US3750929A

US3750929A - Carton partition assembly

Info

Publication number: US3750929A
Application number: US00135272A
Authority: US
Inventors: T Flanagan
Original assignee: Newfrey LLC
Current assignee: Newfrey LLC; New Standard Knapp Inc
Priority date: 1971-04-19
Filing date: 1971-04-19
Publication date: 1973-08-07
Anticipated expiration: 1990-08-07
Also published as: DE2217417B2; JPS5326556B1; DE2217417A1; DE2217417C3; GB1348598A

Abstract

A partition assembly is disclosed for use in packing an array of articles, such as glass bottles or jars, in a carton, or tray, with selected portions of mutually perpendicular partition elements being utilized to separate the articles within the array so as to prevent breakage during normal jostling in handling of the carton. Each partition element is so designed that it can be readily cut from a continuous strip of paperboard material with a minimum of waste, and nevertheless posses a sufficient contact area or segment between each pair of adjacent articles in the array.

Description

United States Patent 1 Flanagan 1 Aug. 7, 1973 CARTON PARTITION ASSEMBLY [73] Assignee: Emhart Corporation, Bloomfield,

Conn. [22] Filed: Apr. 19, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 135,272

Primary Examiner--Samuel B, Rothberg Assistant Examiner--Stephen Marcus Attorney-McCormick, Paulding and Huber [57] ABSTRACT A partition assembly is disclosed for use in packing an array of articles, such as glass bottles or jars, in a carton, or tray, with selected portions of mutually perpendicular partition elements being utilized to separate the articles within the array so as to prevent breakage during normal jostling in handling of the carton. Each partition element is so designed that it can be readily cut from a continuous strip of paperboard material with a minimum of waste, and nevertheless posses a sufficient contact area or segment between each pair of adjacent articles in the array.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED AUG 71975 SBEU 1 0f 2 INVENTOR.

THOMAS L FLANAGAN ATTORNEYS CARTON PARTITION ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Prior art partition assemblies for use in a carton in the packing of glassware are usually of the selfsupporting variety, and therefore require a large amount of paperboard material. These partition assemblies are generally collapsible so as to be fabricated independently of the carton and shipped to the user as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,404 issued to Pearson May 12, 1970.

Conventional practice calls for the placing of these partitions in an empty carton or case prior to packing the glassware articles into the resulting cells, either by drop packing, or other means as in the case of a typical end loaded case. With the advent of present day machinery for wrapping a cardboard carton around an array or slug of articles, there is a need for a new approach to the partitioning art which will permit the partition either to be formed simultaneously with formation of the slug of articles so as to be in place when the carton is wrapped around the slug of articles, or less obvious perhaps the provision of a machine for inserting the partitioning elements as separate items from individual magazines between the rows and columns of articles within an array as the array is being fedthrough the machine. The concept of assembling the partition between the bottles or jars is shown in US. Pat. No. 2,968,898 issued to Hickim. However, in this patent, the partition material still comprises a substantial portion of the overall weight of the resulting carton.

An object of the present invention therefore is to provide individual partition elements which can be suitably retained in magazines in an improved machine for use in conjunction with a present day wrap around carton forming machine to provide an array of frangible articles, such as glass bottles or jars, in a tightly packed case or carton with a minimum of material being uti lized for the partition assembly itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The partition assembly described and claimed herein comprises a plurality of partitions each of which fall into two general types so designed that both types can be readily inserted between the various rows and columnsof articles arranged in a particular array to form mutually perpendicular cells for protecting glassware articles from damage as a result of jostling one against the other. One type of partition has a height equal to that of the container or articles, and has a length somewhat less than the number of articles in a particular column multipliedby the diameter of each of one article. The other type of partition has a height less than the height of the articles, and has a length somewhat less than the number of articles in each row times the diameter of a particular article. The two types of partitions nest one on top of the other as a result of V-shaped notches provided in each, and when assembled with a slug or array of articles these partition elements define rectangular openings for these articles with all of the articles being separated from one another by segments of said partitions having a width of approximately 75 the diameter of one article and a heightof approximately :5 the height of said article, butno less than It; of said height.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view showing a partition assembly comprising two partition elements mounted in nesting relationship with one another as would be the case when these partition elements have been inserted between the respective column and rows of a slug or array of articles, said array being indicated schematically by three of the twelve such articles constituting an array suitable for use with the partition assembly shown.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the partition assembly shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the partition assembly shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a strip from which one type of partition element is adapted to be cut, illustrating also the quanity of waste material caused by practicing the invention and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the strip from which the other partition elements are cut, also illustrating the quanity of waste material resulting from practicing the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Turning now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 shows a partition assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrates in broken lines three of the twelve articles A, A adapted to be separated from one another in a carton or tray E of the type adapted to pack twelve such articles for shipment.

Each of the articles in the array of 12 has a like height C as well as a body portion extending through a substantial portion of its height and having a diameter D. As shown the articles are arranged in three columns of four articles each, or in four rows of three articles each, and in the description to follow the number of articles in each column will be referred to as P whereas the number of articles in each row will. be referred to as N in order to provide terminology consistent with the claims comprising the last portion of this application. For purposes of illustration only 12 articles are shown in an array or slug but the invention can be applied to an array comprising any number of such articles. As best shown in FIG. 2 the carton or tray with which the partition assembly is adapted to be used preferably includesan interior space having a length dictated by the number of articles in a typical column P and by the diameter D of each. Four articles are illustrated in FIG. 2. Thus, the carton would have a length (4 X D) or (P X D). So too from FIG. 3 itican be seen that such acarton would have a width equal to 3 times D in packaging the twelve article array shown in FIG. .1. More generally, the carton width can be seen to be (N X D).

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate .resective shapes of the two types of partition elements or units comprisingthe partition assembly shown in FIG. 1, and each of these will now be described in detail.

The .partition element chown .in .FIG. .2 will be referred to herein as the (N-l) partition since 3 minus I, or two such partitions are used in separating the three columns of articles in the twelve artice array with which we are concerned in this disclosure. .ThetN-l) partition can be seen from FIG. .2 to have a length which is less than-D X P but which is somewhat greater than (P-l) X D.More particularly, the N-l partition shown inFIGFZ has opposite end portions of vertically elongated configuration to provide generally rectangular areas, and 12 respectively, which are adapted to separate the endmost articles in two of the end columns shown in FIG. 1. It is an important feature of the present invention that the vertical dimension of this rectangular contact area, or segment is approximately C, and that said segment has a width X of approximately 15 D. As a result of this geometry, it will be apparent that the (N-l) partition has a length of at least D X (P%). This geometry results in rectangular areas, 10 and 12, of sufficient sixe to adequately separate the adjacent articles without susceptibility to breakage. More generally, this length can be expressed thus D(P-l) X. In this expression for the length of said (Nl) partition X represents a fraction of D, and preferably in the range between 1/5 and A; D. The if; D has, however, been found to be the most satisfactory value.

Each (N-l) partition further includes a lower edge which defines a number of V-shaped tongues, 14 and 16, which comprise two in number in the embodiment shown. Two such tongues are required for the four article columns in the 12 article array since two of such articles are already separated by the

end portions

10 and 12, described above. Therefor, in the description to follow, these V-shaped tongues 14 and 16 defined in the lower edge of the (Nl partition will be referred to as the (P-2) tongues. Still with reference to the (P4) tongues, the vertical center lines of these tongues can be seen to be coincident with the lines of contact of the adjacent bottles in the adjacent columns of the array, and as a result the

center lines

18 and 20, are necessarily spaced from one another, and from the center lines of the

end portions

10 and 12, by the diameter D of each individual article.

Still with reference to the (N-l) partitions, each of these can be seen from FIG. 2 to have an upper edge which defines at least one upstanding trapezoidally shaped projection 22, which projection has an upper edge 24 spaced a distance C above the lower edge 26 of the end portions, 10 and 12 of the (N -l) partition.

As so constructed and arranged the (N-l) partition has an upper edge characterized by a substantial portion which is located at a significant distance below the uppermost edge 24 of said partition, and more particularly at approximately the height C of the articles to be partitioned. This feature of the (N-l) partition results in a saving in paperboard material over the prior art partitions described above. This advantage is best shown in FIG. 4 where the strip 30 is shown from which the (Nl partitions are adapted to be cut. FIG. 4 illustrates the number of partitions which can be obtained from a length of strip corresponding to the height dimension C of the articles.

The lower edge of each (Nl partition defines (P-l) downwardly open notches between the

end portions

10 and 12 and associated spaced tongues 14 and 16 for a purpose to be discussed hereinbelow. However, prior to leaving the discussion of the (N-l partition it should be noted that the center notch 28 corresponds in size and shape to the trapezoidal projection 22, and as a result of this geometry permits approximately four of the (N-l) partitions to be cut from a strip 30 of length equal to three heights (3C).

Turning now to a more detailed description of the partition shown in FIG. 3, this element of the partition assembly will be referred to herein as the (P-l) partition since this is the number of such partitions required in the assembly of the partition assembly of FIG. 1 and of any assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention. This (P-l) partition has a length less than (D X N) but at least equal to D X (N-2/3). It should perhaps be noted that the left-hand end portion 32 and 32a of this (P-l) partition is somewhat longer than the right-hand end portion 34, and although this feature is not necessarily required in practicing this invention it is shown in the drawings primarily to illustrate that one type of the two partition elements described herein is preferably so made in order to have one of its end portions in the vertical plane defined by the rear edges of the articles to be partitioned. This feature will permit a flight bar or other conveyor mean 37 to engage the array or slug of articles and to move it together with the associated (P-l)'partition elements in a machine for advancing the unit in the direction of the arrow 38 toward a wrap around packer or other machine with which the present array of articles in conjunction with its associated partition assembly is adapted to be utilized. Thus the portion 32a of the end of the (P-l) partition shown in FIG. 3 may or may not be required depending upon the use to which the partition assembly is to be put.

Each of said (P-l) partitions can thus be seen to have opposite end portions, 32 and 34, of vertically elongated configurations to separate the endmost articles in any of the adjacent two rows of the three shown in FIG. 1. These

end portions

32 and 34 have a width X of approximately one-third D. The (P-l) partition further includes an upper edge which defines (N-l V-shaped notches for receiving the downwardly open notches defined between the (P-l) V-shaped tongues of said (N-l) partitions. It will be apparent that the overall height B of the (P-l) partition is such that the depth of the (N-l) V-shaped notch, when substracted from B, corresponds to the depth of the V-shaped (N-l) notches as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 by the reference numeral 40. This geometrical limitation assures that the (N-l) and (P-l) partitions nest one within the other to provide a partition assembly which though not self-supporting, does nevertheless have bottom portions of each partition element located in a common plane corresponding to the upper surface of the carton E. Upper portions of at least one type of partition element engaging the underside of the top panel of such a carton (not shown) since the overall height of the (N-l) partitions in the embodiment disclosed does equal the container height C.

In order to further save on the paperboard material from which the (P4) partition elements are cut, the lower edge of each of said (P-l) partitions defines (N-l) depending tongues, 42 and 44, which tongues are generally trapezoidal in shape with a bottom width of A; D and with inclined sides defining an acute angle, equal to the angle defined by said (N-l) V-shaped notches in said (P-l) partition upper edge. This geometrical limitation assures that the (P-l) partitions can be cut from a continuous strip 46 best shown in FIG. 5, resulting in a minimum of waste material from a strip of predetermined length. In FIG. 5, as in FIG. 4, the dimension C equals the height of the articles to be separated and is shown for purposes of illustrating the geometrical saving of paperboard material realized as a result of practicing the present invention. For example four (4) (P-l) partition elements can be cut from a strip of length 2C.

As a result of the partition assembly construction described above, it can be seen that the (P-1) and (N-l) partitions, in their assembled condition, provide rectangular openings for maintaining the various articles in the array in separated relationship to one another. All of said articles (P X N) in said array are separated from one another by a paperboard segment with a width of at least /3 D and with a height preferably equal to C, but no less than /4 C. In the style of articles illustrated in the drawings the vertical dimension of the paperboard segment is preferably kept on the order of C for both the (N-l) and (P-l) partitions, but it will be apparent that some reduction in this dimension may be feasible at least in the (P-l) partitions in the event that the articles have a shape such as the well known ketchup bottle wherein the body portion has a diameter which does not extend the major portion of the article height.

I claim:

1. A partition assembly for use in separating an array of articles from one another, each of said articles having a height C and a body portion which extends along a substantial portion of the height, which body portion has a diameter D, said array having N columns and P rows with N articles per row and P articles per column to provide P X N articles in said array, said partition assembly more particularly comprising (Nl) partitions of length less than D X P but at least D(P-l) X, were X equals a fraction of D in the range between 1/5 and 741, each of said (N-l) partitions having opposite end portions of vertically elongated configurations to separate the endmost articles in two of said N columns, said end portions having a vertical dimension of approximately %C and a width of approximately D, said (Nl partitions further including a lower edge which defines (P-2) depending V-shaped tongues the vertical center lines of which tongues are spaced from one another and from said end portion center lines by the dimension D, each of said (P-l) partitions having a length less than (D X N) but at least D(N-l X, each of said P-l partitions having opposite end portions of vertically elongated configurations to separate the endmost articles in two of said P rows, said end portions having a width of approximately %D, said (P-l) partitions further including an upper edge which defines (N-l V-shaped notches for receiving the downwardly open notches defined between said (P-l) V-shaped tongues of said (N-l) partitions.

2. A partition assembly as set forth in claim I wherein said (P-l) partitions further include a lower edge which defines (N-l depending tongues of trapezoidal shape with a bottom width of (%D) and with inclined sides defining an accute angle equal to the angle defined by said (N-l) V-shaped notches in said (P-l) partition upper edge whereby said (P-l) partitions can be cut from a continuous strip .of paperboard material with a minimum of waste.

3. A partition assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said (P-l) partitions nest with said] (N-l) partitions to provide rectangular openings for said articles, all of said articles in said array being separated from one another by a paperboard segment with a width of AD and of height of approximately %C but no less than %C.

4. A partition assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said (P-2) V-shaped tongues of said (N-l) partitions have lower ends which are in line with the lower ends of said (N-l) partition end portions, said (P-l) partitions having said bottoms of said trapezoidally shaped tongues in a plane defined by said lower end of said (Nl) partition end portions, and a carton for said array and said partition assembly, saidcarton having a bottom panel with its upper surface in said plane and said bottom panel having a width of (N X D) and a length of (P X D).

5. A partition assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said (P-2) V-shaped tongues defined in the lower edge of said (N-l) partitions have (P-ll) downwardly open notches defined therebetween and between said tongues and said (N-l) partition end portions, said (P-l notches all having inclined edges to facilitate assembly of said (N-l) and (P-l) partitions.

6. A partition assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said (Nl partitions have an upper edge characterized by at least one trapezoidally shaped projection, and wherein at least one of said (P-l) downwardly open notches in the lower edge of each of said (N-l) partitions is of corresponding shape to said trapezoidal projection to permit said (N-l) partitions to be cut from a continuous strip of paperboard material'with a minimum of waste, said projection providing said (N-l) partitions with an overall height C. a:

Claims

1. A partition assembly for use in separating an array of articles from one another, each of said articles having a height C and a body portion which extends along a substantial portion of the height, which body portion has a diameter D, said array having N columns and P rows with N articles per row and P articles per column to provide P X N articles in said array, said partition assembly more particularly comprising (N-1) partitions of length less than D X P but at least D(P-1) + X, were X equals a fraction of D in the range between 1/5 and 1/3 , each of said (N-1) partitions having opposite end portions of vertically elongated configurations to separate the endmost articles in two of said N columns, said end portions having a vertical dimension of approximately 2/3 C and a width of approximately 1/3 D, said (N-1) partitions further including a lower edge which defines (P-2) depending V-shaped tongues the vertical center lines of which tongues are spaced from one another and from said end portion center lines by the dimension D, each of said (P-1) partitions having a length less than (D X N) but at least D(N-1) + X, each of said P-1 partitions having opposite end portions of vertically elongated configurations to separate the endmost articles in two of said P rows, said end portions having a width of approximately 1/3 D, said (P-1) partitions further including an upper edge which defines (N-1) Vshaped notches for receiving the downwardly open notches defined between said (P-1) V-shaped tongues of said (N-1) partitions.

2. A partition assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said (P-1) partitions further include a lower edge which defines (N-1) depending tongues of trapezoidal shape with a bottom width of ( 1/3 D) and with inclined sides defining an accute angle equal to the angle defined by said (N-1) V-shaped notches in said (P-1) partition upper edge whereby said (P-1) partitions can be cut from a continuous strip of paperboard material with a minimum of waste.

3. A partition assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said (P-1) partitions nest with said (N-1) partitions to provide rectangular openings for said articles, all of said articles in said array being separated from one another by a paperboard segment with a width of 1/3 D and of height of approximately 2/3 C but no less than 1/3 C.

4. A partition assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said (P-2) V-shaped tongues of said (N-1) partitions have lower ends which are in line with the lower ends of said (N-1) partition end portions, said (P-1) partitions having said bottoms of said trapezoidally shaped tongues in a plane defined by said lower end of said (N-1) partition end portions, and a carton for said array and said partition assembly, said carton having a bottom panel with its upper surface in said plane and said bottom panel having a width of (N X D) and a length of (P X D).

5. A partition assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said (P-2) V-shaped tongues defined in the lower edge of said (N-1) partitions have (P-1) downwardly open notches defined therebetween and between said tongues and said (N-1) partition end portions, said (P-1) notches all having inclined edges to facilitate assembly of said (N-1) and (P-1) partitions.

6. A partition assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said (N-1) partitions have an upper edge characterized by at least one trapezoidally shaped projection, and wherein at least one of said (P-1) downwardly open notches in the lower edge of each of said (N-1) partitions is of corresponding shape to said trapezoidal projection to permit said (N-1) partitions to be cut from a continuous strip of paperboard material with a minimum of waste, said projection providing said (N-1) partitions with an overall height C.