US2738055A

US2738055A - Can package

Info

Publication number: US2738055A
Application number: US287284A
Authority: US
Inventors: Curtis M Shanahan
Original assignee: Container Corp
Current assignee: Container Corp; Smurfit Kappa Packaging Corp
Priority date: 1952-05-12
Filing date: 1952-05-12
Publication date: 1956-03-13
Anticipated expiration: 1973-03-13

Description

March 13, 1956 c. M. SHANAHAN 2,738,055

CAN PACKAGE Filed May 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m nig- 14' fnz/enzr Curtis Hahn an March 13, 1956 c. M. SHANAHAN CAN PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed, May 12 1952 [mum-L227: CUFZLZS Mj/uzncL/Lam i It United States Patent CAN PACKAGE Curtis M. Shanahan, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, assignor to Container Corporation of'America, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application May 12, 1952, Serial No. 287,284

3 Claims. or. 206-4514) The invention, of which certain preferred-illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein, pertains to can holders composed of fibrous sheetmaterial, such as paperboard, and to a packaged unit consisting of one or more cans as packaged in the holder, the arrangement being such that one or more of the cans disposed in the package maycoop erate with the holder or portions thereof substantially to secure the can or cans and holder against relative displacement. More particularly, the holder is ofsuchnature and construction that it will expose at least one side-wall of a can or similar container and its label'or contents indicia to the view of a customer. The holder exemplified may be considered to be of that general type of which an example is disclosed in Chidsey Patent 2,571,833 dated October 16, 1951, but should not be considered as limited thereto since certain features are applicable to containers of other types.

One of the principal objects of theinvention is to provide a simple and effective means integral with-the band holder whereby a single can or a plurality of cans may be firmly and securely held in the holder against accidental displacement from an open side of the holder yet which will not interfere with or obstruct a clear view of data on a can or its label such as the can contents, brand, weight, etc.

Other important objects include the provision of a holder which may receive and retain a single canyor a plurality of cans, or one or more cans andone or more .items of a different nature to be packaged with the can or cans as a unit package, which will permitat can or cans to be inserted with ease and speed either by hand or machine operation, which will automatically secure a can or cans against accidental displacement as the cans are inserted to their properposition in the package, which will require aminimum of material andoperations iii-manufacture, which may be manufactured and stored,.shipped and otherwise handled either in the blank form or in a folded and secured but flattened or collapsed form, and which is adapted to package cans and other typesof container of various body shapes including cylindrical, poly onal and other shapes and to all such containers whether having chimes or flat ends without chimes;

Other objects as well as the many advantages and uses of the invention will become apparent after reading the following description and claims and afterob's'erving the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a can holder with a can disposed and secured therein, the construction of the holder being in accordance with 'onefo'rm ofthe invention, a part of one side of the package being broken away;

Fig. 2 is transverse sectional view of the holder and can package unit of Fig. 1, the section being takensubstantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a sideelevation, with parts broken away and parts in section along-section line 3-3 of Fig. 2, of the package of Figs-1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a blank as cut ands'co'red ready" 2,738,055 Patented Mar. 13, 1956 It should be-appreciated at the outset that each of the two forms of the invention illustrated may be employed to package a single can or other container as well as two or' more cans or other containers and, when and where desired, may be employed, with orwithout substantial modification, to package two or more entirely different types of commodity as, for instance, a can and a brush or a can and a can opener.- Of course where a c'anor the like and an item such as a brush or can opener are packaged together, some-special arrangement for securing the packaged items against displacement from one open side oftheholder may be required as will be pointed out and described hereinafter. Unit packages of canned goods oi-canned goods and other items for sale have many advantages for the manufacturer of commodities which may be packaged in holders of the type disclosed herein and, likewise, for the wholesaler, the retailer and the ultimate consumer or purchaser. A few of the advantages are mentioned in Patent 2,571,833, above noted.- i

The holder shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 may be constructed from the blank of Fig. 4 which consists of a generally rectangular piece orstrip of paperboard or other suitable material cut from sheets or rolls of the material and sco'redready for the application of adhesive to a glue flap at one end and folding and securing in flat or open tube-form for storage, shipping or immediate use. The blank strip'shown is defined by

longitudinal side edges

8 and 8 whichare parallel to one another in thisem'bodiment, by

endedges

9 and 9 which likewise are parallel and extend at right angles to the side edges, by score-lines "10, 10 and 11,- 11 which are

paralle'lto edges

9,9 and define a glue Help 12, top and bottom end wall panels oneof which is designated 13 and the other 13, a pair of

side wall panels

14, 14, and a pair of securing flaps generally designated 15,15, the functions and details of which will be explained in fullhereinafter, which project laterally from th'e side edges of panels 13 and 13', respectively,andare delineated therefrom byhinge or

fold score lines

16, 16" aligned with the edge 8. Adhesive maybe applied-toeither side of glue flap 12 for connecting that flap tothe marginal portion of panel 14 along edge 9 when the blank is folded along

score lines

19,10, 11

'and' 11' to'eifect the tubular form. If the holder is to be put in a flattened tube form for storage or shipping and until ready' for use, the blank may be secured-in such formby" folding the ends toward one another about either

fold lines

10 and 11 or fold lines 10' and 11', as will apparent, or, after being folded and secured in box form, may be flattened or collapsed by'press'ing diagonally opposite corner edges toward a plane through the other pair of diagonally opposite corner edges.

The holder illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, is illustratedas equipped with a securing flap, 15 or 15 for only one side of each of the panels 13' and 13 but for some purposes there may be a duplicate of one or the other of these flaps latthe opposite side of each or both of panels 13, 13'. Also, for some purposesthere may be but'one' securing flap, either 15 or 15', for one of the panels 130113', as may bepreferred, the other of these panels being dev'oidof 'a'securing flap, or there may be a 'seeuringflap atbo'th sides of one of the

panels

13 and 13", 'the'o'ther' being -withdutsuch flaps; Theseseverhl arrangements and the manners in which they may function will become apparent as this description proceeds.

The flaps and 15' are similar in construction and function. Each is composed of an inner portion or section 17 preferably of rectangular shape and an outer portion or section 18 preferably of the shape of a segment of a circle when the holder is to receive cans having circular chimes, the two portions being delineated or segregated from one another by a score, fold or hinge line 19 parallel to the hinge or

score line

16 or 16. It is preferable that the opposite free edges 2% portion 17 be cut back slightly from the

score lines

13 and 19 to which they may be parallel thereby to reduce the width of the flap so that it will fold freely, without frictional resistance, inwardly of the holder toward the inner face of the end wall panel to which it is connected. Preferably also the edges 20 are off-set or stepped outwardly slightly from the junctions of the ends of the arcuate edge 21 of portion 18 with hinge line 19 for purposes which will appear.

The arcuate edge 21 of the outer portion 13 preferably is a true are struck on a radius, equal to or only slightly less than the radius from the center of a can end to the inside circumferential surface of the can chime, using a center located on the median line of the flap but within the bounds of portion 17, so that the distance from edge 21 to the fold line 19, measured along the median line, is somewhat less than the length of the radius of the are. Adjacent to the fold or hinge line 16 the inner portion 17 is arcuately slit, as at 22, equidistantly to each side of the median line of the flap, on a radius equal to or slightly greater than the radius from the center of the can end to the outside surface of the can chime at that end, using a center located on said median line but within the bounds of portion 18, so that the distance from the slit 22 to the fold or hinge line 19, measured along said median line, is somewhat less than the radius of the slit are. Preferably the centers about which the arcuate edge 21 and the arcuate slit 22 are struck are spaced equal distances from the fold or hinge line 19.

The ends of slit 22 terminate well within the bounds of the side edges 20 of flap portion 17 and are turned about upon themselves, as indicated at 22, on the convex side of the slit, i. e. toward the fold or hinge line 16, so as to permit that edge 23 of the slit which is adjacent to (faces away from) the hinge line 16, to move out of or to be displaced from the plane in which the opposite (remote as respects line 16) edge 24 along the slit, the function and purpose of this arrangement later more fully appearing. Of course, if desired, a slot may be formed in place of a slit and the reversely curved ends of the slit may also become slots; also, instead of having reversely curved ends the slit or slot ends may extend more or less radially, from the ends of the portion struck from the center in flap portion 18, toward the hinge line 16. The recurved ends 22 of the slot 22 provide tab-like parts or lips 23'.

When the holder is folded and secured in its tube or box form the

securing flaps

15, 15 are permitted to remain in the planes of the top and bottom end walls until it is desired to package a can or the like therein at which time the two portions of each flap are folded after such manner as to put them in the positions indicated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, when a can having a chime at each end is packaged in the holder. The two portions or

sections

17, 18 of each flap, as one, may be folded about

hinge line

16 or 16, inwardly of the holder to a position where they extend in a plane substantially parallel with and adjacent to the inner surface of the end wall panel to which they are attached whereupon the portion 18 is swung about the fold or hinge line 19 to a position where it lies substantially parallel to the portion 17 and the adjacent end wall panel but at the side adjacent to the end of the can to be packaged in the holder. At this time, if the arcuate edge 21 and the arcuate slit 22 have been correctly formed and positioned, that edge and the

edges

23 and 24 of the slit will be concentric over the length to which they may be coextensive and the edge 21 will be spaced apart from the edge 23 by a radial distance not less than nor very substantially greater than the radial thickness of the chime of a can to be packaged.

The length or height of the side walls of the holder preferably should closely aproximate the overall height of a can (including the chimes) to be packaged but some allowance is usually made, for one thicknes of material, i. e. the portion 17 of a flap, between the chime end and the inner surface of the adjacent end panel as will be appreciated from the view of Fig. 3. The can may he slipped sidewise into the tube from either side opening but it is much easier to do so from a position to the right of Figs. 1, 2 or 3, for while the one hand is being used at the left side of the holder (oriented as illustrated) to hold the folded flap portions in place, the other hand may be used to slide the can into place, the folded edge formed by the hinge line 19 passing between the can chime and the end wall panel.

Partly by reason of the resilience of the material and tension and compression forces or possibly other forces tending to distort the material due to the folding of the two portions or sections of the securing fiap and, perhaps, partly by reason of other factors including the engagement of the end edge of the can chime with the margin of portion 17 along edge 24, as indicated at 25 in Fig. 3, the edge 23 and those parts of portion 17 including the tab-like parts or lips 23' which border edge 23, rise out of the plane in which the edge 24 and the adjacent parts of portion 17 lie, so as to provide a more or less continuous arcuate abutment against which the exterior side or surface of the can chime (or can side wall at the end thereof if there is no chime) will engage when the can is entered into the tube or band to its proper position. The can chime or can end, if the holder is made in the preferred manner and with preferred dimensions relative to the can to be disposed therein, will press against the margin or border of edge 24 urging it and other chime engaged parts of portion 17 outwardly toward and against the adjacent end wall panel of the holder. At the same time the portion 18 and the edge 21 will have sprung away from portion 17 to dispose the edge 21 inside of the can chime and in abutting relation to the inner surface of the chime along a coextensive arcuate length of that surface. As Fig. 3 clearly illustrates, this places the can chime between oppositely facing arcuate abutments formed by

edges

21 and 23 so that thecan is restrained against displacement from the position to which it has thus been placed in the holder.

If the can has a chime at only one end and the holder is correctly proportioned so that the can may have little or no endwise movement relative to the holder, a securing flap at one end only may suffice to hold the can firmly against accidental displacement from the package. Also, as will appear from the other embodiment illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive, the portion 18 of the securing flap may be omitted when the can has a plain or flat end without a chime, reliance being placed upon the abutment provided by an edge 23 at one or both ends of the can to restrain the can from accidental displacement from one side of the package and upon either a similar and opposing abutment on a securing flap at the opposite side of the holder at the same or the diagonally opposite end, or, some other means such as a piece of tape secured across the opposite open side of the holder. As will be appreciated the construction of the holder and its securing flaps and the form or shape of the abutment or restraining edges of the securing flaps may be modified to conform to can ends of rectangular or other shapes.

The holder of the embodiment of Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive, is designed primarily for packaging a plurality of cans having plain or flat ends, i. e. without chimes, and to 2,7ss,oos

give increased visibility of the side wall areas of cans or other containers packaged in the holder. Fig. 7 illustrates the blank as formed from suitable paperboard or other sheet material, by cutting and scoring, and ready to be, secured in tubular or box form after the manner of the embodiment previously described. The blank has a glue flap 30,

end wall panels

31 and 31 either of which may be the top wall panel and the other the bottom wall panel, a pair of side wall panels32 and 32, and a securing flap 33 at each side edge of each of the end wall panels. The opposite side edges of each of the side wall panels 32, 32' are cut concavely as at 34 on equal radii so that, when cans or other items are packaged in the holder, a greater area of the side wall surface of each end can or part of the packaged item will be exposed to view.

The securing flaps 33 differ from those of the holder of Figs. 1 to 4 in that each hasbut one portion to provide an abutment for engaging a can end to prevent displacement but the arrangement is such that the single abutment at one side of an end wall panel to prevent accidental displacement of a can from that side is supplemented by a corresponding single abutment at the other side of the end wallpanel reacting against a can adjacent thereto to prevent displacement from such side. Here each of the securing flaps 33 is provided with a slit 35 corresponding in every material respect with the slits 22 above described. Each edge 36 formed by the slit serves to abut against the outside surface of the can side wall at an end thereof when'the securing flap is folded inward of the holder end wall panel as Figs. 5 and 7 clearly reveal. This arrangement is useful for cans which lack a chime or its equivalent and may be employed for packaging one can or a plurality as shown and for either or both ends of a can. If desired an abutment flap may be employed at only one side of an end wall panel if the opposite side of the package is blocked by other means against egress of a can therefrom.

It should nowbe apparent that while both embodiments of the holder are particularly adapted for cans and like containers having circular ends or one circular end regardless of the shape or construction of the opposite end, appropriate changes in the shape and arrangement of the edges or lips forming the abutments or securing means may be made to accommodate cans and other containers and objects having ends of polygonal or other shape or conformation. It' will be clear also, that the invention is adapted to employment for cans having chimes or cans devoid of chimes and whether of the drawn type without an end bead or seam or of the seamed or beaded end construction. It should also be understood that the term slit as it may be used in the claims is intended to be interpreted broadly to include a slot where the functional purposes would be the same or similar. Accordingly, it is desired that the invention be considered as limited only by its spirit and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A can package comprising a can and a holder thereabout, said holder comprising a length of material such as paperboard cut, folded and secured in tube form to provide a pair of substantially oppositely disposed and spaced end wall panels, one end wall panel extending across a portion of one and the other across a portion of the other end of the can, a pair of substantially oppositely disposed and spaced side wall panels, said package being open at one side between said side wall panels to expose the side wall of the can to view, and means for retaining one end of said can against displacement through said open side comprising a flap connected with one of said end wall panels along that marginal edge of the panel which is adjacent to and extends between the side wall panels at said open side, said flap being disposed between paperboard cut, folded and secured in tube form to provide a pair of substantially oppositely disposed and spaced end wall panels, one end Wall panel extending across a portion of one and the other across a portion of the other end of the can,a pair of substantially oppositely disposed and spaced side wall panels, said package being open at one side between said side wall panels to expose the side wall of the can to view, and means for retaining one end of said can against displacement through said open side comprising a flat connected with one of said end wall panels along that marginal edge of the panel which is adjacent to and extends between the side wall panels at said open side, said fiap being disposed between the adjacent end of the can and the end wall panel to which it is connected, and an abutment integral with said flap, displaced from the plane of the flap and engaged with and along a substantial length of the outwardly facing margin of the said exposed can side wall adjacent to said one end of said can, said abutment being formed by the outer edge of the materialprovided by a slit cut through said flap along a path substantially conforming to the contour of the side wall of the can at said one end of the can. v

3. A can package comprising a cylindrical can and a holder thereabout, said holder comprising a strip of material such as paperboard cut, folded and secured in tube form to provide a pair of substantially oppositely disposed and spaced end wall panels, one end wall panel extending across a portion of one and the other across a portion of the other end of the can, a pair of substantially oppositely disposed and spaced side wall panels, said package being open at one side between said side wall panels to expose the side wall of the can to view, and means for retaining one end of said can against displacement through said open side comprising a flap connected with one of said end wall panels along that marginal edge of the panel which is adjacent to said open side, said flap being dis posed across and between the adjacent end of the can and the end wall panel to which it is connected, and an abutment integral with said flap and engaged with and along a substantial length of the outwardly facing margin of the said exposed can side wall adjacent to said one end of said can, said abutmentbeing formed by the outer edge of the material provided by an arcuate slit cut through said flap wholly within the bounds thereof and along a path conforming to the contour of the side wall of the can at said one end of the can, theopposite end portions of said slit recurving upon themselves away from said can side wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 345,298 Goodbody July 13, 1886 1,603,024 Childs Oct. 12, 1926 2,331,038 Meller Oct. 5, 1943 2,443,256 Lebold June 15, 1948 2,523,986 Foster Sept. 26, 1950 2,554,190 Hennessey May 22, 1951 2,571,833 Chidsey, Jr. Oct. 16, 1951 2,611,521 Hackman et al. Sept. 23, 1952 2,614,737 Parker Oct. 21, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 45,697 France Aug. 26, 1935