US2963212A

US2963212A - Tabs and notches on self erecting box

Info

Publication number: US2963212A
Application number: US774478A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank A Gastright
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-11-17
Filing date: 1958-11-17
Publication date: 1960-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 1977-12-06

Description

Dec. 6, 1960 F. A. GASTRIGHT 2,963,212

TABS AND NOTCHES Ion SELF ERECTING BOX Filed Nov. 17. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Fran/z 6. fiaafr 'yki ATTORNEY Dec. 6, 1960 v F. A. GASTRIGHT 2,963,212 I was AND NOTCHES on SELF ERECTING BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 17. 1958 INVENTOR 219/22 air A 5 Fun 1% A Ga ATTORNEY United States atent O TABS AND NOTCHES ON SELF ERECTING BOX Frank A. Gastright, 4014 Rosslyn Drive, Cincinnati 9, Ohio Filed Nov. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 774,478

Claims. (Cl. 229-41) This invention relates to paper boxes with self-locking bottom closure flaps, the boxes being normally stored in collapsed condition in a vending machine magazine, and then automatically erected, filled with a fluent commodity, and dispensed. More particularly, the invention is concerned with structure on the box which requires it to be properly stored in a magazine, and which enables the collapsed blank to be fed and erected. This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Serial No. 598,095, filed July 16, 1956, for Self- Erecting Box With Tabs and Recesses for Engagement by Feeding and Erecting Mechanism, now Patent No. 2,877,943.

In order to understand the full significance of the invention, a brief reference is made to the pertinent features of the erecting, filling and dispensing machine in which the box is particularly adapted to be used, and for which a co-pending patent application entitled Popcorn Packaging and Delivering Machine was filed. July 16, 1956. In such a machine, a row of the subject boxes are stored in a magazine and urged against a feeder blade which dams up the end of the row. When a collapsed box is to be utilized, the feeder blade sweeps across the row end, wipes off the end box, moves it, while still in flat collapsed condition, to a form. Upon reaching the form, the feeder blade shoves the box so as to press a leading vertical corner fold of the collapsed box into an interior angled corner of the form. The shoving action of the feeder blade is suificient to partially open the box into the form, and thereafter a pusher takes over and presses the trailing corner fold of the box toward the form so as to complete the opening. Meanwhile, the feeder blade sweeps back across the end of the row of collapsed boxes in the magazine to a position of readiness for wiping off the next succeeding collapsed box from the row end.

The primary object of the invention is to provide for a temporary but firm inter-engagement between the collapsed box and a box feeder. To this end, it is intended to provide a collapsible box with short tabs which, when the box is flattened, project beyond a corner fold of the box. When the box is collapsed fiat, the tabs project beyond the corner fold, which at that time is as yet not bent, and which then lies intermediate the leading and trailing edges of the collapsed box, so that the tabs overlie parts of an adjacent side wall of the box. The ends of the tabs engage in a substantially V-shaped gap formed on the leading edge of a feeder blade so that when the collapsed box is wiped oh? the end of its row, the blade tenaciously engages the tab. As the feeder blade shoves the collapsed box into the form, the tabs also constitute projections against which the blade fingers shove. It is intended to provide a further interlock between the feeder blade and collapsed box by providing notches in the side wall of the box beneath and adjacent the tabs. Thus, the leading edge of the feeder blade slides onto the upper siu'faces of the tabs, and then down-turned prongs p 2,93,212 Patented Dec. 6, 1960 2 on the feeder blade fit into the notches. Thus, the tabs are gripped between the prongs and the under-surfaces of the leading edge of the feeder blade.

The second objective of the invention is to facilitate the disengagement of the feeder blade from the box, after the feeding and shoving action of the feeder blade has been completed. According to this invention, projecting tabs and underlying notches are arranged on a collapsible box so that, when the box is fed in fiat collapsed condition, the feeder blade will grip the tabs in the gap between the leading edge of the blade and the down-turned prongs. However, as the box opens, the tabs swing away from the formerly underlying panel of the box, thereby freeing the feeder blade so that the latter may retract from the tabs without dragging the box back with it. I

These and other objects will be apparent from the following specification and drawings, in which: 7

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the subject box is formed;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the box in collapsed condition; r

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section along the line 3- 3 of Fig. 2 showing the collapsed box, and further illustrating the starting action of a pronged feeder blade;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the erected box;

Fig.5 is a front elevation of the endmost' one of a row of collapsed boxes supported in a magazine, and further illustrating the engaging action of the feeding blade; and, I

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic cross-section showing the action of the box tabs when the box has been shoved by the feeder blade into a form and partly opened.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals denote similar elements, the box 2, shown collapsed in Fig. 2 and erected in Fig. 4, is formed from a blank 4 shown in Fig. 1. Box 2 has vertical front and rear wall panels 6 and 8,

side wall panels

10 and 12, and a bottom B. A glue flap 14 is contiguous with wall panel 6, and interlocking

bottom flaps

16, 18, 20 and 22 are provided. The bottom flaps are bent upwardly along bottom fold line 23, the blank is then bent along

corner fold lines

24, 26, 28, 30 and 32, and the glue flap 14 is secured under the region adjacent edge 32 to form a rectangular box. At the bottom,

flaps

16 and 18 are creased along fold lines 17 and 19, and flap portions 16a, 18a, are secured beneath

adjacent flaps

22, 20 respectively. The disclosed arrangement of the bottom flaps is but one of many Well known to those skilled in the art, and various others may be used in conjunction with the novel features detailed below, the significant feature of the box being that it collapses flat, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and when

corners

26 and 30 are moved towards one another, the box sides assume a tubular configuration, and the bottom flaps interlock to hold the assembly thusly erected, as shown in Fig. 4.

The invention is concerned with the features which adapt a box of the described class for handling by auto matic feeding and erecting machinery, i.e., tabs 38 and notches N.

The boxes are adapted to be stored in collapsed condition in a magazine, a portion of which is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein it should be understood that box 2 is the endrnost one of a row of collapsed boxes supported on a tray 42 and confined on one side by a lip 44. All the boxes are oriented so that sides 6 and 10 face towards the row end, with tabs 38 pointing downwardly, this orientation, which is necessary for utilization of tabs 38 and notches N, being assured by the provision of the cut-outs 34 which fit against a correspondingly shaped shoulder 46 on tray 42.

and to the left of the Fig. structure. feeder blade 50 wipes the endmost collapsed box from Suitable mechanism, not shown, is provided for forcing the stack of collapsed boxes towards the near end of tray 42 so that the endmost one is pressed against a feeder blade 50, which has a portion normally disposed across the end of the collapsed box row somewhat below the position shown in Fig. 5. Feeder blade 50 is supported by a pivot at a point off to the left of Fig. 5, and swings about an are A in the direction of the curved arrow to an erecting station (Fig. 6) disposed upwardly In so swinging,

the row in the magazine, transports it to the erecting station form 52, lodges the leading corner 30 of the collapsed box in an interior corner 54 of form 52, and gives the box a suflicient further shove into the form so as to partially open it, as shown in Fig. 6. A pusher 56 then moves behind the trailing box corner 26 and pushes that corner towards form 52 until the box is completely erected in the form. As pusher 56 comes into operation blade 50 returns to its dwell position somewhat below that of Fig. 5 until another cycle starts.

As will be apparent from Fig. 3, tabs 38 are substantially coplanar with side wall 10, from which they extend so as to overlie an adjacent part of side wall 6 when the box is collapsed. In the region of tabs 28, side wall 6 is formed with notches N. Blade 50 is formed with down-turned prongs P. Thus, when blade 50 moves from its dwell position of Fig. 3 towards tabs 38, the leading edge of the feeder blade, which is beveled on its under side in the regions which engage tabs 38, slides over the tabs until prongs P, which slide along panel 6, drop into notches N, as shown in Fig. 5. The effect of tabs 38 and notches N, when the box is collapsed flat, is to permit the tab edges to jam into the channel, termed herein as gap T G between the lower beveled surfaces of the leading edge of the blade and the upper beveled surfaces of prongs P.

I As seen in elevation, there is no actual gap, because the leading edge of the feeder blade is cut-away in the region overlying prongs P. However, the tabs 38 are stiff enough to bridge the cut-away portion of the feeder blade, sothat the effect is the same as if an actual gap existed. The wedging engagement of the blade onto tabs 38 is sufliciently tight that the box will not dislodge during the feeding stroke of blade 50, even though the feeder blade swings rapidly in an arc from the point at which it wipes the endmost box from the end of the stack in the magazine to the erecting station. The interfitting of the prongs P into notches N very accurately positions the box on the blade.

As will be apparent from Fig. 6, the extension of tabs 38 beyond the line of corner fold 24 results in the sidewise swinging of the tabs when feeder blade 50 shoves leading edge 30 of the theretofore collapsed box against an abutment, i.e., the interior corner 54 of form 52. Thus, tabs 38 free themselves from their wedging engagement in gap G when the feeder blade is ready to reverse its direction of swing to start its return stroke, as indicated by the double-ended arrow of Fig. 6. Thus, there is no tendency of the feeder blade to drag the feed box back on the return stroke of the blade. Notches N also prevent tabs 38 from being tightly glued down against panel 6 in event excess glue is squeezed out from over the glue flap during the manufacture of the box.

The invention is not limited to the precise form and details of the structure illustrated and described, but is 4 intended to cover all substitutions, equivalents and modifications within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: M

1. In a collapsible cardboard box for use in a machine having box erecting means including a feeder blade having prong means thereon, said box including an adjacent pair of first and second contiguous substantially stiff flat panels which lie substantially parallel and are connected by an unfolded fold line in the collapsed condition of the box, tab means on the edge of the first panel which lies adjacent the fold line, said tab means extending beyond the fold line and freely overlying a portion of the second panel in the collapsed condition of the box for engagement of the feeder blade therebeneath, said tab means being substantially stiff and co-planar with the first panel at all times, said second panelhaving open notch means underlying the tab means for receiving the prong means on the feeder blade.

2. A box as defined in claim 1, said open notch means being longer than said tab means as measured along the second panel in the direction away from the fold line, whereby said prong means can enter said open notch means prior to engagement of the prong means beneath the tab means.

3. In a collapsible cardboard box for use in a machine having box erecting means including a feeder blade with prong means thereon, said box including an adjacent pair of first and second contiguous substantially stifi fiat panels, a glue flap on the second panel adhered to and underlapping the first panel, a fold line on the second panel at the base of the glue flap, said panels lying substantially 'parallel and said fold line being unfolded in the collapsed condition of the box, tab means on the edge of the first panel which lies adjacent the fold line, said tab means extending beyond the fold line and freely overlying a portion of the second panel in the collapsed condition of the box for receiving the feeder blade, said second panel having open notch means underlying the tab means for receiving the prong means on the feeder blade, said open having box erecting means including a feeder blade having a spaced pair of prongs, said box including an adjacent pair of first and second substantially stiff flat panels which lie substantially parallel and are connected by an unfolded fold line in the collapsed condition of the box, a spaced pair of tabs on the edge of the first panel which lies adjacent the fold line, said tabs extending beyond the fold line and freely overlying a portion of the second panel in the collapsed condition of the box for receiving the feeder blade, said tabs being substantially stiff and coplanar with the first panel at all times, said second panel having an open notch underlying each of the tabs 'for receiving the prongs on the feeder blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,163,615 Cooley Dec. 7, 1915 2,676,750 Gastright Apr. 27, 1954 2,686,629 Inman Aug. 17, 1954 2,772,044 Layne Nov. 27, 1956