US2662684A

US2662684A - Carton structure

Info

Publication number: US2662684A
Application number: US140681A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leonard J Robins
Original assignee: ADD A HANDLE CORP
Current assignee: ADD A HANDLE CORP; ADD-A-HANDLE Corp
Priority date: 1950-01-26
Filing date: 1950-01-26
Publication date: 1953-12-15
Anticipated expiration: 1970-12-15

Description

Dec. 15, 1953 L. J. ROBINS 2,662,684 1 CARTON STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 26, 1950 NVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARTON STRUCTURE Leonard J. Robins, Chicago, 111., assignor to Add- A-Handle Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois 3 Claims.

v This invention relates to cartons or containers formed of fiberboard, pasteboard, cardboard, or other treated or untreated sheet stock of plastic or fibrous materials. It relates more particularly to a carton or container from which a carrying handle may be struck from the materials that "make up the carton walls whereby the contents of the carton are exposed for display purposes and an economical and practical means is provided for carrying the carton about.

Handle members, which may be struck from the material forming the carton walls, have the advantage that they are always properly positioned and do not require the use of an auxiliary part which must be supplied with the carton and inserted into a position of use when the occasion arises. In the past, constructions of this type have been objectionable for the reason that the carton becomes deformed and unsightly when the handle portion is raised and the raising of the handle usually leaves various parts of the car- 'ton in weakened condition whereby separation and tearing often occur in use. Most of the constructions of this type which have been provided in the past have failed to provide means for facilitating the lifting of the handle portion from thebody of the carton such that difficulties have been experienced in effecting same and not infrequently special tools have been required for avoiding injury to the finger.

It is an object of this invention to provide a carton having walls from which a suitable handle may be struck to expose the contents without weakening the structure of the carton, while the handle has sufficient strength and is able to distribute the forces in a manner which permits its use with heavy loads.

Another object of this invention is to provide a carton having walls from which a handle may be struck in a simple and expeditious manner without the use of special tools or without injury to the finger.

A further object is to produce a carton having walls from which a handle may be struck in a manner to provide a full gripping relation for the hand to enhance the comfort and ease of carrying.

A still-further objectis to provide a carton having walls from which a handle may be struck to expose a considerable portion of the contents of the carton and which is held in the raised position as an incidence to the forces developed upon striking.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure l is a perspective View of a completed carton embodying features of this invention,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same carton shown in Figure 1, but with the handle portion struck from the carton walls and arranged in carrying position,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the carton shown in Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of one end wall of the carton shown in Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure .2,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevational end view of the carton shown in Figure 1 with the parts arranged in position of use for carrying.

Cartons which may be manufactured to embody features of this invention are preferably formed of sheet material, such as fiberboard, pasteboard, paperboard, cardboard, .or treated or untreated sheet stock of plastic or other fibrous materials. The sheet stock may be prepared as by deep scoring, by perforations or the like, before or after assembly into a carton to outline the material to be struck from the carton walls in forming the handle portion which will hereinafter be described.

As shown in the drawing, the carton Hi has top and bottom walls H and i2, end walls 13 and Hi and side walls i5 and I6, respectively. In its assembled relation with specific content material therein, such as canned goods I! andthe like, the walls formed by adhesively joined end flaps and side flaps arranged .in overlapping relationship are disposed to form the side walls 15 and of the completed carton, leaving the continuous walls to form the top wall and end walls i i, 53, and M respectively from which the handle member is struck. By this arrangement, a predetermined position is established for these parts in the carton.

The handle portion, as outlined by perforations l8 or the like in the respective walls, comprises an elongate strap it which extends across-a midportion of the top wall H and terminates, as at 2B, in the upper portions :of the adjacent end walls [3 and M. Although the :strap :may be of equal width throughout, new and novel results are secured when the strap is arranged to decrease in width from the terminal ends 26 in the end walls to a central portion 2| in the top wall, thereby to provide elongate

trapezoidal end sections

22 and 23 respectively.

In order to provide a better and more comfortable grip for carrying,

flap sections

24 and 25 are provided in the top wall I l integral with the lateral edges of the central portion 2|. The flaps extend laterally to the side walls and It. The material may be scored as at 26 along the lateral edges of the central portion 2| to facilitate folding the handle flaps upwardly when the handle portion has been struck, to provide a better gripping relation for the hand and to expose a greater portion of the contents of the carton, as shown in Figure 2.

Another important feature of this invention resides in the construction wherein tabs 21 defined by perforations depend from the flaps 24 and and are arranged as a part of the

side walls

15 and 16 respectively.

When so constructed, little difficulty is experienced in striking or lifting the handle member from the wall portions as described. It is only necessary to press inwardly on the tabs 21 to efiect their separation from the remainder of the side walls and when this is accomplished, access is provided for application of leverage suitable for tearing the flaps and the connected strap from the top and end walls to separate the parts for their arrangement into carrying relation. As previously pointed out, the

flaps

24 and 25 may be folded up along scored lines to complete the operation.

It will be apparent that the decreasing width of the straps and the termination of the strap in the end walls will provide a novel relationship wherein end portions of the strap will be disposed within the carton for a short distance, such that the width of the strap portion where it passes through the opening formed in the top wall will be of greater dimension than the corresponding opening, thereby to establish a gripping relation which functions to hold the handle in its raised position, as shown in Figure 2. It will be apparent that, while in this position, ample space is provided below the central portion for ready insertion of the hand such that the central portion may comfortably rest on the fingers or on the bottom of the hand while other portions of the hand may rest against the upturned flaps.

It will be further evident that a construction of the type described will enable portions of the strap to rest upon the cans or other material filling the carton to accept some of the load at points on the strap where it is better able to carry the load. This reaction reduces the strain at weaker points such that tearing or breaking of the handle member is at a minimum. It is advisable to use gradual tapers and rounded corners in the construction of the strap to militate against the presence of points where loads may concentrate and weaken the structure.

By way of modification, it will be evident that the flaps need not constitute the solid section described, but may comprise slotted portions or strips which extend from the tabs to the strap for transmitting forces by which the strap is struck from the container walls.

It will be understood that the described arrangement which provides for novel features in the construction of the strap, flaps and tabs, each constitute patentable features of this invention when taken separately or together. By way of 4 modification, it will be further understood that numerous changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A carton having top and bottom walls, side walls and end walls from which a handle may be struck to expose the contents and provide means for carrying the carton the handle por tion forming an integral part of the carton walls from which it is separable along weakened areas defining a strap which extends across a mid portion of the top wall and terminates in the upper portions of adjacent end walls, the end portions of the strap gradually decreasing in width from the terminal ends disposed in the end walls to a central portion of the top wall whereby the portion projecting through slots in the top wall when the strap is struck therefrom is of greater width than the formed slot to effect a gripping relation, flaps integral with the edges of the central section and extending laterally therefrom to the edges of the top wall, and tabs depending from the edges of the flaps to form adjacent portions or" the side walls and capable of being struck therefrom for folding with the flaps to extend irom the central section in the upward direction when in position of use.

2. A carton as claimed in claim 1 in which the weakened areas in the carton walls comprise perforations along which the defined handle portion may be struck from the carton walls.

3. A carton having top and bottom walls, side walls and end walls from which a handle may be struck to expose the contents and provide means for carrying the carton, the handle portion forming an integral part of the carton walls and separable therefrom along lines defining an elongate strap which extends across a mid-portion of the top wall and terminates in the upper portion of adjacent end walls, the strap gradually decreasing in width from between the ends in the end walls to a central portion in the top wall, and flaps integral with the central portion of the strap and extending laterally therefrom to the edge of the top-wall to provide a more substantial grip when struck with the strap from the top wall of the carton and folded to extend upwardly therefrom when in position of use.

LEONARD J. ROBINS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 893,616 Ferres July 21, 1908 1,974,792 Berney Sept. 25, 1934 2,289,824 Brogden July 14, 1942 2,289,859 Arthur July 14, 1942 2,359,298 Brogden 1- Oct. 3, 1944 2,364,489 Guyer Dec. 5, 1944 2,382,844 Arneson Aug. 14, 1945 2,473,492 Shina June 14, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Country Date 439,625 Great Britain Dec. 10, 1935 549,188 Great Britain Nov. 10, 1942