US2716519A

US2716519A - Collapsible carton

Info

Publication number: US2716519A
Application number: US342656A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bennie A Rafoth; George E Wauda
Original assignee: Marathon Corp
Current assignee: Marathon Corp
Priority date: 1953-03-16
Filing date: 1953-03-16
Publication date: 1955-08-30
Anticipated expiration: 1972-08-30

Description

1955 B. A. RAFOTH ET AL 2,716,519

COLLAPS IBLE CARTON Filed March 16, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet l genn/e 6/6 7% 60/86 6 Adm/do Aug. 30, 1 B. A. RAFOTH ET AL 2,716,519

COLLAPSIBLE CARTON Filed March 16, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 B. A. RAFOTH ET AL COLLAPSIBLE CARTON Aug. 30, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 16, 1953 United States Patent O COLLAPSIBLE CARTON Bennie A. Rafoth, Appleton, and George E. Wanda, Neenah, Wis., assignors to Marathon Corporatlon, Menasha, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 16, 1953, Serial No. 342,656

2 Claims. (Cl. 22939) This invention relates to collapsible paperboard cartons, of the type having what is known as an automatic bottom. In this construction, one end, such as the bottom, is so formed that when the carton is shaped from its collapsed shipping form into tube form for receiving a product to be contained, the bottom of the carton automatically assumes the position to close the end of the carton. Such construction eliminates the need for automatic machinery to close that one end of the carton, or on the other hand speeds up hand erection of the carton by eliminating the need for separately closing one end of the carton. sort, having an automatic" bottom, have found wide use and acceptance, particularly in the ice cream industry.

Several difficulties exist in many of these automatic bottom constructions. In some instances the construc tion provided falls short of being substantially leakproof, which is a prime requirement in the case of many products to be contained, such as ice cream. In other cases, the bottom of the carton tends to collapse into the folded position quite as easily as it was set up into the open position, which in the case of high-speed filling operations, is a serious drawback, an incident of a collapsed carton causing considerable slowing of the entire filling line operation. In other instances, particular bottom constructions may fail to give the desired neat and attractive appearance which has become such an important factor in modern packaging.

Our invention provides a construction which results in a firm and strong carton bottom of a substantially leakproof nature, and which is markedly neat and attractive as presented to the purchaser of a product to be contained therein. The objects and decided advantages of our invention will be readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in' which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the paperboard blank from which our carton is formed, viewing that surface of the blank which will become the inner surface of the finished carton,

Figure 2 is a plan view, partially cut away, similar to Figure l, but with certain portions of the blank in folded position,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the finished carton in collapsed condition,

Figure 4 is a perspective view, partially cut away, show- Due to these advantages, cartons of this Patented Aug. 30, 1955 "ice 2 illustrated in Figure 3 into the finished carton of Figure 7, and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of our carton in position for filling with the product to be packaged.

Referring first to Figure 1, it is seen that our carton is formed from a single blank of paperboard or like material, suitably cut and scored into a number of walls, panels, flaps and tabs, including

side walls

10, 11, 12 and 13 hinged together along

score lines

14, 15 and 16, respectively. In the carton-erected condition, these side walls will form a rectangular sleeve (see Figures 7 and 9).

Bottom end flaps

17, 18, 19 and 20 are hingedly connected to

walls

10, 11, 12 and 13 along

score lines

21, 22, 23 and 24, all respectively.

Top end flaps

25, 26, 27 and 28 are hinged to the opposite end edges of

walls

10, 11, 12 and 13 along

score lines

29, 30, 31 and 32, all respectively. Tear flapv 33 is hingedly connected to the free side edge of side wall 10 along score line 34, and is divided by longitudinal score line 35 into an inner panel 36 and an outer panel 37.

Bottom end flaps

18 and 20 are diagonally divided as Q by substantially parallel perforated score lines 40 and 41 into first or

inner panels

42 and 43 and outer glue panels 44 and45, all respectively. The remote edge of bottom end flap 17 has a V-shaped notch or cut-out therein, as at 46 and 47, and at the apex of the notch a cut line or slit 48 extends interiorly of flap 17.

Top end flap 26 has a male closing element or tab 49 formed on its remote end, and top end flap 28 has formed interiorly thereof a female locking slit 50. These elements are of a conventional form, and serve to close the top end of the filled container in a conventional manner, and need not be described in further detail here.

The upper surfaces (Figure 1) of

glue panels

44 and 45 have a suitable adhesive applied thereto, which operation may be performed by conventional automatic machinery. A similar adhesive is applied to inner panel 36 of tear flap 33. This adhesive may be of any of the well known types suitable for our purposes.

Theinitial step in the folding and adhering of our carton is illustrated in Figure 2.

Bottom flaps

17, 18, 19 and 20 are folded upwardly and inwardly to overlie the upper surfaces of

walls

10, 11, 12 and 13, respectively. As will be recalled, this upper surface of the blank isthat surface which will eventually comprise the inner surface of the finished carton.

Glue panels

44 and 45,are then folded upwardly and outwardly along score lines and 41 to overlie whatwas originally the bottom surfaces of

inner panels

42 and 43, all respectively, thus again positioning upwardly the adhesive surfaces of panels 44 and as seen in Figure 2.

Wall 13, carrying with it

flaps

20, and 28, is then folded upwardly and inwardly to overlie wall 12, thus bringingthe adhesive surface of glue panel 45 into contact with that area of flap 19 which is bounded by

broken lines

50 and 51 and score line 23. Wall 10, carrying with it

end flaps

17 and 25 and tear flap 33, is then folded upwardly and inwardly to overlie wall 11 and the nearer portion of wall 12, thus bringing that portion of bottom end flap 17 defined by

broken lines

52 and 53 and score line 21 into contact with the adhesive surface of glue panel 44. Also, this latter folding brings tear flap 33 into overlying relationship with what was originally the bottom surface of wall 13 adjacent the free edge of that wall, and brings the adhesive surface of inner panel 36 into contact with side wall 13 immediately adjacent the free edge of that side wall. Pressure can then be applied to the thus-folded carton blank to obtain a secure adhesive bond at the contact points of the various adhesive surfaces previously mentioned. The adhesive conarrears nections between the various bottom end flaps are further illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 and the result of the operation just described is illustrated in Figure 3, which shows the collapsed carton as it is usually constructed by the carton manufacturer for shipment to the packer of the'product to be packaged.

Referring to Figures 6, 7 and 8, the collapsed carton shown in Figure 3 is set up into position for receiving the product to be packaged by applying compressive pressure at the corners of the carton along

score lines

14 and 16. With particular reference to Figure 8, as this pressure is applied, the distance between

walls

12 and 13 and between Walls and 11 tends to increase, whereupon the truss construction created by the connection of flap 19 to flap and of flap 17 to flap 18 causes the ex'er- A else of forces tending to pull those bottom flaps from their fiat position within the collapsed carton into a position perpendicular to the side walls to close the bottom end of the carton. The dimensions of these bottom il'aps are such that

flaps

18 and 20 lie to the exterior of the erected carton, flap 17 is an intermediate position, and fiap 19 to the interior of the carton. Flap 19 is of such dimensions that it closely fits the interior of the squared or set-up carton, thereby substantially sealing the bottom end of the carton, flap 19 being restrained from collapse due to the contained product by the interrelated support of the other three bottom flaps.

As the carton is being erected (Figure 8), cut away curved edge 60 of flap 20 overrides the adjacent portion of ilap 17, tending to resist the erection of that portion of flap 17. This results in an opening-up of cut 48, into which a portion of panel 43 of flap 20 is forced as will be noted later. Flap 18 is cut away as at edge 61 to avoid undesirable interference between flaps '18 and 19 as the carton is erected or assembled. it will be noted from Figure 1 that it is the corresponding edges of

flaps

18 and 20 which are cut away as at 61 and 60, respectively.

With particular reference to Figures 6 and 7, it will be noted that in the erected carton bottom end flap 1 8 lies completely exteriorly of the assembled carton. Flap 20 likewise lies exteriorly of the carton except for a 1'7, 18 and 20, and is supported thereby. It will be noted that out line 48 facilitates a particularly strong, effective interlock between flaps 17 and panel 43 of flap 20, resisting any tendency of the contents of the carton to push out "or break the thus-formed carton bottom, but without there being any tendency for this construction to provide a point of leakage for the contained product, since the main closure flap, flap 19, lies interiorly of this construction. It will be observed that panel 43 of flap 20 is hinged to wall 13, which is at right angles (Figure 6) to the wall It to which 'flap 17 is hinged; while panel of flap 20 (being glued to flap 19) is elfectively integral with flap 19 and thus hinged to wall 12. It is apparent that this arrangement results in a truss effect between flap 17 and panel 43, which strongly resist forces within the carton tending to break the bottom open; the interlock at out line 48 of flap 20 and panel 43 imposes a shear or bending stress on those elements, when they are resisting such forces, since the portion of panel 43 adjacent hinge line 24 lies exteriorly (Figure 6) of the adjacent portion of flap 17 While the remote portion of panel 43 lies interiorly of the distant part of flap 17 beyond cut line 48, out line 48 serving as a fulcrum for the imposition of bending stress on panel 43. On the other hand, if the interlock were between flap 1'7 and flap 19 or panel 45 glued-to and integral with flap '19, such a load would impose a tearing stress, which the paperboard carton material is much less capable of resisting.

Figure 9 shows our completed carton in the upright position ready for receiving the product to be packaged. Referring to Figures 7 and 9, it will be seen that our carton provides a neat and attractive, as well as strong, packaging medium. Referring also to Figure 6, it will be seen that tear fiap 33 provides a convenient means of opening the package. After opening the interlocked

end flaps

26 and 28 the non-adhered outer panel 37 of the tear flap 33 may be readily grasped for the breaking loose of the adhesive connection between inner panel 36 and side wall 13. Walls 10 and 11 are then swung together on hinge line 15 thereby fully exposing the contents of the carton. Of course, the top end of the carton may be opened as illustrated in Figure 9 as an alternative means of access to the packaged material.

Since a number of variations in detail might be availed of without departing from the spirit of our invention, it is to be understood that no limitations upon the scope of our invention are intended except as are specifically included in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A paperboard blank for forming a collapsible carton comprising a single blank suitably cut and scored to provide opposed pairs of carton side walls arranged to form a rectangular sleeve when folded and connected, each of said side walls having hingedly connected to the bottom end edge thereof a bottom flap, said bottom flaps being adapted to form a bottom closure for the carton when secured together and the carton side walls are formed into such sleeve, one alternate pair of said bottorn flaps each being scored diagonally and in the same direction to provide a bottom glue panel hinged to a bottom flap along such diagonal score line, each of said glue panels extending toward a different one of the other alternate pair of bottom flaps and having its surface which will lie to the interior of the carton adapted to be adhered to that surface of the bottom flap toward which it extends which will lie to the exterior of the carton,

one of the bottom flaps of the other of said alternate pairs being of dimension to substantially close the bottom end of the rectangular sleeve, and the other bottom flap of said other alternate pair having an inwardly-extending V-shaped notch in that edge thereof opposite its hinge connection to a side wall and a slit extending inwardly from the apex of the notch, a "bottom flap of said one alternate pair being adapted to interlock within said notch and said slit when the blank is assembled to form said sleeve and bottom closure.

2. A collapsible carton formed from a unitary paperboard blank suitably cut and scored to provide four 'consecutively-positioned side walls adapted to form a rectangular sleeve in folded and connected condition, each of said side walls having a bottom end flap hinged to its bottom end edge, said flaps being adapted to form a bottom end closure for said sleeve, one alternate pair of said flaps being divided by substantially parallel diagonal score lines into first panels hinged to the side walls and glue panels hinged to the first panels along said score lines, each of said glue panels extending toward a different flap from the other alternate pair and adhered to the outer surface thereof, corresponding side edges of said first panels being substantially cut away outwardly of the hinge-connections of those panels to the respective side walls, one of the flaps of said other'a'lternate pair being of dimension to substantially close the bottom end of the rectangular sleeve, and the other 'flap of said other alternate pair having an inwardly-extending V-shaped notch cut into itsedge opposite its hinge connection to a side wall and an inwardly-directed slit extending from the apex of said notch, the first panel to References Cited in the file of this patent which is hinged the glue panel which is adhered to said UNITED STATES PATENTS one flap of the other alternate pair being in carton-erected position interlocked within said notch and slit with the 2454-475 2"" P 1939 portion of said first panel adjacent its hinge 'connec- 5 2327709 Hlmes 1943 tion to a side wall lying exteriorly and a remote portion 2'348'378 Goodyear May 1944 thereof lying interiorly of the other flap of said other 13979 June 1.950 alternate pain 2,538,860 1 Buttery Jan. 23, 1951