US2931490A

US2931490A - Carton package

Info

Publication number: US2931490A
Application number: US402872A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mcgihon Leonard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-01-08
Filing date: 1954-01-08
Publication date: 1960-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 1977-04-05

Description

April 5, 1960 Filed Jan. 8, 1954 L. MOGIHON CARTON PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. [ION/4P0 NG/Ha/V Arrow 5r April 5, 1960 MOGIHON 2,931,490

CARTON PACKAGE Filed Jan. 8, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Zia/W00 M'wav L. M GIHON April 5, 1960 CARTON PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 8, 1954 INVEN TOR. LEONARD M GIHON ATTORNEYS CARTON PACKAGE Leonard McGihon, San Leandro, Califi, assignor, by mesne asisgnments, to Alexander Donald, doing business as King Sales & Engineering Co.

Application January 8, 1954, Serial No. 402,872

1 Claim. (Cl. 206-65) The present invention relates to rectangular cartons of the type having open sides after packing and providing a view of the containers therein, and is concerned more from a collapsed condition, whichalso adapt the cartonto different can heights, which adapt the carton to be held open for entering of the cans, which will enable closing of the carton about the contents without a gluing operation, and which provides for a tighter and more compact carton when filled and closed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the carton in semifinished condition, as delivered from the manufacturer, ready for the placing of containers therein, the view showing the carton in perspective in partially open condition.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the carton after it has been fully erected as the containers arebeing'placed ton after partial closing thereof just preliminary to the final closing operation.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the carton when fully erected and open, ready for filling with cans, and illustrating schematically the means for holding the carton open.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the entire carton showing the carton in the finished packed condition with the containers thenein and the carton fully closed.

Figure 6 is fragmentary, sectional view taken in a plane indicated by the line 6-6 in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a plan View of the carton blank.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 391,917, filed November 13, 1953, now abandoned.

In the packing of containers filled with products, for example, beer cans, and in packing such cans in one style of carton, it is customary to provide side openings in the carton through which the contents can be viewed. This type of carton has met Wide consumer acceptance, and heretofore it has been the practice in filling the carton to adhesively secure certain portions of the carton to other portions thereof to provide the final erected and filled package. Where gluing is effected as a part of the filling and closing operation, such cartons must be held for a period of time to allow the glue to set,'and this holding required relatively expensive units.

The instant invention is designed to provide a carton of the above character which does not require any gluing in the final closing operation, and which can be easily erected from a flat collapsed condition to an open condition in the carton filling and closing operation. The carton of the instant invention is also designed to propide for easy holding of the carton in fully erected and open position for the insertion of cans therein, and also provides for closing to a desirable compact condition. f

To accomplish these ends, the carton is formed with side flaps along the side and end edges of the carton which side flaps are of different width to present projectingjside flap portions which are oifset in the collapsed condition of the carton for engagement from above or below by suitable automatic means to eifect the erecting of a carton. Also, the end flaps of the carton are notched .or recessed at their corners so as to provide clearance for flap holding members to engage underneath the top side fiap portion and above the bottom side flap portion. Also, the corner folds are provided with specially located bend lines to provide a tighter corner fold.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the carton is constructed symmetrically with respect to an endpanel 10 and has respective top and bottom panels 11 and 12 secured to the end panel 10 by score lines or'bend

lines

13 and 14.. The top panel 11 is connected by a bend line 16 to an end panel portionv 17 and the bottom panel '12 is similarly connected by a bend or score line 18 to an end panel portion 19. The end panel portions 17 and 19 are overlapped and. adhesively secured together as a part of the carton manufacturing operation. Continuous side flaps are attached to the respective panels of the carton in cluding respective opposite side flaps '21 connected by respective score lines 22 to the panel 11, respective side flaps 23 connected to the end panel 10 by score or bend lines 24, and similar side flaps 26 on end panel portions 17 and 19 connected to such end panel portions by score lines 27. The

score lines

13, 14, 16 and 18 are continued through the side flaps to form hinge lines therebetween. Suitable finger holes 25 are provided in an end panel.

The bottom panel 12 also has side flaps 28 at either side thereof connected thereto by score lines 29. At the respective corners where the side flaps 21, 23, 26 and 28"are joined, a v-shaped cut-away 30 is provided so that when the carton is erected as seen, for example, in'Figures 2 and 5, clearance is'provided by the recessed end portions of the respective

end panel portions

23 and 26 so that with the carton travelling longitudinally a rail '35 may travel beneath each upper side flap 21 and similar rails may travel above the lower side flap portions 28 so as to positively hold the carton in erected and open position for insertion of containers after the cartons have traveled over the respective rails 35 leaving an unobstructed full side opening for insertion of the cans 40. The

side flaps

21 and 28 are similar, but opposite to each other and perform a container retaining function as seen in Figure 5 in the closed condition of the carton, while the

side panel portions

23 and 26 on the respective end panels of the carton are tucked in and form carton retaining flaps which are folded behind the adjacent container flat against the adjacent end panel, and are retained in position by the containers.

In order to enable the folding of the continuous side flap portions, the

respective side flaps

23 and 26 are provided with diagonal score or bend lines 31 at each end whereby a corner fold of the gusset type may be made at each corner. Preferably the diagonal score line 31 at each corner is located 06 of a center position to draw in the

side flaps

21 and 28 to a more compact position and thereby reduce the tendency of these side flaps to bulge slightly when in closed condition. In the present instance the diagonal score line is placed at about 4- degrees from the 45 degree angle position that would bisect the 9.0 degree anglebetween-the

bend lines

24 and 13, for example, so that 'thefiat portion 23b of the gusset fold betweenthebendlines '13 and 31 (defined by angle a in Figure 4) is shorterthan the flap portion 230 .contained between the bend lines 24 and 31 (shown by angle 1) in Figure 4). When theiiap 23 is bent '180'degrees fiat againstthe end panel 10, the side flap 21 is bent .siightly more than 90 degrees. This provides a more cornpact carton which handles more readily in automatic equipmcnt'and can be packed easily in groups in a larner shipping container.

It will'be noted that the

end side flaps

23 and 26 have central e'xtens'ions23a and 26!: at each .sidewhich pro- .fi'deportions of greater'lateral width than the :si'de'flaps .f21'and 28 of the panels 11 and '12. In a collapsed vor semi-collapsed condition of the carton, the end side flaps .26 .each have a projection 26a along the bottom .portion of the carton and the side flaps 23 each have a projecting portion 23a underlying the carton which are offset from each otherlongitudinally of the carton in its collapsed condition. Each flap portion 261. can be engaged frorn'below while each side flap 23a-can'be engaged'frorn above .to assist in erecting the carton and to make an initial bend .at the various .corner fold lines to help in carton opening.

IFigure 2 shows the condition of the carton during the insertion of (the containers therein, the number of con- .tainerszbeing six in the present instance. The next opera- ;tion in the closing of the carton is to bend the

end side flaps

23 and 26 in, and .the respective side flaps 21and- 2'8 downand up respectively, as indicated by the arrows .inIEigure 3, the.side.'fiaps..23 and 26 being thereby bent 9.0 degrees from the Figure 2 position to .the position thereof showniin Figure .3. After the carton .is conditionedasshown in'Figure 3, the end side 'fiaps '23 and 26 :are pushed .inward 'for another 9'0 degree bend linithe direction of the arrow shown in Figure 3, and in'Figure 6, .to place the flap extensions 23!: and 26a between one of the containers 40 and flat against the

adjacent end panel

10,17 or .19. Preferably the total length of an end flap '23,, including the extension 2311 .(and an end 'flap .26, including the extension 26a) is such that it isless than one-.guarter .the width of theend panel .10 .(or -the end panel 17) -.-so that .the end -s ide v.fiapsterminate short of the point-of closest approach-of the container tothe end wall. Also, .these .end side .flaps should be of sufiicient length to overlap and .to be locked inposition-bylthe "adjacent container.

While I have shown and described .a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, it will .be apparent that theinvention .is capable .of .rnodification and variation -from .the form 'shown,.so.that.its scope should be limited-only'by the scope of theclaim appended hereto.

I claim:

'Ina carton and containerpackage, said carton having respective top and bottom panels joined at one end by an end panel hinged thereto and havingend panel portions at their other ends for securing together to form a second end panel, side flap portions along each of said panels and joined thereto by .respective coplanar bend lines; adjacent ends of said side flap portions being integrally hinged to one another along a'fold line extending at right angles to the bend lines; the endsrof the flap portions of the end panels only having gusset :folds; asaid carton with'said panel portions secured together in an erected-condition forming a rectangular receptacle open at both sides with the side flap portions extended in the respective planes of the respectiveitop and bottom and end panels for introduction of containers, each of the side flap portions attached to an end panel having recesses at ends, each recess intersecting the adjacent fold line at a point spaced inwardly of the adjacent side flap portion, whereby in said erected and open condition the side flap portions attached to the top and bottom panels may beheld in place to maintain the open condition of said side 'flap portions by a rail positioned in a recess and in flush engagement with said adjacent side fiap portion; said carton'in its erected and closed condition having containers therein with the ends of the containers substantially contacting said top and bottom panels and with the sides of certain containers substantially contact- 7 ing said respective end panels; the side flap portions connected to said top and bottom panels being of diiferent width than the side flap portions connected to-said end panelsandyproviding laterally offset projections on said side flap portions in the collapsed condition of the carton .in which two .of said panels form an upper layer and two of said panels form a lower layer, the wider or said side .fiap portions being disposed respectively in the upper and lower layers of said carton, and facilitating the handling vof the .carton in the erecting operation; .in the erected and closed condition of the carton, .the side flap portions connected to the top and bottom panels extending .toward one another in a common plane at the open end and substantially contacting the sides of the container .and :side .fiap portions connected .to said end panels lying inside of and flatagainst the end panels respectively .and being held thereagainst by containers in thecarton.

References Cited in the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS