US2549682A

US2549682A - Foldable box

Info

Publication number: US2549682A
Application number: US690717A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alice J Grossniklaus
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-08-15
Filing date: 1946-08-15
Publication date: 1951-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 1968-04-17

Description

April 1951 A. J. GROSSNIKLAUS 2,549,682

FOLDABLE BOX Filed Aug. 15, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fllz 08 J Gmsszzz'filaas ATTORNEYS April 1951 A. J. GROSSNIKLAUS 2,549,682

FOLDABLE BOX V Filed Aug. 15, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.4 16a g I 25 llmllh u 3 "h.

[N VEN TOR.

B filice Ja'rasszziklaus W ATTORNEYS April 1953 A. J. GROSSNIKLAUS 2,549,682

FOLDABLE BOX Filed Aug. 15, 1946 4'Sheets-Sheet 4 E IO M 52 l 5 G O V INVENTOR.

fllzbeJG'rossmZlazzs BY ATTORW'EYS Patented Apr. 17, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The invention relates generally to foldable paper box containers adapted to be shipped in flat folded condition to a fabricator or packer who unfolds or expands and assembles the containers for packing his product therein, and this application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 657,528, filed March 27, 1946, and entitled Foldable Box and Method of Assembling Same.

More particularly, the invention relates to a foldable paper box container adapted, with 'a grease-proof liner, to serve as a mold into which melted processed cheese or other moldable products can be poured while hot and allowed to solidify, after which the box liner can be closed to serve as a finished package ready for shipment and sale.

Because the bottom surface of the molded cheese as poured is smooth, it is desirable that the box he so constructed that the top of the box as poured becomes the bottom of the package when closed, so that if the top of the box is transparent the user will first see the smooth surface of the cheese when purchasing the package.

A prior foldable paper box construction for this purpose includes similar tray members compr sing the top and bottom walls and telescoped over a relatively stiff foldable collar forming the side walls of the box. In order to assemble this construction for receiving and molding the hot cheese, the collar is first unfolded or expanded and held in a rectangular shape, then one of the trays is unfolded and telescoped over the collar, and then the assembled collar and tray is telescoped over the grease-proof liner or envelope while the latter is expanded and held by suitable means in a box-like or parallelepipedal shape.

While said prior construction serves satisfactorily as a. molding receptacle when the collar and one tray are telescopically assembled and a liner positioned therein, a substantial amount of time is required for. this initial assembly operation before the liner can be expanded and telescoped therein. Accordingly, a relatively large number of collars and trays must be assembled in advance of the liner expand ng operation, because the collar and tray assemblies can be telescoped over the expanded liner more quickly than they can be assembled. Consequently, large stacks of the collar and tray assemblies are prepared in advance, which requires excessive time, and the stacked trays, occupy a large amount of valuable space which would otherwise be used for other processing or packing operations.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel foldable or collapsible paper box for containing processed cheese and other moldable products, which box possesses all of the advantages of prior constructions and at the same time overcomes their disadvantages.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a foldable or collapsible box which is adapted to be packed and shipped flat, and which is rapidly expanded and assembled in a form ready for receiving hot melted cheese.

Another object is to provide a novel collapsible box having only one part which requires unfolding when expanding and assembling the box in readiness to receive hot melted cheese, thus materially reducing the time required for the assembling operation.

In order that the novel col apsible box be made economically and practically, it is highly desirable that it be cut from flat paper stock, preferably in one piece, and then quickly formed, by folding and gluing, into the rectangular collapsible or foldable box of the present invention.

It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide a simple and improved method of making the novel collapsible box from a single sheet of flat paper stock.

A further object is to provide a novel collapsible box which is so constructed and arranged that it can be expanded'and assembled rapidly with a grease-proof liner positioned therein, without requiring a preparatory assembly step.

Another object is to provide a novel collapsible box and an improved method of assembling the same'in condition for receiving and molding hot cheese, whereby a saving of time and work ing space is effected.

A still further object is to provide a novel collapsible box which is adapted to be expanded from fiat condition and assembled with a greaseproof liner therein'as a continuous operation, so

as to materially-reduce the working space required for stacking box parts prior to inserting the liners therein.

Finally, it is anobject of the present invention to provide a novel and improved collapsible box,- a novel and improved method of making-the same, and a noveland improved method of assembling'said box so as to provide a molding eceptacle and finished package for processed cheese or other molded products.

These and other objects are accomplished by the parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations, methods and method steps, which comprise the present invention, the nature-of which is set forth in the following general statements, a preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings and which is particu' larly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming partfhereof.

In general terms, the novel collapsible box of I fits under the flanges to form the bottom wall of the box when the cheese is poured and the top wall when the package is finished. A foldable tray or cover member is adapted when expanded or unfolded to telescope over the other end of the box to form the bottom wall of the finished package.

In general terms, the novel method of making the collapsible box of the present invention preferably includes cutting from a flat paper sheet a blank having a central rectangular opening with opposing wall portions extending laterally from all four sides of said opening, scoring said wall portions to provide fodable flanges defining said opening and foldable flaps adjoining said flanges, then folding the flaps accordion fashion and gluing the flap portions upon themselves to form side walls extending angular-1y from said flanges, and then overlapping and gluing the ends of one pair of opposing side walls onto adjoining walls to foldably connect all the side walls for forming a rectangular box when expanded.

In general terms, the novel method of assem bling the collapsible box of the present invention preferably includes expanding a grease-proof liner with one side open, and holding it in expanded position with the open side down, placing the flat sheet which is to form the bottom wall of the box on top of said liner while the liner is held in such position, then telescoping the novel collapsible box in inverted expanded condition over said flat sheet and liner to engage the flanges of said box over the margin of said flat sheet,

' and then inverting the assembly of the box, fiat sheet insert and liner with the open side of the liner uppermost in readiness to receive hot melted cheese.

Referring to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example;

Figure 1 is a p an view of the fiat blank cut from a single sheet of paper for forming the novel collapsible box, the scored fold lines being indicated in dash lines thereon;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the side wall portions of the box partially folded in accordion fashion angularly to the flanges defining the central rectangu ar opening;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the novel box almost completely folded to rectangular shape, with the end portions of one pair of opposing side walls turned inwardly so as to overlap the adjoining side walls;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the novel collapsible box in inverted position and partially folded to fiat condition for shipment;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tray or cover which is adapted to telescope over the box and form the bottom wall of the finished package, said cover being shown in fiat folded condition; a Fig. 6 is a'perspective view of the flat sheet insert which forms the bottom wall of the box when the cheese is. poured and the top wall of the finished package;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the novel col-. aps o i u fo d d r xpand d posit on. being inverted with respect to Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the tray or cover of Fig. 5 when expanded to rectangular form for telescoping over the open end of the collapsible box;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the forming apparatus for expanding the greaseproof liner into the box-shape suitable for in- Bil sertio in the novel collapsible box when expanded, the expanding apparatus being shown in collapsed position with a liner thereon;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary View similar to Fig. 6 showing the forming apparatus holding a liner in expanded position and the flat sheet insert of the box positioned on top thereof;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged similar view showing the novel collapsible box telescoped in inverted position over the liner and fiat sheet insert to form the sub-assembly which serves as a molding receptacle, for the hot melted cheese; and

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the subassembly in upright position in readiness for receiving the hot melted cheese.

Similar numeralsrefer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

The novel collapsible box and its cover and flat sheet insert are shown in substantially flat po: sition in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 respectively, in the condition in which they are received from the box manufacturer. The novel box is indicated generally at ID in Fig. 4 and is shown folded to approach flat folded position. The cover which forms the bottom of the finished package is in-. dicated generally at I l in Fig. 5 and the flat sheet insert which forms the top wall of the finished package is indicated generally at. l2 in Fig. 6. These parts are all made of fiat paper stock and the parts it and H are properly cut and scored so that each of them will fold into a flat condition for shipping. Figs. '7 and 8 show the box Ill and cover Ii in unfolded or expanded con-. dition ready for assembly.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate the novel method of making the collapsible box it from a single blank which is cut in one piece from flat paper stock and properly slit and scored for being folded into the rectangular collapsible box of the present invention.

The paper blank shown in Fig. 1 is cut to have a rectangular opening Ov with opposing wall por-. tions l3 extending laterally from the long sides of the opening and opposing wall portions I4 extending laterally from the short sides of the opening. Score lines i5 are made in usual fashion on the wall portions l3 adjacent to and parallel with the long sides of the opening 0, and similar score lines iii are made on the wall por.- tions i4 adjacent to and parallel with the short sides of the rectangular opening 0. The score lines It and I6 form a rectangle which defines one end of the novel box after the same has formed, and the flange portions 15a and Ilia between said score lines l5 and I6 and the opening 0 become the bottom wall flanges of the box as shown in Fig. 7 which support the margin of the flat sheet l2 when it is inserted therein.

As shown in Fig. 1, the wall portions M are separated from the wall portions l5 by slitting the blank from the ends of each of the score lines it outwardly along extensions of said score lines as indicated at H. Also, the flange portions l5a and 65a are separated at two diagonally opposite corners from the adjoining flange portions by slits lg, and are provided at the other two diagonally opposite corners with scored fold lines indicated at 28a, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

Each of the wall portions I3 is scored along lines L and L parallel to the long sides of open, ins 0 to provide the identical adjoining flap portions 19 and the outer flap portion 28 having the same length but narrower width. Each of the opposing walls [4 is scored along lines S. nd, S

parallel with the short sides of the opening to form identical adjoining flap portions 2| and an outer flap 22 having a length equal to the score lines I6 and a width equal to that of flaps 20. Score lines 23 are also provided in the walls I4 as extensions of the score lines I5 and connecting with the side edges of the outer fiap portions 22.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, in making the novel box I 0 from the sheet blank shown in Fig. 1, the side walls I3 and M are folded upwardly along the score lines I5 and I6 respec tively, and each of the side walls I3 is folded along the parallel score lines L and L thereof in accordion fashion to form the adjoining flap portions I9 and the outer flap portion 20, in the manner indicated in Fig. 2. Similarly, the side walls I4 are folded accordion fashion along score lines S and S to form the adjoining flap portions 2| and the outer flaps 22 connected thereto. Prior to or during the folding operations, the contiguous surfaces of the flaps I9 and 2B and the flaps 2| and 22 are coated with I glue or a suitable adhesive, so that the flaps become the several plies of the flat side walls I3 and. I4

' respectively of the box I0, and the

outer flaps

20 and 22 form an offset or shoulder X'extending around all four sides of the box, so that-- when the cover II is applied to the box, it will fit On or abut the offset.

If the

outer flaps

20 and 22 do not provide a shoulder or offset of suflicient thickness because the paper stock used is relatively thin, additional thickness may be obtained by adding extensions of the same size to the

flaps

20 and 22 in the blank, and connecting the extensions to the flaps by fold lines at their outer edges so that the extensions can be folded against the flaps, thereby doubling the thickness of the shoulder on the finished box.

After the flap portions of the side walls I3 and I4 have been folded in the manner indicated in Fig. 2, the end portions of the side walls I4 are folded inwardly about the score lines 23 to form the inner two-ply flaps 24 whiohunderlap the inner surfaces of the side walls I3 and are glued thereto to stifien the same. As is apparent from Fig. 3, the lengths of the inwardly folding twoply flaps 24 are such that when the box is completed the inner ends 25 of the flaps will abut to form a smooth flush surface along opposite sides of the box.

Accordingly, after the side walls have been folded as'indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 with the contiguous surfaces of the flaps glued together, they form the rectangular box shown in Fig. 7. The purpose of diagonally slitting the flanges I5a and lea at I8 at two diagonally opposite corners of the box, and scoring the other two diagonally opposite corners at I8a, is to allow folding the finished box I 0 to a fiat condition for shipping, in the manner indicated in Fig. 4. When the box .is folded to the position of Fig. 4, the flaps I5a wall of the finished package, is cut accurately so that it will fit tightly within the side wens I3 and I4 to hold the box in rectangular form, v

and at the same time will engage the undersides of the flaps I5a and Ilia so that they support the sheet in position to form the bottom wall of the box. 7 The cover II is preferably made of a'single sheet of paper, and as shown in Fig. 8, includes

side walls

26 and 21 and a bottom wall 28. The side walls 21 may have flaps 29 which overlap the side walls 26 and are preferably glued thereto, and the side wall portions 21 are preferably scored along lines 39 so as to readily fold into fiat condition in the manner indicated in Fig. 5. The dimensions of the cover II are such that when unfolded or expanded to the rectangular shape shown in Fig. 5, it will telescope with a close fit over the side walls I3 and I4 of the box and substantially abut the shoulders X formed thereon by the

outer flaps

20 and 22.

The grease-proof envelope vor liner which is utilized is preferably of a plastic material such as heavy cellophane, and may be obtained in fiat foldedcondition from the manufacturer of such materials. In order to place the liners in open rectangular position in the boxes in readiness for receiving the hot melted cheese, as part of a continuous and rapid operation, it is necessary to provide some sort of mechanism for quickly expanding the liner envelopes into proper rectangular shape. A suitable mechanism is shown by way of example in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, and preferably includes a, pair of rectangular die blocks 32 which are mounted on a table top T for expanding movement away from each other. As shown, the die blocks 32 may be pivotally connected at their inner ends to links 33 which are pivoted to the'upper end of an actuating rod 34, and the rod extends slidably through the table top T and a spacing block 35 thereon. At its lower end the rod 34 is screwed to a suitable clevis 36 which is pivoted at 3'! to one end of a foot lever 38. The foot lever is pivoted intermediate its ends, as at 39, to a supporting post 49, and the end of the lever opposite the pivot 31 has a foot-engaging portion 4 I.

A spring 42, connected at one end to the post 49 and at the other end to the free end of the lever 38, yieldingly holds the actuating rod 34 in its down position and the die blocks 32 in their inwardly collapsed positions, as shown in Fig. 9. As indicated in. Fig. 9. the grease-proof liner G is easily placed, with its open end down, over the upper ends of the die blocks 32 in collapsed position in readiness to be expanded in its box-like shape.

The novel and improved method of making the subass mbly of the liner and box parts for receiving the hot melted cheese consists in placinga liner G in inverted or downwardly open position over the collapsed die blocks 32 as shown in Fig. 9, then depressingthe foot portion 4i of the lever 33 to exnand'the die blocksand .the liner to the position of Fig. 10, and then the ie bl ks 32, there will be a lat ral y pro jectii folded portion formed at each end of the liner, as indicated at 43, but these will be automatically folded alongside the ends of the liner wh n the box membe I is telescoped thereover.

The operations of unfolding of the box it and telescoping it over the liner and flat sheet can be accomplished very rapidly in one substantially continuous motion by the, operator. Next, the lever 38 is released to collapse the die blocks to the position of Fig. 9, whereupon the subassembly of the liner G, flat sheet i2, and box is can be. removed and inverted to the position of Fig. 12 in readiness to receive the hot melted cheese.

After the cheese has solidified, the portions of the liner G projecting upwardly from the box H) are folded inwardly upon the top surface of the molded cheese, and the cover member ii is then telescoped over the upper portions is and 2E of the box Ell, into abutment with shoulders X, whereupon the package is completed, and is preferably inverted so that the flat sheet 52 is uppermost. The sheet 12 may be of transparent or semi-transparent material, or have a transparent window formed therein, so that the smoothly molded surface of the contents of the package can be readily viewed by the purchaser.

Accordingly, the novel method of assembling the liner, flat sheet and side wall member of the improved box provides for a considerable saving in time and space, in making the subassemblies for receiving the hot melted cheese, because all of the parts required for the subassembly can be supplied to the operator of the expanding mechanism in flat folded condition, and the operator can continuously and rapidly assemble all the parts in readiness for receiving the hot cheese, without the necessity of unfolding and partially assembling some of the parts as a preliminary step.

The novel improved foldable box is simple and inexpensive to make, and is quickly and easily assembled to provide a molding receptacle for processed cheese.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiment of the improved construction and method illustrated and described herein is by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction or of the method.

Having now described the invention, the construction, the'operation and use of a preferred embodiment thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful constructions and methods, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A col apsible box including side and end marginal flanges defining a r ctangular o ening at one end of the box, said flanges being foldably connected together at diagonally opposite corners and separated at the other corners, side wall portions attached to and folded upwardly from opposite side marginal flanges, end wall portions attached to and folded upwardly from said end marginal flanges, each of said side and end wall portions having panel members connected to their upper edges, said panel members folded on themselves accordion fashion and secured together forming adjoining flap portions including an outer flap, and the outer flaps being narrower than the contiguous flap portions and forming an outer shoulder extending around the box between the top and bottom thereof, and a cover on the box end opposite said marginal flanges and abutting said shoulder.

2. A collapsible box including side and end marginal flanges defining a rectangular opening atone end of the box, said flanges being foldably connected together at diagonally opposite corners and separated at the other corners, side wall portions attached to and folded upwardly from opposite side marginal flanges, end wall portions attached to and folded upwardly from said end marginal flanges and having ends projecting laterally beyond said end marginal flanges, each of said side and end wall portions having panel members connected to their upper edges, said panel members folded on themselves accordion fashion and secured together forming adjoining flap portions including an outer flap, the outer flaps being narrower than the contiguous flap portions and forming an outer shoulder extending around the box between the top and bottom thereof, and the ends of the said accordion folded end wall portions being folded inwardly to form flaps under-lapping the side wall portions.

A collapsible box including side and end marginal flanges defining a rectangular opening at one end of the box, said flanges being foldably connected together at diagonally opposite corners and separated at the other corners, side wall portions attached to and folded upwardly from opposite side marginal flanges, end wall portions attached to and folded upwardly from said end marginal flanges and having ends projecting laterally beyond said end marginal flanges, each of said side and end wall portions having panel members connected to their upper edges, said panel members folded on themselves accordion fashion and secured together forming adjoining flap portions including an outer flap, the outer flaps being narrower than the contiguous flap portions and forming an outer shoulder extending around the box between the top and bottom thereof, the outer flags of said end wall portions being equal in length to the end marginal flanges, and the ends of said accordion folded end wall portions beyond said end wall outer flaps being folded inwardly to form flaps underlapping the side wall portions,

ALICE J. GROSSNIKLAUS.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS