US2578583A - Packaging - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 11, 1951 J O'BR|EN 2,578,583

PACKAGING Filed April 13, 1949 IN V EN TOR. Herber? d O Brien ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I T 9 2,578,583 v I ,PACKAGING Herbert J. O'Brien, San Francisco, Calif. Application April 13, 1949, Serial No. 87,303

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in packaging and the provision of an improved shipping package.

There has been a long felt need'for improvement in shipping packages for canned and bottled goods of all sorts to facilitate the sale and distribution of such materials in less than case lots and also to decrease materially the expenses incidental to the packaging and transportation of such goods.

Therefore, a principal object of this invention is to provide an improved shipping package that will meet the demands as to cost of manufacture, ease and convenience of handling, while at the same time decreasing the cost of transportation of the goods contained therein.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved shipping package which will satisfy the rules and regulations set up by the Interstate Commerce Commission concerning strength, durability and the like. Another object of the invention is to provide a package which will comprise a multiple number of containers for canned and bottled items or materials readily divisible to permit the sale and delivery of predetermined portions of a case lot of such items. Moreover, it is an object of this invention to provide a shipping container which will meet the usual and customary tests for compression strength, that is to say, the ability of the package to withstand crushing.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as this specification proceeds and may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a single package unit employed in the subject invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the pad utilized therein;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a two-unit shipping package embodying the principles of the invention; a

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a four-unit shipping package, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the device of Figure 4 with one of the component units partially broken away.

It is contemplated that in the practice of-this invention there may be employed a conventional carton or box I!) as the basic unit, a plurality of which are to be joined in the make-up of the shipping package. By referring to Figure 1 it will be observed that the box II] is made up in the usual way from paper board or corrugated paper board and comprises an assembly from a one-piece blank of such materials with an end H and side wall I 2 joined by a tape Hi. If preferred, stitching may be substituted for tape IS in accordance with known practices. Carton I0 is provided with the customary end flaps l5 and side flaps 16 which are lapped upon each other and adhesively connected to form a top closure when the container is filled.

It is contemplated that in the practice of this invention a pad l8 shall be employed as the base element of the package (see Figure 2). The pad 18 is preferably a rectangular piece of corrugated board because such material is readily obtainable at low cost and has the necessary strength, durability and minimum weight to meet the requirements of the package forming the subject matter hereof. It is, however, within the purview of this invention that pads of other materials, such as solid fibre paper board, wood veneer, wood or combinations of these materials, may be effectively employed herein.

The pad I8 is marginally striped with a suitable adhesive denoted by the numeral [9, here shown to be disposed in an uninterrupted fllm. Depending on the desired strength of the particular package, the adhesive may be deposited in spot form rather than as a continuous film.

When the pad has been thus prepared, two of the basic units I0 are placed thereon in abutting relation. it being noted that the pad l8 has been dimensioned to accommodate two such boxes. The three elements of the package thus assembled are put under compression to permit the adhesive l9 to set, binding the boxes In to the pad l8. While thus compressed a label 20 is applied to the top of the boxes spanning their abutting edges. As shown in Figure 3, the label 20 carries repeated indicia of origin or other identifying data, as at 2|, to the end that when parted in the separation of the shipping package each unit thereof will be fully identified.

In Figures 4 and 5 a four-unit shipping package [0 is shown, made up in accordance with the foregoing teachings. Again in this instance the pad I8 is marginally striped with glue and the four basic units I0 are nested thereon for compression to set the adhesive and the application of a top label 25 spanning the common point of contact.

The packages hereinabove described have decided advantages over conventional devices. They permit notable savings in material that would normally be required in the make-up of a complete outer container for the units I0; de-

consequent savings in shipping costs, and, at the same time, provide adequate strength to meet all normal handling needs and existing commerce regulations. But beyond this, the packages meet a real need in modern merchandizing methods by providing a multi-unit package that may be easily divided to supply the purchaser with a plurality of objects in a complete package that may be conveniently handled and stored. For xample, if it be assumed that the multi-unit packages of Figures 3 and 4 contain canned baby food or canned beer, the purchaser can be readily supplied with a less than case lot of the same by,

splitting the label 20 by a sharp instrument, or even a finger nail, and then peeling one of the packages I0 away from the pad I8. This separation of the basic units is illustrated in Figure 5.

The invention claimed is:

A shipping package comprising a planar base pad, a plurality of packages seated thereon for dispensing as individual units, said packages beingin abutting relationship and the combined areas of their bottom surfaces substantially equaling the area of the pad, said packages being adhesively secured to the pad at their bottom surfaces, only at outer edge portions of the pad, and frangible means interconnecting the tops of the packages at their points of abutment.

HERBERT J. OBRIEN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 510,621 Van Derveer Dec. 12, 1893 1,871,617 King Aug. 16, 1932 1,893,801 Huffman Jan. 10, 1933 2,018,005 Barnby Oct. 22, 1935 2,192,423 Ward et a1 Mar. 5, 1940 2,372,994 Welch Apr. 3, 1945 2,489,054 Sprolle Nov. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,815 Australia 1927 26,878 Great Britain 1913

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