US2801786A

US2801786A - Paper box handhole reinforcement

Info

Publication number: US2801786A
Application number: US431116A
Authority: US
Inventors: William B Foster
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-05-20
Filing date: 1954-05-20
Publication date: 1957-08-06
Anticipated expiration: 1974-08-06

Description

Aug. 6, 1957 w. B FOSTER PAPER 202: HANDHOLEIY REINFORCEMENT Filed may 20, 1954 YIIIIIII'I'I'A WILLIAM B. F

INVENTOR. 0 ST E R United States Patent 2,801,786 7 PAPER BOX HANDHOLE REINFGRCEMENT William B. Foster, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application May 20, 1954, Serial No. 431,116 1 Claim. (Cl. 229--52) This invention relates to paperboard containers, and particularly to such as have handholes in their end walls to facilitate handling.

The main objects of this invention are to provide improved means for reinforcing the handholes in paperboard containers against becoming. torn during handling, and for repairing the handholes of containers that have become torn by rough handling; to provide an improved form of reinforcement adapted to be used on corrugated or solid fiber cases, such as egg cases, bottle cases, and the like, for strengthening or repairing the handholes in the ends of the cases; to provide an improved handhole reinforcing means for paperboard cases which will more uniformly distribute the carrying load to the case structure and thereby minimize likelihood of damage to the case from handling or carrying; and to provide a simple, and improved form of metal stamping that is especially adapted for such handhole reinforcement and that is both efficient in use and inexpensive to manufacture.

Most truck cases are provided at each end with a handhole located about two and three-quarters inches down from the top score, such handholes usually being approximately four inches wide and one and threequarters inches deep. The piece of board that is cut out to make this handhole is often left attached along its top edge to act as a flap that is folded upward inside the case to provide a less sharp lifting edge. This strengthens the top edge of the handhole but does not prevent the tearing of the walls of the container beyond the ends of the handhole, as often happens upon lifting the loaded case or when the loaded case is pulled across the surface upon which it rests.

The present invention is intended to provide simple and improved means for initially strengthening the egg case at the handhole so as to prevent such tearing, and to be applied to cases that have been torn at the handhole to repair the same and thus render them capable of continued use.

A specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view taken on a vertical line through the handhole of a container with the reinforcement in place thereon.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end view of an egg crate fitted with such reinforcement.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the appearance of the reinforced handhole from the inside of the container.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a simple form of the handhole reinforcement embodying the present invention.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan of the same.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the same.

In the form shown in the drawings, the container 10 is constructed of corrugated or solid fiber paperboard that may be formed of a single blank sheet with

appropriate score lines

11, 12 and 13, permitting it to be folded into box form. The vertical walls 14 of the container have

cover flaps

15 and 16 hinged thereto and. the end walls 14 have handholes 17 below and parallel with the fold line 12' at the top end thereof.

According to the present invention, each such handhole is reinforced by means of a sheet metal stamping 18 which is adapted to be inserted on the inside of the container between the handhole and the score line 12 and which is shaped to provide a tongue 19 that extends through the handhole and which together with the body portion of such reinforcement plate 18 forms a U-shaped clip 20 embracing substantially the entire top edge of the handhole. The metal sheet from which the reinforcing plate 18 is stamped and formed preferably has sufiicient resilience so that the clip 20 in its final form causes the carton material above the handhole to be gripped between the tongue 19 and the body of the reinforcementplate 18 with sufficientforce to hold the reinforcement in place.

The stamping is also provided with a reinforcing rib 21 that may be formed as a linear reverse bend extendingfrom end-to-end of the plate 18, as indicated in Figs. S and 8;

The upper portion 23 of the plate 18 has a recess 22 corresponding to the shape of the tongue 19 in the blank, due to the fact that as a matter of economy and mass production, a series of blanks for these reinforcements can be stamped from a single strip of metal by a succession of parallel shearing cuts shaped in the form of the upper edge of the plate 18, as will be understood from Fig. 8.

It is apparent that the reinforcing plate 18 can be applied to the case or removed from the case before, during or after the time of removal of the contents. Such reinforcements can thus be applied to truck cases already in use, as those used for procurement of eggs from producers. Ordinarily, such cases are put out to the farmers to be filled from daily egg production and are picked up by route men in the course of regular calls. When a light truck case is used, the case is often subject to abuses, either by the farmer or by the trucker picking up the eggs from the farm, as a result of which the end wall of the case above the handhole becomes torn. These cases, however, are frequently used over and over, sometimes as many as thirty or more trips, back and forth between producer and shipper, and when a torn handhole occurs there is serious likelihood of damage or breakage of the contents due to dropping the case. The use of the present invention in the field, however, readily cures this difficulty and not only reduces loss of contents but also greatly extends the useful life of the case.

Also the metal stamping of the present invention can be placed on truck cases prior to delivery to the producer and remain on the case as long as it is used for pickup purposes, and, since the metal stamping is readily removed, the device is capable of repeated re-use on successive cases.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive the width of the improved reinforcing means 18 is preferably made so that the top edge of the upper portion 23 will extend to the cover score line 12 and engage the inner surface of the inner cover flap 15 when the same is in closed position. Thus while the clip portion 20 reinforces the top edge of the handhole against buckling, while the case is being handled, the laterally extended end portions of the plate 18 spread the strain on the wall of the container far beyond the ends of the handhole 17 and the upper edges of the wing portions 23 bear against the top flaps 15 so as to convey a considerable portion of the lifting strain to a wide bearing on the top flaps along the joint between the top flaps and the end wall of the container, thereby minimizing the strain that might otherwise cause the container end wall to tear.

The main advantages of this invention reside in the very simple form and arrangement of the improved reinforcing means whereby its manufacture may be had at such a low cost as to permit its use on cases or containers of substantially every type that requires frequent handling; and in the fact that by the use of the invention the useful life of paperboard cases and containers can be greatly extended over what is otherwise accepted as normal practice.

Further advantages are to be found in the fact that the improved device may be used to repair torn cases, which would otherwise be useless, and to accomplish such repair in a manner that would last as long as the case would otherwise be useful; and in the fact that by relieving the case end wall of a considerable portion of its normal load, which is transferred to the cover structure, the case is made more secure against accidental failure.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it is understood that numerous details of the structure shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claim:

I claim:

In a rectangular carton of paperboard, an end Wall having a closure flap hinged along its top edge, said end wall having an oblong handhole therein and said handhole having a top edge substantially parallel with the top edge of the end wall, a frictionally mounted reinforcement comprising a flat plate bearing against the inside surface of said carton end wall with one longitudinal edge extending along and engaging said cover flap when the same is in closed position and with another longitudinal edge extending along the top edge of said handhole, said plate having a resilient tongue of a width substantially equal to the length of said handhole extending outwardly through said handhole and clampingly embracing the said end wall along the top edge of said handhole, and said plate extending laterally along said end wall beyond both ends of said handhole.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,004,197 Ethridge June 11, 1935 2,206,314 Werner July 2, 1940 2,311,040 Evert Feb. 16, 1943 2,419,842 Lebold Apr. 29, 1947 2,558,940 Dunning July 3, 1951 2,611,530 George Sept. 23, 1952