US3693868A

US3693868A - Anti-litter peanut sales bag

Info

Publication number: US3693868A
Application number: US103032A
Authority: US
Inventors: Archie G Rich
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-12-31
Filing date: 1970-12-31
Publication date: 1972-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-26

Abstract

A suitable paper bag for containing peanuts, or other marketable items usually shelled, peeled, stripped or unwrapped by the purchaser or other consumer during the process of consuming, with an attached collapsible hull-receptacle-compartment in which the peanut hulls and/or other waste material may be deposited by the purchaser, or other consumer, which is accomplished by severing with finger a quarter-inch wide strip of paper which is fastened across the bottom of the hull-receptacle-compartment and appropriately attached to the adjacent bottom of the main compartment of the bag by the manufacturer to maintain the folded position of the receptacle-compartment against one side of the main compartment for containing peanuts or other items, and unfolding by inserting fingers in the top opening and pushing sides and bottom in place. The bag also has a pivotal-loop-handle for carrying it on finger while shelling the peanuts, or other items, the shaft of which is firmly attached to the top mid-area of the center dividing wall of the bag to afford easy rotation and accessibility of the appropriate compartment during the process. Said handle is made of pliable material and can be easily flexed downward against the inner wall to which attached when not in use.

Description

United States Patent Rich [ 51 Sept. 26, 1972 [54] ANTI-LITTER PEANUT SALES BAG [72] Inventor: Archie G. Rich, 2350 Venetian Drive, S.W., Atlanta, Ga. 30311 [22] Filed: Dec.3l, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 103,032

[52] US. Cl. ..229/56, 229/52 AL, 16/126, 206/47 R [51] Int. Cl ..B6Sd 31/12, B65d 25/28 [58] Field of Search ..229/56, 54, 58, 52 A; 206/47 R, 57 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 466,723 1/1892 Lorenz ..229/56 2,179,037 11/1939 Goldschmidt ..229/52 AL 2,280,601 4/1942 Otter ..229/56 2,654,527 10/1953 Geckler et al. ..,.229/56 3,339,824 9/1967 Luke ..229/56 3,363,826 1/1968 Behler ..229/54 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 211,396 12/1940 Switzerland ..229/52 AL Primary ExaminerDavis T. Moorhead 5 7] ABSTRACT A suitable paper bag for containing peanuts, or other marketable items usually shelled, peeled, stripped or unwrapped by the purchaser or other consumer during the process of consuming, with an attached collapsible hull-receptacle-compartment in which the peanut hulls and/or other waste material may be deposited .by

the purchaser, or other consumer, which is accomplished by severing with finger a quarter-inch wide strip of paper which is fastened across the bottom of the hull-receptacle-compartment and appropriately attached to the adjacent bottom of the main compartment of the bag by the manufacturer to maintain the folded position of thereceptacle-compartment against one side of the main compartment for containing peanuts or-other items, and unfolding by inserting fingers in the top opening and pushing sides and bottom in place. The bag also has a pivotal-loop-handle for carrying it on finger while shelling the peanuts, or other items, the shaft of which is firmly attached to the top mid-area of the center dividing wall of the bag to afford easy rotation and accessibility of the appropriate compartment during the process. Said handle is made of pliable material and can be easily flexed downward against the inner wall to which attached when not in 2 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEP 26 I972 SHEET 1 BF 2 'FIGI PATENTEDsrrzs m2 SHEET 2 0F 2 FIG.8

FIGII ANTI-LITTER PEANUT SALES BAG While my present invention relates in general to paper bags having multi-walls or multi-compartment construction, characteristically it is eminently and specifically suitable for a novel anti-litter peanut sales bag with an attached hull receptacle and a pivotal-loopcarrying-handle suspended on a headed-shaft which is securely fastened to the top area of the center wall, permitting convenient turning and requisite manipulation of the bag while unloading during the process of shelling and consuming the peanuts and simultaneously depositing residual hulls in the attached unfolded receptacle-compartment.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a practical paper bag for use in the retail sale of peanuts in their original hulls (roasted, boiled or raw) and to afford the purchaser and/or other consumers the opportunity of immediately and conveniently consuming the peanuts from the bag and simultaneously depositing the hulls and chaff in the attached receptacle-compartment, obviating the necessity of locating other receptacles for the bulls and/or 'the traditional practice of litness and state of preparation for a period at leastof several days-which will enable the preparation of massive quantities for sales distribution. This will have been accomplished by the manufacturer using suitable paper sheet material in making the bag sufficiently impervious to moister, such as to the specification of Gilman No-Tare, Select 1 SWS of Gilman Paper Company, or of an equal quality.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily obvious to one skilled in the art from consideration of the following specifications taken in connection with the attached drawings consisting of two pages with FIGS. 1 through 1 1:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the anti-litter peanut sales bag, both compartments fully open, with the pivotal-loop-carrying-handle in upright position securely fastened to the top area of center division of the bag (For the purpose of this view, the'shaft of the handle 25B is shown attached on the outside of the center dividing wall in the area of the receptacle-compartment, however, it is actually fastened in this position on the other side of the center wall so as to be inside the main compartment which is necessary to maintain a tension balance from the weight of the items (peanuts) in the compartment to cause the loose neck portion of the handle-shaft to adhere to the top level of the wall to which attached when in use.)

FIG. 2 is an angle view of the bag with the hull receptacle-compartment in folded position and the loop-carrying-handle folded downward within the bag, presenting ready position for loading.

FIG. 3 is a view of the bag folded in horizontal folds down from the top to the desired level the bag will have been filled with peanuts, also showing the hull-receptacle compartment in a folded and secure position where it remains until the main compartment of the bag is opened by the customer recipient who at that time may also open the hull-receptacle-compartment simply by sliding finger underneath and severing the narrow strip of bag paper 26 fastened across bottom onto the bottom of main compartment by the manufacturer for the sole purpose of maintaining the hull-receptacle-compartment in folded position until needed, and then inserting fingers in the top opening and pushing sides and bottom in place.

FIG. 4 shows the flat folded position of the bag and attached hull-receptacle compartment with perspective view of bottom to reveal the fastened paper strip 26 referred to in FIGS. 3 and 11. One end of the strip will be glued to the distal side 19 of the hull-receptaclecompartment at mid-bottom and when the receptacle is collapsed in the folded position, the other end of the strip will be glued to the adjacent bottom of the main compartment but not to extend further across than the folding line 16.

FIG. 5 reveals the three separate component parts of the pivotal-loop-handle and also the assembled handle.

. -FIG. 6 is a view'of the single sheet of waxed paper out of which the headed-shaft is made and onwhich the loop-handle is loosely mounted to afford revolving.

FIG. 7 depicts the first fold of FIG. 6 which affords sufficient bulk for the head of the shaft when the entire sheet is rolledand manipulated into position to form the shaft.

FIG. 8 is the pointed position of the shaft in preparation for union with the assembledloop-handle.

' FIG. 9 demonstrates .union of the shaft with the assembled loop-handle.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the assembled carrying-loophandle on the shaft which has been partially untwisted from the bottom to form the necessary flat surface for fastening to the proper wall of the bag. In this view it will also be noted that the washer-disk to which the loop-handle is attached will come just to the top of the wall 20B, to which the shaft is attached, sufficiently clear to permit revolving as the loop is pulled up on the shaft to carrying position.

FIG. 11 is a broad lateral view of the paper-stripfastener to be attached to the bottom of the bag for the purpose of maintaining'the folded position of the hullreceptacle-compartment until needed as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Referring more specifically to the structure and design of the bag,- in FIG. lthe numeral 14A identifies the main carrying reservoir of the bag and 14B denotes the residue receptacle. Numeral 22B designates the pivotal-loop-handle; 21 marks the headed-shaft upon which the loop-handle is suspended and 25B represents the lower portion of the handle-shaft which is spread out flat and glued to the inside upper area of the center wall 208 (for the purpose of viewing it in FIG. 1, however, it is shown in reverse on the outside of wall 20B for reasons stated in FIGS. 1 and 2). Only the lower half of the lower portion 258 is glued to the inside of the dividing wall 203 so as to permit a folding linefor turning the handle downward sufficiently to facilitate folding the walls in at least two horizontal folds downward to close the bag.

Also in FIG. 1 it will be observed that the shape of the bag and attached receptacle-compartment is rectangular, essentially the same as conventional paper bags. The wise side 19 of the receptacle-compartment is one-third lower than the parallel side 20B of the main compartment with the two

end walls

13A and 13B secondly, the receptacle need not be the full size of the.

main compartment 14A to provide adequate space for the total amount of residual hulls that will accumulate from a normal capacity serving of peanuts in the main compartment. Also the desired gravity tension realized from the main compartment, when filled to desired level, to cause the carrying-handle-shaft to pull and adhere closely to the center wall to which attached when in a carrying position and will initially tilt the top aperture of the hull-receptacle compartment to an angle approximately fifteen or twenty degrees which favors the oblique position.

To depict the full usage of the bag for its intended and specific purpose'as previously stated," it will be carried by one finger (preferably the fourth or ring finger of the left hand) through the handle-loop22B while in the open position as shown in FIG. 1 and the other'fingers on the left hand and the entire right hand are free for taking peanuts (or other similar items requiring shelling, peeling and/or unwrapping) from the bag, shelling and depositing surplus residue in, the hullreceptacle-compartment 14B. During this process the importance of the pivotal-carrying-handle is realized as it is easy and convenient to simultaneously turn the bag from one side to the other. For maximum use and convenience it is necessary that the main compartment 14A of the bag be easily accessible to the right hand (or left hand if consumer is left-handed) as the need arises for taking peanuts or other items from the bag. By the same token it is necessary that the hull-receptacle-compartment be easily accessible and immediately underneath, the fingers as the peanuts are being shelled to insure that the hulls and chaff fall into the hull receptacle.

As demonstrated in FIG. 3, the structural qualities and design of this invention facilitates its adaptability for ready storage of peanuts prior to retail marketing. As previously stated, the closing of the bag involves folding downward from the top in horizontal folds to the level filled which in this instance will have been sufficient to permit two or three folds and to lap at least once over the side-folded hull-receptacle-compartment. In this position the closing can be further secured by simply inserting a small clip, similar to a small size metal paper clip or a pliable paper wrapped aluminum wire type clip, with one prong over the end-fold as shown by numeral 31 in FIG. 3 and the other prong over the outside rim of the folded hull-receptacle-compartment. While one clip may be adequate, depending on the amount of-handling required, an additional clip could be inserted 'on the opposite side as indicated by 27 in FIG. 3. Also, in lieu of using the clips, two metal staplers could be inserted through the folds near each end by an ordinary office stapling apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bag is collapsible and easily folded by intucking sides and bottom and as such can be stacked the same as conventional paper bags. The folding lines are designated in FIG. 1 as 15, 16A, 16B,

17A

17B and 18, which will have been crossed by the manufacturer.

Referring more specifically to the attached drawings, and initially to the structure of FIG. 1, while the actual size is not intended to be limited to maximum or minimum, for the purpose of a non-litter peanut sales bag of a capacity for the average individual serving, however, the measurements for the main compartment are 6 inches tall and four by two inches for the rectangular sides. Measurements of the hull-receptacle-compartment 14B are the same as for the main compartment except the two end sides are sloping from the adjacent top of the main compartment downward to a level permitting the long exterior side to be two-thirds the height of the parallel wall of the main compartment.

Although approximately the same amount of storage space is required for the hulls as for the whole peanuts prior to being shelled, the same upper portion of the main compartment of the bag used by folding downward for the purpose of closing the main compartment can also be alternately used for closing the hullreceptacle-compartment sufficient until properand final disposition is made of the used bag with enclosed debris. In this connection, it was determined that the average individual serving of roasted peanuts for retail sale is five ounces per bag or approximately sixty of the jumbo two-pea-hull size which will fill subject bag to about the half-way mark of its capacity, permitting the upper portion for folding in the process of closing as previously described.

The manufacturing requirements of this bag, other than for the pivotal-loop-carrying-handle, can be accomplished essentially with the same conventional machinery used in the production of ordinary single compartment paper bags with minimal adjustments to allow for'the attachment of the carrying handle and the joining together of the two compartments and including the trimming of the three top sides of the hullreceptacle-compartment. As indicated in FIG. 1, the hull-compartment 143 can be made initially as a separate entity and glued to the main compartment which will afford a double wall thickness for the dividing wall, or it can be made as a three-sided-unit with sufficient marginon the two end sides and an equal upturn from the bottom to permit a half-inch corner fold, as shown by numeral 24 in FIG. 1, for attachment to the main compartment.

As to the specification of paper material for making the bag, the main compartment should consist of good quality consistent with affording excellent preservation and freshness of the roasted peanuts for a reasonable period of time at least several days. The paper material for the bag walls should also be of sufficient texture to insure a reasonable amount of endurance to rough handling, bearing in mind that on occasions the bags will be tossed around considerably such as in the process of delivering to individuals in stadiums at sports events. While the hull-receptacle-compartrnent may be made of the same quality material as the main compartment for convenience in manufacturing, it need not necessarily be but the bottom portion should be sufficiently firm to maintain an open position when unfolded for receiving the hulls.

In FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, a step by step procedural outline in the preparation of the pivotal-loop-carrying-handle is shown. In FIG. 5 the two circular objects designated by

numerals

23A and 23B are perforated disks made of soft cardboard material for the attachment and base support of the-loop-handle 22A, forming the completed product designated by the numeral 22B. The two disks are positioned one on top of the other and the two tip-ends of the loop portion of the handle 22A are tucked in between disks, one end on one side and the other end on the opposite side and in this position are securely glued simultaneously as the two disks are glued together. The loop 22A is made from soft waxed paper. The support shaft for the loophandle is also made from a rectangular shape piece of waxed paper shown in FIG. 6 and designated by numeral 32. A one flap horizontal even fold 33 is made across the top of the waxed paper as shown in FIG. 7 to form sufficient bulk for a shaft-head as the entire piece of paper is rolled and twisted into a suitable symmetrical shaft 27, pointed at the lower end as shown in FIG. 8,,andsmall enough to pass through the perforated disk of loop-handle 22B. Although the waxed paper is pliable and easily manipulated, for the purpose of the load initially intended for this invention it is adequately stable and maintains proper position. A couple of drops of a resinous substance, however, may be applied to the shaft-head 21 to insure a more stable position. After the shaft has been shaped and completed it is then inserted through the perforated disk of the loop-handle 22B, thereby completing the assemblage of the carrying-handle as shown in FIG. 9.

The carrying-handle is fastened to the bag by untwisting and spreading the lower half of the shaft to a flat surface as shown in FIG. by numeral 25B and then gluing to top inside wall of the bag adjacent to the hull receptacle, careful to insure that the support disk of the loop-handle can be free to slide up the shaft to just above the top rim of the wall to which attached as shown in FIG. 10.

Although the unique pivotal-loop-handle is of a design to require it to be manufactured as a separate unit, intrinscially it is nevertheless an integral part of this invention in its entirety.

I claim:

1. A bag made of suitable paper, having a rectangular bottom wall with side walls projecting upwardly and terminating in free edges providing an open upper end of same shape and measurements and with a duplicate subcompartment attached of same size and shape except for the top portions of the distal side-wall and the two end-sides which are tapering from the top-open central wall down to a level two-thirds the height of the main compartment and thereby corresponding to the height of the distal side-wall and said sub-compartment can be made initially as a separate entity with four walls and bottom and subsequently glued to the main compartment with back to back position of side-walls of corresponding height which will afford a double-wall thickness for the dividing wall or it can be made as a three-sided-unit with sufficient margin on the two endsides and an equal upturn redundant from the bottom to permit a half-inch corner fold for attachment to the main compartment, and that this dual compartment bag is particularly suitable and designed as an Antilitter Peanut Sales Bag which is further emphasized as follows:

A. having a pliable and flexible pivotal-loop-carrysuming and simultaneously depositing hulls and/or other extraneous materialinto the compartment through the oblique aperture;

B. this flexible pivotal-loop-carrying-handle being attached to the dividing wall inside the main compartment is folded downward inside the bag when attached by the manufacturer where it remains until needed for carrying purpose,

C. and when said handle is implemented for carrying, the washer-base disk to which the handle-loop is fastened is free to slide up the shaft to a level just above the top rim of the wall to which the shaft is secured so as to avoid interference with the revolving of the entire bag,

D. and also while in this carrying position, the gravity-tension from the items occupying the main compartment causes the loose portion of the shaft, to which the handle-loop is suspended, to properly adhere to the side of the wall,

E. and the gravity-tension is sufficient to cause the bottom portion of the bag to swing at an angle to the right (if carried on the left hand) and thereby causing the oblique open-top of the hull-receptacle-compartment to hang at an upward angle initially so as to be nearer the hands.

2. The sub-compartment of claim 1, having central folding lines on the two end-sides and across the bottom, the same as the main compartment of claim 1, is assembled in the folded position by intucking the sides and bottom when manufactured at the same time the main compartment is folded and is secured in this folded position by a narrow strip of paper fastened across the bottom onto the adjacent bottom of the main compartment in which position it remains until needed for deposit of hulls and/or other debris and then can be unfolded by sliding finger underneath and severing the narrow strip of paper and then pushing sides and bottom to an unfolded position by inserting fingers in the top aperture; and also while in the folded position said sub-compartment is available for use to help maintain the folded closed position of the main compartment containing peanuts or other items as metalclips, similar to ordinary office paper clips, can be inserted from each end-side with one prong of the clip over the exterior side fold of the subcompartment and the other prong of the clip over the top horizontal fold of the adjacent main compartment.

Claims

1. A bag made of suitable paper, having a rectangular bottom wall with side walls projecting upwardly and terminating in free edges providing an open upper end of same shape and measurements and with a duplicate subcompartment attached of same size and shape except for the top portions of the distal side-wall and the two end-sides which are tapering from the top-open central wall down to a level two-thirds the height of the main compartment and thereby corresponding to the height of the distal side-wall and said sub-compartment can be made initially as a separate entity with four walls and bottom and subsequently glued to the main compartment with back to back position of side-walls of corresponding height which will afford a double-wall thickness for the dividing wall or it can be made as a three-sided-unit with sufficient margin on the two end-sides and an equal upturn redundant from the bottom to permit a half-inch corner fold for attachment to the main compartment, and that this dual compartment bag is particularly suitable and designed as an Antilitter Peanut Sales Bag which is further emphasized as follows: A. having a pliable and flexible pivotal-loop-carrying-handle suspended on a headed-shaft of which the lower portion of the shaft is spread out and securely attached to the mid-top area of the center dividing wall of the bag which enables convenient carrying of the bag while in an open position and the turning from side to side without changing carrying position on the finger and hand involved which permits and facilitates continuity of the usage of both hands necessarily required in the process of taking peanuts, and/or other items requiring shelling, peeling or unwrapping, from the main compartment of the bag, shelling and consuming and simultaneously depositing hulls and/or other extraneous material into the compartment through the oblique aperture; B. this flexible pivotal-loop-carrying-handle being attached to the dividing wall inside the main compartment is folded downward inside the bag when attached by the manufacturer where it remains until needed for carrying purpose, C. and when said handle is implemented for carrying, the washerbase disk to which the handle-loop is fastened is free to slide up the shaft to a level just above the top rim of the wall to which the shaft is secured so as to avoid interference with the revolving of the entire bag, D. and also while in this carrying position, the gravity-tension from the items occupying the main compartment causes the loose portion Of the shaft, to which the handle-loop is suspended, to properly adhere to the side of the wall, E. and the gravity-tension is sufficient to cause the bottom portion of the bag to swing at an angle to the right (if carried on the left hand) and thereby causing the oblique opentop of the hull-receptacle-compartment to hang at an upward angle initially so as to be nearer the hands.

2. The sub-compartment of claim 1, having central folding lines on the two end-sides and across the bottom, the same as the main compartment of claim 1, is assembled in the folded position by intucking the sides and bottom when manufactured at the same time the main compartment is folded and is secured in this folded position by a narrow strip of paper fastened across the bottom onto the adjacent bottom of the main compartment in which position it remains until needed for deposit of hulls and/or other debris and then can be unfolded by sliding finger underneath and severing the narrow strip of paper and then pushing sides and bottom to an unfolded position by inserting fingers in the top aperture; and also while in the folded position said sub-compartment is available for use to help maintain the folded closed position of the main compartment containing peanuts or other items as metal clips, similar to ordinary office paper clips, can be inserted from each end-side with one prong of the clip over the exterior side fold of the sub-compartment and the other prong of the clip over the top horizontal fold of the adjacent main compartment.