US556675A - Knockdown paper box - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VARREN Il. IAIOVE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

KNOCKDOWN PAPER BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,67 5, dated March 17, 1896.

Application tiled May 6, 1895.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN 1). llowE, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knockdown Paper Boxes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which forni a part of this specifica tion.

This invention relates to an improved paper box of that kind known as a knockdown box, or one in which a fiat blank is used,which may be shipped in its dat or unfolded state and set up when desired for use by the folding or interlocking of its parts.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and pointed ont in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is a perspective view of a box embodying my invention, the same being shown in readiness for filling. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of one end of the box in a. partially-folded state. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a blank for making the box shown in Figs. l and 2. Fig. a is a perspective View of a box slightly different from that shown in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a similar perspective view of still another modiiication of said box. Fig. (i is a perspective view of a box combining the fea tures shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. is a view of one end of a box partially folded, illustrating a construction slightly different from that shown in Fig. 1.

The construction of the illustrated box will be b est understood by description of the bl ank, which is seen unfolded in Fig.

Referring to the parts of said blank, A ind icates the central part thereof, which forms the box-bottom.

B and C are side parts, which form the front and rear walls of the box.

D is a part which is attached to the rear wall C and which forms the top of the box, and CZ is a flap or tuck at the free edge of the part D. At the end of the part A are two flaps F E, made of the saine width as the bottom and which form the exterior surface of the box ends when the box is folded.

At the Serial No. 548,282. (No modelv outer end of said flaps E E are tongues e e, having lateral projections or tucks e e. At the ends of the front wall B are rectangular fiaps F F, made of the same width as the said front wall, and at the ends of the rear wall C are similar rectangular flaps G G. Said tlaps F and G are preferably m ade of the same width as the front and rear walls, or, in other words, of a width equal to the height of the box. At the outer side edges of the iiaps G G are provided two flaps H II, which are severed from the top wall D by transverse cuts d4 di, so thatthey are joined to the rear side edges of the flaps G, the said iiaps II being made equal in width to the length of the said side iiaps G. The width of said flaps Il will be made practically equal to the width of the top of the box, and commonly the length. of the flaps G will also be made equal to the width of the box; but said iaps G may be made shorter than the width of the box without aifecting the operation of the parts, although preferablythe ends of the iiaps G are arranged on a straight line with the sides of the flaps II, as shown in the drawings. Said flaps II are provided each with slots or slits 7i 7i, adapted for engagement with lateral projections or tucks e e' of the tongues e.

XVhen a blank constructed as described is folded, the front and back sides B and C are bent at right angles to the bottom A, and the end flaps F and G are overlapped, thereby bringing the ilaps II II in a vertical position across the end of the box, as seen in Fig. 2. The end flaps E E of .the bottom are then folded upwardly and the projections e e' of the iiaps e tucked into the slits 7i 7L. The iiaps Il Il and the tongues e c are then folded inwardly over the open top of the box and the top l) then folded down over the flaps II. The iiap d may then be secured by insertion within the upper edge of the front wall B or otherwiseas, for instance, by the insertion of its corners into slit-s Z) l), as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l. Preferably the end flaps F and G arcinterlocked with each other, the device for this purpose illustrated consisting of an oblique slit f in the flap F and a curved slit g in the flap G, said slit g forming a lateral tongue g', which is adapted to enter through the slit f, and thus interlock the parts together lOO by the engagement of the inner end of the slit f with the inner end of the slit g, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. To facilitate the connection of the parts the slit f is shown as extended to the free or top edge of the flap by means of a transverse slit f extending along the line of fold at the base of the iiap F. This construction, however, is merely used for convenience, and the slit f may be located entirely in the body of the flap.

The process of folding the blank is clearly illustrated in Figs. l and 2. Fig. 2 shows the parts after the flaps F and G have been interlocked and before the flap E is folded upwardly against the same. The interlocking of the iiaps F and G is readily accomplished at the time the sides B and G are folded upwardly, the tongue g being inserted into the slit f and thrust downwardly therein un til the flaps completely overlap each other, the engagement of the inner ends of the slits f g at such time holding the flaps together and the side walls B and C parallel with cach other. In folding said flaps F and G together the flap F, attached to the front wall, will preferably be folded outside of the flap G, so that the body of said Hap F will rest between the flaps G and E and its free upper edge will be confined by the flap E when the latter is turned up and its tongue c connected with the iiap Il. The said tongue e will preferably be connected with the flap II when the latter flap is in its unfolded or vertical position, so that when the said flap II and tongue c are together folded inwardly the bending of the tongue over the flap Il and the edge of the flap F will resultin drawing the body of the flap E tightly across or over said flap F, thus securing a smooth, fiat and square end to the box when folded.

It will be observed that the box end, formed by the three overlapping flaps E, F, and G, will not only be very strong and rigid, but the interlocking of the tongue e with the flap Hand the unfolding of the side flap and tongue together will offer a strong support for the end of the top D when the latter is folded down to close the box. Vhile I prefer to fold the end flaps F and G together in such manner that the flap E is outside of the flap G, yet they may be reversely folded, in which case the end flap E will be in immediate con tact with the flap G, and the tongue c being engaged with the silt 7L when the flap II is upright the end flap E will be drawn or strained tightly when the flap II is bent inwardly, owing to the tongue c being drawn or folded over the angle at the junction of the flaps Gand H, as before described. I prefer, however, to fold the flap F outside of the flap G, as the end is thereby made very stron g and rigid, and the parts are drawn or held tightly together by reason of the presence of the fiap F between the flaps G and E, as herein` before stated.

The box shown in Fig. 4 is like that shown in Fig. l, with the exception that instead of l tongue e.

is accomplished in a manner slightly different dition, which is made from a blank like that illustrated in Fig. 3, with the following slight modification, viz: The slits 7L 7i in the flaps II are omitted and other slits d3 d3 are formed in the top wall D near the end of the same in proper position to receive the tucks c' c of In this case the folding' of the parts from that before described. The end flaps F and G being first folded together and interlocked, the flaps II are then turned in over the open part of the box. The top D is then folded over and its iiap CZ inserted within the front wall, and the end flaps E are then finally bent upwardly and their tongues e carried over the top wall D and secured by the insertion of the tucks e c. in the slits d:g (Z3.

The last-described construction has the advantage of making a very tight box, the folding of the tongues e e over the ends of the cover D serving to tightly close the joints at this place, it being obvious that the cover in this construction will be supported at its ends by resting on the infolded flaps II and will bc held or confined against said flaps II by the tongues e c.

The box shown in Fig. 0 combines the features illustrated in Figs. 4.- and 5, the top D in this instance not only having the slit d3 to permit the interlocking of the tongue e therewith, but having a front iiap D' having tucks d, d, and d2, by which the said iiapD'is scoured to the front wall B.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a construction in which the end flaps F and G are merely folded together and are not actually interlocked with each other. I this instance, however, I pro- 4 vide a special construction for holding the said flaps together or in their overlapped position during the folding of the box, the same being as follows: In this instance the slits 7L 7L of the i Hap II are extended downwardly to the crease or line of fold between the iiaps G and Il, while the tucks e' e of the tongue e are formed by notches c2 c2 located at the fold or crease by which the said tongue c is joined to the r flap E. In this construction of the parts the flaps F and G are folded together with the flap F outside of the flap G, and while the parts are held in this position with the flap II u )right the tucks e c are inserted in the i slits 7L h. The notches e2 being at the ripper margin of the flap E when the tucks are inserted in the slits 7L 7i, theywill bind against the lower edges of said slits, and thus serve to coniine the flap F, the upperedge of which I 3 will be engaged and held by the lower edges of the tucks e c where the same enter the said slits h 7L. The said iiap F being thus held from movement relatively to the Hap G,

IIO

the side walls will obviously be confined so that they cannot spread apart at their upper edges and will be held in place sufficientlyv to permit the proper folding of the box. I prefer, however, in connection With the box thus made to use a front flap D having tucks to engage the front Wall of the box in the manner shown in Figs. 4: and 5.,

All of the forms of boxes described have the advantage otpossessing iiat, smooth and square ends and of having generally a smooth and neat appearance. This is especially desirable in those kinds oi. cartons which are used without extern al w1appers-sucl1, for instance, as those used for the delivery of merchandise or for packing articles like crackers, which are sold to customers in the original packages. Such boxes are, however, owing to their smooth and uniform shape, especially also adapted ft'or use in connection with external paper wrappers, and this is especially true of the form shown in Fig. 1,Which,\vhen the top is. folded and its tuck inserted within the front wall, has the appearance of perfect exterior uniformity With continuous iiat surfaces on all sides,.and Without any visible tucks, slits or other irregularities. Such a box maybe covered by a paper Wrapperpasted thereon, and when so covered will make a package practically as square and clean as though constructed of Wood or of cut and pasted strawboard.

The form of the blank employed is highly advantageous because it is of practically rectangular form and may be made practically without Waste of material. In other Words, the double end flaps E and II, While adding greatly to the strength, rigidity and smoothness ot appearance of the box, involve no loss of material, because the external iiaps H are t'ormed from a part of the sheetvhich would need to be cut oit1 or removed in case such flaps were not used.

I claim as my inventionl. A box comprising connected bottom, side and top Walls, which bottom and side Walls have end naps; the ond flaps on one of the side Walls having later. l iiaps, which are folded inwardly over the open top of the box beneath the top Wall thereof, and the flaps in the bottom Wall being bent upwardly outside of the other flaps and secured at their free or outer ends to the body of thc box, substantially as described.

2. Abox comprising connected bottom and side Walls, provided with end ilaps, the end flaps on one of the side Walls having lateral Vfiaps with which the end flaps of the bottom Wall are constructed to interlock, substantially as described.

S. A box comprising connected bottom and side Walls; said bottom walls having opposite ilaps provided with tongues and the side Walls having end laps,wliioh end iiaps on one of the Walls are provided with lateral iiaps having slits with Which the said tongues on the bottom Walls are adapted to interlock, substantially as described.

si. A box comprisingconnected bottom and side walls, the said bottom Wall having end flaps provided with tongues having lateral tucks and the side Walls having end naps of which those on one of the sidewalls are provided With lateral iiaps, which lateral iiaps are provided with slits for engagement With the said tucks in said tongues, substantially as described.

5. A box comprising connected bottom and side "Walls and having end iiaps on its bottom Wall and having also end liaps on its side Walls, which are provided with interlocking means, said end iiaps on one of the side 'walls being provided with lateral flaps, with which the said end flaps on the bottom Wall are adapted to interlock at their free edges, substantially as described.

6. A box comprising connected bottom, side and top Walls, and in which the bottom Wall is provided with end flaps and the side walls are also provided with end flaps of Which those on one of the side Walls have lateral flaps adapted t-o be interlocked With the iiaps on the bottom Wall; said top Wall having a iiap at its free edge adapted for engagement with the opposite side Wall,substan tially as described.

7. A box comprising connected bottom and side Walls and having at the ends of its bot' tom Wall end flaps, and on its side Walls end iiaps, which latter are provided With longitudinal and transverse slits by Which they may be interlocked together said end ilaps on one of said side Walls having lateral flaps connected therewith, which lateral flaps and the end flaps of the bottom Wall are provided with interlocking means, by which they may be secured together, substantially as de scribed. p

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afx my signature, in presence of two Witnesses, this 3d day of May, A. I). 1395.

WARREN B. IIOIVE. lVitnesses:

,lavnon E. BROWN, ALBERT ll. Gnrwnsv IOO IIO

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