US2718301A - Package for can goods - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 20, 1955 F, PALMER 2,718,301

PACKAGE FOR CAN GOODS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 8, 1950 .m. nu...

INVENTOR BiA/wr .D-PHLMER BY maid/m9 TTORN Y5 United States Patent @fitice 2,718,301 Patented Sept. 20, 1955 PACKAGE 'FQR- CAN 1 GOODS- Frank D. Palmer, Longmeadow, Mass assignolt to Package Machinery Company, East Longmeadow, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationJuly s, 1 950,.Serial.No..172,697.

2 Claims. Cl: 20665) This. invention relates. to.- aportable. container forcar rying and storing aplurality, of cans of food'such as beerand the like.

It is an object. ofrthe inventiontoprovideasealedcon-- tainer in. which a'plurality of canssuch as beer'cansmiay be packaged bywell-known cartoning; machines and; which is provided-with integral carryinggneans of simpleand sturdy construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide.-carr-ying. means for the container which-double as ventilatingmeans foreffective cooling of the'contents of the container when the same is placed'in storage.

A further object is to provide a carton; blank. which maybe shipped completely flat and-set-upinto a sealed. container with a minimum of expense.v

These and other. objects and advantagesv ofthe inven-- tion will. appear more fully. developed! and explained in the following description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1-3- are sectional details ofra portionrof'themew container, showing the methodof completing. adinger grip therein;

Fig. 4is aperspective view,,on asmall' scale, of a container being. carried by hand;

Fig. is asectional view ofa loaded containen, taken: on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Figs. 6.:and-7 are perspective views-f containers having.- modified forms of. fingerv grips;

Fig. 8 is a plan-view. of az-blank to'bemanufactured into; the. container of Figs. 1-5; and

Figs. 9-12show progressive stepsinthe courseof suchmanufacture.

The. package with which the: presenn invention. is. concerned. comprises container such as; a. carton L holding; in. this eXample,-. six cans. of. beer: positioned; in parallel, stacked relation as indicated: at; 2.. The carton is-made: of any suitable material such as cardboard, pasteboard or the like. Finger grips are provided on opposite; side walls 3 and 3' of the carton adjacent the sidesof the cans by elongated, generally U-shaped cuts 4. The cuts. 4 may completely-separate-thegreater portion-of 'a container'wall from the material within thecuts, but preferably they leave smallconnectingportions at spacedintervals'around the'cuts-as-shown-at 5 (Fig; 8-). It-will be noted'thatithe top: ends of'a cut are'connectedby ascored hinge: line at: 6' along which the-upper halfof the material embraced withinthe. cut, which-forms a-finger flap-7, may'befolded against the'adjacent containenwall- 3'; Itwill befurther noted thata coverpiece-8; comprising the lowerhalf' of the area embracedwithimtheicut; is: separated from flap 7 by a roulette cut, and may readily, be brokenfrom'the flap 7 upon application ofa slight finger pressure;

Figs. l-3 illustrate most clearly the manner in which a carton 1 may be prepared for carrying from a shop to a customers home. In Fig. 1, the carton wall 3 with the flap 7 and cover piece 8 present a continuous surface, convenient for the uninterrupted display of advertising matter on the carton and preventing the entrance of dust and dirt 2. during shipment or storage. To effect a finger grip on the carton, the purchaser or the retail dealer presses his fingers against the rouletter cut line between the flap 7 and cover piece 8. The cover piece 8- is pressed into engagement with the surface of the adjacent can 2 (Fig. 2), is broken from the flap 7-, and falls, as shown by Fig. 3, to the bottom of the carton. The flap 7 easily clears the adjacent can 2 and is folded as shown against the adjacent carton Wall 3. The flap 7 serves, as shown by Fig. 3, to dull the edge on which the customers fingers press as he carries the carton along in the manner illustrated by Fig. 4, providing a convenient and comfortable finger grip. It will be noted that the double wall thickness provided by the flap 7 also serves to reinforce the carton at the area on which the greatest finger pressure is brought to hear when the carton is being carried.

It will be noted that the cut 4 is positioned on the carton Wall so that thehingle line 6 is on a plane tangent to two adjacent cans. This permits insertion of the fingers into the carton and provides room between the carton wall 3 and the adjacent cans 2 for the fingers to graspv the carton wall, as well as positioning. the portion 8 in position to engage the adjacent can and to be broken thereby from the portion 7.

When the package. is.placed in a. refrigerator compartment, it is highly desirable that the cans can be cooled as rapidly and efficiently as possible.- T he open cut spaces for the finger, grips in thecarton walls destroy what would.

be, Without said spaces, the insulating effect of the walls 3" and 3'. The. open areas not only promote ready and efficient heat transfer by conduction directly through the. walls of the cans to the surrounding air, but they also afford an opportunity for the cool air of the refrigerator. compartment to circulate. through the carton and to carry. heat from the cans to the refrigerating coils by convection.

Figs. 6 and. 7 show modifications in the form of the above described carton.

In Fig. 6, generally U-shaped elongated cuts 4 (only. one of which is shown) areprovided on the top 9 and bottom (not shown) of the carton. These cuts embracev a cover piece (not shown), which was separated by a roulette cut from a finger flap- 7 hinged along a line at 10 to the carton top.

A finger grip. is provided in the example of Fig. 7 by forming two U-shaped cuts 11. on. opposite side walls 3 and 3' of a carton. Each cut 11 is adapted to receive one finger. Other than as regards-size the cuts 11 are. made in the same manner as cuts 4 previously described. Finger flaps 12'are .indicated in dottedlines and are folded against theinner surface of. the adjacent carton wall.

An important. advantage of this invention. lies in the fact that it provides a carton which may be readily set up from a unitary blank into a container for a plurality of cans by means of standard, well known. cartoning machinery. Moreover, such a blank, being flat and without. slidable inserts and. the like may be shipped morev conveniently and economically. than. carton blanks now available. Fig. 8 shows a carton blank, and Figs. 9-12. show the operation of cartoning machinery uponthis blank to set up a. container.

As shown by Fig, 8, a.blank comprises two side walls.3. and3' with cuts 4 as above described,,thewall 3' having. a connecting fiap 13iextending along the freeedge thereof; two side walls.14 and14', small top and bottom closure. flaps. 15 and 15 on the. opposite. end; edges. of walls 3. and 3'; and large top and bottom closure flaps 16 and 16' on the end edges of walls 14 and 14'. Scored fold lines are provided along the intersections of the side walls and the closure flaps and are designated by the numeral 17.

Fig. 9 shows an initial step in a cartoning operation. Six metal beer cans 2 are positioned in symmetrical aligned arrangement in a double row on an elevator 18. Any suitable means may be used to hold the cans together in position on the elevator. The carton blank is positioned with the side wall 14 in the path of the elevator 18, adjacent the elevator and between a frame member 19 and a floor plate 20.

As the elevator 18 rises and carries the cans and carton blank between member 19 and plate 29, side walls 3 and 3 are laid against the sides of the cans while side wall 14' is pressed over what is at this stage the top of the group of cans.

Then, as shown by Fig. 10, a transfer pusher 21 advances from one side of the package. This pusher carries a pair of tuckers 22 which engage the top and bottom closure flaps and 15 and press the same into contact with the adjacent can surfaces. At the same time, a rear lower folding blade 23 advances with the pusher 21 to engage the connecting flap 1.3 to press the same into engagement with the adjacent can bottoms. Acting substantially simultaneously with these elements, a pivotal glue applicator 24 swings into position to engage the lowermost depending free margin of the side wall 14, which is backed up by an anvil backstop 25, and to apply a coat of glue to said margin.

At this juncture, the applicator 24 and backstop 25 withdraw from engagement with the wall 14, the pusher 21 and folding blade 23 move toward the floor plate 245, and the elevator 18 falls downwardly from support of the cans.

The plate 2% constitutes the floor of a carton folding channel through which the carton is then transported to complete the packaging operation. Fig. 11 shows the end tuckers 26 which operate upon small closure flaps 15 and 15' and the reversely angled folding members 2'7 which operate upon the large closure flaps 16 and 16 to complete the closing of the carton ends in a well known manner. As the package is transported through the channel, and before it reaches the folding members 27, glue is applied to the outstanding flaps 16 and 16' in any suitable manner. The floor plate swings the side wall 14 into engagement with the connecting flap 13 where the glued edge margin of the former fastens the adjacent carton walls together.

Fig. 12 shows the condition of the carton, closed and sealed, after it has passed completely through the folding channel.

All of the elements of the finger grips are present, but in completely flat form, in the carton blank, before the wrapping operation is begun. This results in a sub stantial economy of time and labor in making the carton, which, together with the economy of material effected by the folding flap construction of the finger grips, makes available a convenient, easily carried and inexpensive package for consumers. Consumers today are not generally able to purchase cans of beer in portable cartons containing fewer than twenty-four cans. The cost of providing cartons for smaller numbers of cans has been deemed prohibitive. It is believed the new carton has overcome cost objections raised heretofore, and widespread packaging of small numbers of beer cans is now rendered feasible.

With regard to the method described above for enclosing the cans in the cartons, it has been found desirable to provide means on the elevator 18 to magnetize the same. This conveniently holds the cans 2 in position on the elevator. Wall 14' may be positioned transversely and in the path of movement of the elevator, either on top of the cans or between the bottom of the cans and the elevator. With the wall 14 on top of the cans, the cartoning is effected by the method described above. In the case in which the wall 14' is held between the bottom of the cans and the elevator, the elevator is moved downwardly between a pair of side members to drape the carton blank wall portions against the sides of the cans. The elevator is then de-magnetized and the cans are transported through a folding channel to complete the folding and sealing of the cartons substantially as already described.

What is claimed is:

1. A carton blank comprising four side wall sections connected to each other by parallel fold lines, each of said sections being provided with end closure flaps, a narrow connecting flap being provided along the free edge of one of said wall sections and being adapted to be secured in face to face relation to the free marginal portion of the opposite wall section, alternate wall sections being provided with generally U-shaped cuts, the ends of each of said cuts being connected by a scored hinge line parallel to the ends of said wall sections, one-half the material embraced within each of said cuts being adapted to be folded against the adjacent wall section along said hinge line, the other one-half of said material being divided by a roulette cut from said firstnamed half.

2. A package comprising a sealed container of cardboard in which a plurality of cylindrical cans are arranged in file, the cans in the file being parallel to and contiguous with each other, the top and bottom walls of the container flatly engaging the tops and bottoms of the cans, and the side and end walls of the container tangentially engaging the sides of the cans, said container having an elongated flap formed by closely spaced cuts at at least one side wall of the container, said flap extending parallel with, but of less length than, the containers, said flap being connected along one long side to the body of said side wall by a hinge forming crease positioned substantially centrally between and parallel with the lines of tangent contact of two adjacent cans with said side wall, the opposite and partially cut long side of said flap being positioned closely adjacent and parallel with one of said lines of tangent contact, said flap being divided longitudinally into two parts by a line of closely spaced cuts, said flap being breakable from the adjacent material of said wall along said firstmentioned spaced cuts and the portion of the flap remote from the hinge forming crease being breakable from the portion of the flap adjacent said crease along said secondmentioned line of spaced cuts, all by inward pressure exerted against said flap to thereby form a finger grip opening in the container with the hinged portion of the flap bent against the inner face of the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,166,389 Bergstein July 18, 1939 2,253,273 Haycock Aug. 19, 1941 2,284,385 Freshwaters May 26, 1942 2,297,284 Blackman Sept. 29, 1942 2,308,050 Burr Jan. 12, 1943 2,312,598 Sprague Mar. 2, 1943 2,323,467 Guyer July 6, 1943 2,331,312 Dorfman Oct. 12, 1943 2,481,871 Potts Sept. 13, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 503,786 Great Britain Apr. 13, 1939

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