US3003616A

US3003616A - Hanger carton

Info

Publication number: US3003616A
Application number: US488532A
Authority: US
Inventors: Field Harry; Field Joe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-02-16
Filing date: 1955-02-16
Publication date: 1961-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1978-10-10

Description

Oct. 10, 1961 H. FIELD ETAL 3,

HANGER CARTON Filed Feb. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. i. 1 75. 2.

INVENTORS Huey F7410 BY do: F/ua =4 TTUEA/EL Oct. 10, 1961 H. FIELD ETAL 3,003,616

HANGER CARTON Filed Feb. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 x i-L INVENTORS HARRY FIELD By dos FIELD b p o a United States Patent 3,003,616 Patented Oct. 10, 1961 3,003,616 HANGER CARTON Harry Field, 5942 N. St. Louis Ave., and Joe Field, 6336 N. Oakley Ave., both of Chicago, Ill. Filed Feb. 16, 1955, Ser. No. 488,532 6 Claims. (Cl. 206 7) The present invention relates to reinforced cardboard or double faced corrugated board packing cases and concerns itself more particularly with articles of this class adapted to contain for shipment suit coat garments or other wearables adapted to be suspended from hangers.

This invention is an improvement upon our application, Serial No. 442,482, filed July 12, 1954.

Manufacturers of various classes of garments require suitable packaging containers which not only afford valuable protective characteristics against damage and injury to the cargo during shipment, but also which afford increased facilities and conveniences for filling and loading. These considerations have particular regard to facile accessibility, erection of the packaging units and compactness of the components before assembly. All of these factors influence commercial attractiveness from manufacturers view point because each reflects an element of economy either in storage space or labor which influences the base cost and profit margin considerations of the industry.

Accordingly, a prime object of the present invention is to provide an economically constructible garment package which has abundant qualities of sturdiness and ruggedness to withstand against the adversities of common carrier handling and shipping characteristics.

Another object of the present invent-ion is to provide in such an economically constructed and durable packing case features of assembly and erection which may be performed by relatively unskilled labor and preferably without the use of riveting, stapling, or other special tools and machinery.

Another object of the invention is to provide in such a garment packing case an interior liner component having a swingable portion in one of its walls whereby to afford sidewise accessibility for the insertion of garments during packing while yet avoiding a consequent weakening of the encasement qualities in respect to their ability to withstand buffeting and similar destructive forces.

Yet another object of the present invention is to pro vide a garment packaging device having an interior foldable liner that may be formed with a single sheet together with a sheet metallic supporting beam that may be slid clampingly over opposed wall components of the liner to serve as a supporting strut for garment hangers as well as a clamping structural member for rigidifying and strengthening the liner.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a garment packaging unit including a transversely extending supporting beam from which garments disposed upon hangers may be suspended, together with a stabilizing and space-filling insertion element disposed in a secure insertable manner to repose in contour following proximity over the inclined shoulder sloping features of an assembly of garments suspended from hangers.

The foregoing and other objects and purposes of this invention will be better understood during the course of the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, as well as from the hereinafter appended claims. In the following description as well as in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout, and in the illustrations:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a garment packaging assembly featuring the several components in partially disassembled but relative positions;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same article fully assembled as in readiness for shipment;

FIG. 3 is a detail perspective view of the formed beam and clamp element which constitutes part of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 illustrated in an inverted position and loaded with garments to illustrate the working effectiveness of the stabilizer element against permitting dislodgemcnt and accidental release of the garments and their hangers;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken approximately on line 6-6 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on line 7--7 of FIG. 6.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the reference numeral 11 designates generally a liner portion of the packing case visible in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 which is made up of the contiguous side walls 12 and 13, in this instance forming the wider dimension, the back wall 14, and the front wall which is horizontally slashed as at 15 to comprise an uppermost swingable or door-like section 16, and a lowermost relatively stable section 17. The liner may be folded from a single rectangular sheet scored at the corners 18 to facilitate folding, as well as longitudinally to facilitate the infolding of the inverted

pocket flanges

19, 21, 22 and 23. Preferably the flanges just described are first folded downwardly in a horizontal manner on the common score line, after which the wall sections are folded on their vertical score lines 18 to bring the liner into the rectangular configuration in which it is illustrated in FIG. 1.

Where the stable panel 17 of the front wall section of the liner meets the edge of side wall section 13, shown in FIG. 1 with a minor portion visible above the abutting edge level 24 of heel component 25, a tape may be applied if desired, although adequate stability is attained when the liner is inserted into the heel even without such precautions.

Additional stability may be at once imparted to the liner by the application thereto of the formed clamp element and hanger support beam 26, FIG. 3. This element is advantageously formed of sheet metal stock with its main body or strut portion having substantially inverted U-shaped cross-section. The side flanges 27 and 28 of the clamp element strut extend the length of the strut to a distance just short of the extremity, as best indicated at 29, FIG. 7, providing a space thereat in relation to the clamp panels 31 suitable for receiving a double thickness of the corrugated fiberboard such as made up of either the side wall 12 or '13 together with its

infolded flange

22 or 19.

By placing the clamp element into its position as shown in FIG. 1, not only will the infolded

flanges

22 and 19 be thereby securely clamped between the beam extremities 29 and the end panels 31, but also a rigid and sturdy hanger beam is thereby afiorded over which the hook portions 33 of the garment hangers 34 may be suspended. This arrangement is suitable both for conventional types of wire garment hangers as well as for formed plastic or wood fabricated hangers, and although not essential, some advantages may be achieved if the hook portions 33 thereof are flattened as at 35 to retard to a moderate degree against pivotal swinging of the hangers in cases of narrow shoulder width garments.

The heel component 25 is preferably provided in fiat condition, that is to say with its vertical seam taped together, but otherwise scored and slashed to direct readily its assembly into the rectangular outline shown, after the conventional manner of foldable boxes. This practice is similarly followed in connection with the cap portion 37 which, except for its greater vertical dimension, is otherwise similar in formation and appearance to the heel component.

After a load of garments placed upon hangers 34 has been inserted through the opening afforded by the swing-away door section 16 to the supporting beam 26, an operation which in itself permits greater facility in the placement and orderly array of the garments than heretofore known, a quality of compactness against disarrangement will be attained from the compressive qualities of the garments themselves under tension, particularly when the cap is placed into closure position, FIG. 2.

However, in order to further secure the stability of the packaging unit against inadvertent dislodgement of its contents, a stabilizer, FIGS. 1 and 5, is provided consisting of an element designated generally 41 folded on score lines provided at the edges marked 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47. On the

score lines

42 and 47 there are folded the opposed

upstanding insertion tabs

48 and 49. One of these tabs may be forced behind the rearmost infolded pocket flange 2.1 after the garments are installed in the manner shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 so that its next contiguous panel 51 may then repose against the sloping shoulder line of the garments arrayed on their several hangers. Beyond the fold line 46 the panel 52 will then repose against one side of the beam element such as 28 as well as against the hanger hooks 33 placed thereover. Correspondingly, the top panel 54 and the next panel thereto indicated 55 will encompass the corresponding sides of the array of hanger hooks 33, boxing them in so to speak, against dislodgement. The opposite sloping panel 56 will then rest against the shoulders of the supported garments particularly when the final insertion panel 48 is forced to assume its position behind the infolded pocket flange 23.

The utility of the insertion stabilizer will be readily understood by observing FIG. 5 which shows the manner in which this element contributes an important support to the garments should they be inadvertently inverted, as cargo shipments at some time during their travel are likely to become. In addition to this security, the stabilizer 41 provides a secondary protective cover against dust infiltration and other undesirable effects as where garments are kept in storage in such containers during warehousing or off-seasonally.

It is to be observed from the foregoing that a facile erection shipping box is provided in which the component parts may be kept in fiat condition until needed, and may be instantly erected for utilization or dismantled and restored to their flat condition. It is also to be noted that no staples, rivets or other special machinery applied adjuncts are needed, although where desired such can be handily utilized. Finally, after the box comprised of the inner t-liner 11 has been encased by the heel and cap

outer sections

25 and 37, a permanent secure shipping package is attained merely by the application of a sealing strip 61 around the meeting or abutting seam 24 from which the outer sections separate.

While the present invention has been explained and described with reference to certain structural contemplation, it will be understood nevertheless that numerous changes and modifications are susceptible of being incorporated within the essential spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, for an understanding of this invention in its equivalent extent, reference should be had to the following claims. a

The invention claimed is:

l. A packing case for containing shipment quantities of wearing apparel comprising, an interior or liner member folded from a single sheet of corrugated paper-board into four contiguous panels constituting the back, side and front walls, the uppermost edge of the single sheet from which said liner is formed being first marginally infolded at a top level thereof to provide a perimetric arrangement of pocket flanges thereat of inverted V shape, an exterior case structure comprising a heel component box section for snugly encompassing the lower extremity of said liner member and extending to a predetermined horizontal level thereof, a cap component complementing said exterior case structure and comprising a box section snugly fitting over said liner for abutting said heel component at said predetermined horizontal level, and a clamping and load carrying element comprising a beam section of substantially inverted U-shaped cross-section corresponding in length to the distance between opposed infolded flanges of said liner and having opposed downwardly bent clamping plates for engaging and clamping said opposed liner walls against the ends of the U-shaped beam section, a stabilizer member comprising a space filler sheet of corrugated board scored and folded to provide at its extremities insertion tabs for placement behind the infolded pocket flanges of said liner on opposite side Walls paralleling the clamping and load carrying element beam section, and intermediate said insertion tabs, having panel sections sloping to follow the configuration of supported garment hangers, and further panels encompassing the beam section of said clamping element as well as hanger hooks suspended therefrom.

2. A transportation packaging unit for hanger supported garments including, an interior liner folded from a single rectangular sheet of paper-board into four contiguous side wall panels, said side wall panels constituting similar and opposite pairs, each of said side wall panels including a downwardly infolded flange portion constituting a double thickness fringe portion and inverted pockets at the top edge thereof, of inverted V-shape, a stabilizing beam including extreme plate elements defining upwardly extending notch recesses for receiving the double thickness fringe portions of one pair of said opposed side wall panels and a transverse strut element for bracing said panels thereat as Well as for receiving thereover the Suspension books of garment hangers, a stabilizing and filler element formed of a single sheet of paper-board and comprising extreme panels for reentrant insertion into the inverted pockets behind the downwardly infolded flanges of the other of said pair of opposed side panels and intermediate panels for reposing upon aligned garment hangers suspended from said strut element, and an exterior case comprising telescoping case components snugly fitting over said interior liner and meeting each other at an intermediate level at which to be integrated to each other.

3. A transportation packaging unit for hanger supported garments including, an interior liner folded from a single sheet into four contiguous sidewall panels of similar opposite pairs, each of said sidewall panels including a downwardly infolded flange portion forming with its adjacent panel an inverted \I.-shaped pocket fringe at' the top edge of said liner, a frontal one of said sidewall panels being horizontally cut across its width from a corner of said liner at which the cndsof said single sheet meet to its opposite side flanking corner at which said liner is folded whereby a portion of said frontal sidewall panel is formed into a side access door, a stabilizing beam including extreme plate elements defining upwardly extending notch recesses for receiving the double thickness fringe of the pair of opposite sidewall panels which adjoin said frontal panel, said beam including a transverse strut element for bracing said adjoining panels thereat as well as for receiving thereover the suspension hooks of garment hangers, a stabilizing and filler element formed of a single sheet of paper-board and comprising extreme panels for reentrant insertion into the space beneath the downwardly infolded flanges of the other pair of said panels and intermediate panels for reposing upon aligned garment hangers suspended from said strut element, and an exterior case comprising telescoping fitted components covering said interior liner and meeting each other at an intermediate level of said liner.

4. A package case for a plurality of garments each on a shoulder hanger, said case including a closed bottom and four vertical walls together forming a vertical rectangular chute closed at the bottom and open at the top, the four walls constituting one continuous sheet of paper board folded to form front, rear and side walls, at least two opposite vertical walls having reenforcement means each comprising an inverted V-shaped fold of the paper board of said Walls and each extending across the full widths thereof at the tops thereof and each fold being integral with the wall surface that it is reenforcing across substantially the full width of such wall surface, a stationary garment support and tie rod structure adapted to receive and hold a plurality of side by side garment sustaining hangers, said structure including a rod extending across the top of the case between said two opposite top reenforced vertical side walls and said structure resting on and being supported by the apices of said two folds and including portions each straddling one of the folds and holding the folded ends of the corresponding vertical walls in position, a part of one of the vertical walls that is between the said two opposite vertical walls that sustain said garment-supporting rod having a line of severance therethrough to permit hin ing of that vertical wall at the line of fold that joins it to an adjacent one of the garment rod supporting vertical walls to form an entrance door portion to the interior of the case, said door portion extending vertically from the top of the case for a major portion of the height of the case, each fold extending from its vertical wall inwardly into the case and providing reenforcements without increasing the outside dimensions of the horizontal cross section at the top of the case as compared to the outside dimensions of the case immediately below the fold, a member for holding garments on their hangers in the event of inversion of said packing case, said member comprising a sheet of corrugated board adapted for positioning overlying said rod and bent downwardly therefrom on opposite sides thereof to form sloping panels overlying the hanger, each sloping panel terminating in an upwardly bent wing adapted to be forced into position in the crotch of an inverted V-shaped fold at the top of an adjacent vertical wall.

5. A seructure such as is defined in claim 4 wherein said closure means comprises an inverted box-like cap closed at the top and open at the bottom and telescoped over said four vertical walls.

6. A package case for a plurality of garments each on a shoulder hanger, said case comprising a lower inner component and an upper outer component, the inner component including a closed bottom and four vertical walls together forming a vertical rectangular chute closed at the bottom and open at the top, the four walls constituting one continuous sheet of paper board folded to form front, rear and side walls, at least two opposite vertical walls having reenforcement means extending across the full widths thereof at the tops thereof, the reenforcing means being located inwardly of the vertical wall on the inside of the chute thereby providing reenforcement without increasing the outside dimensions of the horizontal cross section at the top of the inner component as compared to the outside dimension of the inner component immediately below said reenforcing means, and each reenforcing means being joined with the wall surface that it is reenforcing across substantially the full width of said wall surface to prevent separation of the top of such wall surface from the reenforcing means along the full Width of said wall surface, a stationary garment support rod adapted to receive and hold a plurality of side by side garment sustaining hanger said rod extending across the top of the inner component between said two opposite top reenforced vertical side walls and supported by said two opposite vertical paper board walls at said reenforcements and being held against axial shifting and against shifting in a direction transversely of said two opposite walls, one of the vertical walls that is between the said two opposite vertical walls that sustain said garment supporting rod having a line of severance therethrough to permit hinging of that one vertical wall at the line of fold that joins it to an adjacent one of the garment rod supporting vertical walls to form an entrance door portion to the interior of the inner component, said door portion extending vertically for a major portion of the height of the inner component, whereby the case may be packed with garments on hangers by placing the garments into the case through the open door and the packed case can be inspected through the open top thereof to determine proper positioning of the garments in the case at the side thereof opposite said door, the outer component also constituting a continuous sheet of paper board cut and folded to form a closed top and four vertical walls forming a rectangular chute closed at the top and open at the bottom and making a sliding tit over the four vertical walls of the inner component so that it may be telescoped downwardly over the open top of the inner component to close the open top thereof while the inner component loaded with garments suspended from said rod remains stationary and supports the rod, the outer component extending over the inner component to a depth at least covering substantially the entire door portion of the inner component and constituting an endless band encircling the inner component for substantially the entire height of the door and thus restraining the inner component against outward bulging throughout the line of severance constituting the door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,450,708 Botts Apr. 3, 1923 1,764,931 Carlson Jan. 17, 1930 1,939,339 Dolan Dec. 12, 1933 1,984,193 Lowe Dec. 11, 1934 2,357,309 Brown et al. Sept. 5, 1944 2,455,739 Curtis Dec. 7, 1948 2,535,233 Ross Dec. 26, 1950 2,538,204 Lemon Ian. 16, 1951 2,611,526 George Sept. 23, 1952 2,633,979 Warnick Apr. 7, 1953 2,770,357 Sheard Nov. 13, 1956 2,788,888 Fisk Apr. 16, 1957