US3001686A - Folding carton structure - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 26, 1961 c. J. SHEPHERD 3,001,686

FOLDING CARTON STRUCTURE Filed April 8, 1957 United States Patent Ofiice 3,001,686 Patented Sept. 26, i fil 3,001,686 FOLDING CARTON STRUCTURE Charles John Shepherd, Hometown, 11]., assignor to Labels Incorporated, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Apr. 8, 1957, Ser. No. 651,536 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-40) The present invention relates to a novel sheet material foldable box, and more particularly to a novel sheet material book fold type box construction.

At present there is in general use a bafile type book fold or carton for shipping, storing or mailing books, which book fold has opposite end portions which are repeatedly folded to provide battle constructions for protecting ends of books or other articles to be packaged in the carton. The construction of such prior cartons is such that they require considerable amounts of stock material for the bafiie portions thereof and they are also relatively difiicult to assemble so that they are usually packed with time consuming, expensive hand labor.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel carton or book fold which is constructed so that it requires substantially less stock material than baffie type book folds heretofore generally used whereby to promote more economical production of the carton and also so as to reduce the weight of the carton and thereby reduce shipping and handling problems and costs.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a novel one piece sheet material book fold or carton which may be relatively easily and quickly as sembled and which is adaptable for assembly by machines rather than by hand labor.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel one piece sheet material book fold or carton of the above described type which is of rugged construction and which is adapted to provide improved protec tion for books or the like packaged therein.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a novel book fold or carton incorporating the features of the present invention and in a fully assembled condition;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View taken along line 22 in FIG. 1;

:FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the novel book fold or carton of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a partially assembled or folded condition and further showing the manner in which a book fits within the carton;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a book fold or carton in a fully assembled condition and embodying a modified form of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a book fold or carton blank of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in a partially assembled or folded condition; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the modified structure in a partially assembled condition.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, a book fold or carton 10 incorporating one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-4. The folder or carton is formed in one piece from suitable sheet material such as paperboard, corrugated board, fiber board, plastic and the like. The blank for the folder or carton is provided with a main central section 12 which may conveniently be designated as the bottom section. Opposite side sections 14 and 16 are articulated to opposite edges of the bottom section along scored bend lines 18 and 2%) respectively, which side sections, in the embodiment shown, have a width or height substantially similar to the thickness of a book 22 to be packaged within the carton. Complementary panels 24 and 26 are respectively articulated to the side sections 14 and 16 along scored bend line 28 and Si and these panels combine to provide a closed top for the carton when the blank is fully assembled.

In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, opposite end portions of the folder or carton are formed so as effectively to protect a book or the like packaged Within the carton while at the same time enabling a carton to be produced from less stock material and to be rapidly and economically assembled. More specifically, end sections 32 and 34 are articulated to 053- posite ends of the bottom section 12 along scored bend lines 36 and 38 respectively and additional end sections 40 and 42 are articulated to the sections 32 and 34 respectively along scored bend lines 44 and 46. Triangular end portions 48 and 50 are integrally joined to corresponding ends of the opposite side panels 34 and 16 along scored bend lines 52 and 54, and these triangular portions are also integrally joined to opposite ends of the section 32 along scored bend lines 56 and 58, which last mentioned bend lines extend diagonally from the corners of the bottom section 12 when the blank is in a flat condition. Cornplementary end sections 60 and 62 are integrally articulated to corresponding ends of the top panels 24 and 26 along scored bend lines 64 and 66 respectively, and these end sections are also joined to the triangular portions 48 and 50 along scored bend lines 68 and 70.

The carton is provided with additional triangular portions 72 and 74 identical to the above mentioned triangular portions but integrally joined to opposite ends of the side panels 14 and 16 along scored bend lines 76 73. Complementary end sections St! and 82 joined to the top panels 24 and 26 along scored bend lines 84 and 86 are also joined to the triangular portions 72 and 74 along scored bend lines 83 and 90. The remaining edges of these triangular portions are integrally joined to the end section 34 along scored bend lines 92 and 94.

The folder or carton 10 may be applied to a book or the like in the following manner. With the carton blank in a flat condition, the book 22 is placed on the central bottom section 12. Then the oppcni- te side panels 14 and 16 are folded upwardly along opposite edges of the book and at the same time the complementary top panels 24 and 26 are folded sufiiciently to bend the blank along the fold lines 28 and 30 and finally sufilciently to locate the panels 24 and 26 over and substantially against the book. During folding of the side panels and the top panels, the triangular end portions 485ll and 72-74 are automatically folded so that they project diagonally laterally outwardly from the opposite sides 14 and 16 of the carton as shown best in FIGS. 1 and 4. This causes the end sections 32 and 34 to be folded so that they are inclined upwardly or laterally inwardly from the bottom section 12, and the end sections extending from the top panels 24 and 26 are also automatically deflected or inclined downwardly or inwardly as shown best in FIG. 2. Finally, the end sections 40 and 42 are respectively folded over the top end sections 60-62 and 8il82 and secured thereto. It will be appreciated that the end sections may be secured together by various means such, for example, as adhesives, tapes, staples and the like. It will also be appreciated that, if desired, the end sections 40 and 42 may be folded inwardly before the top panels 24 and 26 have been folded over the book so that the end panels 40 and 42 will be disposed within rather than 3 over the complementary end panels top sections 24 and 26.

It is to be noted that the structure described above provides the book folder or carton with portions at its opposite ends having generally triangular transverse cross sections and generally designated by the numerals 96 and 98. These triangular portions are relatively rugged so as to resist crushing or damage thereto which might in turn cause damage to the book packaged within the carton. Furthermore, it is to be noted that any force which tends to jam the book against or into the portions 96 and 98 will not necessarily be absorbed completely by the edges of the book but rather will tend to cause the book to Wedge between the angularly disposed end section of the folder so as further to minimize any damage of injury to the book. The triangular portions present reinforced and relatively rugged end corners or ribs 100 and 102 which will normally bear the brunt of shocks or crushing forces directed against the ends of the carton, and these ribs are not only capable of withstanding considerable impact or crushing forces but are also spaced from the ends of the book so that the forces will be absorbed by the diagonally disposed end sections and transverse bottom and top sections of the folder rather than by the book. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the construction described above also provides the finished carton or folder with corner portions 104, 106, 108 and 110 which project laterally from opposite sides of the carton and provide bumpers for absorbing many impact or crushing forces or the like to which the package may be subjected during storing, handling or shipping.

extending from the opposite end of the carton are automatically shifted to their closed positions. Finally the end flap 40a and the corresponding flap at the opposite end of the carton are folded over and secured in place with adhesive, tape, or any other suitable means. The folder or carton 10a may also be assembled or folded around an article in much the same manner as the embodiment described above except that the triangular elements are folded inwardly.

While the preferred-embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it is obvious that many structural details may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

'1 to each other and to the first mentioned bend lines and In FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 there is shown a slightly modi- 7 fied form of the present invention which is similar to'the above described embodiment as indicated by application of identical reference numerals with the suifix a added to corresponding elements. This embodiment difiers in that the corner portions of the carton are formed so I end bend lines and the bend lines along said complethat they may be tucked inwardly and also so that the carton may be partially assembled and stored or shipped in a flattened condition and then opened for receiving an article to be packaged. More specifically, the end sections 32a and 60a, instead of being joined directly to the.

triangular end portion 48a are scored along bend lines 112 and 114 so as to provide triangular sections 116 and 118 integrally joined to the triangular end portion 48a along the bend lines 5651 and 68a. The rest of the corner portions are similarly formed and need not be shown and described in detail. It suffices to state that the corner portion 106a which is shown along with the corner portion 104a is provided with scored bend lines 120 and 122 in the end'sections 32a and 62a for providing elements or sections 122 and 124. The folder 10a may be partially assembled as shown in FIG. 8 and retained in this condition by a tape 126 or other suitable means. When the carton is in the condition shown in FIG. 8, it may be substantially flattened for shipping or storing by folding the side sections 14a and 16a in the same direction. Subsequently, a packager may easily shift the side section back to the position shown in FIG. 8 so as to open the ends of the carton for receiving a book or other article. Then the triangular corner portions are tucked inwardly and the end portions 32a, 60a and 62a and the correspondingend portion at the having a combined width similar to the width of said body between said first mentioned bend lines, a pair of end sections respectively articulated to opposite ends of said body member along substantially parallel end scored bend lines which are substantially perpendicular to said first mentioned bend lines, additional pairs of opposite end portions respectively articulated to opposite ends of said complemental members along scored bend lines which are substantially in alignment vw'th the last named end bend lines, pairs of generally triangular end elements articulated to opposite end's'of said side sections in alignment with said end bend lines, said end portions and said end section being articulated directly to said triangular elements along scored bend lines converging from the mental members. a

2. A blank, as defined in claim 1, wherein the sheet material is corrugated board. l

3. A blank, as defined in claim 1, whichincludes a pair of flaps respectively articulated to outer end edges of said end sections and adapted to be folded into overlapping relationship with said end portions when the blank is formed into a carton.

References Cited in the file of this patent man Paper Products Corp., copyright 1948, 24 pages. (Copy available in Div. 40.)

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