US2656947A

US2656947A - Bottle carton carrier and unit for use therein

Info

Publication number: US2656947A
Application number: US118234A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph W Stevenson
Original assignee: METAL CARRIER CORP
Current assignee: METAL CARRIER Corp
Priority date: 1949-09-28
Filing date: 1949-09-28
Publication date: 1953-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 1970-10-27

Description

Oct. 27, 1953 R. w. STEVENSON 2,655,947

BOTTLE CARTON CARRIER AND UNIT FOR USE THEIREIN Filed Sept. 28, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l N M Bram M ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 27, 1953 R. w. STEVENSON 2,656,947

BOTTLE CARTON CARRIER AND UNIT FOR USE THEREIN Filed Sept. 28, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 27, 1953 BOTTLE CARTON CARRIER AND UNIT FOR USE THEREIN Ralph W. Stevenson, Grand Rapids, Mich., as-

signor, by mesne assignments, to Metal Carrier Corporation, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application September 28, 1949, Serial No. 118,234

5 Claims.

My invention relates to an improved bottle carton carrier and more particularly to an improved bottle carton carrier that can be made from a bottle carrier with a minimum degree of change and a unit for use therein.

In my copending application U. S. Ser. No. 118,233, filed September 28, 1949, entitled Bottle Carrier, I have described and claimed an improved metal bottle carrier capable of carrying soft drink bottles without damage to the bottles or the carrier. This carrier has a plurality of bottle pockets, each adapted to receive a bottle. However, these pockets will not receive bottle cartons since the cartons are too large to fit into the pockets.

The bottle carrier of the aforesaid application has many advantages. It is of metal and thus does not become unsanitary after use. It is light in weight and easily handled. Nevertheless it is strong and rugged and withstands long periods of operation, and is inexpensive to construct.

In accordance with the present invention, the metal bottle carrier of my prior patent application is converted to a bottle carton carrier capable of carrying a plurality of cartons of cardboard or the like each of which holds a plurality of bottles. This is accomplished by the substitution of a single carton spacer unit that fits in the bottle carrier to define a plurality of bottle carton pockets and snugly holds the bottle cartons in position.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved bottle carton carrier.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bottled carton carrier that can be constructed from the bottle carrier of the aforesaid patent application.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved unit to convert a bottle carrier to a bottle carton carrier.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bottle carton carrier that cannot catch the sides of the bottle cartons and thereby tend to tear them as they are removed.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention, itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation will best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a bottle car-- rier constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and showing a bottle carton in phantom;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View through the axis 22, Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the bottle carton spacers of the present invention;

Figure 4.- is a side elevational view of the bottle carton spacer of the present invention; and,

Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary cross-sectional views through axes 5-5 and 6-B, Figure 4.

Referring noW to the drawings there is shown in Figure 1 a bottle basket B of the same type as is shown and claimed in my copending patent application U. S. Ser. No. 118,233, filed September 28, 1949, entitled Bottle Carrier. This basket is formed by a bottom III which is of substantially rectangular shape and the sides l2 surrounding the bottom. As indicated, the sides I2 are wrapped about the reinforcing rod I4 at their upper edge and about the reinforcing rod l6 at their lower edge. The bottom I0 is secured to the sides I2 by the drawholes I8 where the upturned marginal portion Illa of the bottom is drawn out through suitable openings in the sides and turned over about the outer edges of the openings to form a snug locking engagement. A pair of hand openings 20 are provided at the opposite ends of the bottle basket to permit lifting of the same.

The bottom III of the basket B has a longitudinal upturned segmental groove 10b extending along its center. This groove is adapted to receive a locking pin 22, Figure 2. A longitudinal separator 24 has a plurality of hook portions 24a along its lower edge adapted to mate with and fit into the spaces between the segments of groove I01) and likewise adapted to receive the locking pin 22. The pin 22 thereby defines a rockable support for the separator 24 and holds the same in position relative to the bottom Ill.

The foregoing elements are provided in the bottle carrier of the aforesaid patent application. In addition other longitudinal spacers like the separator 24 are provided to define a plurality of bottle receiving rows and the entire group of spacers are held in yieldable upright position by the plurality of struts extending transversely of the carrier and provided with yieldable rubber sleeves against which the separators bottom. These struts define individual bottle pockets in conjunction with the separators.

In the manufacture of the aforesaid bottle carriers, the basket B is first formed without the central separator 24 or any of the other separators.

Referring now to Figure 2, the separator 24 is provided with a rolled over edge or head 24?; along its upper margin. The bottle carton spacer of the present invention is received by this bead and is thereby securely held in the carrier.

The bottle carton spacer is indicated generally at S. It includes a centrally disposed rib or beam 28 which is of cylindrical shape at its upper edge to define a neat and smooth appearance. Throughout most of its length it is of the crosssecticn shown in Figure 5 :and merely overlays the upper margin of the separator 24. However, at portions 28a, Figures 2 and 4., the central rib defines a nearly closed slot that snugly receives the bead of the separator 24. In these regions the central rib 28 opposes relative movement of the separator 24 and the bottle carton spacer and anchors the bottle carton spacer to the basket 13.

In addition to the central longitudinal rib 28, the bottle carton spacer S has a plurality of

transverse legs

30 and 32. As shown, these legs each extend transversely from the central longitudinal rib 28 and turn down to rest on the bottom Ill. The legs 30 are central legs and act to separate the bottle carton carriers. They define bottle carton pockets in conjunction with the basket B and the outer legs 32. Legs 30 fit against the bottom of the carrier at points inboard of the sides [2 but very close to the sides, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The end legs 32 are like the central legs but are made somewhat shorter and fit against the bottom of the carrier at points further inboard of the sides as shown in Figures 2 and 3. These legs act to space the 'bottle cartons from the ends of the basket B.

As shown in Figure 1, a bottle carton C may be placed in each of the four pockets defined by bottle carton spacer S.

The bottle carton spacer S performs a dual function. First it supports the separator 24 in an upright position. This support is a conse quence of the engagement of the

legs

30 and 32 with the bottom [0 of the basket B. Since the pin 22 secures the separator 24 to the bottom it and the central rib 28 secures the spacer Sin fixed relation to the separator 24, the spacer S is secured against lifting movements from the basket 13. Tilting movements of the spacer are prevented by the

legs

30 and 32 which each bottom against the bottom of the basket .and cannot .tilt from the positions shown.

The bottle carton carrier of the present invention embodies only one part not embodied in the production bottle carrier shown in the aforesaid patent application. This part is the bottle carton spacer S which can conveniently be cast of aluminum or like material. Moreover, the bottle carton carrier can readily be manufactured from the structures made during the course of manufacture of the regular bottle carrier. For this purpose it is only necessary to remove the basket portions B (formed during the manufacture of the regular bottle carriers) and affix to them a bottle carton separator 24.

More specifically, the bottle carton carrier may be manufactured by first assembling the separator 24 to the bottle carton spacer S by sliding the separator into the rib 28 of the spacer to anchor the same therein. The spacer S can then be placed on the basket B with the separator 24 in registry with the segmental groove 3b as shown in Figure 2. The pin 22 is then driven 4 through the aligned groove [0b and the hook portions 24a of the separator 24 to secure the complete unit together.

When carrying out this operation with the structure illustrated in the drawing, it will be convenient to attach spacer S in the manner described to the bottom ID of basket'B prior to the attachment of bottom I0 to sides I2.

The overhanging edge portions 282) of the central rib 28 tend to catch in the side walls of the bottle cartons'and'thereby tend to rip the cartons when they are removed from the bottle carton carrier. In accordance with the present invention this diificulty is overcome by providing a plurality of spaced depending flanges 28c extending downwardly from the overhanging edges 28!) to a point below the upper margins of the bottle spirit and scope of my invention. I therefore intend by the appended claims to cover all such variations and alternative constructions as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An easily assembled non-tearing bottle carton carrier comprising :in combination, a basket having sides and a bottom, said bottom having a longitudinal pin-receiving groove, a separator having an upper marginal bead and a lower pinreceiving hook portion adapted to mate with said groove to define a slot for an anchoring pin, an anchoring pin in said slot, and a carton spacer including a central longitudinal rib having a longitudinal groove in theunderside thereof adapted to receive said bead to anchor said spacer relative to said bottom and transversely extending legs extending substantially to the corners of said bottom at a spaced distance 'thereabove to hold said separator upright, said spacer having depending fianges carried by said rib and extending below the upper margins of the bottle cartons to prevent catching on said rib when said cartons are removed from said basket,

2. An easily assembled non-tearing bottle carton carrier comprising in combination, a basket having sides and a bottom, said bottom having a longitudinal pin-receiving groove, a separator having an upper marginal bead and a lower pinreceiving hook portion adapted to mate with said groove to define a slot for an anchoring pin, an anchoring pin in said slot, and a carton spacer including a central longitudinal rib having a 1ongitudinal groove in the underside thereof adapted toreceive said bead to anchor said spacer relative to said bottom and transversely extending legs having the outer end portions thereof fitting against said bottom to hold said separator upright, at least 2 of said legs being positioned intermediate the length of said separator and extending from said rib toward the sides of said basket at a spaced distance above the bottom of said basket to define bottle carton pockets on each side of said separator.

3. An easily assembled bottle carton carrier comprising in combination, a basket having sides and a bottom, said bottom having a longitudinal pin-receiving groove, a separator having an upper marginal bead and a lower pin-receiving hook adapted to mate with said groove to define a slot .for an anchoring pin, an anchoring pin in said slot, and a carton spacer including a central longitudinal rib having a longitudinal groove in the underside thereof adapted to receive said bead to anchor said spacer relative to said bottom and transversely extending legs resting on said bottom to hold said separator upright, at least 2 of said legs extending from intermediate points on said rib toward opposite sides of said basket for a major portion of the distance from said spacer to said sides and at a spaced distance above the bottom of said basket to provide at least 2 carton pockets on each side of said separator.

4. An easily assembled bottle carton carrier comprising in combination, a basket having sides and a bottom, said bottom having a longitudinal pin-receiving groove, a separator having an upper marginal bead and a lower pin-receiving hook portion adapted to mate with said groove to define a slot for an anchoring pin, a pin in said slot, and a carton spacer including a central longitudinal rib having a longitudinal groove in the underside thereof adapted to receive said bead to anchor said spacer relative to said bottom and transversely extending legs extending substantially to the corners of said bottom to hold said separator upright said spacer also having at least 2 legs extending from intermediate points on said rib toward opposite sides of said basket for a major portion of the distance from said spacer to said sides and at a spaced distance above the bottom of said basket to provide at least 2 carton pockets on each side of said separator.

5. A non-tearing unit to convert to a bottle carton carrier a bottle carrier of the type having sides and a bottom and a separator rockably anchored to said bottom and having an upper marginal bead, said unit comprising a carton spacer including a central longitudinal rib having a longitudinal groove in the underside thereof adapted to receive said bead to anchor said spacer relative to said bottom and longitudinally spaced laterally extending legs for engagement with the bottom of said basket to define bottle pockets and hold said separator upright, at least 2 of said legs extending in opposite directions from an intermediate point on said rib at the level of the top portion of said spacer for the major portion of the distance from said spacer to the sides of said bottle carrier when said unit is pushed therein to provide at least 2 carton pockets on each side of said separator said spacer having depending flanges adjacent said separator and extending below the upper margins of the bottle cartons to prevent catching thereon.

RALPH W. STEVENSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,081,674 Klenk Dec. 16, 1913 1,279,083 Clark Sept. 17, 1918 1,326,003 Spohr Dec. 23, 1919 1,470,898 Webb Oct. 16, 1923 1,711,030 Pifer Apr. :30, 1929 2,145,106 Anderson Jan. 24, 1939 2,346,205 Bowman Apr. 11, 1944