fluidtight on at least the inner surface thereof and having only two layers of flexible sheet material in face to face position including the seams, squaring-up said envelop, combining said erected envelop with a carton, filling said envelop with contents, bringing the mouth portions of said filled envelop into flattened face to face position, and then sealing said flattened mouth portions thereby to obtain a package completely free from reentrant folds and layers of increased thickness in the sealed regions.

7. The method of fluid-tight packaging which comprises providing a flat envelop formed from fluid-tight flexible material with sealed regions in the longitudinal marginal portions thereof and having only two layers of said material in face to face position including said sealed regions, squaring-up said envelop, converting said sealed regions of the envelop into flattened lateral flns pointing in the same direction, inserting said erected envelop into a carton, filling said envelop with contents, bringing the mouth portions of said fllled envelop into flattened face to face position, and then applying a flat top seal to said mouth portions thereby to obtain a package completely free from reentrant folds and intervening layers and from similar danger points of leakage.

8. The method of fluid-tight packaging which comprises providing a collapsed envelop constituted of fluid-tight flexible material having marginal strips thereof adhesively secured together in face to face position to form at least one longitudinal seam, squaring-up said envelop, combining said envelop with a carton, filling said squared-up envelop with the contents, bringing the mouth portions of the envelop into face to face position and into a single plane including the upper terminal portion of the longitudinal seam,

and then securing said mouth portions together thereby to obtain a fluid-tight package having a single continuous seam including only two layers of sheet material in face to face position.

9. The method of fluid-tight packaging which comprises providing a collapsed envelop constituted of flexible material fluid-tight and fusible on at least the inner face thereof and having marginal strips sealed together in face to face position to form at least one longitudinal seam, squaring-up said envelop, combining said envelop with a carton, filling said squared-up envelop with a unitary amount of material to be packaged, bringing the mouth portions of the envelop into face to face position and into a single plane including the upper terminal portion of the longitudinal seam, applying heat and pressure to said mouth portions to seal the filled envelop with a top closure seam forming direct continuation of said longitudinal seam whereby a fluid-tightly sealed package is obtained having a single continuous sealed region including only two layers of the flexible material in face to face position, and then closing said carton about the package.

10. A block of cheese enclosed in a rubber hydrochloride film consisting of a, single substantially rectangular sheet of material folded once on itself with each of the three edges of the portion of the sheet on one side of the fold heatsealed against the corresponding edge of the sheet on the other side of the fold in face to face contact.

11. A block of cheese enclosed in a rubber hydrochloride film consisting of a single substantially rectangular sheet of material folded once on itself with each of the three edges of the portion of the sheet on one side of the fold heatsealed against the corresponding edge of the sh'eet on the other side of the fold in face to face contact and with the sealed portions of the film folded flat against the surfaces of the covered block of cheese.

12. A block of cheese enclosed in an air-free rubber hydrochloride film consisting of a single substantially rectangular sheet of material folded once on itself with each of the three edges of the portion of the sheet on one side of the fold heat-sealed against the corresponding edge of the sheet on the other side of the fold in face to face contact.

13. The method of forming a cheese package from a fiat envelop of sheet material having a continuous fluid-tight and fusible inner surface the two walls of which at the top are free from seams and folds between the ends thereof, which comprises spreading the bottom of the envelop to conform to the interior of a box, filling the envelop with cheese in plastic condition to substantially the height of the upper edge of the box, separating the ends of the walls of the envelop at the top thereof until the walls are brought together at the top and uniting them by heating to cause them to coalesce.

14. The method of forming a cheese package from a fiat envelop of sheet material having a continuous fluid-tight; and fusible inner surface the two walls of which at the top are free from seams and folds between the ends thereof, which comprises spreading the bottom of the envelop to conform to the interior of a box, filling the envelop with cheese in plastic condition to substantially the height of the upper edge of the box, separating the ends of the walls of the envelop at the top thereof until the walls are brought together at the top and uniting them by heating to cause them to coalesce, and after filling the box and before sealing, removing trapped air from the interior of the envelope.

15. The method of fluid-tight packaging which comprises providing a fiat envelop constituted of a flexible material fluid-tight and fusible on at least one face thereof folded over along a line to have its edges in a substantially registering position and sealed along two marginal strips, said envelop having only two layers of said material in fact to face position including said sealed marginal strips, squaring-up said envelop to form a pair of main panels and a pair of end panels and a bottom panel and to convert said sealed marginal strips into medial fins flattened in the plane of said panels, filling said squared-up envelop with contents, bending down the upper terminal portions of said envelop into a plane transverse to that of said main and end panels, flattening the bent down mouth portions of said envelop in a single plane including the topmost portions of the lateral fin, and applying a completely flat transverse seal across said flattened mouth portions whereby a, hermetically sealed fluid-tight package is obtained having a uniform number of layers incorporated in its sealing region and being free from reentrant folds and intervening layers of material and from similar danger points of leakage.

16. The method of sealing the top filling opening of a package halving oppositely disposed pairs of main panels and sidepanels and having a medial fin extending along and in the plane of at least one of said side panels, which comprises bending down the upper terminal portions ofsaid package into a substantially horizontal plane, flattening the mouth portions of said package in a single plane including the top portions of said fin, and applying a fiat transverse seal across said flattened mouth portions whereby a hermetically sealed fluid-tight package is obtained free from reentrant folds and intervening layers of material and from similar danger points of leakage. 1

JAMES E. SNYDER.

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