US2663486A - Bottle tray - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 22, 1953 w. csr-:lsLER 2,663,486

BOTTLE TRAY Filed Aug. 17, 1949 5 Sheevts-Shee'c l INVENTOR WILLIAM GE'I SLER ATTORNEYS Dec. 22, 1953 w. GElsLER 2,663,485

' BOTTLE TRAY Filed Aug. 17, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM GEISLER mi' imam/)m Fahhm TTTT RHEYS Patented Dec. 22, 1953 .STATES PATENT ...oigFFI-CE BOTTLE TRAY 'Wi'll'iamGeisler, Tenafly, N. J., assignorto Wilbro ZCorporation, New York, N. Y., a-corporation of :N ew York pplication August V17, 1949, Serial.No.110,708

invention 'is 'to `'provide "'a tray, as distinguished from a case, which is .formed of 'i'ibreboard with reinforcing "members '.generally similar 'to the case described in my above-mentioned "applica- 'tion an'dwhi'ch possesses oertain'advanta'ges over the Wood traysnow."larglyemployed.

'The objectofthe'invetionistoprovi'de latray of the 'character "described, 'wherein the 'entire tray, .including the "'st'iip's forming v'the divisions between the ibottles, "may "be `shipped `knocked down in one 'piece "forerection at the bottling plant, as 4required foruse, thereby eiecting a large saving in freight andstora'geiexpense over the conventional Wooden tray.

A 'further .obje'ct"f"the invention'is to provide a `tray of the character es'crbe'fdso 'constructed that 'Whentlie Atrays "fiillfo'f bottles vare stacked, the bottles and '.t'iay'sflitelo'ok in ''suoh `manrer that "a large number oftrays may behandled on a pallet as a single'lad `Wthout "danger oi" "the upper trays 'of 'the outside 'tiers 'falling 'off 'the stack, as now frequently occurs 'When'wo'oden trays containing 'bottlesa're"so'handled Afurther object 'f't'he'inveiition is to provide a'tay 0f the Vcli'aactor .described Whh is of 10W- er first .cost `tha'n'the conventional Wooden tray, which.lastsflonger.andalso requires less maintenance cost tl'iz'alnthe` standardtray.

Referring to'. theldr'awigs:

`Fig. 1 is -a perspective'vi'ewshowing one side ofthe blank .Withltheaattac'hed reinforcing members;

Fig. 2 is .aper'Spect'VeVeW .of the-other side of 'the 'nat blank wthfthe strips 'forming the bottle separators .collapsed and readyfor shipment;

Fig. 3 is aperspective Vviewofthelimproved tray when erectedand ready foruse;

Fig. '4 is a sectional .view .showing two trays of bottles stacked oneontheother;

Fig. 5 is a detail view vOnIineS- of'Fig. V2; and

Figs. 6 andl 7. are; perspective'yiewsof .amodied form .of tray in erected and collapsed form respectively.

'Referring to ,the drawings, particularly to Fig. l, I indicates the middle' portion of the blank which `forms the bottom of the erected tray. The Lbottornportio'nis provided at each end With end flaps 2 vwhich form 'the end Walls of the tray and with side `lapsS `which form 'the side walls of the tray. At each end of each side ap is a tab or supplemental flap 4 which when the tray is erected folds agains'tthe inner side of the end flap 2. Inthe lpreferred'form illustrated 'in the drawings the tabs "4 4are of a length equal .to Vthe Width of the VAflaps `3, 'but .if `it .is desired that when the tray is erectedtheend Walls of the tray will be of double thickness'throughout, thetabs f3 may be longer than'the Width ofthe sidelaps.

Attache'd'to 'the outside face of the blankalong the line corresponding with the score lines between the end fiaps 2'2 Vand the bottom|portion 'I of the blank, and/extending over the scoreflines between thesaidapsfan'd the tabs 4 is a reinforcing angle ''s'uch as described inmy abovementioned application .andconsisting preferably 0I" moldedrubber. Other materials suchas fiber impregnated plastic 'and 'the like, may be used instead. The'an'gles' .are attached tothe edge of the b'ottomportion 'I and to the ends of the aps 3 adjacent `the score'lines between the flaps 3 and the tabs ll. 'The otherside of the Yangleis not attached to the end 'iaps `2 and the tabs `4 until the tray is'erecte'd. 'The side .of the angle which is subsequentlyattached to the flaps! and tabs i is notched at'its. edge corresponding with the bottom corners of the vtray and-the attached side of the angle .is .preferably scoredor'weakened as indicated at '6, so that the angle will bend along these weakened lines when thecase is erected. `In additionto the angle 5 I;prefer ably attached tothe outer face of the bottom portion I of the lblank, along its vlongitudinal edges, -iiat reinforcingstrips 'I of the same thickness as the attachedl sides of the angle 5 so that the ventire perimeter-'of thefbottom of the tray is reinforced with the rubber strips.

The l end-flaps 2 f are Acut through ralong thea-line indicated at-l 8' to provide fhand holes Yin "the ends of the "trays, .'When the vtray is-erected the tongues f5 are 'folded up l:inside the tray in A`the manner shoWninFigy. If necessary, thetabs li are cut away-to provide openings registering rwith the openingsin'th-e end aps'2 When'the tray is erected. 'y

Attached'tothe outer marginal edges ofthe flaps '2 and '3 are'addtional reinforcingA angles I-I which serve to stiffenand .protect the upper edges 'of the'side Walls" ofthe' trays. These angles rectangle.

3 are preferably smaller than the reinforcing angles 5.

When the tray is flattened for shipment the end iiaps 2 and projecting tabs 4 of the flap 3 are folded against the adjacent portions of the part I and the flaps 3, respectively, so that the thickness of the collapsed tray is no greater than the width of the angle 5.

The partition assembly for the bottles is also formed and attached to the knocked down tray. As shown in Fig. 3 the partitions consist of three longitudinal strips and ve transverse strips, thereby providing spaces for 24 bottles. The two outer longitudinal strips I2 are composed of a single strip of fibreboard which is folded to a rectangular configuration as shown in Fig. 3. The meeting ends of the strips are stapled or otherwise attached to the adjacent face of one of the end flaps 2 and the strip is scored at points corresponding to the four corners of the The strip is slotted on its upper edge at spaced intervals for interlocking with the transverse strips I which are similarly notched in the usual manner to interlock with the longitudinal strips. The middle longitudinal strip I6 is separate from the two side strips I2 and is assembled with the transverse strips by the interlocking notches, but is not otherwise attached to the blank. The entire partition assembly is thus attached to one edge flap of the knocked down blank and may be collapsed against the inner face of the flap, as shown in Fig. 2, and the nap may be folded down against the adjacent face of the bottom portion I of the blank to an extent such that the thickness of the folded down iiap and partition assembly is no greater than the width of the rubber angle.

Whenthe tray is erected the end flaps 2 are vturned to vertical position, that is, at right angles to the bottom section I, and the assembled partitions pulled out until the strip I2 assumes its original rectangular shape. The tabs t are then turned to right angles to the aps 3 and the aps 3 are then brought to vertical position with the tabs 4 extending on the inside of the end aps 2. As the aps 3 are turned to vertical position the ends of the reinforcing angles 5 beyond the cut-out portions 6 will also be turned to vertical position, bringing the unattached sides of the end portions of the angles into position overlying the ends of the aps 2.

' The tongues 9 are then bent inwardly through the slots 8 in the aps 4 and folded up against the inside of the flaps. The various overlapping members of the erected tray are then stapled Y together to provide a permanently erected tray.

An ordinary portable stapling head may be used for this purpose. The additional staples are preferably driven into the sides of the angles 5 which overlie the endflaps 2 along the bottom .and also along the end portions of the angles which in the erected tray form reinforcing members embracing the vertical corners. The end portion of the rectangular strip I2 of the partition assembly is also stapled tothe end wall 2 of the erected tray, and the tongues 9 are stapled to the angle 5 and the overlapping portions of the naps 2, thereby completing the tray.

The sides of the angles 5 which are attached to the bottom part I of the tray and the strips 1 are preferably of a width such that the bottles forming the outside end and side rows of the underlying tray will t just within the edges of the reinforcing angles and strips, as indicated in Fig. 4, thereby interlocking the trays when the 4 trays full of Ybottles are stacked. When so interlocked the trays may be stacked to a much greater height on a truck or pallet than is possible with the wooden trays now in use, without danger of the upper trays falling off, even when transported in an open truck or lifted on a pallet.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a modified arrangement of the partition structure whereby the collapsed tray will occupy less space than when constructed as above described. To this end the partitions are made in two separate sections. One section consists of two transverse partitions 2i at one endrof -the tray and three longitudinal partitions which extend not quite midway of the length of the tray. The other section consists of the two transverse partitions 22 at the other end of the tray, the middle transverse portion 23 and three longitudinal partition sections which extend slightly more than half the length of they tray. vWhen the partition assembly is erected the longitudinal partitions at one end of the tray are aligned with the partitions at the other end of the'tray, as'shown in Fig. 6.

The transverse partitions 2I at one end of the tray are in the form of a continuous rectangle with the end 2f attached, as shown, to one side wall of the tray. In like manner the transverse partitions 22 at the other end of the tray are in the form of a continuous rectangle and the adjacent end 25 of the continuous strip which forms the rectangle is attached to 'the opposite side wall of the tray.

In Fig. 7 I have shown the tray with the partition assembly above described as it appears when collapsed for shipment. As here shown the section of the partition assembly comprising the transverse partitions 2i is collapsed against the face of the side wall of the tray to which the ends of the partitions 2i are attached, while the partition section comprising the strips 22 is collapsed against the opposite side wall of the tray. rIhe tabs Ll at the end of the side wall where the partition strips are attached overlie the point of attachment of the nearest partition strip, while at the other end of the sidewall the tab is folded fiat against the face 4of the flap with the collapsed partitions overlying the tabs. The collapsed partition structure, when divided in two as described, is no thicker than the width of the reinforcing angles and consequently the collapsed trays may be stacked one on the other with the at side of the reinforcing angles of one tray resting on the top edges of the collapsed tray beneath.

The rubber reinforcing strips while stiff enough and rigid enough to hold the tray in shape, even under rough handling, have some cushioning effect which protects thebottles against breakage to a much greaterV extent than the wooden tray when the trays are bumped against each other or dropped. Also, the rubber reinforcing members serve to protect the'trays, particularly when the trays are empty or loaded with empty bottles, from damage due to rough handling.

The partition structure, when once set up and erected, becomes a permanent part of the tray,

structure may be made with both transverse and longitudinal sections bent to rectangular configuration and stapled to the walls of the tray to thereby furnish intermediate supports for both the side walls and end walls of the tray.

While my present invention is described as applied to a tray as distinguished from a case, it will be apparent that the various features of the invention may be used with equal advantage in a case wherein the side walls are the full height of the bottle and in the appended claims the word tray is not intended to exclude cases or other containers having the features recited in the claims.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my improved tray, it Will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction herein shown and described, except insofar as recited in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsed reinforced carrier for bottles and the like comprising a sheet of paper board cut and scored to provide side and end flaps, reinforcing angles of semi-rigid plastic material attached to the sheet of paper board along certain of said 25 score lines adjacent the portion thereof forming the body of the carrier with the corner of said angle alined with said score line and with the unattached portion of said angle projecting upwardly beyond the upper face of said bottom portion of said carrier and a collapsed partition assembly attached to the inner face of one of the flaps of said collapsed carrier said connection providing a fold line coincident with the end of one of said partition strips and the face of said flap so that when the flap to which the collapsed partition assembly is attached is folded against the face of the bottom portion of said collapsed carrier the partition assembly will lie iiat against said bottom portion,

2. A collapsed reinforced carrier as recited in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the collapsed partition assembly and the ap to which it is attached is less than the height of the upstanding portion of the reinforcing angle.

WILLIAM GEISLER,

References Cited in the file 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 500,296 Reber et al June 27, 1893 585,320 Steele June 29, 1897 893,870 Post July 21, 1908 1,235,886 Fenlason Aug. '7, 1917 1,883,938 Killeffer Oct. 25, 1932 2,130,610 Howard June 14, 1938

Images