US3162302A - Shipper carton and package - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 22, 1964 Filed Aug. l0, 1962 C. L. CHAMPLIN ETAL SHIPPEIR CARTON AND PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS` www@ K ATTORNEY DeC- 22, 1964 c. cHAMPLlN ETAL 3,162,302

SHIPPER CARTON AND PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. lO, 1962 ATTORNEY Dec 22,1964 c. l.. CHAMPLIN ETAL 3,162,302

SHIPPER CARTONAND PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. l0, 1962 ATTORNEY United States Patent Oiee 3,162,302 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 3,162,302 SHIPPER CARTON AND PACKAGE Charles L. Champlin, Rittmau, and Robert J. Hickin, Seville, Ohio, assignors to Packaging Corporation of America, Evanston, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 216,130 Claims. (Cl. 206--46) This invention relates to a shipper carton, the package formed therewith, and the method of producing such package.

Although the carton and package of the invention may be employed in the packaging of a variety of articles, particularly those of a relatively fragile nature, it has special utility in the packaging of books for individual shipment by mail and is designed primarily for this purpose. Hence, in the present disclosure the adaptation of the invention to this special purpose will be stressed, but the invention is not to be considered as thus limited thereto.

The annual shipment of books by mail, individually, from publishers to subscribers, or readers, for example by the so-called book clubs, runs into the hundreds of millions, and it is essential that, despite the relatively rough handling to which they are subjected in shipment, usually by parcel post, they reach the consignees in undamaged condition. To this end, the publisher-consignor must so package lthe books for individual shipment that, in transit, despite such rough handling, their bindings will be in good condition, secure, with undamaged corners on the covers, and free of abrasions, and with dust covers similarly intact, whereby, upon receipt and inspection by the consignee, they will be unmarred, of good appearance and acceptable to the consignee.

In book shippers now being used, protection of the books is to some extent achieved by two general packaging methods. In one such method the material of which the shipper is made is of such inherent stiffness that it can absorb the abuse incident to rough handling. Shippers made from corrugated board, or from paperboard of very high quality and caliper, are in this category. The other such method is to form the shipper from paperboard of a lesser strength but to provide it with false ends which serve to cushion the book against impact. Shippers falling in these two method categories are expensive to produce, for reasons which will be more or less apparent to the carton manufacturer, and their cost to the packager will therefore be relatively high. Moreover, the adaptation of packaging lines to their use is apt to involve considerable expense.

Having the foregoing in mind, one object of the present invention is to provide a shipper carton which, while providing adequate protection for the article packaged therein, may be made from relatively inexpensive sheet material such as paperboard of medium quality and caliper.

Another object is to provide a shipper carton of common seal end type but so proportioned with relation to the size of the packaged article, and providing such relative support for the article within it, that the article is protected against rough handling of the package.

A further object is to provide a shipper carton which, instead of depending for protection of the packaged article upon such stiffness and shock-resistance of the carton as to prevent its undue collapse or distortion, relies upon a controlled collapse or distortion of the carton to inhibit such deformation as might be injurious to the packaged article.

Another object of the invention is -to provide means defining a readily accessible and easily operated tear strip or frangible portion in a wall of the shipper carton by means of which ready access to the contents may be obtained.

A still further, and primary, object of the invention is to provide a shipper carton for a book, in which the book 4is supported within the carton in spaced relation to two opposite walls thereof and is thus protected against damage upon partial collapse of such walls, or either of them.

Another object is to provide a shipper carton responsive to any, or all, of the foregoing objects, which is adapted for use in a packaging operation conducted on a mechanical line of any of a variety of known types.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the disclosure proceeds.

Having reference particularly to its embodiment in a shipper carton and package for a book, for which it is especially adapted, but without limiting it thereto, the invention comprises a carton adapted to receive a book, a wrapper member preferably in the form of a sling-like cradle band passed about and embracing said book but free of any direct connection therewith, two opposite walls of said carton being in contact with said band and at least one of said walls being secured to said band, and two other opposite walls of the carton being remote from said book in the direction in which the band is passed to thus provide spaces between said last named walls and the book, and other wall means serv-ing with said specifically named walls to enclose lthe book within the carton, said book being restrained by said band against movement within the carton in the direction in which said band is passed to thus preserve said spaces to accommodate partial collapse of the carton walls proximate to adjacent surfaces of 4the book; and the invention comprises, also, means provided in said proximate carton walls to predene their said partial collapse, and means defining in at least one carton wall a tear strip affording access to said book; and the invention comprises, further, a method of producing said shipper package, all as will be explained hereinafter more fully and finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated,

FIG. 1 is an outside face view of one preferred form or carton blank for the practice of the invention,

FIG. 2 is an inside face view of the blank of FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the wrapper member or slinglike cradle band prior to its functional association with the packaged article or book,

FIG. 4 is a plan View of the blank of FIG. l reversed edge-for-edge and flat-folded on its first assembly fold,

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the blank completely flat-folded and glued,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the squared-up carton of FIGS. l, 2, 4 and 5,

FIGS. 7 to l2 depict the method of assembling a book within the carton to produce the shipper package of the invention; FIG. 7 showing partial application of the wrapper member or sling-like cradle band to the book; FIG. 8 showing, compositely, the book with cradle band fully applied, and adhesively treated, being advanced for insertion into the open end of the squared-up carton; FIG. 9 showing the book with its cradle band partially inserted into the carton; FIG. 10 showing the carton after insertion of the book with its cradle band and with the short end closure flaps folded in; FIG. 11 showing the completely closed and sealed shipper carton package, and FIG. 12 showing the opposite narrow side of the package from that shown in FIGS. 8 to 1l,

FIG. 13 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation of the package, taken on the line 13-13 of FIG. 14,

FIG. 14 is a further enlarged transverse sectional ele- 3 vation of the package, taken on the line 14-14 of FIG. 13,

FIGS. 15 to 19 are views similar to FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 but showing another preferred form of carton blank,

FIG. 2O is an enlarged fragmentary detail showing the finger hold means of the tear strip, and

FIG. 2l is a perspective View illustrating the predetermined control of partial collapse at one end of the carton.

It will be understood that the types of cartons shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 15 to 19, respectively, are merely representative, as many other types could be used in practicing the invention, especially in reference to the particular articles to be packaged.

However, in respect to the packaging of books, the types of cartons thus represented lend themselves with especial facility to the practice of the invention.

Thus, having reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, it will be seen that the carton blank therein shown has broad side walls a and b, an intermediate narrow side wall c, and two complemental flap members d and e at the free edges of the broad side walls a and b, respectively, which said flaps, when superposed and glued together (FIGS. 5 and 6), form a narrow side wall e complemental to the narrow side w'all c.

The broad side walls a and b, the narrow side Wall c, and the flap members d and e, are provided at their opposite ends, respectively, with end closure aps a', a"; b', b, c', c, d', d, and e', e, and all of the Said parts of the blank are defined from each other by appropriate folding scores, as indicated, some of which will be specically identified hereinafter.

As shown particularly in FIG. 2, the inner face of the narrow side wall c is provided with a tear tape 1 i and Push and Lift tabs 2 and 3, respectively, parted by a transverse through cut 4, see FIGS. 2 and 20, to furnish a rip strip by which access may be had to the ultimately formed package.A l g The narrow side wall c iis provided adjacent to its ends with bending or break-control scores 5 for a pur= pose later to be described, and bending or breakcon` trol scores 6, 7, 8 and 9, for a similar purpose, are provided in the flap members d and e, andin the broad side Wall end closure aps a', a and b', b, respectively.

In the at=foldirrg and gluingl of the blank, the broad side wall d, with its attached flap member d is folded on the folding seore 10 over and flat against the narrow side wall c and broad-side wall b, FIG. 4, and then, with adhesive applied to the flap member e, or to the flap member d, as indicated by the stippling, FIG. 4, the flap member e is folded, on its folding score 11, over, and aixed to, the flap member d (FIG. 5). The carton is squared up in the usual manner, FIG. 6, by applying pressure to the folded edges defined by the folding scores 10 and 11, which causes it to open up upon these scores and upon the folding scores 12 and 13.

Having reference to FIGS. 3 and 7, it will be seen that the wrapper member or sling-like cradle band 14 is preferably a strip of strong paper, such as kraft paper, and is passed about the book B on the long dimension thereof, parallel to, but spaced from, the open edge and back of the book, and secured in relatively tight embracing relation to the book by joining the overlapping ends of the band in a glue joint 15 (FIG. 8). The adhesive for this glue joint is preferably spotted on one of the overlapping ends of the band, as indicated at 16, FIG. 7, in order to guard against its seeping over the edges of the band and onto the cover of the book, but other modes of application of the adhesive may be resorted to so long as the adhesive is thus confined to the area of the band. A

As thus applied, it will be apparent that the band 14 is not affixed to the book but merely embraces it with a relatively tight slip t.

With adhesive applied to the upper and lower faces of the band 14, either in stripe form, as indicated by stippling at 17 in FIGS. 8, 9, 13 and 14, or otherwise appropriately, but in no event upon any part of the book, the book is inserted into the open end of the squared-up carton, the broad end closure aps of which are preferably ared, or funneled, out (FIG. 9) to avoid cont-act with the adhesive 17, and is centered longitudinally of the carton (FIG. 13). Thus, inasmuch as the carton is intentionally longer than the long dimension of the book, spaces or voids will be left at both ends of the book, and adhesion of the adhesive 17 to the broad side walls a and b of the carton, which may be insured by pressure applied to these Walls to hold them against the band during setting of the adhesive, will establish the band as a sling-like cradle which serves to restrain the book against movement longitudinally of the carton, thus establishing maintenance of its location in spaced relation to the carton end walls.

Preferably, the inner transverse dimensions of the carton -are such as to furnish an easy slip iit for the book, as indicated in FIG. 14. Hence, the book is confined against any movement within the carton which would result in bending of the corners of the covers of the binding and of scufling or abrasion of the covers and back of such binding.

After the book is thus located Within the carton, the

are closed in and affixed by adhesive applied, preferably,.

to the outer faces of the flaps c', c and e', e", and to the inner faces of the aps a', a. Thus, none of the faces of the end closure flaps which are exposed within the carton have any application of adhesive thereon.

It will be noted that, as shown particularly in FIGS. 8, 9, 13 and 14, the book B is inserted into the carton with its open edge B and its back B in juxtaposition, respec-` tively, to the narrow side walls c and e, and this disposition is preferred for the reason that the channel at the open edge B of the book provides a space between the page edges and the tear tape 1 which makes for ease in depression and lifting of the tabs 2 and 3 for operation of the tape 1 in removing the rip strip to gain Iaccess to the book and its removal from the carton simply by sliding it out of the cradle provided by the sling-like band 14, it being again noted, here, that this band is preferably of less width than the cover of the book, thereby affording room for a grip upon the covers in thus removing the book.

As has been mentioned hereinbefore, packages in transit, particularly by parcel post, are rather carelessly and. roughly handled, and damage to their contents often results. In the case of relatively fragile articles, and of books in particular, for the individual packaging for mailing of which the shipper carton and package of this inven tion is especially well adapted, the damage usually results from shifting of the article within the container or carton, or from crushing or bending of the walls of ther container or carton, particularly at its ends and corners` In the case of books, their shifting usually results iny abrasive defacement of their bindings or dust covers; and' crushing or bending, particularly at the ends and corners. of the containers or cartons, results in more or less extensive physical damage to the bindings, particularly to the corners of the cover boards.

In the package of the present invention the spaces provided between the end Walls ofthe carton and the ends of the article, a book in particular, the provision of the sling-like cradle band 14, and the relatively close slip lit of the broad and narrow side Walls a, b and c, e, respectively, taken with the bending or break-control scores 5 to 9, the functioning of which will next be described, serve to preclude such injury, and this has been demonstrated in cases of actual mailing, by parcel post, for long distances, of books in shipper cartons embodying the principles of the invention, with no special handling and hence subject to the usual hazards of such mailing.

As illustrated in FIG. 21, where one end of the carton is shown crushed, it will be noted that, controlled by the bending or break- control scores 5, 6 and 7, the bending of the crushed narrow side walls c and e has been directed outwardly, :and away from the corners and back of the book binding, while to a slight extent collapse of the broad side walls a and b is directed inwardly but not to an extent suicient to injure the binding, it being apparent that this controlled crushing of the broad and narrow side walls serves to provide a cushion at the crushed end of the carton due to the thus assumed bellows-like disposition of portions of the walls and the inherently relatively springy nature of the carton material. Furthermore, the fixed location of the book longitudinally of the broad side walls a Yand b by the sling-like cradle band 14, and the thus provided insurance of retention of thespaces within the carton at the ends of the book, taken in combination with the functioning of the bending or break- control scores 5, 6 and 7, serves to confine the crushing of the carton to zones not directly in contact with the book.

The crushing of the carton depicted in FIG. 21 is such as would result, primarily, from a force, such as that incident to dropping of the package, applied relatively squarely to the end thereof. If, however, the force were #applied only to a corner, that corner would partially collapse outwardly upon the score 5 or 6-7 depending upon the narrow side wall involved, and bending of the end wall yadjacent to such corner would be accommodated to this crushing on the scores 8 and 9 at the respective end of the carton.

The form of a carton blank illustrated in FIGS. l5 to 19 embodies all of the essential structural and functional features of that shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 to 14, and similar reference characters have been applied thereto where applicable. However, as shown, the narrow side walls c and e are both of single thickness and are joined to opposite edges of the broad side wall a, and the opposite broad side wall is formed of Itwo mating sections b1 and b2 overlapped and joined in a glued seam 18 as indicated in FIGS. 17 to 19.

In some packages the single thickness thus provided in the narrow side walls c and e may serve to enhance the functioning of the bending and break- control scores 5 and 6, and the glued, double-thickness seam 18 serves to impart additional longitudinal rigidity to the carton.

Various changes, including, and in addition to, those specifically referred to, are considered to be within the principle of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A shipper package including a multi-walled carton, a book, and a wrapper member for embracing the book in a direction substantially parallel to the bound edge thereof, said carton having four interconnected side walls arranged to form a sleeve relatively snugly encompassing the wrapper-embraced book in a direction tranverse to the book bound edge, the Wrapper member of the wrapper-embraced book being adapted to be ailixed to at least one of said side walls, and end walls for said carton serving to close the ends of the sleeve and disposed in spaced relation with respect to the wrapper-embraced book encompassed by said side Walls.

2. A shipper package as defined in claim l, in which certain portions of the carton side walls adjacent to said end walls are provided with means for effecting controlled bending of such wall portions in the event of application of predetermined external forces to said carton.

3. A shipper package as defined in claim 1, in which the four side walls comprise two broad side walls and two narrow side walls disposed conventionally in spaced pairs, and the wrapper member is of band-like configuration for affxture to at least one of said broad side Walls.

4. A shipper package as defined in claim 3, in which said narrow side walls are provided adjacent to said end Walls with means for effecting controlled bending of the end walls and portions of said narrow side walls adjacent to said end walls in the event of application of predetermined external forces to said carton.

5. A shipper package as defined in claim 4, and including in said end Walls, adjacent to the juncture thereof with said narrow side walls, means for effecting the controlled bending of said end walls.

6. A shipper package as defined in claim 3, in which one of said narrow side walls is provided with means defining a rip strip; said one narrow side wall being disposed adjacent to the edge of the accommodated book opposite the bound edge of said book.

7. A shipper package as defined in claim 6, in which the means defining the rip strip includes finger-grip means.

8. In a shipper package, a book, and a carton enclosing said book, said carton having four side walls arranged in conventional pairs to form a sleeve relatively snugly embracing said book in a direction transverse to the bound edge thereof, said side walls being longer than the bound edge of said book, a pair of end walls serving to close the ends of said sleeve, and a sling-like cradle band embracing said book in a direction substantially parallel to the bound edge thereof and free of any attachment to said book other than a relatively tight embracing contact therewith, said band being accommodated within said carton and aixed to at least one of said carton side walls and locating said bandcmbraced book longitudinally of the carton with the ends of said book in spaced relation with respect to the carton end walls.

9. In a shipper package as defined in claim 8, said band compirsing a strip of paper material with the ends thereof secured in overlapping relation.

10. In a shipper package as defined in claim 8, said band being of less width than the dimension of the book cover taken normal to the bound edge thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,114,623 4/28 Bergstein 229-14 2,791,367 5/57 Medford 206-47 FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, GEORGE O. RALSTON,

Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. A SHIPPER PACKAGE INCLUDING A MULTI-WALLED CARTON, A BOOK, AND A WRAPPER MEMBER FOR EMBRACING THE BOOK IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE BOUND EDGE THEREOF, SAID CARTON HAVING FOUR INTERCONNECTED SIDE WALLS ARRANGED TO FORM A SLEEVE RELATIVELY SNUGLY ENCOMPASSING THE WRAPPER-EMBRACED BOOK IN A DIRECTION TRANVERSE TO THE BOOK BOUND EDGE, THE WRAPPER MEMBER OF THE WRAPPER-EMBRACED BOOK BEING ADAPTED TO BE AFFIXED TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS, AND END WALLS FOR SAID CARTON SERVING TO CLOSE THE ENDS OF THE SLEEVE AND DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE WRAPPER-EMBRACED BOOK ENCOMPASSED BY SAID SIDE WALLS.

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