US2846115A - Carrier or holder for bottles and the like - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 5, 1958 N. LA GUARDIA 2,846,115

CARRIER OR HOLDER FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 24, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 5, 1958 151. LA GUARDIA CARRIER 0R HOLDER FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 24, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet? 3/? WXgVENTR Y az forfie ys'.

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CARRIER GR HOLDER FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Nicholas La Guardia, Buffalo, N. Y. Application December 24, 1954, Serial No. 477,448

3 Claims. (Cl. 220-113) This invention relates to carriers or holders made of cardboard or other flexible sheet material and adapted to support bottles, cartons, or the like.

Carriers of this type now available are not readily adaptable for use in connection with supporting comparatively heavy bottles, such for example as quart bottles or cartons, of milk or other liquids, since the weight of such bottles or the like, tends to tear or distort the carriers so that the bottles or cartons are apt to fall out of the same.

It is, consequently, one of the objects of this invention to provide a carrier of improved construction for cartons or bottles and which is of adequate strength and is so constructed as to reduce the tendency of the cartons or bottles to tear or otherwise damage the carrier. It is also an object to provide a carrier of this type which can be readily constructed and which is formed from the minimum quantity of sheet material. A further object is to provide carrier of this type in which the bottles or cartons are supported in horizontal positions. A further object is to provide a carrier of this type in which the cartons or bottles themselves act to reinforce the carrier so that the resistance of the same to tearing or breaking is materially reduced.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end view of a container embodying this invention, showing the same with the parts thereof arranged to receive the articles to be supported thereby.

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections taken respectively, on lines 44 and 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a face view on a smaller scale of the carrier when in folded or collapsed condition.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view thereof when ready to receive the articles to be carried.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a carrier of modified construction showing the same in folded or collapsed condition.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view thereof when ready to receive articles to be carried.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side view thereof showing a bottle in place therein.

The carrier includes a central panel which is made up of two layers, webs or sheets 11 and 12 of the material of which the carrier is formed and these two layers or sheets may either be in one piece folded at one vertical edge thereof, or of two separate pieces secured together at certain portions thereof as hereinafter described, preferably by means of a suitable adhesive. In the construction shown by way of example, the central panel is formed of a single piece of material scored and folded along the edge 13 as shown in Fig. 6. The lower edges of the two panels are folded along the line indicated by the broken Patent 0 2,846,115 Patented Aug. 5, 1958 line 14 in Fig. 6, so that some of the material at the bottom of each layer or sheet is turned over to form a reinforcing web as shown at 15. At the upper ends of the sheets or layers of the panel the material of at least one of the sheets is also folded over along the fold line 22, Fig. 6, to form a doubled-over portion 16 which reinforces the upper end of the central panel, so that a hand grip or holding part 17 may be partly punched out of this reinforced top portion in the usual manner. This doubled-over part is glued or cemented to both sheets, thus forming a reinforced handle portion by means of which the device may be lifted and carried.

The carrier shown by way of example is formed to hold six articles, such for example as cartons or bottles, but it will be obvious that the carrier may be formed to hold two, four, eight or more articles. Primarily the carrier is intended for use in connection with the holding of milk cartons which are made of cardboard and which are approximately square in horizontal cross section, but the carrier may also be used to hold glass bottles and other articles, regardless of whether they are, square in cross section or of any other cross sectional shape.

The two sheets which comprise the central panel of my improved carrier or holder are provided with a plurality of cuts formed so that the middle portions thereof may be extended outwardly to form side wall parts which engage sides of the articles and spacing members integrally connecting with the sheets of the panel and the side wall parts, to hold the side wall parts in place.

As clearly shown in Fig. 7, the middle portions of the two sheets 11 and 12 of the central panel are cut and scored in such a manner as to form on each sheet an outer Wall for engaging the outer faces of the articles and a plurality of outwardly extending ledge or spacing members integrally connected both to the central panel and to the outer wall. These ledge or spacing members are so arranged at intervals as to form the upper and lower walls of spaces in which the articles are positioned. For example, 1-8 represents the top walls of the upper spaces or compartments for containers. These top walls or spacing members are connected with the sheets 11 and 12 of the central panel by folds 19 and 20 with a part 21 of the upright outer wall members. Below each outwardly extending spacing member 18, two spacing members 24 are swung outwardly from the sheets of the central panel and connected therewith by folds formed by scored lines 23. Consequently, an article may be supported by inserting the same into the space between the central panel and the outer wall part 21 and between the outwardly extending spacing members 18 and 24. The weight of the article is then securely held in place and prevented from sliding out of this position due to the fact that the weight of the same will act in a direction to swing the outwardly extending parts 18 and 24 downwardly and such downward swing would result in swinging the outer wall part 21 toward the panel. Such swinging, however, is resisted by the article iself, particularly if the same is of square cross section, thus causing the outer wall part 21 to securely grip the article by pressing the same toward the central panel. Since the outwardly extending parts 18 and 24, the outer wall portion 21 and the central panel are all formed integral, it will be obvious that these parts will have ample strength to resist the tendency of the bottle or carton to tear the carrier.

Additional carrying capacity is provided by making the outer wall portion 28 in the form of an extension or It will be obvious that in the use of this construction an article may be inserted between the outer wall portion 28 and the central panel'and between the spacing members 24 and 29. Articles in these compartments will be gripped between the outer wall and the central panel in the same manner as described in connection with the upper compartments.

Similar spaces can be provided for another pair of articles below those last mentioned by providing additional outwardly extending spacing members 32 bent outwardly from the sheets or layers 11 and 12. The lower web 15 is formed integral by means of a fold 33 with another part 34 of the outer wall. By forming all of the outer wall part 21, 28 and 34 of a single integral piece the carrier is further reinforced against breakage. The folding of the parts from their collapsed positions shown in Fig. 6 to their outer operative positions is facilitated, since the outer wall parts 21, 28 and 34 can all be moved outwardly as a unit and will carry with them the outwardly extending upper and lower wall or spacing members 18, 24, 29 and 32.

Even if the carrier is made for six or more articles, and if a person wishes to carry a smaller number of articles in the carrier, this can readily be done by arranging the articles so that they will be divided as near equally as possible on opposite sides of the central panel.

Fig. 6 shows the blank after the two halves 11 and 12 of the same have been folded along the line 13. All parts of the two sheets or layers of the panel which are not folded outwardly from the same are preferably secured together by means of a suitable adhesive. It will be noted, however, that when the carrier is loaded the pressure of the articles due to their Weights will be toward the central panel so that there is no tendency to separate the two sheets or layers 11 and 12 of the central panel from each other.

The carriers when empty occupy very little space for the reason that the parts which are later folded out, lie flatly against each other. In order to facilitate the outward folding of the sides and spacing members of the carrier, each of the sheets or layers 11 and 12 of the central panel is provided with a cut-out or finger hole portion 40, these cut-out portions being preferably arranged out of alinement with each other so that a person inserting a fingernail into the space 40 of one sheet can readily grasp the part to be folded outwardly, so that the side wall and the spacing 18, 24, 29 and 32 will bend about the scored lines or creases and move as a unit from their positions shown in Fig. 6 to their operative positions shown in Figs. 1 to and 7. Similarly the corresponding parts of the other layer or sheet of the central panel may be folded outwardly.

In order to further facilitate the packing of the carriers when empty, into the minimum. of space, the upper portions of the carriers may be scored along the lines 41 so that the upper portion, when the carrier is in folded or collapsed position, may be folded downwardly against one of the layers of the central panel.

When the carrier is used with cartons made of cardboard or the like, these will be readily gripped by the spacing members and outer side walls so that endwise or horizontal displacement of the same in the carrier is prevented. However, when glass bottles are placed in the carrier, since they have smoother surfaces, there will be less friction between them and the parts of the carrier, and consequently, it is preferable to provide additional means for preventing endwise movement of the bottles on the carrier. In the construction shown for this purpose, in Figs. 8 to 10, the carrier is of the same construction as in Figs. 1 to 7, except that each sheet or ply 45 and 46 of the center panel is provided with extensions 48on the free outer side edges thereof which are foldable along lines 49. These extensions are formed to provide gripping devices for engaging the necks of the bottles and any suitable or desired construction may be used for this purpose. For example, these extensions 43 are provided with short radial cuts forming teeth or fingers 50 which may be bent outwardly along creases 51. The free ends of these teeth are formed by a partly circular cut forming a central tab 52 which may also be folded along a crease line 53, thus forming a hole in each of these extensions which is considerably smaller than the upper ends of bottles, but through which the ends of bottles may be inserted by bending the teeth 50 outwardly. After the usual flange 54 of the upper end of the bottle has passed through the cut-out portion of an extension 48, the teeth 50 will snap back toward their original positions, thus engaging the neck of the bottle as shown in Fig. 10 to prevent endwise movement of the bottle. The teeth 50 engaging the flange 54 of the neck of the bottle will prevent the bottle from moving to the right in Fig. 10, and the fact that the hole or opening foimed in the extension 48 is of smaller diameter than the tapering neck of the bottle will prevent the bottle from moving to the left.

It is sometimes desired to position the carriers on their sides so that cartons or bottles contained therein will be supported in upright positions. When in such positions there is less danger of the contents becoming spilled. It will be noted, however, that while the articles are very firmly gripped by the outer walls of the carrier when it is lifted or transported with the articles arranged horizontally therein, yet when the carriers are on their sides so that the articles stand upright there is nothing to hold the articles in the carrier. When it is desired to provide carriers of the type shown with means for supporting articles therein in upright positions, I preferably provide a foldable part formed integral with the carrier and which may be swung about its connection with the carrier into a position to extend partly across the bottoms of the articles when arranged in the spaces in the carrier. For this purpose, I provide each of the two layers 11 and 12 comprising a panel at their edges with outwardly extending parts which may be folded to extend crosswise of the spaces of the carrier. For example, in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 7, the layer 12 is provided with an outwardly extending part 60 and the layer 11 is provided with a part 61 extending outwardly therefrom in the opposite direction from the part 60 and the part 61 is provided with an extension 62 which is preferably formed so as to extend from the outer edge of the extension 61 backwardly across the same and across the outer face of the extension 60 of the other layer. These three parts 60, 61 and 62 are then preferably secured together by means of a suitable adhesive or cement, and the carrier is scored at 63 so that the extensions 60, 61 and 62, when not in use, will lie substantially parallel with the layers 11 and 12 of the central panel. When, however, it is desired to use these extensions to support bottles or other articles in the carn'er in upright positions, these extensions may be bent through approximately degrees, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 and 7, so that they will partly underlie the articles supported by the carrier when the same is on its side to support the articles in upright positions. When these extensions or ledges 60 and 61 are arranged to engage the bottoms of the articles, the articles should be arranged at opposite sides of the central panel, since obviously, if all the articles were arranged at one side of this panel, the supporting edges 60 and 61 would merely fold about their scored line 63 into positions parallel to the central panel, and permit the articles to drop out of the carrier. The carrier, of course, may be lifted and carried with the articles upright when the extensions 60 and 61 of the layers are in their operative positions, but it has been found that the most satisfactory manner of lifting and carrying the carrier is by means of the handle portion 17 with the articles arranged horizontally.

When positioned in my improved carrier, the bottles or other articles will tend to be swung by the outwardly extending parts or spacing members toward the central panel so that the side wall parts will press the articles toward this panel. This results in the gripping of the articles by the carrier when the carrier is lifted and carried. However, when the carrier is set down on a table or other support, this gripping of the articles by the outer wall ceases, so that the articles can easily be removed from the carrier. Since the pull exerted by the weight of the articles on the spacing members 18, 24 and 29 is distributed over substantial lengths of the folds or creases connecting these members with the side walls and with the sheets or webs comprising the central panel, the carrier has ample strength to support the articles.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A carrier of flexible sheet material for articles, such as bottles or the like, disposed horizontally therein, said carrier being formed of two layers of material arranged back to back to form a middle panel, a portion of each of said layers being provided with cuts spaced from the opposite sides thereof and with score lines connecting said cuts to enable parts of said layers to be moved outwardly from the planes of said layers, parts of said outwardly moved parts forming outer side walls and other parts connected with said panels and said side walls by scored lines forming upper and lower walls of spaces into which the articles may be inserted, integral extensions on one side of eachof said layers of said carrier extending in opposite directions from said middle panel into positions across the ends of said spaces to engage articles and retain them in said spaces when said carrier is on its side with said ends of said spaces on the bottom, and means connecting said extensions to retain them in approximately degree relation to each other.

2. A carrier according to claim 1, in which said carrier is scored to enable said extensions to be bent into positions to extend across the ends of said spaces, and

into positions substantially parallel to said layers when not in use.

3. A carrier according to claim 1, in which said means connecting said extensions is a relatively inflexible part overlapping and cemented to both of said extensions to reinforce the same and to hold them in correct relation to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 133,346 Marshall Aug. 11, 1942 2,054,641 Stone Sept. 15, 1936 2,085,104 Levinson June 29, 1937 2,313,731 Brogden Mar. 16, 1943 2,545,589 Samsing Mar. 20, 1951 2,653,750 Vines Sept. 29, 1953 2,676,731 Klein Apr. 27, 1954

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