US2867365A - Container - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 6, 1959 H. B. LA TOURETTE, JR

CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 15, 1954 INVENTOR. HARRY B. LATQURETTLJR ATTORNEY Jim. 1 9 H. B. LA TOURET'YIE, JR 2,867,365

CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 15, 1954 INVENTOR. HARRY B, LATouRE.TIe:,.TR."

ATZTORNEY United States Patent CONTAINER Harry B. La Tou rette, lr., Clayton, Mo. Application February 15,. 1954, Serial. N 0. 410,082'

2 Claims. (Ql); 229 --1 This invention relates to :paper: receptaclesmnd more particularly to a paper cup or dish.

When paper dishes or cupswa're used, the personholdingit; frequently finds. himselfiunable topartake-of the contents immediately for want of means with which to ladle, stir, ordispense the contents. user has been inconvenience by delay untilabletofind a spoon or something which will serveas such. Especially when-paper cupsareusedfor holding. hot; coffee,

is the lack of'a spoondisagreeable tosay the least. To

obviate such inconvenience for the user, it has hereto-f fore been necessary for the dispenser of. goodsin these containers to supplya spoon separately.- Where dispensing is fro-m a vendingmachine, this necessitates. an addi-' tional operation .or a'third supply. item for-handling coordinately with the goods. and containers. The latter situation involves not onlyasupply storage'and. handling problem but also a problem of coordination.-

It occurred to me. that the way outv of-this'difl'i'cult situation'is to provide acup which alwayscarries its own spoon or stirrer.

Oneobject of this invention, therefore, is to provide a cup or dish having a self-contained; stirrer'or spoon. Another object isto provide in paper containers, an inter gral stirrer or spoon readily separable from the body of the container for use. A further object is. to provide a new and improved stirring strip or spoon structure in association with paper containers. Another object is to provide suchla stirrer or spoon secured to and conforming to the sides of the receptacles, adapting-.thern to be nested into each other. Another object; is, to. provide a paper receptacle having a separable spoon structure adaptable to association with a handle or thelike. A still further object is the provision of a cup with a spoon which can be readily produced from container stock and by machinery now employed in making-,paper cups,

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing of various illustrativeembodiments in which: Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of my invention; Figure 2 is'a cross-sectionalview of the embodiment of Figure 1 taken on line II.-I;I; Figure 3 is an elevational view in cross section taken on a diametrical plane of Figure 1 passing, through the upper end of the stirrer; Figure 4 is a planview of a blank for forming the body or side wallof. the embodiment. ofjFigure 1; Figure 5- is a perspective viewxofl another embodiment of my invention showing the spoon being separated from the cup; Figure 6 is a bottom view of the embodiment of Figure 5 and Figure 7 is a plan view of the blank with modification for forming the embodiment of Figures 5 and 6.

In carrying out this invention, I provide a stirrer or spoon carried by the side wall of the cup itself. The

stirrer or spoon may be a separate piece secured by adhe- V sive or otherwise to the container or disposed in a cut-out ss in the container or paper cup body in which event.

able material difierent from that of the cup may be In the past a the ice used for thespoon. Preferably it is formed out ofthe' same container stock 'asthe side wall. To obtain a-de sirable length in the spoon sufliciently. in excess ofthe depthnof -the-cupit' is disposed at an angleito the vertical dimension of' the side wall of the. container. Preferably thespoon is of a knock-out construction only par' tially cut out of the container wall stock. To assist in straightening the spoon and toadapt it tostiffening so asto enable it to resist undesired. bending. and: collapse,- it is provided with at least one'scoring or scarification or the; like down the length of thespoonalong which it may be folded; Before use the spoonlies: normallyiin coincidence with or closely along the'outer side wall of the container, conforming to the curvaturethereofg 'to permit nesting of a plurality oficups of the taperingztypel However, it is to be understood;that-thespoon stru 'cs ture is of utility and advantage in various types of'conatainers other'thanthosethat are nestable- To. facilitate separation of the spoon from the container, one endis cut away. and turned out'of the stock andpermitted to protrude. fromthe wall; That the contents of the container mightbe spilled in severance of the spoon from in Figure; 11.

the side wall andthat the easy nestingo-f the empty cups where desirable not be interfered with, the free:edge

of protrusion is formed preferably. on the. topside of'th upper end of the stirrer or spoon. The operativeendxor bill-of the self-contained spoon may be adjacent the'rim or adjacent the-base ofthe cup.

My improved form of container, dish, or cup illustratedin the drawing includes the tapered side wall 1 fashioned ofian arcuateblank, a bottom 2 in the form of a disk which ispositioned within thesrnaller end of the side wall-and isengagedby and secured to the sup- I porting bottom around the lower or smaller endof the side wall where the joint is sealedin any suitablemam ner such: as by. the adhesive 'at 18.. alongv the arcuate: edge of the blank Figure 4. The larger end or top of the side wall is formed with. the outwardly turnedi'bead or flange 4:. for forming asmooth roundededge suitable for-[the lips. indrinking from the cup. Uponv the: outsideof the sidewall there is provided a spoon or stirrer 5 asshown For obtainment of .desiredlength the axis of the spoon istobliquely disposedmakingan angle at its midpointiof about 50 with the generating radius of the blank shown in Figure 4. That the. spoonmay be straightened and stiffened for use, it is provided witha longitudinal fold linesuch as. grooveor. scoringl6. Unsevered portions. 71 and: 8 form. easily rupturable. span ning" strips. or connections between thewall 1 and. the spoon 5. At thetop of the separable spoon thereisan outwardly turned edge -9 forminga resilient tabbyxwhich the spoonmay'be readily grasped betweenthefingers to facilitate. removal of the spoon 5. This: tab, 9.will not interfere with nesting'of the cups closelysoasto get. the greatest number. of them in. columnar arrangement. In the. embodiment of myinvention. as. illustrated in the figures, the wall 1 of the cupand. the spoon 5- are.v formed of a blank of container paper of the desired weight and thickness. The blank, Figure. 4, is arcuate shaped having.an outer. wraporbody portion. 1d o-f-extrawidth. and an. inner wrap. or sealing. flap M of reducedzwidth. The extra width on the body portion 10 goes into making the supporting or bottom flange 3 and the bead4. The inner flap 11 is not included in the round bead 4 or the flange 3 at the bottom of the cup. t Figure 2 illustrates the double wrapped side wall structure wherein the overlapped body portion 10 and the sealing flap 11 are secured together by the adhesive ap plied at 12, Figure 4, on the inner side of the outer wrap 3 the outer wrap 10. The body portion 10 of the blank adjacent the outer edge 13 and between this edge and adhesive strip 12 is slitted at 14 and 15 to provide the severable spoon Shaving a bowl, bill or paddle section 16 and a shank section 17 by which the spoon may be handled. The spoon 5 is not entirely out out of the blank but remains connected therewith by connecting portions 7 and 8. Glue or adhesive is omitted from the inner side of the spoon so that it may be readily lifted out from the plane of the side wall by merely grasping the tab 9 and pulling outwardly and downwardly until the connecting portions 7 and 8 are torn. The manner of removing the spoon for use is pretermined by the disposition of the tab 9 as shown and permits removal with the least possibility of overturning the cup and with the greatest convenience.

In operation the cup is held in one hand while the fingers of the other hand conveniently grasp the tab 9 of the spoon. By pulling tab 9, the spoon 5 is easily severed from the outer wrap 10 while the side wall 1 still remains capable of retaining the contents of the cup inasmuch. as inner wrap 11 covers this outer portion 10 of the Wall 1 which has been opened as is evident from Figure 3. As soon as the connections 7 and 8 are torn, the spoon 5 is free to be folded, bent, or creased along 6 to provide desirable stiffness to the spoon.

The spoon construction of this invention is particularly adaptable to association with a handle positioned for holding the cup advantageously which is not only desirable when the cup is filled with hot liquids but also for assisting in the removal of the spoon for use. The

diametral relationship of the spoon and handle portions is shown in Figure 6. The blank' for making this embodiment of cup (Figures 5 and 6) according to a preferred construction is a modification of the blank of Figure 4 shown in Figure 7. At the end 13 of the outer wrap 10 of the blank illustrated in Figure 4 there may be provided a handle construction of the type disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,060,781, for example, forming integral members 19 and 20 positioned approximately diametrically opposite the pull tab 9 and tear connection 7. This advantageous positioning of the handle and spoon is enabled by my invention and is within the purview of it which will be most clearly understood from Figure 5 where the fingers 21 and 22 of one hand are shown holding the handle members 19 and 20 while the fingers 23 and 24 of the other hand pull the spoon 5 from the side wall 1 of the cup with the least probability of spilling the contents 25.

It will be understood also that as an alternative embodiment of my invention, the spoon need not be formed of the same material as the side wall of the container. Instead there may be formed in the outer wrap 10 of the side Wall a spoon-shaped cavity for reception of a spoon of a shape congruent with that of the cavity and formed of a dilferent paper stock or material than the side Wall. This separate spoon is then secured severably in any suitable way such as with an adhesive in the cavity leaving only a pull tab protruding at the top when desirable. Furthermore, if the spoon is formed of material which tends to spring flat and is of suitable stiflness the groove for creasing may be omitted. If nestability of the cup is of no importance the spoon may be a separate but a conformable member secured removably as by adhesive.

to the outside of the side wall of the cup at an angle adaptable to a spoon length in excess of the interior of the container.

A still further modification within the concept of this invention is one where only one severable connection, i. e. the lower connection, is provided between the spoon S and the side wall 1; and in this modification the spoon, before being bent outwardly and separated from the side wall, lies closely within the sidewall cavity to conform to the shape of the sidewall.

The foregoing description is intended to illustrate what is now believed tobe the most practicable embodiments of my invention, but other embodiments and modifications thereof within the'spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A paper container comprising a side wall consisting of a blank coiled on itself to provide overlapping outside and inside wall end portions adhesively secured together in sealing relationship, a spoon detachably carried by the outer overlapping end portion as an integral sidewall-conformable extended part of said portion at least partially cut out of said portion sufficiently to be read1ly and completely removable therefrom by hand, and an outwardly foldable handle portion also integral with said outside end portion adjacent the outer edge of the sidewall in laterally displaced relationship with respect to said spoon whereby the container may be firmly grasped by said handle portion while the spoon 1s being pulled from said outer end portion. v

2. A tapered paper container comprising a side wall formed of an arcuate blank coiled to provide in Sa1d SId8 wall overlapping outer and inner end portions adhesively secured together, and in the outer overlapping end portion a spoon partially cut out of the outer end of the blank and disposed obliquely therein and extending sub stantially from the bottom adjacent the outer edge of the blank to the top of the side wall, said spoon having a pull tab protruding from the upper margin of the upper end of said spoon and a scarification along the center line of the spoon to adapt it to'straightening and longitudinal stiffening, and including an outwardly foldable handle portion attached at the outer edge and positioned substantially diametrically opposite the pull tab at the upper end of said spoon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 315,129 Crocker Apr. 7, 1885 1,607,863 Betts Nov. 23, 1926 1,607,864 Butler Nov. 23, 1926 1,657,325 Suttle Jan. 24, 1928 2,060,781 Annen Nov. 17, 1930 2,454,906 Amberg Nov. 30, 1948 2,540,565 Barbieri Feb. 6, 1951 2,745,586 Thoma May 15, 1956 v FOREIGN PATENTS 437,392 Great Britain May 27, 1935 541,225 Great Britain Nov. 18, 1941

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