US2872093A

US2872093A - Molded pulp set-up box

Info

Publication number: US2872093A
Application number: US631193A
Authority: US
Inventors: Merle P Chaplin
Original assignee: Chaplin Corp
Current assignee: Chaplin Corp
Priority date: 1956-12-28
Filing date: 1956-12-28
Publication date: 1959-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 1976-02-03

Description

Feb. 3, 1959 M. P. CHAPLIN MOLDED PULP SET-UP BOX Filed Dec. 28, 1956 United States Patent lice MOLDED PULP SET-UP BOX Merle P. Chaplin, Portland, Maine. assignor to Chaplin Corporation, Portland, Maine, a corporation of Maine This invention relates to boxes and more particularly to a substantially flat one-piece structure molded of pulp which is adapted to be quickly and easily set up to form a box.

Set-up boxes of cardboard sheet material and the like are in wide use and have the advantageofa simple manufacturing process. Such boxes, however, are of relatively light material, necessitated by the operations .-of setting them. up to form boxes by bending their various tabs into slits and the like, to position the box sides to provide a suitably formed box, and the use of such tabs is to some extent wasteful of materials. I

, Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a generally fiat set-up box structureof molded pulp material'to provide a much more rigid andsubstantial box than the known cardboard set-up boxes, and one particularly adapted for the packaging of food in a partially transparent package for retail sale.

It is a feature of the present invention that novel positioning means are provided integrally molded into the structure to position the box sides relatively to one another when the box is set up, and hence to wholly eliminate tabs and the like heretofore considered necessary.

For the purpose of more fully explaining a preferred embodiment of the invention, reference is now made to the following specification together with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the set-up box structure of the invention in flat position;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the structure of Fig. 1 taken on the line 2-2 thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view of the structure of Fig. 1 in setup position;

Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional detail views showing the integrally molded positioning means of the structure of Fig. l in flat and set-up position respectively; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are greatly enlarged cross-sectional detail views showing the positioning means of Figs. 4 and 5 in fiat and in set-up position.

Referring to the drawings, the molded pulp set-up box structure of the invention comprises in general a flat molded pulp sheet having integrally molded lug means so positioned as to act as stops for the box sides upon said box being set up. Such a flat structure has the great advantage that it may be molded by the simplest of dies such as are known to the pulp-molding art, and, if desired, may even be molded as a relatively large strip containing a plurality of set-up box structures which may be separated either in the molding process itself by suitable die structure or thereafter as by cutting.

More specifically, in the set-up box structure shown, the integrally molded fiat sheet includes a generally rectangular box bottom section 10 preferably having a plurality of apertures 11 therein and generally rectangular

box side sections

12, 14, 16 and 18. Interposed between each of said side sections and saidybottom section are generally bowed

corner sections

20, 22, 24 and 26 with convexly curved ends molded integrally therewith along 2,87Z,il93 Patented Feb. 3, 1959 each of the four sides of the box bottom section to there formfold

lines

13, 15, 17 and 19 respectively and to form

fold lines

21, 23, 25 and 27 with said box side sections. Preferably

top corner sections

30, 32, .34 and 36 of similar bowed configuration are provided molded integrally with said side sections along

fold lines

31, 33, 35 and 37 respectively parallelto and remote from said other fold lines, and bowed

side corner sections

38 and 40" and..42 and-44-are provided molded on

opposite sides

14 and 18 along

fold lines

39, 41, 43 and 45 respectively. Said side corner sections may be provided along their outer edges with

tabs

46, 48, 50 and 52 along

suitable fold lines

47, 49, 51 and 53 respectively. Also, if 'desired, a box top section 56 may be provided molded integrally with one of the box top corner side sections, here I fold :lines at each side thereof to cooperate with a lug on-the opposite side of a fold line to act as stops for said sections upon the box structure being set up with its side sections generally perpendicular to the box bottom section and to each other as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The lugs 60 themselves, as best shown in Figs. 4 through 7 with reference to corner section 24 interposed between bottom section iii-and side section 16, are all similar, being of generally prismatic molded shape extending along a fold line such as 17 adjacent thereto and having slanted surfaces 62. adjacent the edge of said fold line and extending downwardly thereto. The angle between the contacting portions of said slanted sections may be at a 45 angle to said sheet in a direction perpendicular to their fold. Preferably, the set-up box ispressed on its opposite side from the fold line from a dotted position as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, both to better define the fold line, and to make a stronger and more flexible hinge by the straightening of fibers of the material.

Thus, when a box side section 16 is folded upward at to the box bottom section 10, the adjacent edges 62 of the lugs 60 along each of

fold lines

17 and 35 at opposite sides thereof will contact along their slanted surfaces 62 (Fig. 7) to positively and rigidly position the sides and corner sections by acting as stops therefor. If desired, adhesive may be applied to such surfaces 62 to holdthe 'box sections in position. The top section 56, if used, may also be folded into position and tabs 46, 48, 5t) and 52 cemented to their

adjacent side sections

12 or 16.

Alternatively, and particularly with the cover 56 omitted,

to those skilled in this art.

I claim:

1. A molded pulp set-up box structure comprising a substantially flat molded pulp sheet including a generally rectangular box bottom section and generally rectangular box side sections with generally rectangular edge sections of outwardly bowed cross section interposed therebetween and molded integrally therewith to form fold lines on each side of said edge sections, said edge sections and adjoining sections each having integrally molded lug means extending inwardly only along said fold lines at each side thereof to cooperate with the adjacent lug means on the opposite side of a fold line to act as stops for said sections upon said box being set up with its side sections generally perpendicular to said box bottom section and to each other, the outer surfaces of said edge sections and their adjoining bottom and side sections cooperating to provide across said fold lines smoothly curved contiguous outer surfaces free of outwardly projecting portions.

2. A molded pulp set-up box structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said edge sections have convexly curved ends.

3. A molded pulp set-up box structure as claimed in claim 2 further including a box top section molded integrally with one of said top edge sections along a fold line parallel to and remote from the fold line between said adjacent top edge section and side section. v

4. A molded pulp set-up box structure as claimed in claim 1 further including corner edge sections of generally bowed cross section molded integrally with said side sections on the ends thereof to form fold lines on each end of said side sections.

5. A molded pulp set-up box structure as claimed in claim 1 further including a top edge section molded integrally with said box side sections along a fold line parallel to and remote from said other fold lines between said box side section and the box bottom section, said top edge section providing a smoothly curved contiguous outer surface free of outwardly projecting portions.

6. A molded pulp set-up box structure comprising a section and with convexlycurved ends along the edge substantially fiat integrally molded pulp sheet including i t a generally rectangular box bottom section and four generally rectangular box side sections with generally rectangular bottom edge sections of outwardly bowed cross section and with convexly curved ends interposed between said bottom section and each of said side sections,

of each of said side sections remote from its bottom edge sections, and generally rectangular corner edge sections of bowed cross sections and with convexly curved ends on an opposed two of said box side sections along the ends thereof, each of said sections forming fold lines with an adjacent section and having integrally molded lug means with contacting surfaces slanted at about 45 degrees extending inwardly only along said fold lines at each side thereof to cooperate with the slanted contacting surface of the adjacent lug means on the opposite side of a fold line to contact one another to act as stops upon said box being setup with its side sections generally perpendicular to said box bottom section and to each other, the outer surfaces of said edge sections and their adjoining sections cooperating to provide across said fold lines and said edge sections and their cooperating sections smoothly curved contiguous outer surfaces free of projecting portions.

7. A box structure as claimed in claim 6 wherein the convexly curved ends of three of said edge sections meet at each corner of said box upon said box being set up to provide at their corner juncture smoothly curved contiguous outer surfaces free of projecting portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES, PATENTS 2,089,728 Brogden Aug. 10, 1937 2,231,981 Zalkind Feb. 18, 1941 2,515,113 Chaplin July 11, 1950 2,771,233 Cox Nov. 20, 1956