US3273781A

US3273781A - Mailing wrapper

Info

Publication number: US3273781A
Application number: US347230A
Authority: US
Inventors: James C Mills
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-02-25
Filing date: 1964-02-25
Publication date: 1966-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 1983-09-20

Description

p 20, 1956 J. c. MILLS 3,273,781

MAILING WRAPPER Filed Feb. 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JAMES C. MILLS p 20, 1966 J. c. MILLS 3,273,781

MAILING WRAPPER Filed Feb. 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVIENER. JAMES c. MILLS FIG 3 BY @www Arm/max United States Patent 3,273,781 MAILING WRAPPER James C. Mills, Miami Shores, Fla. (2451 Brickell Ave., Miami, Fla. 33129) Filed Feb. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 347,230 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-40) This invention relates to wrappers, and more particularly concerns wrappers useful for packaging flat bulk items for mailing or the like.

It is frequently necessary to package fiat bulk items of rectangular shape and fixed length and width, in many individual packages where the thickness of such individual packages may vary. While such flat bulk items may be packaged in a conventional manner, using wrapping paper pulled from a roll which is folded to suit each individual package, it would be desriable to provide individual, preformed and precreased wrappers which would facilitate the packaging operations and would make a presentable package.

However, while various preformed wrappers have been proposed, they are usually adapted for use with bulk items of uniform thickness as well as uniform length and width; no allowance being made for variations in the thickness of the item being packaged. Furthermore, such known wrappers are of a complex construction, which increases the cost of the same and slows the packaging operations.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved pre-cut and precreased wrapper blank particularly adapted for packaging fiat bulk items of predetermined length and width but of varying thickness, the design of such wrapper facilitating the packaging operations despite changes in thickness in the successive items being packaged.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved wrapper of the character described which includes corner reinforcing tabs, such tabs being of a configuration and relationship to other portions of the wrapper to allow the same to be manipulated and folded in a manner to accommodate bulk items being packaged but varying in thickness from package to package.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved wrapper of the character described which will accomodate itself to packages of widely varying thickness and covering a range of thicknesses where the minimum thickness may be of the order of about one-half inch and the maximum thickness may be of the order of about four inches.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved fiat blank wrapper of the character described, which is of simple configuration including a minimum number of panels and tabs; which is economical to produce by die cutting and creasing operations; and which is manipulated rapidly to form efficient, presentable individual packages.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved wrapper of the character described, which is particularly adapted for packaging for mailing or the like, of printed folders, brochures, advertising matter and the like in superposed flat relation, the number of pieces of such matter varying from package to package, thereby varying the thickness of the several packages.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank which may be converted into a wrapper embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the wrapper in partially folded relation to the contents thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the completely Wrapped package, with parts cut away and parts in section.

ice

In accordance with the instant invention, there is provided a blank of paper or the like such as used for wrap ping or packaging, said blank being die cut and creased to form a body panel, with top, bottom and end panels extending therefrom; each of the end panels including tab portions having converging edges. Such wrapper is adapted to be used to enclose a single item or a plurality of flat items such as folders or the like in a stacked condition, where the length and width of the item or stack of items equals the length and width of the body panels of the wrapper, but being of varying thickness.

The end panels and their tabs are adapted to be folded about the item or items disposed on the body panel, in a unique manner which automatically adjusts to the particular thickness of the item, followed by folding of the top and bottom panels to complete the package.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, 10 designates a wrapper blank, in flat extended form, embodying the invention. The blank of heavy paper or other suitable material of a gauge making the same suitable for wrapping, comprises a central, rectangular body panel 11 which has a predetermined length and width, corresponding to the length and width of the item or contents to be wrapped. Typically, such item may take the form of a stack of folders, brochures, printed matter of various kinds, and the like, the same having uniform length and width.

Extending upwardly from body panel 11 is a top panel 12 of rectangular shape which is connected to panel 11 by a preformed creased fold line 13; and extending downwardly from panel 11 is a rectangular bottom panel 14 which is connected to panel 11 by a preformed creased fold line 15.

Panels

12, 14 are foldable toward each other about fold lines 13, 15.

A pair of similar,

elongated end panels

16, 17 extend from the end edges of body panel 11, being connected thereto by preformed creased fold lines 18, 19 respectively, said

end panels

16, 17 being foldable toward each other about fold lines 18, 19. A pair of corner reinforcing tabs 21), 21 extend oppositely from each other, from opposed edge portions of end panel 16, being connected thereto by preformed creased fold lines 22, 23 which are longitudinally aligned with fold lines 13, 15, respectively. Similarly, a pair of

corner reinforcing tabs

24, 25 extend from end panel 17, being connected thereto by preformed creased

fold lines

26, 27 respectively, which are also aligned with fold lines 13, 15 respectively.

Each of the corner tabs 20, 21; 24, 25 has a pair of similar inclined, outwardly converging edges, as at 28, 29; 28A, 29A; 28B, 29B; and 28C, 29C, respectively. The

tab edges

29, 29A, 29B and 29C extend at their inner ends to the juncture of fold lines 22, 23; 26, 27 with fold lines 13, 15; while the inner ends of

tab edges

28, 28A, 28B, and 28C are located at predetermined points intermediate the length of

panels

16, 17.

Panels

16, 17 are formed with transverse, preformed creased

fold lines

30, 31 respectively, which extend at their outer ends to

tab edges

28, 28A; 28B, 28C respectively. The spacing of

fold lines

30, 31 from fold lines 18, 19, respectively, defines the maximum thickness of the item or contents to be wrapped.

As shown in FIG. 2, wrapper 10 is used to package contents C, which may be constituted of a stack of printed folders or brochures having a length and width corresponding to the length and width of body panel 11 over which contents C is disposed. The

end panels

16, 17 are first raised to a vertical position about their fold lines 18, 19 bringing the same into close contact with the end portions of contents C. The tabs 20, 21;; 24, 25 are then turned on their fold lines 22, 23; 26, 27 into contact with side portions of contents C at the ends thereof.

The upper portions of

end panels

16, 17 are then folded toward each other about the top end edges of contents C, as at 32, 33. Concurrently therewith, the upper portions of tabs 20, 21; 24, 25 are reentrantly folded to form converging

fold lines

34, 35 and providing

superposed tab portions

36, 37 which lie between the top of contents C and

end panels

16, 17. The fold lines 34 will thus extend from the opposite ends of

fold lines

32, 33 while fold lines 35 extend diagonally outward from the juncture of fold lines 34 with

fold lines

32, 33.

The outer ends of

end panels

16, 17 may now be disposed in overlying flat relation to each other and over the top surface of contents C. The package is completed by

folding panels

12, 14 toward each other and in overlying relation to each other and over the folded

end panels

16, 17, panel 14 being outermost. Panel 14 includes a gummed marginal edge portion 38 at the outer edge thereof and on its inner surface, which permits panel 14 to be held in adhered relation to panel 12. Thus the package is completed ready for mailing or the like, yet permitting

panels

16 or 17 to be pulled out for postal inspection.

It will be apparent that the construction of wrapper blank will accommodate contents C of any thickness up to that defined by the distance between the preformed fold lines 18, 30; 19, 31 on

panels

16, 17. The tabs 20, 21; 24, 25 will conform to the actual thickness of contents C, the tabs being readily folded and tucked as described above. The

panels

12, 14 are of a depth which assures overlap of the same for all thicknesses of contents C up to the maximum thickness.

The blank 10 is die cut and precreased to provide wrappers of determined length and width in the body panel thereof and the maximum thickness of the contents to be packaged. Thus, stacks of folders, brochures or other printed matter of standard length and width may be readily and quickly wrapped and packaged for mailing, the tabs 20, 21; 24, 25 facilitating the folding operations and providing corner reinforcements for the completed package.

As various changes might be made in the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter herein shown or described shall be deemed illustrative and not by way of limitation except as set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A wrapper for a flat bulk item of rectangular shape and of a given length and width but of varying thickness, said wrapper comprising a fiat blank sheet including a rectangular body panel of a length and width substantially equal to that of said bulk item and adapted to receive said bulk item thereon, foldable top, bottom and end panels extending from the respective edges of said body panel, each of said end panels having a pair of oppositely disposed foldable tabs extending from the top and bottom edges thereof respectively, each of said tabs comprising inclined, outwardly convergent end edges, said end panels being adapted to be folded against the ends of said bulk item with the outer end portions thereof folded about transverse fold lines coincident with the top end edges of said bulk item toward each other in overlying relation and over the top surface of said bulk item while said tabs are foldable about reentrant fold lines converging to an apex coincident with the outer opposite ends of the said transverse fold lines of the end panels to provide a double thickness of said folded tab portions between an overlying portion of said end panels and a top corner surface portion of said bulk item and a single thickness of said folded tab portions adjacent side surface portions of said bulk item, and said top and bottom panels being adapted to be folded to bring the lower portions thereof into contact with the sides of said bulk item and the opposite ends thereof into contact with said folded tabs and to bring the upper portions thereof into overlapping relation over the overlying end portions of said end panels, and means for securing said overlapping top and bottom panels together.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,194,440 8/1916 Swortfiquer.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner.