US2567181A - Sheet inserter for identifying the contents of shipping containers - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 11, 1951 R. s. BYE 2,567,181

SHEET INSERTER FOR IDENTIFYING THE CONTENTS OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 12, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Afiorneys Sept. 11, 1951 2,567,181

R. S. BYE

SHEET INSERTER FOR IDENTIFYING THE CONTENTS OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 12, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 11, 1951 SHEET INSERTER FOR IDENTIFYING TIIE CONTENTS OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS Raymond 8. Bye, St. Paul, Minn assignor to Minmsota Mining & Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Application February 12, 1945, Serial No. 577,530

6 Claims.

necessary to address the required number of containers and to identfy and indicate the quantity of the goods tobe shipped on each order. The identifying sheet, usually called a packing list, also identifies the packer or employee who fills the particular order. These lists must accompany the several shipments so that the lists are available for inspection when the goods are received at their destination. Heretofore the envelopes containing the packing lists have either been attached to the exterior of the containers or have been placed inside with the merchandise and an unnecessary amount of time and effort has been expended in securely fastening the envelopes to the containers or in the repeated opening and sealing operations. Prior methods are otherwise not entirely satisfactory because of the diflmulty attendant upon gaining access to the packing lists for inspection. By the present invention I obviate much of the expense and other disadvantages of prior methods of identiilcation.

My preferred method of procedure comprises the steps of placing a packing list or other identifying sheet within an envelope having a projecting tongue, then placing the envelope between members of an inserting device, cutting a narrow slot in the container wall, using the inserting device to carry the envelope-through the slot to a position within the container, then ejecting the envelope from the inserting device while the latter iswithdrawn from'the slot, leaving the tongue of the envelope projecting through the slot tothe exterior of the container and finally fastening the tongue or a portion of it to an exterior surface of the container where it is accessible and readily operable to withdraw the envelope when required.

The principal objects of my invention. are to facilitate the identification of the contents of shipping containers by providing readily operable means for inserting packing lists or other identifying sheets in previously sealed shipping containers without requiring the breaking of-the seals and to provide an envelop adapted to contain a-packing list or other identifying sheet. the envelope being provided with a tongue adapted to project through a slot in the wall of the container and to be attached to the exterior of the container where it is accessible for withdrawing the envelope and list or other record contained therein.

A particular object is to provide a pair of blade members adapted to cut a narrow, inconspicuous slot in a wall of a container and to carry the identifying sheet and/or envelope containing such a sheet to a position within the container in combination with means operable to deposit the envelope and/ or enclosed sheet within the container when the blade members are withdrawn.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred form of my inserting device in open or envelope receiving position;

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the inserting device with the blade members in closed, operative position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 3-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a fragmentary portion of a shipping container with the inserting device in one of its operative positions with respect to the container;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of my preferred form of envelope for a packing list;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the inserting device and container in their relative positions .as the device is about to be withdrawn from the container with the envelope and tongue shown in broken lines;

Fig. '7 isa perspective view showing a fragmentary portion of a container with a packing list in place therein and with the tongue in a fastened or shipping position, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view, taken approximately on the line 88 of Fig. '7,

-' showing the packing-list, envelope and adjacent wall of the shipping container in relation to the enclosed merchandise. In the drawings, Figs. 5 and 8, an identifyin sheet or packing list 9 is shown in folded position within a pocket ill of an envelope having a long, relatively narrow tongue ll projecting from one end. An opening i2 allows access to the interior of the pocket ill for the insertion and withdrawal of -the sheet 9 and the tongue ii is preferably 55 formed with parallel side edges terminating in shoulders I2 adjacent to the pocket II. These shoulders are provided for engagement with ejector members of the inserting apparatus. as here-' inafter described. Extending over a small selected area of the tongue II is an adhesive coating for fastening the tongue to an exterior surface of a shipping container.

My device for inserting the sheet 2 and its envelope has a long. relatively narrow blade member indicated generally by the numeral I, and a second blade member II of generally similar shape adapted to overlie the member II and to extend in substantially parallel relation thereto,

as indicated in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 8. These blade members are connected together by a hinge II at one end and their opposite ends are provided with cutting edges I2 and Ila respectively. A handle I2 is rigidly connected to the blade member II at its end remote from the cutting edge I2.

Slidably mounted on the blade member I5 is an ejector comprising a substantially triangular plate 2|! hingedly connected to a similar plate 2|, and a pair of lugs 22 fixed on the plate and projecting to engage the plate 2| and to hold these plates in spaced parallel relation to each other when in their closed or operative position. The lugs 22 are spaced apart to bear against the shoulders ll of the envelope during the ejecting operation and the tongue II of the envelope is adapted to pass freely through an opening extending between the hinges 23 which connect the plates 2|! and 2| together. The longitudinal side edges of the envelope pocket I II fit loosely between flanges 24 extending along the side edges of the blade member I5. Extending along the longitudinal center line of the blade I5 is an elongated slot 25 in which a flange 26 of the ejecting mechanism is guided. This flange is rigidly fastened to a slide member 21 overlying the interior surface of the blade member I5 and rigidly fastened to the plate 20.

A0 permit manual operation of the ejector, I provide a thumb piece 28 which projects at right angles to both the blade member I5 and slot 25 therein and is rigidly secured to the front or distal edge of the flange 26. The blade member I8 is sufliciently flexible so that its end having the cutting edge Isa may be sprung into contact with the edge I2 of the blade member 45 when the device is to be thrust through the wall or beneath a sealed flap of a shipping container. I prevent the blade members from gripping either the envelope pocket III or the tongue II by providing the flanges 24 and the plates 20 and 2| which are sufficiently rigid to prevent the blade member is from being pressed in on the envelope and also by holding the relatively rigid plates 2|) and 2| in spaced parallel relation to each other by means of the lugs 22 and hinges 23. When at the outer end of their stroke, indicated in Fig. 6, the plates 22 and 2| and lugs 22 hold the cutting edges I2 and |8a apart to allow for the free passage of the envelope including its tongue II.

In Figs. 4, 6, 7 and 8 fragmentary portions of a rectangular shipping container are indicated generally by the numeral 29, this container being of the common type-constructed from corrugated fiberboard and having closure flaps 3|! and 3| which are held in closed position by adhesive and/or by adhesive coated strips of paper, cloth or other suitable material.

In the following description of the operation of my device it is assumed that the container 29 has been filled with merchandise 32 (Fig. 8) and that the flaps 20 and ii have been secured in 4 closed position. The operator places the appropriatepackinglistorothersheetlintheenveiope pocket II and then places the envelope inserting device. as indicated in Fig. 1. Thus the a tongue |I projects between and beyond the hinge members 22 so that the lugs 22 are in engagement with the shoulders I2 of the envelope and the ejector slide members are in the fully retracted position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Now :the plate 2| is closed against the upper ends of the lugs 22 and the blade member It is closed as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. While grasping the handle II and holding the blade members Il and It in contact with each other-along their cutting edges II, Ila, the operator forces the cutting edges of the blade members into the container 22. The exact place of insertion may be varied to suit the type of container and character of the contents, but in most cases it will be found convenient and easy to force the blade members either between an outer and inner layer of material, for example between the closure flaps 22 and II, or through one wall of the container in parallel relation and adjacent to the adjoining wall so that the blade members pass between the contents of the container and wall or between the contents and inner surface of the inner flaps 3|. Where the container is constructed from relatively tough, hard material it may facilitate the insertion if a sharp knife is used to form a short slit into which the edges I2 and Ila may be started. In either case the blade members IS and I6 are thrust into the container to the depth determined by the thumb piece 22 which constitutes a stop when in its fully retracted position. This carries the envelope and contents to their final concealed position within the container.

To actuate the ejector and deposit the envelope within the container the thumb piece 22 is held in contact with the exterior surface of the container while the blade members I5 and I6 are withdrawn. During this withdrawal the lugs 22 not only engage the shoulders I3 of the envelope to prevent it from being withdrawn with the blade members but also hold the plates 20 and 2| in spaced relation to each other thus preventing the gripping of the tongue II or pocket I0 under the pressure exerted by the container material on the blade members.

It will now be understood that when the blade members have been withdrawn to the position shown in Fig. 6, the plates 20 and 2| and lugs 22 hold the cutting ends of the blade members apart to entirely free the envelope and tongue during the final and subsequent removal of the device from the container. Thus after removal of the inserting device, the tongue II is left projecting through the narrow slot 33 (Figs. 6 and 7) previously formed by the blade members. Finally the tongue Il may be secured to an exterior surface of the container by the use of the adhesive coating is. If it is necessary or desirable to close the slot 22 a strip of suitable adhesive coated material may be applied as a closure and seal.

To facilitate finding the packing list and to call attention to the fact that the tongue may be used to withdraw the envelope containing the list, I mark theexposed surface of the tongue with a suitable legend. When the containers arrive at their destination, the recipient merely loosens the tongue II and then uses it as a pull to retrieve the packing list or other contents of the envelope pocket III.

It is not always necessary to provide an envelope for the identification sheet and, as an alternative, a tongue projecting from the sheet itself to the exterior of the container may be provided. It will thus be evident that the present device is adapted for use in inserting record or identification sheets of paper or other material in concealed and protected positions within containers which have previously been closed and sealed. Experience in the use of my invention has demonstrated that it effects substantial savings in the cost of properly identifying shipments, insures the safe arrival of the identification sheets or other accompanying records and makes such sheets and records readily accessible for examination.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sheet inserter of the character described, a flat elongate blade upon whose upper surface a tongued sheet may rest, lateral retaining means along the side edges of the blade to limit lateral movement of the sheet, upper retaining means above the upper surface of the blade to limit upward movement of the sheet,

two stop members one on either side of the tongue to limit rearward movement of the sheet, an ejector mounted for reciprocal movement longitudinally of the blade along the upper surface thereof, the said ejector comprising an ejector plate that rests on the upper surface of the blade, the said stop members bein sitioned on the upper surface of the said plate, and a thumb piece connected to the plate having a forward surface that is positioned to bear against the outer wall of a container into which the blade has been thrust in a sheet-inserting operation.

2. The sheet inserter of claim 1 in which the upper retaining means comprises a second flat elongate blade overlying the first blade and the ejector plate, and hingedly connected with the first blade.

3. The sheet inserter of claim 1 in which the upper retaining means comprises a second ejector plate overlying the first ejector plate and hingedly connected therewith.

4, The sheet inserter of claim 1 in which the upper retaining means comprises asecond fiat elongate blade overlying the first blade and hingedly connected therewith, and a second ejector plate overlying the first ejector plate and hingedly connected therewith, the two hinged ejector plates being positioned between the two hinged blades.

5. In a sheet inserter of the character described, a flat elongate blade upon whose upper surface a tongued sheet may rest with the tongue extending rearwardly, laterally retaining means along the side edges of the blade to limit lateral movement of the sheet, upper retaining means above the upper surface of the blade to limit upward movement of the sheet, two stop members positioned to limit rearward movement of the sheet, and an ejector mounted for reciprocal movement longitudinally of the blade along the upper surface thereof, the said stop members being positioned on the said ejector and being spaced apart to accommodate the tongue between them.

6. In a sheet inserter for cutting a slit in a shipping carton and inserting a tongued sheet in the carton with the tongue left outside of the carton in a position to be grasped for removal, a fiat elongate blade upon whose upper surface the tongued sheet may rest with the tongue extending rearwardly, the blade having a cutting edge at its forward end for cutting the said slit, lateral retaining means along the side edges of the blade to limit lateral movement of the sheet, upper retaining means above the upper surface of the blade to limit upward movement of the sheet, and two stop members positioned to limit rearward movement of the sheet, the said stopmembers being spaced apart to accommodate the tongue between them.

RAYMOND S. BYE.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 322,740 Mears et a1 July 21, 1885 1,218,314 Read Mar. 6, 1017 1,370,533 Genge Mar. 8, 1921 1,577,828 King Mar. 23, 1926 1,611,268 Colby Dec. 21, 1928 2,054,514 Landes Sept. 15, 1936 2,127,346 Sanderson Aug. 16, 1838 2,207,930 Miller July 16, 1940 2,307,884 Greenwood Jan. 12, 1943 2,359,677 Reeves Oct. 8, 1944 2,364,711 Hakanson Dec. 12, 1944 2,374,263 Askin Apr. 24, 1845 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 410,133 Germany lab. 28, 1825

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