US2982459A - Bulk container - Google Patents

Description

H. CAREW BULK CONTAINER May 2, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 14, 1955 May 2, 1961 H. CAREW 2,982,459

BULK CONTAINER Filed July 14, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fin/E17 zar H. CAREW BULK CONTAINER May 2, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 14, 1955 (III.

llllllll! I I I I 1 I BULK CONTAINER Herman Carew, Easton, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed July 14, 1975s, Ser. No. 522,123 1 Claim. ((1229-55) alent material, and particularly such containers suitable for use in a household refrigerator. The difficulty resided in the acquisiton of certain desiderata as to containers of this type,-such as a container made of very light material but possessing more than ample strength, a container made sufliciently or desirably economical to meet competi'tion, a container having ample room for advertising purposes if the customer so desires, a container in which the cover may be readily removed and replaced so that the container may be repeatedly used until all of the contents are gradually consumed, a container that adequately protects the contents while leaving at least a portion of the contents visible through the container, a container that readily fits within the freezing compartment or on a shelf of a household refrigerator even though the container may havea relatively large capacity, a container that has the appearance of holding a large amount of a commodity especially since a given amount. as heretofore packaged in bulk containers most frequently appears small to the purchaser, and other desiderata difficult to obtain as are known to those practicing this art. -With particular regard to the economy of production, diiiiculty has been experienced in the past in providing bulk containers of different sizes because different constructions and modes of procedure had to be employed to acquire a full range of sizes. Also, in most cases, with bulk containers of the self-supporting type embodying slip-on covers, the cover was of materially different construction than the bottom of the container and required an entirely different procedure and equipment for manufacture. In addition, it may be noted that in many cases certainparts of the container were subject to die forming akin to drawing which in many cases detracted from the ultimate strength of the container, and added to the cost of production.

-With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a bulk container made of paper or equivalent material which is overall'light in weight and in which relatively light stock may be utilized, but which possesses'extreme rigidity and'strength.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a bulk container made of. paper or equivalent material equipped with a cover, that is readily applicable and re-' movable, whereby the container may be repeatedly used and the remaining contents are always tightly enclosed. Anotherfeature of theinstant invention resides in the provision of a bulk container made of paper or equivalent material so constructed as to give what may be considered en Q U 2,982,459

a large appearance for a given capacity, the containerbeing filled to its full capacity with whatever commodity is packed therein. a

It is also a featured the invention to provide a bulk container of the character set forth herein which may readily be made in a wide range of sizes,;without deviating in any material aspect, except size of blanks, in order to manufacture the full range of sizes.

Still another object of theinvention resides in the provision of a bulk container embodying a tubular body part with a closure for each end of the body part, such as a bottom and a cover, both'of which closures embody in the main the same form of blank and the samemethod of'construction.

Also an important object of the instant invention is the provision of a bulk container made of paper or equivalent vision of a bulk container of the character herein set forth, so constructed that a full range of sizes of the container will easily fit on a shelf of the ordinary household refrigerator.

Also a feature of the invention resides in the provision of a bulk container of the character herein set forth which may readily be made, without any aggravating or expensive variation in the mode of manufacture, to pro vide at leastpartial visibility to the purchaser of the contents of the container, or'to provide a special surface, other than the material of the container itself for direct contact with the contents. 7

Another important object of the instant invention resides in the provision of a bulk container of paper or equivalent material, so constructed that the same container may be utilized with or without labels or other decorative medium, and still have a pleasing, and sanitary appearance to the' purchaser. V

Still a further object of the instant invention is 'the' pro vision of anew and novel method of making a container and parts thereof. V v

- While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from'the follow;

ing disclosures, taken in conjunction with theaccompany} ing drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a'bulk containep a embodying principles of the instantinvention; j

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure of Figuj li Figure 3 is a vertical. sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line III- 111 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a view of the blank from which the body part of the container is made;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a blank used for a closure at an end of the body part; V

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a closure blank of slightly different construction; a

Figure 7 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view illustrating the disposition of a pair of blanks of the character seen in Fig. 5 in the making of a double ply closure;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of a double ply closure;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a double ply closure;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a closure of somewhat different construction;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, through a closure of still different construction;

Figure 12 is a side elevational view of a container Patented May 2,; 1961.

embodying principles of the instant invention, showing the same without any label, and with parts broken away; and

Figure 13 is a side elevational view of a stack of containers embodying principles of the instant. invention showing how they may be nested 'one within the other.

As shown on the drawings:

The instant invention lends itself to many variations, both in some details of construction, and in the provision of decorations or labels, such variations depending to the most extent upon the particular desires of customers. For example, some customers will desire a container with no labels or decorative matter thereon. Other customers will desire a container fully equipped with labels of various kinds and colors; while still other customers desire a transparent portion in the container through which the contents are visible to the prospective purchaser, etc. .The instant invention lends itselfto the production of containers with such variations, with no material or expensive changes in the manner of production of the container in order to satisfy the desires of the respective customers.

By way of example, and not by way of limitation, the instant invention will be herein described as made of paper stock, although it will be understood that other materials that are paper-like insofar as cutting and handling are concerned, may also be utilized. The stock going to make up the container may be treated in any suitable manner, such as by wax surfacing, wax impregnation, provided with a plastic coating on the interior, etc., or the stock may be left in its naked condition.

In general, a complete container comprises a tubular body part having a closure for each end'thereof. One of these closures may be the bottom of the container, and the other closure the cover of the container, the cover being preferably removable and replaceable. A significant feature of the instant invention resides in the fact that both closure members are formed in general in the same way, of the same type of blanks, and with the same general form of machinery.

In the first illustrated embodiment of the instant invention there is shown a container including a body part generally indicated by numeral 1, a top closure generally indicated by numeral 2, and a bottom closure generally indicated by numeral 3.

The body part 1 of the container is preferably formed from a single blank of stock, indicated by numeral 4, and shown in the fiat in Fig. 4. This blank is preferably provided with a vertical marginal stripe of adhesive 5 adjacent one side edge, and a transverse stripe of adhesive 6 adjacent the bottomedge, any suitable form of adhesive being used. With any suitable forming machine'ry, the blank is rolled in a direction away from the viewer looking at Fig. 4, so that the underside of the right hand margin overlaps the adhesive 5, the overlapping marginal edges being bonded by such adhesive.

From the showing in Fig. 4, it will be noted that the body blank 4 is provided with a score line 7 near the top edge, and a score line 8 near the bottom edge. When the blank is rolled into the body form of the container, the upper marginal portion outside the score line 7 is bent downwardly to provide a depending annular skirt-like flange 9, as seen in Fig. 3, that is spaced away from the body proper of the container, thus providing a spring flange insuring tight engagement with the cover closure of the container.v During the forming of the blank, it is also bent slightly inwardly at the score line 8, to provide an inner annular shoulder 10 seen clearly in Fig. 3 to facilitate stacking of the containers by nesting them one within the other, as will later appear. It will also be noted from the showing in Fig. 3 that the container body is preferably inwardly and downwardly tapering above the annular shoulder 10, while the marginal portion below the shoulder 10 is substantially cylindrical. Making the lower portion cylindrical adds considerable rigidity and stability to the completed container after the bottom closure has been attached to'the body.

The container bottom closure 3 is preferably made from a disk-shaped blank 11 seen in Fig. 5. This blank is initially fiat, and is provided with a score line 12 defining outside thereof an annular margin, which marginal portion is provided with a series of equally spaced V-notches 13 defining blunt ended teeth or projections 14. A single stamping is sufficient to provide the com plete blank from a sheet of stock. This bottom blank is then folded on the annular score line 12 to provide an upstanding annular skirt 15 (Fig. 3) disposed substantially at right angles to the remainder of the blank. This folding operation may be accomplished without any drawing effort exerted on the paper blank, and when the skirt 15 is folded into position, the notches 13 are closed so that the side edges of the teeth or projections 14 substantially contact the side edges of adjacent teeth or projections, as seen clearly in Fig. 12. The folded skirt 15 of the bottom blank 11 provides surface contact with a marginal face of the body blank 4, and in the illustrated instance it is the outer marginal face, whereby the projections 14 overlie the adhesive stripe 6 on the body blank, and occupy a position immediately outside of the annular shoulder 10 of the body blank, engaging the body blank in the cylindrical portion below that shoulder 10. Again with reference to Fig. 3, it will be seen that during the folding operation the bottom blank is preferably inset in the central region as indicated at 16, so as to provide a surrounding marginal base of relatively narrow width upon which the container rests. With such a base, and the interior portion of the bottom spaced upwardly, two filled containers resting on top of each other will not tend to stick or freeze together in a cold compartment by virtue of accumulated condensation.

The top closure or cover 2 is formed in substantially the same manner as the bottom closure 3. At the outset, a blank 17 (Fig. 6) is cut, and this blank is substantially like the blank 11 previously described, except it is provided with a central aperture 18 where a window is desired through which to view the contents of the container. Should the window not be desired, the blank may be the same as the blank 11. In either case, however, the blank is provided with the notches 13, the teeth or projections, 14, and is formed in the same way as was the blank 11, with the exception that the annular skirt portion 19, Fig. 3, extends downwardly instead of upwardly, and the score line 12a on the blank 17 would preferably be in the opposite direction from the score line 12 on the blank 11. Since the skirt 19 is not cemented or otherwise attached to the body of the container, it is preferable in order to maintain the necessary stiffness in the skirt 19 to surround that skirt with a reinforcement, and in the illustrated instance that reinforcement is in the nature of a ring 20 which is telescoped over the skirt and cemented thereto in any suitable manner, thus providing a cover with a very stiff marginal skirt or flange.

Where the container has no window through which the customer may view the contents, the above description completes the formation of the container seen in Fig. 12 of the drawing, which container has no decoration thereon. The container may be made of relatively lightweight stock, and when completed is extremely strong and rigid. Each time the cover is pressed down over the resilient flange 9 at the top of the container body, there there is a definite closure that is substantially air tight, and there is nothing to interfere with repeated removal and replacement of the cover. Even after the commodity has been disposed of entirely, the container may be used for other purposes or other commodities by the housewife. Since the closures at both ends of the body part are made in substantially the same manner and with substantially the same equipment, economy of production is obviously materially enhanced. Further, various sizes want or the containerm'ay'be made without any change in the general operation of construction.

Assuming, for example, that the containers seen in Figs. 1 and 12 are quart containers, a half gallon container would be of substantially twice the height and same diameter and would incorporate the same closure element as the quart container. would be of the same height as the half-gallon container but of greater diameter. A two gallon container would not be increased above the height of the gallon container, so that it would still be readily placeable on a shelf in the ordinary household refrigerator, but obviously would have an increased diameter.

It should also be noted that a container made in the manner above described, appears larger to the customer than a container made substantially cubical or cylindrical with a height equivalent to the diameter, so that the customer feels that he is getting full measure, even though he may be technically assured of full measure by virtue of the content capacity stamped on a container of any form.

Where it is desired to provide a window in the container, it is a simple expedient with the blank of Fig. 6 to cementitiously attach a sheet or disk 21 of thin transparent plastic material over the central opening 18 in the disk, as clearly illustrated inFig. 2. Such plastic element 21 may be attached either on the upper side or the lower side of the blank 17, but in the instance illustrated in Fig. 3, it is attached over the upper face of the disk 17, and the marginal portion of the plastic sheet 21 is covered by an annular label 22 which may be decorated in any desired manner. Likewise with this construction, a label 23 may be secured around the side wall of the body overlying the joint between the skirt of the bottom and the side wall, and this label may also be decorated as desired.

In Fig. 10 I have illustrated a cover made in the manner above described, utilizing the blank 17 of Fig. 6, but with a transparent element 24 disposed on the inside face of the blank 17, not only underlying the aperture 18 in the cover to provide a window, but also underlying the entire inside surface of the cover so that this particular plastic material will come directly in contact with the contents of the container. With certain substances, such contact is desirable to prevent the substance adhering objectionably to the cover.

Another way of making a top closure for the container, and a bottom closure as well if a double thickness bottom closure should be desired, is illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. This method provides the use of the same blanks above described, results in a double ply closure member, and eliminates the use of the band when the closure member is used as a cover.

With reference nowto these figures, it will be seen that a pair of blanks 11 may be superposed as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 7, but with the teeth or projections 14 in staggered relationship, so that a tooth 14 of one of the blanks overlies the notch 13 between such teeth of the other blank. Of course, it would be preferable to bend or form each blank to provide the skirt portion 19 thereof, and then nest one formed blank within the other with the teeth or projections 14 in staggered relationship, and adhesively secure the blanks together. With this closure structure, no band 20 is needed for reinforcing purposes, since the cover is sufliciently rigid and strong both as to the annular skirt 19 as well as the body portion without any such aid.

In Fig. 11 I have illustrated the use of two of the blanks 17 in the same way to provide a window in the closure element. This may be accomplished by inserting a transparent sheet or disk between the blanks so that the sheet extends over the opening 18 in each blank, and cementitiously or otherwise bonding the transparent sheet in position.

A gallon container In Fig. 13 I have illustrated the ease with which containersembodying the instant invention may be stacked,

aforesaid inside annular flange 10 of the container therebelow,the turned over flanges 9 around the tops of the containers not contacting in the; stacked arrangement, so there is no chance of such resilient flanges becoming interlocked and retarding separation. With the aid of the shoulder 10, and the cylindrical portion at the bottom of each container, the containers are not only compactly nested, but are separable with extreme ease and facility when desired for use.

My novel method of making a container and parts there'- of is believed to be sufliciently apparent from the foregoing disclosure as to warrant no further description herein.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a simple, economical, lightweight yet exceptionally strong and rigid container that may be repeatedly used, may be provided with a window whereby the purchaser may see the contents, may or may not be provided with labels or other decorations, and which can otherwise be readily adapted to satisfy.the whims or desires of prospective customers with no material increase in difliculty or cost of manufacture.

It should also be pointed out herein that another method of making the container results in extremely rapid pro: duction. To that end, the adhesive stripes 5 and 6 placed upon the body blank 4 may be of a suitable fusible or heat sealing substance, such as a natural or synthetic resinous plastic material, and then by way of a quick application of high frequency electric current, the bonding substance is almost instantly fused. With that method,

there is no delay waiting upon ordinary glue of the type previously used to become set. It should also be noted that during forming of the container, the body may be held in rolled position with overlapped marginal portions, the container bottom placed in position, and both adhesive stripes 5 and 6 fused simultaneously.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

In a temporary bulk container of paper-like material, a body part of uniform thickness throughout-except for overlapped marginal portions and having a lower cylindrical portion and an outwardly flaring portion above said lower cylindrical portion, said cylindrical portion being offset inwardly with respect to said flaring wall portion to define an annular shoulder within said container at the junction between said cylindrical and flaring parts of said body, a bottom member having a marginal flange turned up outside said cylindrical portion and secured thereto below said shoulder, said turned up flange and cylindrical portion being substantially coextensive, and said bottom member being slightly inset in the central region thereof leaving-a surrounding relatively narrow base margin upon which the container rests whereby when a filled container is stacked upon another union by freezing condensation is eliminated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,212,147 Peterson Ian. 9, 1917 1,598,396 Scandore Aug. 31, 1926 1,851,287 Moore Mar. 29, 1932 1,911,908 Lell May 30, 1933 1,955,865 Wellman Apr. 24, 1934 2,016,863 La Grua Oct. 8, 1935 2,089,185 Colvin Aug. 10, 1937 2,132,597 Barbieri Oct. 11, 1938 (Other references on following page) 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Carew Jan. 3-, 1939 Calva Sept. 12, 1939 "Dunlap July 30, 1940 Carruth June 10, 1941 Van Saun Jan. 15, 1946 Hamilton Sept. 9, 1947

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