US3251152A - Reorder device for boxed merchandise - Google Patents

Description

REORDER DEVICE FOR BOXED MERCHANDISE Filed Jan. 31, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H J 4 w W! I 1 y .BQAM A. TJ/(EFM/QN INVENTOR.

ATTQQNEYS May 17, 1966 B. A. TAKEFMAN REORDER DEVICE FOR BOXED MERCHANDISE a Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 31, 1964 .BznM/lw TAKE/:Mn/v

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEV s United States Patent 3,251,152 REORDER DEVHUE FOR BOXED MERCHANDISE Bram A. Talrefman, Los Angeles, Calif, assignor to California Nut 81 Bolt C0,, Los Angeles, Calif, 21 corporation of California Filed Jan. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 341,590 1 Claim. (Cl. 40-312) The invention relates to the reordering of merchandise of the type which is customarily stocked on the shelves of an establishment in labeled boxes. Typical of the general character of merchandise under consideration are nuts, bolts, hooks, screws, et cetera handled by a hardware store, or in fact any type of merchandise dispensed in boxes carrying a label on the outside to identify the contents.

More particularly, the invention has reference to an extra label identifying the contents, secured to the package at an appropriate location and in such fashion that the extra label can be removed and employed as a vehicle for reordering identical contents after the box of merchandise has been emptied.

In establishments which customarily dispense a myriad of small articles stocked upon shelves in some convenient fashion, the problem of reordering is a material consideration. When a box of small articles has been emptied, the natural impulse is to throw away the empty box and reorder at a convenient time. Even though shelf space may be properly identified, unnecessary time is consumed in taking stock of depleted items for reordering. On other occasions, when boxes become emptied and are not thrown away in the hope of facilitating the taking of stock for reordering, the presence of the empty box is often misleading, suggesting that merchandise is still in stock where in fact it should be reordered, and as a consequence, sales may be lost and customers become dissatisfied. Although some reorder schemes have been suggested, such for example as providing tear-off labels, schemes of this and comparable types have not proved permanently satisfactory for sundry reasons. On some occasions the labels, being exposed, become dirty and mutilated before it becomes time to reorder. On other occasions, labels become torn off before the appropriate time and the advantage is lost for that reason. A reorder scheme which is not dependable to the extent of positively identifying the material to be reordered is often worse than no reorder system of any kind.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to 1 provide a new and improved merchandise reorder device which is positive in character so as to be capable of identifying with certainty the merchandise to be reordered with minimum prospect of errors, and which is quick and easy to use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved merchandise reorder devicewhich carries pertinent information duplicating the necessary information on the label of the box or container in which the merchandise is stocked, and which, though firmly afiixed to the container, can be easily torn loose from the container when it is empty without prospect of mutilating or defacing the necessary reorder information.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved merchandise reorder device in the form of a printed label or tab wherein the reorder information appearing on the label is protected so as to keep it clean and unmutilated for as long as the container will remain on the shelf, and which has a portion only exposed containing legend material comprising a clear and unmistakable direction to the stock clerk as to how the reorder information can be made use of.

to provide a simple, positive and inexpensive merchandisc reorder device consisting of nothing more than a strip of paper appropriately folded into a protective location on a container such as a box before the box is placed upon the shelf, and which includes visible means instructing how the strip is to be used for reordering, the visible means being such as to interfere in no manner Whatever with use of the container or box while it is serving to stock merchandise for sale, the device moreover being one wherein there is minimum prospect of being inadvertently removed before the time comes to reorder.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a side perspective view of a typical box for merchandise provided with the invention in one of its forms, assembled and ready for use.

FIGURE 2 is a side perspective view similar to FIG- URE 1 showing the reorder device at a partially removed location.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, end elevational view showing the reorder device in place.

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a side perspective view of the reorder device itself at a location removed from the container.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a strip of material of the type to be folded into the device in the form illustrated in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary side view partially broken away showing a second form of the invention.

FIGURE 8 is an end perspective view of the strip of information material used in the form of the invention of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is ,a lower side perspective view of still another form of the invention is assembled condition.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 12 is a bottom perspective view of still another form of the invention in assembled condition.

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on the line 1313 of FIGURE 12.

In one embodiment of the device, chosen for the purpose of illustration, there is illustrated a typical box 10 capable of containing merchandise in the form of small kinds of items normally stocked for sale in boxes, very often small boxes, stocked on shelves or at times in drawers of a retail establishment. The box consists of side walls 11, 12, 13 and 14, a top wall 15 and a bottom wall 16. Very frequently flaps like the flap 17 are provided at the upper ends of opposite side walls like the side walls 11 and 13, and similar flaps 18 and 19 are provided at the bottoms of the same side walls. The top wall 15 is often provided with a flap like the flap 20 on an edge opposite from a hinged edge 21. Sometimes the bottom wall 16 is similarly formed. When this chances to be the form of the box, the bottom 16 is usually hinged at the side edge opposite from the hinging of the top wall 15, although this construction is not invariably followed.

A permanent original label like the label Q5 is customarily fixed to the exterior of the box, usually on one of the side walls. In the form of the invention of FIGURES 1 through 4 inclusive the label is shown on the side wall 12. Such a label in addition to giving, as a rule, the name and address of the source of supply, identifies with certainty the quantity and character of the merchandise in the box.

In this form of the invention, the reorder expedient is embodied in a strip 26, shown separately in FIGURES 5 and 6. The strip consists of an outside portion 27, an inside portion 28, and a tab portion 29. On one wall of the box, as for example the wall 11, there is formed a slit 30 which extends in a direction parallel to an edge 31 of the wall and spaced from it. On one face of the inside portion 28 is imprinted indicia 3 2 which identifies the merchandise initially packed in the box. The identity is most useful when it gives quantity and description duplicating the quantity and description appearing on the label 25. In the form of device described, the indicia is on the upper face of the inside portion 28.

On the outside portion 27 is a legend or legend material 33, the legend material being on the exposed face of the outside portion 27. The outside portion 27 at one end is connected to the inside portion '28 along a fold line 34. At the other end of the outside portion 27, the tab portion 29 is connected, along a fold line 35.

When the walls are assembled to form the box 10, the strip 26 is folded and may then be immediately applied to the box. This can be done by sliding the inside portion 28 into the space between the bottom wall 16 and the adjacent flaps 18 and 19 as shown advantageously in FIGURES 2 and 4. The final step of applying the strip is to tuck the tab portion 29 into the slit 30 to the location shown in FIGURE 4. The tab portion 29 will usually fold over in the general direction illustrated in FIG- URE 4, especially when the interior of the box is filled with merchandise. The slit 30 is preferably a narrow slit and nothing more so that the edges will frictionally engage opposite faces of the tab portion 29 and thereby prevent its inadvertent removal. Removal is further prevented by the weight of the contents of the box when pressed upon the tab portion 29 at the time the box is filled with merchandise. Although the indicia 32 is shown on the upper face of the inside portion 28, it may pref erably be shown on the lower face. 'What is important is that the indicia might better be kept clean and as an aid in keeping it clean, out of contact with the merchandise in the box. The flaps 1'8 and 19 in the embodiment described are helpful in this regard. Should the construction of the box be otherwise, the indicia might better be kept clean when printed on the opposite side of the inside portion 28, namely a lower side [facing outwardly away from the interior of the box, it being kept clean and non-mutilated in such event by being face to face with the inside face of the bottom wall 16.

When the occasion arises to reorder a new box of merchandise, either when the box is emptied or almost emptied, it is necessary only to follow instructions comprising the legend 33 which directs removal. In this embodiment this means pulling the tab portion 29 out of the slit and using the inside portion 28 with the indicia 32 either bodily as a reorder slip or by making use of the information appearing thereof for more formal reordering. The strip, of course, can be entirely removed and the empty box thrown away without this interfering with the successful operation of the reorder system.

In a second form of the device following in general that described in connection with FIGURES 1 through 6 inclusive, there is shown a similar box 10 wherein a side wall 11' has been left intact, not having been provided with a slit like that in the form of the invention of FIG- URES 1 through 6 inclusive. A strip indicated generally by the reference character 40 is provided for this form of the invention and consists of an outside portion 41 and an inside portion 4 2. Here again, one face of the inside portion is provided with indicia 4 3 identifying the quantity and description of material in the box. The outside portion is provided on its outer face 44 with the necessary legend describing how the strip is to be handled when removed. A patch 45 of adhesive, preferably no more than a spot of adhesive, secures the outside portion 41 to the outer face of the side wall 11.

In this last described form of the invention, when it comes time to reorder, the outside portion 41 is merely torn loose from the side wall 11, and the inside portion 42 then slid out of its location within the bottom wall 16. Even though the outside portion 41 may be mutilated to a degree, this will have no effect on the usefulness of the inside portion 42 and the indicia 43 thereon for purposes of reordering.

In still another form of the invention shown in FIG- URB 9, 10 and 11, there is shown a box 50 provided with end Walls 51 and 52 and side walls 53 and 54. A top wall 55 has an edge 56 hinged to the top of the side wall 53 and is provided with a flap 57 which tucks into the box when the top wall is folded to closed position. A bottom wall 58 is hinged along a fold line 59 to the side wall 54 and is provided with a flap 60 which tucks in as shown in FIGURES 10 and 11 when the box is assembled.

For reordering there is provided a strip 61 in the form of a sleeve having an outside portion 62 and an inside portion 6 3. The outside and inside portion are joined by respective folds 64 and 65. In this somewhat elongated form of a box, flaps 66 and 67 at the bottoms of the respective end walls 51 and 5-2 may not entirely cover the inner face of the bottom wall 58. In this event it is preferable to have the reorder indicia printed on the opposite face of the inside portion 63, or if not on the opposite face, then on the face adjacent the inside of the box but near one end or the other so as to be protected by one or the other of the flaps 66, 67. Legend material 68 is printed on the outside face of the outside portion 62 so as to be readily read by the clerk, and instructions thereby understood for reordering. In this form of the device, the strip may be either torn from the box when it is empty or nearly so, to supply the reordering information. Should the box be entirely emptied, the strip may be slipped from the bottom wall 58 by first removing the bottom wall from closed position and before discarding the empty box.

In FIGURES l2 and 13, a strip 70 of slightly different form is employed for use with the box 50. In this form, an inside portion 71 of the strip lies beneath the flap 66 and has printed on it the necessary indicia for reordering. An outside portion 72 attached to the inside portion along a fold line 73 extends through a slit 74 in the bottom wall 58 and underlies the inside portion 7 1. The outside portion 72, imprinted as previously described with a legend carrying instructions for its removal, may be removed by pulling it from the slit in the bottom wall and thereafter sliding the inside portion 71 out from its position for use in reordering.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the strip, irrespective of the form, can be nothing more than an inexpensive paper strip imprinted as described, which is slid into position when the box is as sembled. It is preferably applied simultaneously with the application of the conventional exterior label to make certain that information on the two correspond. Thereafter, the strip remains unused for as long as the box continues to be used to stock merchandise for sale. When the time finally arrives for making use of the strip, a portion, such for example as the outside portion, no longer of use in providing information for reordering, is then torn in some fashion from the box, or otherwise removed, making it possible to simply and easily remove the part needed for reordering which, in the meantime, has remained clean and non-mutilated so as to be easily read for reordering purposes.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claim so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as 'new in support of Letters Patent is:

A merchandise reorder device comprising a box having side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, a plurality of said walls having a folded closure relationship with said box when in assembled condition and containing merchandise, a permanent original label on said box bearing indicia of the merchandise and a separate reorder label bearing indicia of the merchandise, said reorder label comprising a strip having an outside portion overlying part of one of said side walls and having a visible face, an inside portion attached to one end of said outside portion and lying between said bottom wall and inner folded portions of adjacent side walls, means for temporarily securing said strip to said box comprising a tab attached to the outer end of said outside portion, said References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 933,004 '8/ 1909 Stingily 40-312 1,781,980 11/1930 .Isaacson 40--3 12 2,797,015 6/1957 Grosz 40--3-12 X EUGENE R. CA=POZIO, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM GRIEB, Assistant Examiner.

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