US2756919A - Cartons - Google Patents

Description

y 1956 B. J. DAVIDSON 2,756,919

CARTONS Filed Aug. 15, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet. l

l Fl 6. IA.

IN VEN TOR.

BRU CE -J.DA-VIDSON ATTORNEY July 31, 1956 B. J. DAVIDSON CARTONS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 15, 1950 INVENTOR. BRUCE: .J.DAV|DSON ATTORNEY July 31, 1956 B. J. DAVIDSON CARTONS Filed Aug. 15, 1950 I" I l INVENTOR. BRUCE J. DAVIDSON BY 4 f 2 E ATTORNEY July 31, 1956' INVEN TOR BRUCE J. DAVIDSON BY 47W ATTORNEY 2,756,919 CARTONS Bruce J. Davidson, Sands Point, N. Y., assignor to National Biscuit Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 15, 1950, Serial No. 179,519

7 Claims. (Cl. 229-14) This invention relates to cartons and their method of manufacture and, more particularly, to an improved carton, and the method or" making it, for packaging bakery products and other perishable goods.

The problem of developing a practicable sealed-end carton fitted with a sealed-end liner has existed since about the turn of the present century, when individually packaged goods, as distinguished from bulk packaged goods, became the practice. Since that time, the orthodox package for bakery products such as biscuit has been the well known Peters carton disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 621,974, which consists essentially of a scored cardboard blank folded and interlocked with a waxed paper lining. This package, unsurpassed throughout the years, has sufiiced until the recent advent of the sandwich type of cookie and cracker, consisting of two base cakes with a filling of fondant, marshmallow cream, or peanut butter, etc. between them. This type of product has emphasized the need for providing an adequate carton, preferably one which retains the desirable features of the Peters carton to enable it to be folded and erected by automatic machinery, as heretofore, and yet be more impervious to atmospheric and other conditions so as to increase the shelf-life of the product.

One solution to the problem is a sealed-end liner within a sealed-end carton. While such type of carton is entirely satisfactory from the viewpoint of preserving the quality of the product and as a deterrent in the development of rancidity, no way of making it has been conceived heretofore that does not entail .such increased production costs as to prohibit its use in the competitive retail field of the products to be packaged in it. The higher costs result primarily from thefact that no method has been devised whereby the liner can be folded and sealed simultaneously with the folding and sealing of the carton blank. Instead, the linermust be folded and glued separately into a bag-like structure and then insert ed into a pre-formed carton.

The present invention is intended to obviate the foregoing difiiculties and offer a solution whereby a carton having the more desirable features of the sealed-end type can be produced at least as rapidly and inexpensively as the Peters carton. In so doing, there must be kept in mind such requirements as that the carton be easily opened to permit removal of some of the contents and reclosed to provide a neat, semi-sealed container for the remaining contents, and that the feature of rigid construction of the carton be retained. Furthermore, in order to hold costs to a minimum the carton blanks must be die-cut rapidly in large quantities from a single roll or from large sheets of paper-board without producing an excessive amount of scrap. Another important feature to be borne in mind, and one which the present invention embraces, is that of utilizing existing carton forming machines with a minimum of structural changes to produce the improved carton.

In its broader aspects, the present invention contemplates a new method of'forming a sealed-end liner within Stats atfi t ice a sealed-end carton, thereby providing a novel package wherein perishable goods may be kept in their prepared state by effectively sealing them against the effects of moisture and other deleterious conditions.

More specifically, in carrying out the invention the carton blank is designed with flap portions of novel shapes and dimensions which permit the die-cutters to be arranged so that the blanks are struck out along common severance lines, thus eliminating scrap paper-board and yet providing blanks formed to serve their intended purpose. In erecting the carton, a liner cut to size is arranged to overlie the carton blank in definite relationship thereto, and the blank and liner are folded simultaneously, i. e., they are folded one with the other in the same operation. During the folding operation, portions of both the liner and the carton blank are coated with adhesive in such manner that when the folding is completed portions of each are sealed together and the liner is interlocked with and adhesively sealed to the carton flaps sufiiciently to hold the liner in place.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention has been shown merely by way of example and in preferred form, and obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein which will still be comprised within its spirit. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is aplan view of a carton blank assembled with the liner (indicated by dot-and-dash lines) in readiness to be formed into the improved lined carton;

Fig. 1A is a fragmentary plan view of a sheet of paperboard, showing the relationship of adjacent blanks resulting from the common line die-cutting of the blanks;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the carton blank, partially erected and showing some of the flap members in partially folded positions;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lining-sheet, showing by dot-and-dash lines the principal folds which develop during the folding operation;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, showing the liner per se at one stage of folding;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the liner per se at a later stage of folding;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 5, showing the liner per se completely erected and sealed;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the partially erected liner and carton blank, showing the adhesive applied to portions of the flaps of both the liner and the carton;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, showing a later step in the simultaneous folding of the liner and carton blank;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view, in perspective, of the sealed-end construction of the completed carton, the section being taken substantially on a line 9-9 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the erected carton;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the lined carton with the top ends of the liner folded over; and

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the completed carton in closed condition.

It should be stated at the outset that although the invention contemplates the liner and carton being simultaneously folded and sealed, the several views of the liner per se are intended to give a clear understanding of the eifect which the folding operations have on the liner.

The carton blanks are preferably die-cut from paperboard or other suitable material of suffieient flexibility, strength and thickness to protect the particular goods which the carton is to contain. Because the carton is to be lined, the material from'which the blank is cut may have a rough or a smooth finish on either or both sides.

The blank material may be fed to a conventional dieeutting and scoring machine either from a roll or in the form of large sheets and, in either event, rapidly scored and blanked out. In-the accompanying drawings, severed portions of the blank are outlined by solid. lines,.whereas dot-and-dash lines indicate score lines along which the blank is bent in erecting the carton, thus facilitating the folding operation.

The carton blank 1 (Fig. 1) comprises a body portion 2 and right and left- hand end portions 3 and 4,. respectively, defined by parallel score lines 5 and 6. Parallel transverse score lines 7, 8 and 9, extending between the score lines 5 and 6, lay off the front, bottom, back and cover panels 10, 11, 12 and 13,. respectively. The cover panel 13, in turn, is divided by a score line 14 to lay off a tuck flap 15.

Eachvof the end portions 3 and 4 is both scored and severed to form the flaps related to the different body panels. Thus, in the region of the front and rear edges of the bottom panel 11, and offset inwardly approximately of an inch from the score lines 7 and 8, respectively, the portions 3 and 4 are cut from their free edges back to the carton body 2 along lines 16 and 17 to form end flaps 18. The offset is provided to prevent bulging when the carton is erected and side flaps are folded over the end fiaps 18, since because of their shorter length the end flaps can fit between the front and rear panels. Incidental tothe formation of the end flaps 18, side flaps 19, articulated to the front panel 10, are defined. Score lines 20, in effect continuations of the score line 9, together with the cuts along the lines 17, define side flaps 21 articulated to the back panel 12. In the region of the cover panel 13, the end portions 3 and 4 are cut along lines. 22 from their free ends inwardly as far as the score lines 20, thus forming top or overlying end fiaps 23 articulated to the flaps 21 along the score lines 20. A thumb hole 24 is formed'in the free edge of the front panel 10.

A rectangular shaped liner 25, formed from suitable moisture-vapor resistant material (or moisture-vapor and grease resistant material) is cut to size to overlie the carton blank 1, as shown by dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 1. It will be noted that one edge 26 of the liner 25 is located so that it is substantially coincident with the score line 14 or front edge of the cover panel 13, and that the opposite edge 27 of the liner extends well beyond the free edge of the front panel 10. The liner 25, extends laterally beyond the side edges of the body portion 2 of the blank 1 and overlies the end portions 3 and4. of the blank except for small areas in the regions. of the end flaps Zl and 23. As thus assembled the blank 1 and liner 25 are prepared to be erected into a carton.

As already stated, in the erection of the carton the blank 1 and the liner 25 are folded and scaled simultaneously. At the risk of repetition, it is pointed out that the design and dimensions of the flaps on the blank 1, and the method of folding the blank, are such that when the folding is completed certain areas of the liner 25 are sealed together and certain flap portions of the blank 1 are sealed to one another and to portions of the liner, so that the result is a sealed-end liner within and fastened to a sealed-end carton.

In their assembled condition, the carton blank and liner may be erected manually. However, to meet production demands they are fed mechanically to a forming and gluing machine. The method of folding and'applying the adhesive may be carriedout on existing machines by the use of appropriately shaped and spaced folder bars, in conjunction with a traveling former-block orv mandrel; andby means of wheels rotating in a bath of liquid adhesive, the adhesive is applied to appropriate surfaces of the liner and carton blank. There is no needtoshow or describe a forming machine since, as stated, the operations could be performed manually.

'For the sake of clarity in understanding how the lined cartonstructure is erected, ifthe folding-operations were carried out on the liner alone successive operations would produce the structures shown in Figs. 3 to 6. The first fold would be along the lines 28 and 29, resulting in a U-shaped structure and defining a bottom panel 30, a front panel 31 and a rear panel 32. The next folding operation would be exercised on the ends to simultaneously turn up end walls 33 and form side flaps 34 extending forwardly at right angles to the front panel and side flaps 35 extending rearwardly at right angles to the rear panel 32. It is while in this condition that adhesive is applied to certain portions of the liner which subsequently will be folded to overlap other portions of the liner (and portions of the cartons), but this will be pointed out in detail later in describing the simultaneous folding of the carton and liner.

Continuing with the folding operations, the next step folds the side flaps 34 through a are so that they extend rearwardly from the front panel 31, with their lower portions overlying the end walls 33 throughout the triangular areas 36 (Fig. 5). Finally, the side flaps 35 are swung through a 180 are so that they now extend forwardly from the rear panel 32 and overlie triangular portions 37 of the end walls 33 and portions 38 of the side flaps 34. As shown in Fig. 6, the side flaps 35 overlap the side flaps 34 to a substantial extent, and together the side flaps 34 and 35 overlie the end Walls 33 each throughout its entire length for some distance inward from its upper free edge. Obviously, with the overlap ping portions of the side flaps and end walls glued together the ends of the liner are effectively sealed. (It is not necessary to glue together the inside surfaces of the two triangular areas 36 and similar areas 37, as the folded and sealed edge is a complete closure.)

Corning now to the simultaneous folding of the carton blanks and liners, it should be remembered that in erecting the carton, when the blank 1 is bent or folded along a given score line the overlying liner will be bent or folded therewith along a line coincident with such score line. With this in mind, as the assembled blank 1 and liner 25 are carried by the former block through the forming machine, they travel past a series of folder bars which successively engage dilferent portions of the blank 1 and fold it, together with the contiguous portion of the liner 25, to the desired position.

The series of folding operations is as follows: the first bend is along the score lines 7 and 8 to erect the front panel 10 and back panel 12 perpendicular to the bottom panel 11. Next the end flaps 18, together with the liner end flaps 33, are folded perpendicular to the bottom panel 11 to extend in the same direction as the front and back panels. In the same operation, the flaps 19, 21 and 23, (and the side flaps 34- and 35 of the liner) are flattened to extend outwardly from the front and back panelsas shown in Fig. 7. While in this condition, adhesive is applied to the shaded areas of the flaps 19 and 21, and to the liner flaps 34 and 35. The next fold swings the flaps 19, together with the liner flaps 34, inwardly to the positions shown in Fig. 8, interlocking small areas 39 of the liner flaps 34 between the carton flaps 18 andil9. At this point then, the triangular areas 36 of the liner are adhesively sealed to the end flaps 18 of the carton and to the end flaps 33 of the liner. In order to show the effectiveness of the seal, the final steps of which areto be described next, the overlap of the liner flap 35 and the carton side flap. 21 with the liner end walls 33, liner flaps 34, carton end walls 18 and side flaps 19 is shown in phantom in Fig. 8.

Thereafter the carton flaps 21 and 23, together with the liner flaps35, are folded inwardly to close completely and seal the ends of the liner and the carton (see Figs. 8, 9 and 10). Thus, adhesively coated areas 50 of the liner flaps;35 overlap and are sealed to the liner flaps 34 throughout the areas 38, and the triangular adhesively coated areas 37 of the liner flaps 35, like. their counterparti36- of the liner flaps 34are sealed to both the carton end flaps 18 and the liner end flaps 33. It should be noted, however, that of the triangular areas 37, the lower corners 40 are sealed to the carton end flaps 18, the middle areas 41 are sealed to areas 42 of the liner end flaps 33, and the outer corners 43 overlap and are sealed to the liner flaps 34 which themselves have already been scaled to the liner end' flaps 33 (see Fig. 9) and area 50 is sealed to the upward extending liner flap 34. Also the flap 21 is sealed to the endflap 18 and the side flap 19. The lined cartonis now fully erected, as shown in Fig. 10, in conditionto' be filled with merchandise.

In Fig. 11 the carton is shown as it appears when filled and with the liner 25 folded over the contents as usual. Thereafter, theend flaps 23 are folded inwardly over the liner, and then the carton is closed by folding over the cover 13 and inserting the tuck flap 15 between the liner and the front carton panel 10.

As already stated, the carton blank 1 is designed with flap portions of novel shapes and dimensions, not only to facilitate die-cutting without producing excessive scrap but also to carry out the invention. Referring to Figs. 1 and 1A, it will be noted that the carton end walls 18 are higher at their edges than in the center. This provides the necessary area at the sides of the end walls 18 so that the liner 25 may be glued to them and also the necessary shallowness at the center of the end walls so that the liner side flaps 34 and 35 may be glued to the liner end walls 33. Then too, the particular shape of the carton side flaps 19 and 21 serve two purposes. First, they are complementary to the end walls18 so far as the severance of the blanks 1 from the paper stock is concerned (see Fig. 1A) and second, their combined shapes are such that the carton side flaps 19 do not interfere with the sealing of the liner flaps 35 to the carton end walls 18 and liner end walls 33.

The design and dimensions of the carton and liner flaps just described have led to the successful carrying out of the invention by making it possible effectively to seal the liner flaps to one another and to the carton flaps, and also seal the carton flaps effectively to one another and to the liner flaps, and thus provide a tightly sealed liner interlocked with a tightly sealed carton, all accomplished by simultaneously folding and sealing the carton and liner. It will be noted that the liner flaps 35 do not touch the carton flaps 19. Hence, they have the thickness of the end flaps 18 only to bridge in being brought into sealing contact with the liner flaps 33 and 34. Yet the flaps 19 extend inwardly sufliciently to be generously overlapped by the carton side flaps 21. Thus, the end walls of the lined cartons provide a very strong and rigid sealed construction as well as one of very presentable appearance.

As already stated, it is to be understood that the specific form of the invention shown and described has been chosen merely for the purpose of illustration, and variations and modifications thereof may occur to those skilled in the art which will still be comprised within its scope. Moreover, the specific method of folding and sealing the flap and panel members may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

l. A sealed-end lined carton comprising a bottom panel having at each end an end flap articulated thereto and folded upwardly therefrom, a front panel hingedly connected to one side of the bottom panel and having at each end a side flap articulated thereto and folded inwardly and rearwardly therefrom, a back panel hingedly connected to the opposite side of the bottom panel and having at each end a side flap articulated thereto and folded inwardly and forwardly therefrom, a liner having a corresponding bottom panel and end flaps and front and back panels and side flaps underlying corresponding panels and panel flaps in face to face relation, the form and arrangement of the panel and liner flaps being such that at each end of the carton the liner end flap is innermost and extends substantially above the bottom panel end flap, the front panel side flap overlies and extends rearwardlyb'eyond its corresponding liner flap in adhesive contact with and throughout substantially the height of the bottom panel end flap and in adhesive contact with a portion of the'liner end flapand is cut away above the panel end flap to expose said corresponding liner side flap which is in adhesive contact with the panel end flap and the liner end flap above the bottom panel end flap,

the liner back side flap overlies and is in adhesive contact with a portion of the bottom panel end flap and in adhesive contact with the liner end flap above the bottom panel end flap and overlaps and adhesively contacts the linerfront side flap at a point below the top edge of the liner end flap, and the back panel side flap overlies and adhesively contacts a portion of each ofthe other panel flaps, whereby the liner end and side flaps are sealed together throughout the fore and aft extent of the liner end flap,'the panel flaps are sealed together throughout the fore and aft' extent of the bottom panel flap, and portions of the liner flaps and panel flaps are sealed one to the other. Y

2. -A sealed-end lined carton as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bottom panel'end flap is of slightly less width than the bottom panel, whereby it has a loose fit between the front and back panels to permit the front and back panel side flaps to lie flat.

3. A sealed-end lined carton as set forth in claim 1, wherein the edges of the liner side flaps overlap and are sealed together from the point below the top edge of the liner end flap throughout the extent of the liner above its end flap.

4. A sealed-end lined carton as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bottom panel end flap is formed with front and back edge portions which extend above the intermediate portion, thus providing a greater area of the bottom panel end flap to be sealed to the liner side flaps and exposing a greater area of the liner end flap to provide for the sealing together of the liner end and side flaps.

5. The method of simultaneously erecting a carton blank and a liner for the carton, the liner being rectangular and the blank being scored and cut to define bottom, front, rear and cover panels, opposite end flaps and two opposed pairs of side flaps, one pair of side flaps being longer than the other pair, which method comprises 10- eating the liner relative to the carton blank to cover the bottom, front and rear panels, end flaps, the shorter pair of side flaps, and a portion of the longer pair of side flaps, the liner extending beyond the ends of the end flaps and a portion of the shorter pair of side flaps and a substantial marginal area of each of the longer pair of side flaps extending beyond the respective edge of the liner, subjecting the liner covered blank to the sucessive operations of moving the end flaps and front and rear panels together with contiguous portions of the liner vertically with respect to the bottom panel with the end flaps positioned between the front and rear panels and leaving portions of the surfaces of both the liner and the side flaps exposed for the application of adhesive, applying adhesive to the exposed surfaces of the liner which will overlap when .the carton is completely erected and to the exposed surfaces of the side flaps which will overlap portions of the liner and portions of one another when the carton is completely erected, and folding the liner and side flaps into overlapping sealed relation.

6. The method of erecting a carton blank and liner according to claim 5,'wherein the folding of the liner and side flaps comprises the steps of first folding the shorter side flaps and the contiguous liner material and then folding the longer side flaps and the contiguous liner material so that portions of both overlap and are sealed to the shorter side flaps to interlock the liner and flaps.

7. The method of simultaneously erecting a carton blank and a liner for the carton, the liner being rectangular and the blankbeing scored and cut to define bottom, front, rear and cover panels, opposite end flaps and two opposedpairsof side flaps, one pair of side flaps being longer than the other pair, which method comprises locating the liner relative, to the carton blank to cover the bottom, front and rear panels, end flaps, the shorter pair of side flaps, and. a portion of the longer pair of side flaps, the liner extending beyond the ends of the end flaps and a portion of the shorter pair of side flaps and a substantial marginal area of each of the longer pair of side flaps extending beyond the respective edge of the liner, subjecting the liner covered blank to the successive operations, of movingthe end flaps and front and rear panels together with contiguous portions of the liner vertically with respect, to the bottom panel with the end flaps positioned between the front and rear panels and leaving portions of the surfaces of both the liner and the side flaps exposed for the application of adhesive, moving the side flaps and contiguous portions of the liner to positions where they extend outwardly from the front and rear panels, applying adhesive to the exposed portions of the side flaps and the portions of the liner which will overlap when the carton is completely erected, and moving'the sideflaps andcontiguous portions of the liner so that they extend inwardly from the front and rear panelsv in sealed contact. with the end flaps and in overlapping, sealed and interlocked contact With one another.

,References Cited in the, file of this, patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,775,027 Hartmann Sept. 2, 1930 1,926,365 Bergstein' Sept. 26, 1933 2,048,729 Daller July 28, 1936 2,076,065 Clark- Apr. 6, 1937 2,142,342 Bensel Ian. 3, 1939 2,210,443 Bergstein Aug. 6, 1940 7 2,239,398 Palmer "Apr. 22, 1941 2,241,710 Lowey May 13, 1941 2,364,576 Waters Dec. 5, 1944 2,387,272 Klein et a1. Oct. 23, 1945 2,407,802 Stotter Sept. 17, 1946 2,423,804 Waters July 8, 1947 2,430,610 Guyer Nov. 11, 1947 2,529,725 1950 Currie Nov. 14,

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