US2725172A

US2725172A - Package and wrapper for forming same

Info

Publication number: US2725172A
Application number: US322672A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lewell O Mccullough; Clegg E Price; Charles H Beam; Ralph F Skinner
Original assignee: LANCE Inc
Current assignee: LANCE Inc
Priority date: 1952-11-26
Filing date: 1952-11-26
Publication date: 1955-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 1972-11-29

Description

Nov. 29, 1955 o. MCCULLOUGH ET AL PACKAGE AND WRAPPER FOR FORMING SAME Filed Nov. 26, 1952 INVENTORS. Lzwzu. O.MCu1.:.ouau, CLEGG E. Pmcs, Cmmuss H. BEAM and Ram" FSKmNER.

ATTORNEYS.

United States PatentO PACKAGE AND WRAPPER FOR FORMING SAIVIE Lewell O. McCullough, Charlotte, Clegg E. Price, Matthews, and Charles H. Beam and Ralph F. Skinner, Charlotte, N. C., assignors to Lance, Inc., Charlotte, N. C., a corporation of North Carolina Application November 26, 1952, Serial No. 322,672

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-16) This invention relates to wrappers and more especially to a wrapper for and process of packaging relatively small articles or groups of articles such as crackers, cookies, sandwiches and the like.

As is well known, various articles such as crackers, sandwiches, cookies and the like are wrapped in a sheet of web material made from regenerated cellulose or some plastic material such as cellophane, glassine or the like. The ends of such wrappers are usually folded in overlapping relation to each other at opposite sides of the package or articles contained therein and it is extremely diificult to remove the wrapper from its contents because the smooth, unbroken overlapping edges of said web material offer resistance to tearing.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved process of wrapping an article, wherein an improved wrapper is utilized. The wrapper is formed from a substantially rectangular blank having a tearingstrip, preferably a band of the same material as that of the blank, extending transversely thereof and adhesively or cohesively afiixed thereto. The blank is provided with slits, nicks or notches at opposite longitudinal edges thereof, there being a pair of slits disposed astride each end of the tearing-strip and, in addition, the blank is formed with a third slit in each of its longitudinal side edges which is so positioned that, when opposite portions of the wrapper or blank are folded in overlapping relation to form seams at opposite sides of the articles, and sealed by the application of heat thereto, an outer seam edge with a pair of slits therein and an inner seam edge with one slit therein is formed on each of opposite sides of the package. One of said slits of said pair in each outer seam edge is disposed in substantial alinement with the corresponding third slit formed in the inner seam edge.

Thus, the wrapper may subsequently be removed by grasping one end of the tearing-strip and, since slits are formed in the corresponding edge of the wrapper, the seal is readily broken. As the tearing-strip is pulled away from the package, the wrapper tears easily until substantially the entire length of the tearing-strip has been torn away. Then, the notch or slit in the inner seam edge which coincides with the pair of slits or notches which straddle the opposite or still-attached end of the tearingstrip, breaks the seal of the package at that side of the package whereupon the upper portion of the package may be opened in substantially the manner of the cover of a box. Since the seal of the package will have been broken, the entire upper portion or cover defined by the portion of the wrapper that has been torn away may be readily removed from the body of the package.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1 to 4 are isometric views of the package in successive stages of the wrapper being folded about the articles contained therein;

Figure 5 is an isometric view of the package formed from the completely folded and sealed wrapper;

Figure 6 is an isometric view of the opposite side of the package from that shown in Figure 5 with a substantial portion of the tearing-strip pulled away from the package to illustrate how the seal of the wrapper is broken for subsequently removing the cover of the package defined by said tearing-strip.

In my co-pending application entitled Pull-Tape Applicator and Web Slitting Apparatus and Method, Serial No. 322,671, filed of even date herewith, there are shown means for forming slits in opposite edges of successive wrapper blanks severed from a web material after applying a tearing-strip or pull-tape to the web material. Referring to the drawing, the blank of the wrapper is generally designated at 10 and is formed from a heat-sealable material, such as regenerated cellulose or some plastic material, such as cellophane or the like. This blank 10 is adapted to be formed as a wrapper or package when wrapped around an article or group of articles generally designated at A.

The blank 10 is substantially rectangularly-shaped, thus being provided with opposite

longitudinal side edges

11 and 12 and opposite

transverse end edges

13 and 14. A tearing-strip or pull-tape 15 is adhesively or cohesively secured to one face of the blank 10 and extends from the first side edge 11 to the second side edge 12 of the blank and is also spaced inwardly from the end edge 14. The tearing-strip or pull-tape 15 is preferably made from the same material as the wrapper blank 10.

The

side edges

11 and 12 of the blank 10 are formed with respective pairs of nicks or slits or

notches

16, 17, and 20, 21 which are disposed astride opposite ends of the tearing-strip or pull-tape 15. The

side edges

11 and 12 are also provided with respective third slits or

notches

22 and 23 which extend toward each other and are spaced inwardly from the end edge 13 substantially the same distance as the

slits

17 and 21 are spaced inwardly from the end edge 14 of the blank 10.

The blank 10 may be formed as a wrapper enfolded around an article or group of articles A by a wrapping machine such as that disclosed in the patent to John W. May, No. 2,526,824 of October 24, 1950.

In the formation of the package, the opposite end portions of the blank 10 defined by the

edges

13 and 14 are folded upwardly against opposite sides of the article A to form

end panels

25 and 26. The tape 15 is then held between the wrapper and the article. Thereafter, the exposed portions of the blank between said

end panels

25 and 26 are folded upwardly against opposite sides of the article A to form lower side panels or

tucks

30 and 31, after which the

edges

11 and 12 of the end panel 26 are folded inwardly against opposite sides of the package to form gusset side panels or

side flaps

32 and 33 in which position the

slits

22 and 23 are preferably disposed above the upper edges of the lower side panels or

tucks

30 and 31.

The

edges

11 and 12 of the end panel 25 are then folded inwardly thereby forming outer gusset panels or side flaps 34 and 3-5 positioned over the proximal portions of the

gusset panels

32 and 33 to form seams wherein the

slits

17 and 21 in the outer seam edge coincide substantially with the

respective slits

22 and 23 in the inner seam edge.

Opposite sides of the package are then sealed, such as by the application of heat thereto, to cause the overlapping inner and outer seam edges of the

side gusset panels

33, 3S and 32, 34 to adhere to each other.

This completes the formation of the bottom, side and end wall portions of the package. Thereafter, the upper central portions of the

panels

25 and 26 are folded inwardly atop the article A to form top panels or

tucks

36 and 37; respectively, whose proximal edges are usually spaced slightly from each othen Gussetdike flaps- 40 and 41, which are formed from the upper proximal portions of the overlapping

side flaps

32, 34, and 33,35, respectively, are then folded inwardly in partially overlapping relation upon the top panels or tucks 3Z6 and.37, after which the, seam formed by the overlappingjportions of the flaps 46 and 41 is adhesively joined, as by being shown in Figure 5, it is merely necessary for the person opening the package to insert a finger nail underneath the outer sewn edge at either of the

edges

11 or 12 of the package, between the corresponding pairs of

slits

16, 17 or 20, 21.. Assuming the person opening the package inserts his finger nail under the edge 12 of the wrapper between slits ltland 21, since the edge of the wrapping material is already fractured at this point, it is merely necessary to pull the tearing-strip or pull-tape 15-and a portion.42 is readily torn from the wrapper parallel to tlietearing-stri'p until the portion 42 has been torn away around to the opposite side of the package at the seam of the gusset panels as shown in Figure 6.

Since the portion of the edge 11 of the wrapper 10 at the gusset panel 33' forms the inner seam edge beneath the correspondingopoition of the gusset panel 3'5"which forms the outer seam edge, and the proximal portionsof the gusset panels 331 and 35 have beensealed in overlapping engagement with each other, only the lower. edge of the portion 42 will tear away from the article or articles A at this point while the upper edge of-portion 42 at'the seam of gussets 33'and 35 will not tear away because of there being only a single slit 22 coinciding with the slit 17;

Thus, the opening in the wrapper formed by the portion 42 torn from the package by, the tearing-strip 15, defines a cover at the top portion of the. package, including the-

tucks

36 and 37 and the flaps 40 and .41, and it is merely necessary to raise said cover, p ivoting. thevsame upwardly at that portion thereof adjacent which the por: tion 42 has been removed and, since the, gusset panel'32 has the-slit 23 therein and the gusset panel 33 has the. slit 22" therein, the, cover formed by the panels 36., and 37 and *the flaps 4t) and 41 will readily be separated from the major or lower portion ofthe wrapper to permit the access to the contents thereof.

In thedrawings and'specification there has been, set forth a preferredembodiment of the inventionandmale though specific terms are employed; they are usedxin a. descriptive/and generic sense only, and not for purposes.

oflimitation, the scope of theinvention being. defined in the claims:

I claim:

1: A wrapper extending" about at least one article in a continuous manner to define a package, said wrapper being so folded about said article as to define overlapping outer and inner flap portions on at least two surfaces of said package, means for. facilitating the opening of the package comprising a pull -t'ap'esecured to the wrapper and! extending: from: one: edge of! one outer, fia'pportion across the wrapper to one edge of the other outer flap portion, at. least one of said outer flap portions having a pair of notches communicating, with it'sedge and disposed astride the: pull tapqthe inner flap portion -of the other of said overlapping portions having at least one notch't communicating with its edge and disposed subjacent the adjacent endportion of thepull-tape, and said overlapping portions being secured'together whereby the end of the tape adjacent the pair of notches may be pulled to open the package and saidnotches servingto permit" easy tearing of portions ofth'ewrapper'in which the respective notches are-formed 2. A" package for an" article comprising,arectangular wrapper, a tearing-strip extending transversely of said Wrapper and being sp'acecllinwardlyfrom' one transverse edge thereof, saidwrapper beingprovidedlwith a pair of slits. ateach; longitudinal edge thereof disposed astrid'e' opposite end portions of the tearing-strip, said'wrapper also having La thirdslit' formed infiea'ch of its longitudinal edges and each. third. slit. bein'g spaced from theother transverse edge oftlie wrapper, one of" the slits ofeach" pair 'ofslits. and eachof"saiFtl'lird'slits being substantially equally spaced 'fromtheir'respective transverse edges, said wrapper beingso enfoldediabouti sa'id'article asto form overlapping portions on opposedi sides of the package, said overlapping portions each'v-including a portion of saidwrapperliaving said pair'of "slits therein anda portion vofsaid-wra'pper having said. thirdslittherein, one of said slits' ofeach pjair being; positioned above one of said third: slits to thereb'y'enabl an operator to readily, tear th'e'.tearing strip'and'a' corresponding portion of the wrapper from saidpackage formed 'therefrom and to enable the' operator to. readily remove: thecorresponding end of the package fromlthevmajor portion ofthe package.

References Git'edin'the 'of this patent"