US2527784A

US2527784A - Vegetable box

Info

Publication number: US2527784A
Application number: US155812A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph E Acker
Original assignee: Container Corp
Current assignee: Container Corp; Smurfit Kappa Packaging Corp
Priority date: 1950-04-14
Filing date: 1950-04-14
Publication date: 1950-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 1967-10-31

Description

R. E. ACKER VEGETABLE BOX Filed April 14, 1950 fnveniif. 62505 Zfflcfier 5 W M Patented Oct. 31, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEGETABLE BOX Application April 14, 1950, Serial No. 155,812

2 Claims.

This invention relates to containers and more particularly to a form of container adapted to be made of folding sheet material such as corrugated fibre board or solid fibre board.

An object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive container that can be produced from a single blank of paperboard which can be shipped fiat to the user and by such user quickly and easily be assembled without requiring expensive tools and equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ventilated container well adapted for use in handling and shipment of perishable produce, such as prepackaged green vegetables of a light bulky nature that require ventilation during shipment and storage.

A further object is to provide a container with partially open end walls formed by relatively narrow overlapping flaps that can be secured together readily by a simple tool, such as a hand stapler, and, when the container is closed, the openings in the end walls, if desired, can serve as hand holds to facilitate handling of the loaded container. I

Other and more specific objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification and in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the container blank; and

Fig. 3 is a section view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In general, the invention. as herein disclosed, comprises a single blank of corrugated flbreboard, suitably cut and creased to provide front, bottom rear and top walls, having relatively narrow end flaps which are overlapped to close a part of the end areas of the container, leaving an opening centrally of the ends to provide ventilation and to serve under certain conditions as hand holds. The end flaps on the top wall of the container are designed to fit on the outside of the end flaps on the front wall so that the top wall of the container can be supported by the front wall flaps. thereby properly positioning the free edge of the top wall with respect to the upper edge of the front wall.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the container blank, shown in Fig. 2, is cut and creased to provide a front wall 5, a bottom wall 6, a rear wall l and a top wall 8. These walls are defined from each other by

crease lines

8,10 and II along which the walls may be swung relative to each other to facilitate setting up the container. The walls 5, 6, l and 8 are preferably provided at each end with flaps i2, i3, it, it, respectively, which are adapted to be overlapped as illustrated in Fig. l. Crease lines are impressed lengthwise of the blank as indicated at ii, ii to facilitate folding of the end closure flaps.

A tuck flap I8 is provided on the free edge of the top wall 8 which is defined from such wall by crease line it.

The flaps i2, I3, I 5 and I5 are preferably cut of equal width in the interest of economical use of material and at the same time providing an end wall structure capable of withstanding considerable rough handling as well as stacking stresses. The flaps should have sufilcient width so as to assure that the dimensions of the opening in the end walls will be no greater than a predetermined maximum. While the various dimensions may be changed, depending on the volume desired for the container, it is considered suitable to construct the container so that its height is approximately 6 inches and the distance from front wall to rear wall approximately 14 inches. The end wall flaps would preferably be approximately 2 inches in width. With this flap width the vertical dimension of the opening in the end walls is approximately 1 inch and the horizontal dimension of the opening is approximately 9 inches.

When it is desired to prepare the container for receiving its contents the front and rear walls are swung upward at right angles to the bottom wall and the flaps l2, l3 and M are folded inwardly with flap i3 preferably bearing against the outer surfaces of flaps l2 and it. The flaps may then be stapled as indicated. After loading the container the flaps I 5 on the top are folded to assume a position at right angles to the top wall which is then swung down to its closing position as shown in Fig. 1. The iiap l5 preferably lies within the flap l4 and outside the fiap l2 as shown. This causes the upper edge of the flap l2, as shown in Fig. l, to contact the under surface of the top wall and support such wall. Before the top wall is moved to its final position the flap i8 is inserted within the container to lie against the inner surface of front wall 5.

The desired positioning of the forward portion of the flaps IS on the outside of flaps It may be assured by the rectangular shape of the front portion of the flaps l5, which, with flaps of proper width, will cause the front lower corner of flaps l 5, as viewed in Fig. 1, to strike the upper edge of the wall if either flap I5 is swung down inside the adjacent flap l2. The packer therefore, upon noting that the front edge of the flap l5 has come to rest upon the upper edge of the wall 5, will raise the top wall and swing nap l5 outward until it is in a position to be brought down outside the flap I2 and will again lower the top wall which can then move to its intended position as illustrated.

After loading the container and assembling the topwall, with flaps l5 and tuck flap l8 as above described, the flaps I5 may be secured to the adjacent flaps I2 and M as by means of staples or the top wall may be held in closed position by suitable strips of gummed'tape, When it is desired to staple the top wall in closed position the top wall is provided with elongated narrow openings 2|, 2| formed along crease line i9. These openings are designed to admit the anvil portion of a stapling machine, the staples indicated at 22, 22, being driven in through the front wall 5 and flap l8 and clinched on the interior of the container which is then ready for shipment.

When it is desired to unload the container the flap l8 can readily be pulled away from the front wall to enable the cover to be raised.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides a simple and economical form of container having partial open ends to provide ventilating openings and convenient end edge portions to facilitate grasping the container. The construction is particularly suitable for shipment of bulky produce such as packaged spinach and similar green vegetables.

While the present description sets forth a prefferred embodiment of the invention, certain changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A ventilated end container for light, bulh materials such as green vegetables and the like, comprising four interconnected hinged walls formed from a single blank and comprising interconnected panels forming respectively the front, bottom, rear and top walls of the container, the top wall being hinged at one end to the rear wall and serving as a cover, said top wall having hinged rectangular end flaps integral with said walls at each end thereof and coextensive therewith, including pairs of flaps extending toward each other from the front and rear walls respectively, and pairs of upper and lower end flaps extending toward one another from the top and bottom walls respectively, the front and rear wall flaps of each pair and the upper and lower wall flaps of each pair terminating short of each other to provide ventilatim end openings, the lower end flaps being turned up against the outer surfaces of both the front and rear wall flaps and secured thereto, while the upper flaps have their rear ends inserted within the upper ends of the rear flaps and their front ends resting against the outer surfaces of the upper ends of the front wall flaps when the container is in operative position, the front ends of the upper flaps being positioned to strike the upper edge of the front wall when the top wall carrying said upper flaps is swung downwardly with the front ends of saidupper flaps on the inner sides of the front wall flaps, thus making it impossible to close the container unless the front ends of the upper flaps.

are outside the front wall flaps.

2. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein the securing flap is fastened to the inside of the front wall, the top wall being provided with spaced openings adjacent the front hinge line to, permit the insertion of a stapling tool for fastening the securing flap to the front wall.

RALPH E. ACKER;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

. UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS Number