WO1993001995A1

WO1993001995A1 - Food containers

Info

Publication number: WO1993001995A1
Application number: PCT/GB1992/001395
Authority: WO
Inventors: Norman David Plummer
Original assignee: Norman David Plummer
Priority date: 1991-07-25
Filing date: 1992-07-27
Publication date: 1993-02-04
Also published as: AU2369392A

Abstract

Food container means are provided which facilitate serving and/consumption of food and possibly drinks. An elongate food holder (12) adapted to be open at one (the upper) end comprises means, e.g. tape (22), to move an article of food (34) controllably out through that end by having the food article (34) resting on a loop of the tape (22) and pulling the tape over a folded layer (603) over a lip of container (12). The food container means comprise a combination of interconnected food and/or drink holders (12, 94, 86), allowing the combination to be held in one hand during selective consumption of the respective contents of the holders. The invention also extends to means to connect together e.g. a canister (94) of drink and a bag (352) of crisps/chips, also to machinery for 'rolling' (by opening and closing) a flat tubular blank (12) and for making a triangular end sealing pocket (638, 640) for a rectangular tubular blank (12) from two flat strips (652, 654) of plastics tape. Methods of erecting a blank (12) and a reinforced tray (220) from the flat, rapidly with one hand, are shown.

Description

"FOOD CONTAINERS"

INTRODUCTION

This specification is combined from several earlier specifications and will be most readily understood if the text of these is kept separated as individual chapters. CHAPTER 1 BACKGROUND

The containers for take-away food provided by fast-food shops are usually sufficient to contain the food but do little else to help the customer. For example, hot- dogs may be wrapped in a piece of paper or provided in a covered cardboard or polystyrene tray, rolled filled pancakes may be provided in a tray with a piece of paper to grasp the pancake but little thought is given to the mess inherent in picking it up, dipping it in a sauce and eating it, quite apart from the contents falling out or it being so hot as to burn the fingers. THE INVENTION Respective aspects of the invention consist in a food container as defined in the appended Feature 1, food container means as defined in Feature 26 and a combination of food and container as defined in Feature 30.

By solid food is meant food which has the property of essentially maintaining its shape, in contra-distinction to liquid, or paste which is dispensed from squeeze tubes by virtue of its liquid-like properties. The tubular container will normally be rigid or quasi-rigid (by which is meant that it is used for its property of maintaining its own shape) but, if the food is rigid in form, the tubular container could be flexible, e.g. in one (usually horizontal) direction, as for example with corrugated flexible paper or card. Solid food, such as for example a filled rolled pancake, can be placed axially in the tubular container and raised by said raising means through the open top, controllably a bit at a time to expose sufficient to bite off successive mouthfuls.

A particularly simple raising means comprise a loop, part of which is adapted to go under the solid food. If the loop comprises a tape, this can be particularly cheap and effective. If the food is such that the loop material can slide easily on the food, then a particularly simple arrangement can be made in which the loop is open, fixed at one end to a point at or near the top of the tubular container, with the other end adapted to be pulled to raise the solid food. This is like a three-string inverted pulley with a velocity ratio of 2:1, which provides twice as long a tape-pull as the length of the food. In some circumstances, e.g. when there is not so much room to pull out e.g. the end of the tape, or when the e.g. tape material does not slide easily against the solid food, there can be provided an embodiment in which the loop is closed with one side adapted to go under the solid food and the opposite side outside the tubular container and adapted to be pulled to raise the solid food. This pulls the tape over the two sides of the container (or over the back and front of the container) at the same time and gives a velocity ratio of 1:1. The nature of the food may warrant the provision of a moveable platform on which to rest the food, which platform is itself moved by pulling the loop (of either kind). Again, such a platform may be provided to cooperate with a slot longitudinal of the tubular container or spiral (or partly spiral) therearound and a lug extending from the platform through the slot, perhaps to terminate with a knob which can be moved in the slot to raise the food. Yet again, also depending on the nature of the food and perhaps the nature of material of the container, there may simply be provided a plunger, piston or the like under the food, which is then simply pushed up to raise the food. Each of these arrangements described enables the solid food to be raised through the open top of the tubular container while this is gripped upright in the hand.

Further in order to make it easier to consume food from the container, this comprises at least one container for dispensing liquid to the solid food. This liquid may be for example jam, syrup or sauce. As only a small quantity of the liquid is likely to be required, compared with the quantity of the solid food, a small liquid container should be sufficient. For this purpose, it is particularly suitable to make the liquid container tube-like, and more particularly to fix it vertically to said tubular container. This may be done in a variety of ways, depending upon requirements. Bearing in mind that one has to bite the solid food from the top of the tubular container, it can be suitable to mount said liquid container to a flap connected by a vertical or horizontal hinge to said tubular container, which hinge will allow the liquid container to be hinged out of the way, perhaps with one finger, while biting the solid food from the top of the tubular container. However, bearing in mind that there may be a choice of several different sauces, syrups etc., it may be particularly convenient to have each separate such liquid ready prepared in a liquid container and then fix a chosen liquid in its container to the tubular container. A simple, cheap and effective means to do this is to have each such liquid container mounted to a strip that fits at least partly by slot means to said tubular container. Such strip may itself be connected by a horizontal or vertical hinge to the tubular container. There is a distinct psychological advantage in allowing the consumer to see easily the liquid being dispensed and the amount coming out as it is being dispensed, in order to control such amount. To this end, said liquid container has a nozzle adapted to be at or near the top of said tubular container. If the liquid container can be pushed out of the way, then the nozzle is positioned so that when the liquid container is pushed back into position, the nozzle will be at or near the top of said tubular container. Clearly, the nozzle will be pointing then towards the solid food so that liquid dispensed from it will go onto the solid food. For cheapness of manufacture and perhaps ease of storage, the liquid container may have a nozzle that points straight ahead from the length of the container, in which case these advantages can be retained in an embodiment in which the nozzle still has to be re-directed towards the tubular container, e.g. an embodiment in which the liquid container has a nozzle that is able to be bent over to a dispensing position and remain so bent. This can be achieved by using a directable plastics material such as the circumferential corrugations in a straw, or again the nozzle may be formed in a strip of the liquid container having one or more wires which will hold the nozzle bent into position.

Some thought has been given to the problems inherent in being able to adjourn feeding from the container. One facility for this purpose is to provide the tubular container with a cap or other closure, preferably a captive closure so that this can simply be taken off and forgotten about until it is needed without being lost. Another facility is to provide the liquid container with a nozzle that can be folded to close it and can remain so closed. This may be achieved with the wire means mentioned above or some kind of clip. In the latter case, and for the aforementioned reasons, the closure for the nozzle can be made captive.

In order to provide particularly easy means for controlling the dispensing of liquid from said liquid container, this comprises a squeeze tube, which can then simply be squeezed to the extent that liquid is required to be dispensed from it. A particularly neat method of doing this is for said liquid container to comprise a rigid part-tube in which is located said squeeze tube to facilitate squeezing the latter against the part- tube. In either case, the liquid container can conveniently be arranged so that the thumb or a thumb nail is slid up it to squeeze the liquid container in order to dispense said liquid. It may be appropriate, e.g. in a case in which the container is intended to be used by a young child, to arrange the liquid container for automatic dispensing of said liquid upon operation of said raising means. This can be facilitated by combining said liquid container with said loop, preferably said loop is formed of a tube which is said liquid container and contains said liquid and this preferably has a nozzle at the remote end which is fixed to the tubular container and hence stationary, so that pulling down on the free end of the liquid container/loop, passing over a sharp edge of the tubular container, forces liquid out ofthe nozzle as the solid food is raised by the loop.

In order further to improve the convenience of the food container, it comprises a tray for holding food as well as said tubular container. For example, the tray may hold chips while the tubular container holds a thick sausage. Such an arrangement allows there to be provided the very useful feature that said tubular container is arranged to act as a grip for said tray. If said tubular container extends below said tray, this produces an embodiment which is particularly easy to handle and manipulate to and from the mouth. In order to enable to tray to be set down level, it may comprise a suitable support opposite the tubular container. This may be in the form of a pair of prongs at two back corners of the tray if the tubular container is at the front of the tray. A particularly easy method of manufacturing the food container when it comprises a tray is to arrange that said tubular container fits through a hole in the bottom of said tray. It may be a push fit (to be easily put together by the shop assistant serving the food), it may be supported by flaps bent down from the tray and/or it may be held in position by means of adhesive, and/or staples.

The whole arrangement ofthe food container may be made even more convenient by arranging that said tubular container is to the front of said tray and said food container further comprises a drink carton to the front of said tray with a sucking outlet This allows three kinds of consumable in one food container, e.g. a filled pancake (possibly with sauce) in the tubular container, chips in the tray and a drink in the carton. For customers who want more food or a variety of foods, the food container comprises a second open-topped tubular container combined with the firstmentioned tubular container and, in operative combination with the second tubular container, means for controllably raising solid food through the open top thereof. Thus, for example, there could be two thick sausages or two different kinds of rolled filled pancake, or one of each, in respective open-topped tubular containers, each having its own controllable raising means, possibly combined with a tray and/or drink carton.

In order to allow maximum choice on the part of the fast-food outlet, and possibly to facilitate storage of the food containers, there may be provided food container means that comprises a plurality of units that can be selected and fitted together to provide a container of any of the kinds indicated above. Such food container means may comprise self-adhesive fixing means for fixing together any of the selected units, for example in the form of adhesive strips with a peelable cover arranged in suitable positions on some of the units, e.g. the tubular containers, for these to be fixed to a said tray. A said carton may be located loosely inside a said tray or may have similar self-adhesive fixing means and be so fixed inside or outside the tray. Such tubular container, liquid container, tray and carton are examples of the aforementioned units. An alternative means for attaching together any of the selected units comprises rubber band attachment means. In this case, there may be suitable cuts in the material of the tray, tubular dispenser or other said units for one or more rubber bands to be attached firmly in the cuts to each of two or more such units and thereby attach them together. A particularly useful variation of the aforementioned horizontal hinge arrangement is to have the hinge at the bottom and to have a rubber band near the top holding the top of the liquid container to the top of the tubular container but, because the rubber band is stretchable, enabling the nozzle of the liquid container to be pushed aside from the emerging solid food when it is required to bite this. To aid mutual positioning of the selected units when fitting them together, said food container means comprises mark means, e.g. corresponding marks on the different units that are placed together in order to position relevant units appropriately together. These may be colour-coded. THE DRAWINGS Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which: -

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the embodiment of Figure 1; Figures 3, 4 and 5 are schematic part plan views of variations corresponding to

Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a schematic vertical section of another embodiment of the invention;

Figures 7 and 8 are perspective views of tubular containers corresponding to that of Figure 1; Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view of a further embodiment of the invention;

Figure 10 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment corresponding to Figure 9;

Figures 11, 12 and 13 are part schematic perspective views of alternative liquid containers for use in embodiments of the invention;

Figure 14 is a perspective schematic pre-assembled view of four units which combine to form container means embodying the invention; and

Figures 15 to 19 schematically illustrate various types of raising means for use in embodiments of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, a food container 10 comprises a food dispenser 12 which comprises an open-topped tubular container 14 adapted to be gripped upright in the hand and in operative combination therewith means 16 for controUably raising solid food 18 through the open top 20, see Figures 1 and 6.

The raising means comprise a loop 22, part 24 of which is adapted to go under the solid food 18. As can be seen from Figures 1 and 6, the loop 22 comprises a tape with a handle 28 which can be pulled in the direction of arrow 30 to raise the solid food 18 in the direction of arrow 32 so that the top part 34 of the food can be bitten off. In the Figure 1 embodiment, the loop 22 is open, fixed at one end 36 by a stud 38 to a point at or near the top of the tubular container 14, with the other end 40 adapted by provision of handle 28 to be pulled to raise the solid food 18. In the Figure 6 embodiment, the loop 22 is closed with one side 42 adapted to go under the solid food 18 and with the opposite side 44 outside the tubular container 14 and adapted by provision of handle 28 to be pulled to raise the solid food 18. The food container 10 comprises at least one container 46 for dispensing liquid

48 in container 46 to the solid food 18. The liquid container 46 is tube-like as seen from Figures 1 and 2 and is fixed vertically to said tubular container 14. This fixing can be done in several ways. As shown in Figure 2, liquid container 46 is fixed directly to the wall of tubular container 16, and this is by double-sided self-adhesive strip 50. As shown in Figures 4 and 13, said liquid container 46 is mounted to a flap 52 connected by a vertical hinge 54 to said tubular container 14. As shown in Figures 1 (dashed lines), 3, 5 and 14, said liquid container 46 is mounted to a flap 52 connected by a horizontal hinge 56 to said tubular container 14. As shown in Figure 14, said liquid container 46 is mounted to a strip 52 that fits at least partly by slot means 58 to said tubular container 14. The portion 60 slides into slot 58, allowing operation of hinge 56. Rubber band 62 (Figures 1 and 14) allows the top of liquid container 46 to be moved away from the top of tube container 14 to the position shown in dashed lines in Figure 1. Alternatively, portion 60 may be much shorter, substantially vertical, and inserted in slot 64, Figure 14. Alternatively to rubber band 62, the top of strip 52 may then be affixed to tubular container 14 by an adhesive patch 66. As shown in Figures 1 to 5 and 11 to 14, said liquid container 46 has a nozzle 68 adapted to be at or near the top 20 of said tubular container 14. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the nozzle 68 is able to be bent over to a dispensing position (see Figure 11) and remain so bent, in Figure 11 by means of a corrugated-straw-like portion 70 and in Figure 12 by means of a pair of embedded wires 72. The nozzle 68, Figure 13, can be folded back about line 74 to close it and can remain so closed. This can also be achieved by use of wires 72, Figure 12. Nozzle 68, e.g. as shown in Figure 14, may have a closure cap 76, which is preferably held captive by means of an integral strip 78. Preferably, and in all of the embodiments shown, said liquid container comprises a squeeze tube 46, and more preferably (as shown in Figure 5) comprises a rigid part-tube 80 in which is located said squeeze tube 46 to facilitate squeezing the latter against the part-tube 80 e.g. by means of a thumb nail which can be run up the tube 46 squeezing it against part-tube 80 to eject its contained liquid 48, 82 from nozzle 68 (see also Figure 11). Said liquid container 46 can be arranged for automatic dispensing of said liquid 48, 82 upon operation of said raising means 62. One way to do this is to take tube 46 from the position shown in Figure 1 and re-arrange it so that is serves as loop 22, having a closed end attached to handle 28 and the other end fixed to container 14 at stud 38 which is adapted to serve as a nozzle 68 for tube/loop 46/22. Pulling the latter over the sharp top edge 84 of tubular container 14 then squeezes liquid out of the nozzle/stud 68/38 onto the solid food 18.

As shown in Figures 9, 10, 14, food container 10 comprises a tray 86 for holding food 88 e.g. chips. The tubular container 12, when in the position shown in dashed lines in Figure 9, is arranged to act as a grip for said tray 86 because it extends below said tray 86, which then preferably comprises a support 90 opposite the tubular container 12 to enable the tray 86 to be set down level (on a level surface). As shown in Figure 10 (in conjunction with Figure 9), said tubular container 12 fits through a hole 92 in the bottom of said tray 86. As shown in Figures 9 and 14, said tubular container 12 is to the front of said tray 86 and said food container 10 comprises a drink carton 94 to the front of said tray 86 with a sucking outlet 96. As shown in

Figure 9 in dot-dashed lines, food container 10 may comprise a second open-topped tubular container 98 combined with the first- mentioned tubular container 14 and, in operative combination with the second tubular container 98, its own means 100 for controUably raising solid food through the open top thereof. Alternatively, tubular containers 14, 98 may be differently shaped and/or arranged, so that some kind of drink carton 94 may be retained.

As seen particularly in Figure 14, food container means 102 comprises a plurality of units, e.g. 12, 46, 86, 94, that can be selected and fitted together to produce a food container 10 as discussed above. Self-adhesive fixing means e.g. 50, Figure 2, may be provided for fixing together any of the selected units and/or rubber band attachment means, e.g. 62, Figures 1, 14, may be provided for attaching together any of the selected units, and/or mark means, e.g. 104, to aid mutual positioning of the selected units, e.g. 12, 86, when fitting them together, possibly with instructions 106 such as "Peel off this strip and fix here the top of the dispenser".

Figures 15 to 19 illustrate, respectively, the aforementioned open loop, closed loop, plunger (or piston), spiral slot with lug, and straight slot with lug, the last two having a platform 106 on which the solid food 18 rests and a lug and/or knob 108 for finger operation to raise the solid food 18.

Figure 7 shows an alternative form of tubular container 14, being corrugated as shown and open-ended at the bottom as well as the top. This can be used when there is no liquid to catch from the solid food 18. If there is such liquid, then the tubular container 14 shown in Figure 8 may be used which has a closed bottom and may advantageously be flared out at the top, as shown, both to serve as a beaker to facilitate drinking the liquid after the solid food has been consumed and to lessen the effect of sharpness of top edge 84 on loop 22. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the features described may be modified and combined in various ways. Features used in one embodiment may be used in other embodiments with or without similar or other features already there. Invention is considered to reside in any new and unobvious features or combinations of features hereinbefore disclosed. CHAPTER 2

BACKGROUND

This invention relates to food containers and more particularly those the subject of Chapter 1. THE INVENπON The present invention provides improved containers, improved manufacturing methods for the same and certain other related variations and improvements. Certain embodiments of the invention open up a wider commercial field: in the variety of foods that can be added to the existing market, in the provision of means to consume food without the use of table facilities, and/or in enabling foods and/or more complex foods to be eaten in a wider variety of situations, e.g. while driving a vehicle or controlling a computer, e.g. game, with one hand. The present inventor foresees problems in transporting and storing the containers of Chapter I Although a tray embodying that invention will usually be a rectangular open-topped box, e.g. 6 x 3 x 3 inches or 15 x 7.5 x 7.5 centimetres and can easily be designed to pack flat, the dispenser will usually be relatively small, e.g. 1 x 2 x 6 inches or 2.5 x 5 x 15 centimetres, and it will not be apparent to try to reduce its volume. Accordingly, one aspect of the invention provides a container with a "pack flat" feature as defined in Feature 31 or a kit of parts as defined in Feature 35. In the latter case, the inventor foresees problems in mass-producing the container and according to other aspects of the invention there are provided a container kit of parts as defined in Feature 40 and a method of producing the kit as defined in Feature 52. While the kit may be assembled, e.g. in a fast-food shop, solely with the hands, it can be aided by a method of assembly as defined in Feature 53. An alternative design of the flat packing container which, though it uses more material, does not need to be assembled from a kit of parts is provided according to other aspects of the invention as defined in Feature 33 with corresponding method and apparatus for manufacture as defined in Features 54 and 59. It will be appreciated that an important feature of this design is to provide reaction edges against which to pull the loop. These edges may be provided by the inner shell or by any other suitable inner member, even a pair of wires (to allow a flat pack form of container, though an e.g. rectangular wire loop round one end of the shell could be used if flat packing is not required), or may be provided by a single tubular shell with an outer cover just for the loop or with an inner extension just as reaction edges for the loop. Alternatively, the (single) shell may be formed with slot means and strip material may be inserted through the slot means and then connected together into a loop. The loop serves for ejecting food from the container. The closed form of loop is particularly suitable for soft foods, e.g. rolled pancakes.

As some ofthe contained food may be runny, a further improvement is to provide a container or kit of parts with a pad as defined in Feature 43.

The features of the containers mentioned above may be combined in any useful manner with the features of Chapter I, for example with a tray for other foods, e.g. chips. Further, and possibly independently of the presence or not of the dispenser, there may be provided a food container with a tray and holder for liquid as defined in Feature 48. This is particularly useful with hot liquids that are filled into the holder in the shop, and to avoid spillage. The invention extends to any other combinations of features indicated in the accompanying Features. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a food dispenser embodying the invention;

Figure 21 is a schematic perspective view of apparatus for manufacturing the dispenser of Figure 20; Figure 22 is a schematic cross-sectional view of ejecting means for another embodiment of the invention and comprising a slice of stock;

Figure 23 is a schematic perspective view of a method of assembly of a kit of parts comprising the means of the Figure 22 embodiment;

Figure 24 is a schematic perspective view of a dispenser of another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 25 is a schematic part perspective view of a liquid-holder attached to a tray in another embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 26 is a schematic part perspective view of a liquid-holder attached to a tray in a further embodiment of the invention. Referring to the drawings, a food container 110 comprises a food dispenser 112 with a contents-ejecting mechanism 114 and the food dispenser 112 is adapted to pack flat, as will be described. The dispenser 112 comprises an outer shell member 116 and an inner shell member 118 with a loop 120 of flexible material such as polythene strip 1 inch or 2.5 centimetres wide and the two members are fastened together by a staple 122 but this might more conveniently be adhesive 122. The loop 120 has a pulling tab 124 but otherwise is a closed loop which goes around the inner member

118 which, as can be seen in Figure 20, acts as a guide for the loop and has reaction edges 126 against which the loop can be pulled, and the loop also goes inside the outer member 116, which is adapted to act as a cover for the loop 120. Apparatus 130 for manufacturing a food container 110 comprises vacuum means

132, 134 to hold a loop 136 open, pneumatic means 138 to raise a first tubular shell

118 to a location within the loop 136, pneumatic means 140 provided with a former

142 to push one side of the loop 136 into tubular member 118, pneumatic means 144 to push a second tubular shell member 116 over the first member 118 with the loop passing therebetween. Tubular stock 146 from a roll 148 is fed between pinch supply rolls 150 by drive means in the form of a motor 152 connected to rolls 148, 150 until it passes a detector 154 at the bottom of vacuum means 132, at which point the drive stops and vacuum is produced in means 132 to hold the end of the stock 146 which is then sliced off from stock 146 by knife 156. Vacuum arm 134 then moves forward until almost touching the slice of loop material 136 held on vacuum means 132. The vacuum in means 134 is then applied and the vacuum in the outer thirds of vacuum means 132 is released. Vacuum arm 134 is then withdrawn opening the loop 136 to the position shown in Figure 21 and holding it open until means 138 raise tubular member 118 into loop 136 and former 142 starts to push the nearest side to former

142 of loop 136 into tubular member 118. Vacuum is simultaneously released in the inner third of means 132 and in means 134 and is applied at the end of former 142 in order to ensure that a tab 124, preformed along boundary 158 of stock 146, maintains a centred position at the end of member 118. A pad of impermeable sponge material 160 hinged to the end of tubular member 118 on a flap thereof has, before locating member 118 inside loop 136, been pushed by cam means 162 (closing the flap) into the end of member 118 to seal the same and means 144 now pushes tubular member 116 over this end of tubular member 118 that is supported on former 142, a portion 164 of which serves as an anvil for a stapler 166 to fasten the two tubular members 116, 118 together by means of a staple 122. Alternatively, former 142 can act as one electrode and means 166 as another electrode for radio frequency heating of adhesive between the two tubular members, in order to fix them together. In a further embodiment, card stock 170 is formed with a tab 124 and an equal length (as seen in Figure 22) of polythene 172 so that this together with material 170 forms a loop 174 which is mounted around a stiff member 176 of further card which serves as a support for loop 174 in the same manner as member 118 in the Figure 20 embodiment. The loop 174 and member 176 together can be erected into an ejecting mechanism. Clearly, they can be packed flat, as also a cylindrical shell member 116, Figure 23. To erect the dispenser, a mandrel 182 (which may simply be made of card and have flaps at the bottom which spread out as shown and have self-adhesive pads to adhere to a shop counter, for example) is set up, mechanism slice 180 is folded over the mandrel 182, ears 184 of member 176 are folded up with the finger and thumb and member 116 is then slipped over the mandrel 182 and mechanism 180, all as shown in Figure 23, until ears 184 engage in slots 186. The parts 116, 180 form a kit suitable for assembling as described. Mechanism 180 is formed as a slice of stock extending in a direction behind Figure 22 and comprises partly stiff and partly flexible loop stock 174 and stiff member stock 176 and may be taken from a roll in the same manner as material 146. A pad 160 may be inserted between member 176 at ears 184 and loop material 172, by hand, before stock 180 is turned upside down and placed on mandrel 182. Stock 176 has fold lines 178 to facilitate folding it over mandrel 182. Pad 160 may be absorptive and/or sponge-like only round its edges: it may have an impermeable lower layer 188, e.g. formed by heat sealing if the material of pad 160 is foam plastics. In an alternative structure to the hinging shown in Figure 21, pad 160 may be located permanently by adhesive within the bottom of the shell member 118 before this is raised to be within loop 136. In order that the dispenser can then be packed flat, the pad 160 has to be of a sufficiently elastic material to allow the shell member 116 to be packed flat with the pad in position and, upon erection of the container (or assembly of the kit if pad 160 is placed permanently in stock 180), to gain or regain a shape filling the bottom cross-section of the shell member 118 (or 116, Figure 21). The pad 160 may be connected adhesively along substantially the whole of two opposite sides (back and front or top and bottom, as seen in Figure 20) of the cross-section of shell member 118. Alternatively, the pad may be adhesively connected to the shell member 118 around substantially the whole of the periphery of the said cross-section, e.g. by means of separated spots of glue around said periphery.

In an alternative construction, shown in Figure 24, there is a single tubular shell member 118 and a loop 120 supporting food 190 (having a stick-like self-supporting form). The loop 120 passes into and out of member 118 via slots 192, 194 and then under and round food 190 as indicated by dashed line 196. Loop 120 is closed (as is the case with the embodiments of all of Figures 20 to 24) but has to be inserted through slots 192, 194 before it is sealed closed, e.g. at tab 124.

There may also be provided a tray 200 for food, a holder 202 for liquid and means 204 for interconnecting the holder 202 and a side 206 of the tray 200 so that the holder 202 may swivel about a horizontal axis 208 relative to the tray 200. Interconnecting means 204 comprise upwardly open slot means 210 in the side 206 of tray 200 and button means 212 on the holder 202 to engage the slot means 210 by projecting therethrough into tray 200. Depending upon the precise design of interconnecting means 204, holder 202 may brush side 206 of tray 200 as it swivels. By virtue of the design of the interconnecting means 204 and possibly the frictional coefficient between the holder 202 and side 206 of tray 200, the Figure 25 embodiment may be arranged such as to allow the holder 202 to remain upright under the action of gravity when weighted with liquid contents and suspended from the tray as shown in Figure 25, e.g. so that the contents do not spill from holder 202 if tray 200 is tilted about axis 208.

In a further arrangement, shown in Figure 26, a holder 202 that is conical with a semi-vertical angle of a° that fits into a circular (as shown) or oval hole 214 in a side flap 216 from tray 200 to match the angle a° of side 206, an arrangement that allows holder 202 to remain upright. Even without any slope to side 206 and a poor fit of hole 214 about holder 202, the arrangement is still found to be very stable.

It will be clear to one skilled in the art that various useful combinations can be selected from features of the various embodiments described in the present chapter and Chapter 1, and various modifications can be made, without departing from the scope of the appended Features. CHAPTER 3 BACKGROUND

This invention relates to food containers and more particularly those

the subject of Chapters 1 and 2. THE INVENTION

The present invention provides improved containers, improved manufacturing methods for the same and certain other related variations and improvements. Certain embodiments of the invention open up a wider commercial field: in the variety of foods that can be added to the existing market, in the provision of means to consume food without the use of table facilities, in enabling foods and/or more complex foods to be eaten in a wider variety of situations, e.g. while driving a vehicle or controlling a computer, e.g. a computer game, with one hand, and/or to make the containers more user friendly, both to be more convenient to the customer and to be easier for the shopkeeper to erect from the flat. According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a food container as defined in Feature 64. This enables a conventional conical (for a beaker) or cylindrical (for a canister) drink holder to be conveniently connected with the tray, so that the combination can be held in one hand either by holding the canister with the tray suspended from it or by holding the tray (e.g. by holding a food dispenser attached to the tray) as a handle with the drink holder suspended from the tray.

By providing a container with the further features of Feature 65, and even more so with the further features of Features 66, 67 and 70 in turn, the tray is made progressively easier to erect from a packed flat form, which makes it more readily transportable since it takes up so much less room than an erected food container. Suitable sloping of a wall next to the drink container can make the connection thereof to the tray more stable. Outward sloping of the opposite wall can substantially increase the volume available for the tray to contain food and, by presenting this increase in volume mainly at the top of the tray, gives the appearance of an increased quantity of food, as also does an upwardly convex base to the tray.

The further features of Features 72, 73 and 74 in turn progressively improve the ease of erection of the tray from a packed flat form. The further features of Feature

78 allow, for example, for a main item e.g. a Chinese pancake and e.g. a dessert in separate dispensers, which might again have sauce providing means as described in the prior Chapters.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of erecting a food container, as defined in Feature 87, which substantially speeds up and facilitates use of the container by a fast-food shop assistant.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a food container as defined in Feature 79. This has the particular advantage of facilitating convenience to the customer by providing a bag to catch sauce and (usually liquid) droppings from food in the dispenser. The bag may be sealed with food in it and stored frozen and heated as a single article and then placed into the remainder of the food container. The further features of Features 80 to 83 provide progressively more useful structures of container for both the shop assistant and the customer.

In relation to each of the above and below references to each of the subsidiary Features, it is possible to envisage an embodiment not having the features of that Feature. However, for the reasons stated, it is preferable and more advantageous to have embodiments with the features of that Feature.

According to other aspects of the invention, there are provided a container as defined in Feature 88 with or without any selection of the further features recited in Features 89 to 100, and a food container as defined in Feature 101. From a different aspect, the food container may be considered as a drink holder with at least one food holder connected to it. At least one aforementioned dispenser may in turn be connected to the food holder. The canister may be sold sealed containing, for example, gasified soft drink or wine. The two trays may respectively hold a hamburger and chips. A one-handed opening and erecting food container further speeds up and facilitates use thereof by a shop assistant. DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 27 is a perspective front view of a food container embodying the invention;

Figure 28 is a schematic sectional front elevation of the same; Figure 29 is a perspective view corresponding to Figure 27 showing the container in the course of erection;

Figure 30 is a front elevation of the container of Figures 27 to 29, packed flat; Figure 31 is a view corresponding to Figure 27 illustrating other applications of the same or a similar embodiment;

Figure 32 is a partly cut away, schematic, front perspective view of a container embodying the invention and comprising a bag to contain food;

Figure 33 is a part view corresponding to Figure 32 but of a variant example embodying the invention; and

Figure 34 is a plan view of an embodiment comprising two trays and a drink holder.

Referring to the drawings, a food container 220 comprises a tray 222 having a loop 224 extending beyond a side 226 of the tray and suitable to hold a drink holder 228. Container 220 comprises a tongue 230 which has a portion 234 that extends from one side 232 of the tray 222, across the tray to form a base 236 of the tray and has a portion 238 that extends from the top of, and beyond, the opposite side 26 of the tray and comprises said loop 224. The tray 222 has, as seen in Figure 29, no base but comprises a ring of walls 226, 232, 240, 242. The tongue 230 extends from the bottom of wall 232 at said one side to form said base 236, as seen in Figure 27, and up to the top of wall 226 at said opposite side, over which wall its said loop portion 238 folds, as seen in Figure 28. Said one side wall 232 slopes upwardly outwardly and said opposite side wall 226 slopes downwardly outwardly, the latter to match the semi-vertical angle of liquid holder 228 when this is a beaker. Alternatively, if the liquid holder is a canister 244, as shown in Figure 31 and in dashed lines in Figure 28, wall 226 is vertical and the loop 224 is slightly changed in size accordingly. In either case of the liquid holder, loop 224 may be provided with a cut-out 246 that is of suitable shape, oval or circular, in which case portion 238 comprising loop 224 will lie approximately horizontal. While beaker 228 clearly depends from tray 222, canister 244 may either depend from tray 222 or be used as a handle by which to hold the combined container 220 in one hand. Tongue 230 is preferably formed as a projection of side 232 with a first fold 248 at the bottom of said one side wall 232 to enable the tongue 230 to go across the tray 222 to form its base 236, a second fold 250 to enable the tongue 230 to go up the other wall 226 and a third fold 252 to enable the tongue 230 to go over the top of wall 226. Tray 222 may also be provided with a hinged lid 255. Referring to Figure 30, which shows container 220 packed flat before being erected into the shape shown in Figure 27, walls 240, 226 and 242 are formed from a parallel-sided strip with equally, oppositely, slightly angled folds at hinge lines 254, 256. Wall 232 and tongue 234 are formed as a single piece with wall 232 connected to walls 240, 242 at hinge lines 258, 261 which make an angle of approximately 45 degrees with the tops of walls 240, 242. Hinge lines 258, 261 are slightly upwardly divergent, to match the slight upward divergency of hinges 254, 256. Portion 236 of tongue 230 is folded up about hinge line 248 inside the ring of walls and then folded in a direction towards the viewer as seen in Figure 30 at hinge line 250 and again at hinge line 252 so that portions 234 and 238 are outside wall 232. The container 220 is erected by opening the ring of walls 226, 240, 232, 242 from the flat-packed position shown in Figure 30, grasping the top as seen in Figure 30 of loop 224 and pulling this up, partially unfolding the tongue 230, swinging tongue 230 about hinge line 248 so as to bring portions 234, 235 over the centre of the ring of walls and then pushing down fold 250 just inside wall 226 from the top to the bottom thereof, bending portion 234 downwards as necessary to position fold 250 of tongue

230 to the bottom of the ring of walls. The base portion 234 of the tongue 230 is designed by means of its shape in relation to the walls 240, 242, being for this purpose outwardly bowed, as seen of its chain-line outline in Figure 30, to be upwardly convex. The side walls 240, 248 have slot means 260, 262 that may be arcuate slots as shown in Figure 30 or may preferably be arcuate/straight slots as shown in Figure 29, wider at the centre and downwardly curved at the top, and the base portion 234 of the tongue 230 has wing means 264 to engage the slot means 260,

262. Fold 250 is pressed down until the wing means 264 engage the slot means 260,

262. (It is not always necessary to provide such wing and slot means at both sides of base 236, it is sometimes sufficient on one side alone.) When portion 234 has clicked into place, said loop portion 238 is folded at line 252 over the top of said opposite side wall 226. In practice, this takes only a second or two and can always be done correctly and easily, even by unskilled staff. The beaker 228 or canister 244 can then be slipped into loop 224.

Container 220 may comprise one or two (266, 268 or 270, 272 or 266, 270 or preferably 268, 272) food dispensers indicated in Figure 31 by a dashed horizontal cross-section representing a dispenser such as, for example, 110 shown in Chapter II. In a preferred example, there is only one dispenser 268 which folds flat and is fixed to the back (outside) of wall 242 having, as indicated in Figure 30, a flattened corner hinge line 269. These especially pack flat with the tray 222 and at least one of them can serve as a handle by which to hold the container 220 in one hand.

Referring to Figures 32 and 33, a food container 279 comprises a food dispenser 272 with a contents-ejecting mechanism 274, 276, 278, the dispenser 272 comprising a bag 280 and a loop 274 actuable to eject food 282 contained in the bag 280 in the manner described in the prior Chapters, although these do not recite a bag like 280. The said mechanism comprises a reaction member 276 against which loop 274 is pulled down by tab 284 to raise food 282, thereby controUably ejecting the same. The bag 280 is mounted to the reaction member 276, e.g. by welding, so as to depend therefrom, and the loop 274 passes over the reaction member 276 and within bag 280 as indicated by the dashed line 286, which schematically indicates the position of the loop 274 within the bag 280. The dispenser 272 further comprises an outer member 278 which serves the dual purposes of providing a cover for loop 274 which may be messy at that part which comes out from bag 280 and which might be prevented from moving if exposed to a hand holding dispenser 272, and the purpose of acting as a mounting for the reaction member 276 which is fastened to outer member 278, e.g. being fixed thereto by staples 288 on the sides which do not have loop 274 passing over them. Loop 274 passes between inner reaction member 276 and outer cover and support member 278. In an alternative embodiment, shown in Figure 33, an inner reaction member 290 is adapted by its shape to rest on an upwards mouth (the upper edge) of outer member 278. The member 290 may have the illustrated shape which is substantially rectangular and folded over the top edge of member 278 on the sides which do not have loop 274 passing over them or the reaction member may simply be a pair of end plates 290 which serve as reaction edges for loop 274 and do not even need to be connected together because they will be kept apart by the food therebetween. Reaction member 276 (or 290 in either form) can be made of suitable material, e.g. card or plastics, so as to allow folding flat of the whole dispenser 272 by pushing together two diagonally opposite vertical edges thereof. Bag 280 and loop 274 are, for this purpose, flexible plastics sheet material such as PVC and outer member 278 is also of card.

Referring to Figure 34, a food container 292 comprises a drink holder 294 and two food holders in the form of trays 296, 298 connected thereto by being formed integrally with drink holder 294 or fixed thereto or, e.g. if drink holder 294 is a canister, connected thereto e.g. by loop connection means 224 as shown for example in Figure 27 when each of trays 296, 298 is like tray 222. The loops may fit tight around drink holder 294, or can be somewhat loosely fitting therearound since trays 296, 298 will, by their own weight, press against the sides of drink holder 294 and hold themselves firmly thereto, especially as drink holder 294 will be held in the hand, usually by the lower part of the drink holder, and serve as a handle. There may be only one tray 296 (i.e. no tray 298) but when there are two trays 296, 298 they may be completely separate and have separate loops 224 or they may fit together so that there is only a single loop 224 or, again, they may be integral with each other or at least formed as a single member and then again there will only be one loop 224. Although the drink holder 294 can be grasped at the bottom (provided it is tall enough) whatever the relative positions of trays 296, 298, holding of container 292 is facilitated if the trays are set on the drink holder 294 at an angle to each other which is substantially less than 180°, e.g. about 90° as shown in Figure 34.

The food container 220 shown packed flat in Figure 30 can be erected by using one hand alone as follows. It is picked up by loop portion 238 until the flat pack is vertical apart from the tongue having partly unfolded at hinge lines 250, 252. It is then pressed down so that the lowest point, at the junction of the bottom edges of walls 226, 240, is pressed onto a suitable horizontal surface, e.g. a shop counter. This opens the ring of walls and further pressure of the partly opened tongue forces fold line 250 down the inside of wall 226 until wings 264 engage in slots 160, 262. Loop portion 238 is then, in a continuance of the movement, folded over the top edge of wall 226.

It will be clear to one skilled in the art that various useful combinations can be selected from features of the various embodiments described in the present chapter and the previous chapters, and various modifications can be made, without departing from the scope of the appended Features. CHAPTER 4

BACKGROUND

This invention relates to food containers and more particularly those the subject of Chapters 1, 2 and 3. THE INVENTION The present invention provides improved containers, improved manufacturing methods for the same and certain other related variations and improvements. Certain embodiments of the invention open up a wider commercial field: in the variety of foods that can be added to the existing market, in the provision of means to consume food without the use of table facilities, in enabling foods and/or more complex foods to be eaten in a wider variety of situations, e.g. while driving a vehicle or controlling a computer, e.g. a computer game, with one hand, .and/or to make the containers more

ERSATZBLATT user friendly, both to be more convenient to the customer and to be easier for the shopkeeper to erect from the flat.

Any reference herein to an "aforementioned" item has reference to items of any relevant kind mentioned in the subject matter of the said Chapters 1, 2 and 3. According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an aforementioned tray with an aforementioned dispenser and an aforementioned loop both together at one end of the tray. This has advantages in manufacture of the container comprising the same and in holding of such container by the consumer. Preferably, the dispenser is hinged to the loop portion of the container to enable the same to be folded flat. This has advantages to the manufacturer and to the shop assistant who has to erect the container.

According to another aspect of the invention, an aforementioned loop and dispenser are located at a side of an aforementioned tray. This again has advantages of balance for the consumer. A particular feature of convenience to manufacturer and shop assistant who has to erect the container is to have a fold line of the loop along a diameter thereof and extending through a vertical hinge line of the dispenser to the tray.

According to another aspect of the invention an aforementioned loop generally has a diametral fold line intersecting a vertical line of juxtaposition between two units of the container, one example being the dispenser and tray just mentioned, another example being two trays connected together only through the loop portion and simply touching along the line of juxtaposition between them.

Another aspect of the invention is to provide an aforementioned loop portion of flexible plastics material, e.g. polythene, so that it can fit easily to a canister, e.g. being passed over and fitting under the rim thereof. This facilitates erection by the shopkeeper and ruggedness for consumers who are young children.

According to another aspect of the invention, aforementioned wings are moved forward until they are entirely within the nearer half of the tray to the loop. According to another aspect of the invention, wings of an aforementioned tongue to engage the remainder of an aforementioned tray are provided at or near the bottom of an aforementioned upgoing portion of the tongue alongside an aforementioned opposite wall. Such wings can have re-entrant forward edges that catch under the top edges of cooperating slots in the side walls of the tray. Each of the features mentioned in this paragraph contributes to a stronger and more sturdy construction of the tray.

According to another aspect of the invention, an aforementioned tray is connected to one side of an aforementioned loop and a vertical tray (deeper than it is wide or long) is connected to the opposite side of the loop and, preferably, the whole packs flat. This is particularly convenient for the shop assistant and consumer if, for example, a lib or 500gms hamburger is to be placed in the vertical tray and the said aforementioned tray can then hold 2-31bs or 500-750gms of other food, e.g. chips, sandwiches or a spare canister of drink.

Reference wiU now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 35 is a plan view of a flat packed embodiment of the invention comprising a tray with loop and dispenser arranged to be erected at one end of the tray; Figure 36 is a perspective view of the Figure 35 embodiment erected;

Figure 37 is a perspective view of an embodiment with dispenser and loop at one side of the tray;

Figure 38 is a plan view of an embodiment with two trays having only one edge juxtaposed and interconnected with each other by means of a loop; Figure 39 is a perspective view of a tray with forward and front tabs and a flexible plastics loop;

Figure 40 is a side elevation of the Figure 39 embodiment erected and holding a cup of liquid; and

Figure 41 is a perspective view of the Figure 39 embodiment in a middle stage of erection with a vertical tray of a further example shown in dashed lines.

Referring to the drawings, a dispenser 300, collapsed flat, is hinged at a line 302 to a loop portion 304 itself having a hinge line 306 which fits over the top of said other side 308 of tray 310. When folded flat for transport, the right hand half as seen in Figure 35 is folded about hinge line 312 through 180° to overlie the left hand half as seen in Figure 35. Ejector mechanism loop 314 and drip-catching bag 316 also go flat since they are made of polythene sheet. As seen in Figure 37, dispenser 300 and loop portion 304 are fixed to the side of tray 310. Tray 310 and dispenser 300 adjoin via a vertical hinge line 318 and loop 304 has a diametral hinge line 320 which intersects line 318 of juxtaposition.

Figure 38 shows a fold-flat embodiment in which the juxtaposition line is seen as point 318 between trays 310 and 311, and diametral hinge line 320 intersects vertical hinge line 318.

According to another aspect of the Figure 36 embodiment, the loop end of portion 304 is omitted so that the end 322 of the aforementioned tongue holds only dispenser 300. It is possible that a rubber band 324 passes around can 326 and underneath each of the hinges 306, 307. Alternatively, the rubber band 324 can pass completely round canister 326 and be reversed before passing under each of hinges 306 and 307. Its reversal points will be at points 328, 329.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that any of the aforementioned embodiments and those mentioned herein that pack flat can be folded in different ways about their hinge lines and at least one of these ways will allow a minimal area of the flat pack.

Figure 38 also shows that two trays 310, 311 can be connected to loop 304 so that they lie at an angle of about 120° to each other. In the embodiments of Figures 35 to 37, the canister or cup 326 holds the dispenser 300 erected into a rectangular configuration. In various ones of the aforementioned embodiments and all of those illustrated herein, the canister or cup 326 holds the tray or trays 310, 311 in the correct position relative to the loop 304.

It is to be noted that the fold lines 306, 307 are tangents or near tangents to the loop 304, especially its inner edge.

Figures 39 to 41 illustrate the use of wings 330 that fit into slot means 332 in the half of tray 310 that is nearer to the loop 304. They also show the use of wings 334 with re-entrant top edges 336 (on the upgoing portion 338 of the tongue) that fit into slot means 340 of the remainder of the tray 310 and, in particular, lock portion 338 into position in a very sturdy manner. Wings 330, 334 as just described produce an extremely rigid tray 310. It is also to be noticed that vertical tray 342 (when provided) may have a bent or curved hinge line 344 to connect it to loop 304, which ensures that, while the whole container can be folded flat, when erected the back side 346 of vertical tray 342 can curve outwardly and at the same time the nearby part of loop 304 will be slightly convex upwardly so as to reinforce the sturdiness of the whole arrangement. It will be clear to one skilled in the art that various useful combinations can be selected from features of the various embodiments described in the present chapter, and the earlier chapters, and various modifications can be made, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the foregoing "aspects of the invention" mentioned in the present chapter, which are to be considered as possibly independent features or sets of features and able to be the subject matter of corresponding independent claims. CHAPTER 5 BACKGROUND

This invention relates to food containers and more particularly those the subject of the prior chapters. THE INVENTION

The present invention provides improved containers, improved manufacturing methods for the same and certain other related variations and improvements. Certain embodiments of the invention open up a wider commercial field: in the variety of foods that can be added to the existing market, in the provision of means to consume food without the use of table facilities, in enabling foods and/or more complex foods to be eaten in a wider variety of situations, e.g. while driving a vehicle or controlling a computer, e.g. a computer game, with one hand, and/or to make the containers more user friendly, both to be more convenient to the customer and to be easier for the shopkeeper to erect from the flat.

Any reference herein to an "aforementioned" item has reference to items of any relevant kind mentioned in the subject matter of the said prior chapters.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided attachment means, characterised in that it is for attaching a food holder to a drink holder and comprises a loop for fitting around a drink holder, the loop being provided with an adhesive portion for adhesion to a food holder. The loop is preferably circular or oval. It is preferably of suitable size (e.g. standard size of about 3 inches or 7.5 centimetres) to fit to a drink canister, beaker or bottle of drink. It may again be rectangular and of suitable size to fit to a carton of drink, e.g. rectangular of standard size about 2.5 inches by 1.7 inches or 6.5 centimetres by 4.5 centimetres. The fit may be slightly loose, e.g. by 0.04 to 0.25 inches or 1 to 6 millimetres, preferably 0.08 to 0.16 inches or 2 to 4 millimetres, in one or more diametric directions, e.g. if the loop is of stiff material such as card, or may be an exact fit, or may be slightly tight, e.g. by 0.04 to 0.16 inches or 1 to 4 millimetres, preferably 0.04 to 0.08 inches or 1 to 2 millimetres, e.g. if the loop is of elastic material such as polythene. The adhesive portion is preferably self-adhesive and has a peel-off fronting so that e.g. a bag of crisps can be adhered to it.

According to another aspect of the invention, the resulting food container (or a food container generally) is characterised in that it comprises a drink holder, a food holder and attachment means attaching these together, and the attachment means may comprise a loop round the drink holder and an adhesive portion adhering to the food holder. The food container is preferably such that it can be held in one hand by holding the drink holder, which then supports the food holder. This may depend on the shape, size and material of the loop portion and of the drink holder. The quantity of drink and/or food are less important. AU of these factors are reasonable (and/or normal if appropriate) for portions of food and drink intended to be consumed while held in the hand. If the drink container is a canister of standard kind, e.g. holding beer or other gasified drink, with a rim, the loop may be of suitable material and size to be able just to be forced over the rim and then to fit tight therebelow.

According to another aspect of the invention, a food container is characterised in that it comprises a drink holder with a self-adhesive portion, preferably above the half- height of the holder and possibly on top thereof.

According to another aspect of the invention, a food container is characterised in that it comprises a food holder and a second holder for food and/or drink, attached together to facilitate holding the container with one hand. According to another aspect of the invention, a food container comprises a food holder in the form of a bag having at least one loop adapted to fit round a rigid liquid holder to enable the container to be held in one hand by holding the liquid holder while drinking from this and while eating from the food holder. In a particular and important embodiment, since the bag does not need to be carried by two handles, there is provided such a container with the bag having only one loop adapted to fit round such a liquid holder for the said purpose, or only one loop at all. According to another aspect of the invention the resulting food container is characterised in that it comprises a drink holder and a food holder in the form of a bag with at least one loop that goes round the drink holder so that this can be held in one hand to support also the bag. The loop may be formed as a (small) handle of the bag and an opposite loop, formed as another handle of the bag, may be placed over the first loop on the drink container to close the bag and lifted off the same to allow access to food in the bag.

According to other aspects of the invention, the said attachment means may be sold (or given away free) with the liquid holders, e.g. canisters of soft drinks, or with the food holders, e.g. bags of crisps, or may be pre-combined with either of these, or may be permanently combined with either of these.

According to another aspect of the invention, a food container is characterised in that it comprises a closed or sealed bag (e.g. a bag of crisps) containing food and having a loop to fit around a drink holder.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a blank (whether partly assembled or not), characterised in that it comprises a loop adapted to go round a liquid holder and a portion adapted to contain food and be closed or sealed therearound.

According to another aspect of the invention, a food container is characterised in that it comprises a drink holder and a closed or sealed bag containing food and having a loop by which it is attached to the drink holder. The term "attached" includes a loose attachment such that the drink holder may be held in one hand and the food holder (in this case the bag) can then be supported by the drink holder.

According to other aspects of the invention, a food container is characterised in that it comprises a bag containing food (or a blank for such a bag) which bag (or blank) is provided with an adhesive portion by which it can be (or is) adhered to a drink holder. The drink holder, e.g. a canister of soft drink, is likely to be sold cold and therefore with condensed moisture on it. This poses difficulties in the composition of a suitable adhesive, which may be overcome by use of a water-based adhesive (or a water-using adhesive, e.g. "instant glue"), albeit one that has to stick fairly rapidly, and this may be combined with a water-dispersant. Alternatively, the adhesive portion may be replaced by a member that sticks by suction, e.g. a suction disk designed as such, or a member that sticks by surface attraction, e.g. cling-film or a thicker material that holds onto glass or more particularly a painted or enamelled surface. These problems are avoided if the adhesive is on a member on the drink holder and is adhered to the food holder, as mentioned above.

According to another aspect of the invention, a food container comprises a sandwich or like food holder formed with a loop to fit round a drink holder in order to attach the same thereto. Such a food holder is generally of rigid or semi-rigid construction (e.g. not a formless object like a paper or thin polythene bag) and adapted to be sold closed containing food. A second loop on the food holder may fit round the drink holder and simultaneously close the food holder. This is especially suitable for a triangular holder for sandwiches which opens at its hypotenuse when this is uppermost and fits in this position to the drink container.

According to another aspect of the invention, a food container is characterised in that it comprises a food holder in the form of a deep box-like tray containing food resting against the sides of the tray and a drink holder in the tray. According to another aspect of the invention, a food container is characterised in that it comprises a food holder in the form of a tray and attachment means arranged to attach a drink holder inside the tray. The attachment means may comprise loop means attached to the tray. The attachment means may be formed integrally with the tray. The container may fold flat. The loop means may be formed with a diagonal fold line intersecting a fold line of the tray to allow the container to fold flat.

According to another aspect of the invention, any of said or aforesaid attachment means or a said or aforementioned drink holder loop, loop means or loop portion is characterised in that it is provided with a box-like structure to support or help support a drink holder in the loop thereof. DESCRIPTION RELATING TO DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 42 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention comprising a bag having a loop that is forced over the rim of a canister;

Figure 43 is a similar view of another embodiment of the invention comprising a sealed bag provided with a loop; Figure 44 is a view as Figure 42 of a slight variation of the embodiment thereof in which a slightly larger loop fits lower down the canister;

Figure 45 is a similar view of an embodiment comprising a loop with an adhesive portion for adhering to a bag while the loop fits over a canister (according to the manner of Figure 42 or of Figure 44); Figure 46 is a view corresponding to Figure 43 of an embodiment in which the loop is replaced by an adhesive portion or other sticking member e.g. a suction disk;

Figure 47 is a similar perspective view of a variation of the Figure 42 embodiment in which the bag has two loop portions at opposite top edges, one normally kept round the canister to support the bag thereon and the other loop portion normally placed onto or taken off the top of the canister to close or open the bag respectively;

Figure 48 is a view similar to that of Figure 47 of the embodiment thereof but showing both loops placed over the canister;

Figure 49 is a similar view of an alternative form of bag to that shown in Figure 47, in which the loop portions are placed near, but not actually at, the top of the bag; Figure 50 is a similar perspective view of an embodiment comprising a sandwich container with one loop fitted over the rim of a canister;

Figures 51 and 52 are front elevations of a potable liquid holder embodying the invention and in the form of a drink canister and of a beaker respectively;

Figures 53 and 54 are a perspective view and a plan view of food containers embodying the invention;and

Figure 55 is a perspective view of attachment means embodying the invention. Referring to the drawings, Figure 45 shows attachment means 350 for attaching a food holder 352, which may for example be a sealed bag of crisps, to a drink holder 354, which may for example be a canister of gasified soft drink, and comprises a loop 356 for fitting around drink holder 354 and mounted to loop 356 an adhesive portion 360 for adhesion to food holder 352. The loop portion 356 is circular and of suitable size to fit over drink canister 354, as discussed above. The fit is slightly loose around the reduced diameter portion of canister 354 but can equally be slightly loose around the wider portion of canister 354 and the weight of bag 352 will then tilt loop 356 until it holds tight round canister 354 when this is held in one hand. The adhesive portion 360 is preferably self-adhesive and has a peel-off fronting 358 with instructions on it, "Peel off this cover and stick bag here." Loop 356 may be made of slightly elastic material such as polythene in order to be a force-fit over rim 362 of canister 354.

In another example of embodiments of the invention, bag 352, Figure 42, is made integral with loop 356 so as to have a force-fit over rim 362 as shown in Figure 42 or a loose fit around the wide part of canister 354 as shown in Figure 44. The bags 352 of the embodiments of Figures 42 and 44 are made open at the top 364 and are filled by the shop assistant, e.g. with chips. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 43, a sealed bag 352 of e.g. crisps is provided with an integral loop 356 for fitting over a canister 354 and has a tear-open tag and strip 366 to facilitate ready use by the customer.

In a modification of the Figure 43 embodiment, as shown in Figure 46, the loop 356 is replaced by an adhesive pad 360 with fronting 358 and on the opposite side a tear-open tag and strip 366. The adhesive pad 360 may be replaced by a suction disk 368. The bag 352 may be sealed at the top 364 or open in the manner of bag 352 shown in Figures 42 and 44. However, such embodiments pose difficulties if intended to be used with a cold canister which may be coated with condensed moisture. Of course, the same problem does not arise if the corresponding drink holder is intended to be a beaker of hot liquid, e.g. soup or coffee.

In a variation of the embodiment of Figures 42 and 44, bag 352 is provided with two loop portions 356, 357, one (356) of which is intended to be retained on canister 354 and the other (357) of which is intended to be open as shown in Figure 47 for consuming the contents of bag 352 or closed onto canister 354 as shown in Figure 48 at other times, e.g. to keep food or the remainder of food in bag 354 hot or to stop it from being spilt before consumption. In the embodiment shown in Figures 47 and 48, loops 356, 357 are formed integrally at the top 364 of bag 352 and may be cut integrally with bag 352 from stock material when manufacturing bag 352. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 49, and particularly if loops 356, 357 are intended to be of different, e.g. stronger or more rigid, material (e.g. card) than bag 352, loops 356, 357 may be located just below the top 364 of bag 352 and be added thereto in the course of manufacture of bag 352.

In a particularly useful embodiment, illustrated in Figure 50, a holder 370 for triangular sandwiches, having its hypotenuse at the top is provided with a loop portion 356 which fits to a canister 354 in any of the manners described above, e.g. in connection with Figures 42 and 44, and has a lid 372 which opens about a hinge line 374 and is provided with a second loop portion 357 which closes to canister 354 in the same manner as described above in connection with Figures 47 and 48. The sandwich holder 370 may be of any suitable rigid or semi-rigid material and the loop portions 356, 357 may be formed integrally therewith of the same material or may be formed of other suitable material and attached thereto. There may also be circumstances in which it is appropriate for sandwich holder 370 to be made of a completely flexible material. If an embodiment comprising a bag and loop as shown in Figure 42 or 44 is provided with a second loop as shown in Figure 47 and the bag is made of the usual thin plastics material of which the sides tend to stick together, it would be more user- friendly to provide the loop portions 356, 357 of slightly different lengths in order to facilitate opening of the bag, e.g. by the shop assistant. Instead, or in addition, the loops of portions 356, 357 may have different internal diameters, which may help opening of the bag and/or ensure that a customer does not close both loops tight together over a canister 354, each of which arrangements will facilitate opening of the bag 352 by the shop assistant or the customer respectively. See Figure 48.

A particularly useful arrangement is a paper bag 352 with card loops 356, 357 as shown in Figure 49 for use in holding popcorn and attaching to a canister of gasified soft drink, which allows one-handed holding of the container comprising bag and canister which can be extremely convenient for use in e.g. a cinema.

Figures 51 and 52 illustrate a canister 354 of soft drink and a beaker 354 respectively, provided with a self-adhesive portion 360 and fronting 358 for attachment thereto of a bag 352 in the manner shown in Figure 45, which bag may be sealed as shown in Figure 45 or open as shown in Figure 49 (but not having the loops). As canister 354 will usually have a permanent lid 376 with a small opening 378 (usually opened by removing a ring-tag) for a straw 380, self-adhesive portion 360 and fronting 358 may be located on the top of lid 376, as indicated in dashed lines in Figure 45, for adhesion to a bag 352, with or without a tongue upstanding from top edge 364 for this purpose. The adhesive portion may be applied to the food holder or the drink holder by the manufacturer, shop assistant or customer, and could in general be used to attach together a food holder and any second holder for food and/or drink, e.g. two food holders, for convenience, e.g. for holding them in one hand, e.g. by holding only one of them.

A food container 279, Figure 53, comprises a food holder in the form of a deep box-like tray 310 containing food 88, e.g. chips, resting against the sides of the tray 310 and a drink holder 326, e.g. a canister of soft drink, in the tray 310.

A similar food container 279, Figure 54, comprises attachment means in the form of loop means 304 attached at hinge lines 306, 307 to the tray 310, being formed integrally therewith. In order that the container 279 may fold flat, the loop means 304 are formed with a diagonal fold line 320 intersecting a fold line (seen only as a point 318 in Figure 54) of the tray to allow the container to fold flat.

As seen in Figure 55, attachment means 350 comprise a loop portion 356 having the same function as that shown in Figure 45, with an adhesive portion 360 and fronting 358 on a tab 382, and are provided with a box-like structure 384 to support or help support a drink holder in the loop thereof. In order to fold the attachment means 350 flat, hinge lines 386, 388 are brought together. In use of the erected means 350, a canister, beaker or other drink holder is placed in the loop 356 resting on the bottom 390 of means 350, tab 382 is bent down, fronting 358 is removed and e.g. a bag of crisps 352 is adhered to adhesive portion 360. In the drawings and descriptions of this chapter and those of the earlier chapters, and as between them, like reference numerals, refer to like items or items having similar functions. It will be clear to one skilled in the art that various useful combinations can be selected from features of the various embodiments described in the present chapter and the earlier chapters, including combinations of features selected from different embodiments, and various modifications can be made, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the foregoing "aspects of the invention" of the present chapter, which are to be considered as possibly independent features or sets of features and the subject matter of corresponding independent claims. CHAPTER 6 BACKGROUND This invention relates to food containers and more particularly those the subject of prior Chapters 1 to 5. THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a drink holder comprising a drink-holding (preferably ring-like) portion which comprises a drink container or means to hold a drink container, connecting means to connect said portion (preferably hingedly or flexibly) to support means (i.e. supporting or supportable means, see below) and spacing means for spacing apart said drink container and said support means. Said support means may depend from said portion, may fold down from said portion, may fold down from the inside of said portion, and/or may project within said portion, e.g. so as to be adapted to be folded down by insertion in said portion of a drink container. Again, said support means may depend from said connecting means in any such manner. Said connecting means and/or said support means may comprise a handle, e.g. to enable the holder to be held by the hand or at least one or more fingers, which may then constitute said support means, but will more usually connect to said support means, e.g. a food container, preferably a tray¬ like food container, or food containing means comprising at least one such container. Such support means may serve to be held and hence to support the drink holder but, more usually, the drink holder will be held and the food container supported thereby. The food container may comprise a tray-like container generally similar to those of known kind having a lid and made of expanded polystyrene, apart from being adapted to be connected to the drink-holding portion. Possibly, the food container will have connecting means for connecting thereto a further food container which may be much deeper and perhaps suitable for holding chips upright.

According to another aspect of the invention, in a modification, quite apart from whether or not there is provided a drink holder, there is provided a food container of generally tray-like form with a connecting means for connecting it to a second food container. Preferably, the first such food container comprises an outwardly-extending and outwardly-broadening tag and the second such food container comprises an inverted-T-like slot which can engage the tag so as to connect the two food containers together. In any such case, the tray-like container may be of expanded polystyrene and the second food container and/or the drink-holding portion may be of card or of expanded polystyrene and, in the latter case, the whole of the holder/container/s may be a monolithic moulding of expanded polystyrene. An alternative material that is more environment-friendly is a laminate of a thinner layer of expanded polystyrene onto card.

In a modification of the embodiment shown in Figure 38, the tabs 330 are brought forward almost to the position of tabs 334 and the latter are omitted, with slots 332 being brought forward correspondingly and 340 being omitted. The two trays 310, 311, being hinged about line 318, then provide an embodiment which can be very simply erected in a single movement. Thus, according to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a food container comprising two aforementioned tray portions and an intervening drink-holding portion which can be erected to this form by a single movement, preferably from the fiat. The arrangement can be designed so that the drink container when held in the drink-holding portion serves as a spacing member to support the two trays in spaced apart relationship (adjoining only at their common hinge line). DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 56 is a perspective view of a flat of a drink holder comprising a ring-like drink-holding portion with a fold-down spacing means; Figure 57 is a perspective view of a food container comprising a drink holder according to Figure 56 which may be of card or monolithic with the tray portion and all of expanded polystyrene;

Figure 58 is a perspective view of an embodiment like that of Figure 57 but with a spacing means that is convex upwards rather than downwards, with a lid and with a connecting tab for closure and to serve as connecting means to a second food- containing portion;

Figure 59 is a perspective view of such a second food-containing portion with an inverted T-shaped slot to receive the tag of the Figure 58 embodiment and also shows an alternative tray to that shown in Figure 58, i.e. without the drink-holding portion; Figures 60 and 61 are part vertical sections of the slot and tab showing these at two stages of engagement therebetween or alternatively in two different uses, Le. when the whole arrangement is supported by the tray or drink-holding portion and when the whole arrangement is supported by the second food container;

Figure 62 is a plan view of a flat being a modification of the embodiment of the aforementioned Figure 38; and

Figure 63 is a perspective view of a simple ring-like drink-holding portion with a spacing means and a handle.

Referring to the drawings, a flat 400 of card has two portions 402 that are bent downwards at the fold lines 404 to form a spacing means 406 which itself folds down about hinge line 408 under the action of insertion of a beaker 410 into ring-like portion 412. A tab 414 folds down, also about hinge line 408, for attachment to a tray 416, e.g. by means of adhesive. Tags 418 fit into slots 420 to give rigidity to spacing means 406. Alternatively, ring-like portion 412 and spacing means 406 may be formed integrally with tray 416, e.g. all of expanded polystyrene, in which case, the shape of spacing means 406 may be modified to be somewhat conical (as also tray 416) to allow stacking. Tabs 422 of spacing means 406 go under tray 416 to support the same but can be omitted in a monolithic polystyrene embodiment. Spacing means 406, Figure 57, may be replaced by spacing means 406, Figure 58, being convex downwards instead of convex upwards. Tray 416 may be provided with a lid 424 and a closure tab 426 for closing the lid onto tray 416. Tab 426, whether of tray 416, Figure 58, or whether of a tray 417, Figure 59, (without ring-like portion 412 and spacing means 406) may be used as connecting means into an inverted T-like slot 428 of a second food holder 430 to connect these together. The wide portions 432 of tab 426 are first inserted in the wide bottom portion of slot 428 and then the tab 426 is moved up the narrow portion of the slot to connect food holders 417, 430 together. Slot 428 may have a downwards narrowing portion 432 as shown in dashed lines in Figure 59. This allows holder 430 to support holder 417 or vice versa, as shown in Figures 60 and 61. Tab 429 is not shown to scale.

The flat (made of card) shown in Figure 62 has a three-sided ring 440 (that opens out into the four sides of a tray) and an up-folded base 442 thereof which folds down into the tray to hold the same erect. The base 442 has an upward extending portion 444 that fits against side 446 in the erected tray and a folded ring-like portion 448, part of the ring of which is formed by side 444. Half of portion 448 can be seen in Figure 62. A mirror image of the whole of this structure, being the other half of ring¬ like portion 448 and a further set of portions 440, 442, 444 is hinged to the front portion about hinge line 450. Tabs 330 fit into slots 332 to hold the whole arrangement rigid, apart from the two trays being able to hinge together about hinge line 450 and hinge lines 452, 454 but, as soon as a drink holder 410 is inserted into ring-like portion 448, the whole arrangement becomes fairly rigid and can be supported simply by holding the beaker 410, the position being as shown in the aforesaid Figure 38. (Part of hinge line 318 folds upwards to become hinge 454 and part folds downwards to become hinge 452.)

Referring to Fig 62, the flat is grasped between the left thumb and forefinger at area 458, one inside each unerected tray and is grasped at area 460 between the right thumb and forefinger and pushed towards the left hand. The two trays, partially erected are then slightly separated with the left thumb and forefinger and the two base portions 442 are pushed into the respective trays until the tabs 330 click into the respective slots 332. Separating the trays causes ring portion 448 to open suitably for insertion of beaker 410 therein. This can be done all in a single movement in a fraction of a second.

In a simple embodiment, as shown in Figure 63, a drink-holding ring 412, spacing means 406 and a handle in the shape of an oval ring 456 are hingedly connected together. Insertion of a beaker 410 into ring 412 ensures that spacing means 406 prevent the fingers in ring 456 from contacting possibly very hot beaker 410. CHAPTER 7 BACKGROUND

This invention relates to food containers and more particularly those the subject of prior Chapters 1 to 6 and to materials for use therewith which may have other applications. THE INVENnON

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an adhesive tape suitable for use in connecting together two articles, e.g. a drink container and a food container, for example a canister of soft drink and a bag of crisps, the tape comprising a strip of self-adhesive material, a substrate for the same and a cover for the same, the substrate extending beyond one edge of the strip and beyond the corresponding edge of the cover and the cover extending beyond the opposite edge of the strip and beyond the corresponding edge of the substrate. Since the cover extends beyond the other two components, it is easy to peel it off to expose the self-adhesive strip. Once this has been fixed into place, it is easy to peel off the substrate because it extends beyond the self-adhesive strip. While the cover and substrate may be of the same material, peelable from the self-adhesive strip, it is easier to use if the cover is more easily peelable than the substrate and preferably distinguishable therefrom in a manner readily apparent to the user, e.g. by being coloured differently, being marked with descriptive wording (e.g. "COVER - PEEL OFF FIRST") or having its beyond extending portion wider than the beyond extending portion of the substrate, or again by having a different texture, e.g. smoother than the outer surface of the substrate.

Further to facilitate use of the adhesive strip, it is supplied in a long length which is sub-divided into readily usable portions by transverse lines of weakening, e.g. perforation. The long length may be wound into a roll and may be supplied in a dispenser, e.g. a suitable box with a dispensing slit provided with a reinforced edge against which short lengths of the tape can be torn off at successive lines of perforation. If the reinforced edge is sharp enough, the perforations may be omitted.

In use, a predefined short length is torn off, the cover is peeled off, and the strip is stuck to a first article, e.g. near the top centre of a bag of crisps, and the substrate is then peeled off and a second article is stuck to the first at the strip, e.g. at a point near the top of a side of a canister of soft drink. If the canister is taken from a refrigerator, it may be necessary to wipe it free of moisture on a piece of cloth, e.g. the jacket or trousers of the user. Alternatively, the adhesive may first be affixed to the canister and then the bag of crisps may be attached to the adhesive. The cover may carry advertising or other superficial material.

In a modification, the shape may not be a strip but some other shape and/or the substrate may project beyond one edge of the adhesive layer and the cover beyond an adjacent (not opposite) edge of the adhesive layer if the layer is e.g. rectangular, or again the cover and substrate may have alternate beyond-extending portions along a single edge of the adhesive layer.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an adhesive tape suitable for use in connecting together two articles, the tape comprising a substrate, a strip of self-adhesive material therealong with at least one transverse interruption in the strip, and a transverse line of weakening, e.g. perforations, at the interruption. If the tape is long, e.g. rolled up, the tape can be pulled off the roll by grasping and pulling the non-adhesive portion of substrate at a said interruption and then the grasped section of tape extending to the next line of weakening can readily be torn off and placed on the first article, e.g. the drink container, the substrate can be peeled off, and the second article, e.g. the food container, can then be adhered to the first article. If the roll of tape is located in a dispenser as before having a sharp enough edge, the weakening may be omitted. In such case the dispensing of the right amount (one aforesaid section, i.e. from the beginning of one interruption to the beginning of the next interruption) of the tape can be facUitated by arranging for the dispenser to feed out one section length at a time, e.g. by a metering device, e.g. using a reciprocating measure or a feed roller measure. Such embodiments have the advantage that there is not needed a cover as well as a substrate, so that the tape can be made more cheaply; and the section is quicker and easier to use to connect together the two articles.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a connector for connecting together two articles, e.g. a food container and a drink container, comprises a member bent into a hook or able to be bent readily into a hook, and an adhesive for adhering the member to one article, for example a food container, e.g. a bag of crisps or nuts, whereby the hook or hook when produced may be used to hang that article to another article, for example a drink container, e.g. a glass of wine. The term "crisps" used herein (by way of example of a readily purchasable snack food) is British terminology; the corresponding term in the USA is "potato chips": the term refers to thin slices of potato, fried entirely crisp. DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 62A is a cross-section of an adhesive tape embodying the invention;

Figure 63A is a plan view of a piece of the tape of Figure 62A; Figure 64 is a schematic side elevation of the tape of Figure 63A, rolled up in a dispenser;

Figure 65 is a plan view of a variation of the Figure 63A embodiment; Figure 66 is a plan view of a substrate/cover of another variation of the Figure

63A embodiment; Figure 67 is a plan view of the latter variation, showing the various components in position;

Figure 68 is a perspective view of a canister and bag showing how they may be joined together by use of the Figure 62A embodiment; Figure 69 is a perspective view of a length of tape comprising an interrupted strip of self-adhesive material and embodying the invention;

Figure 70 is a perspective view of part of a connector comprising wire and a pad of self-adhesive material embodying the invention; and

Figure 71 is a perspective view of part of a wine glass and bag of crisps interconnected by means of a connector according to Figure 70.

Referring to the drawings, an adhesive tape 470 comprises a strip 472 of self- adhesive material, a substrate 474 and a cover 476, the substrate 474 extending beyond one edge 478 of strip 482 and beyond the corresponding edge 480 of cover 476, and cover 476 extending beyond the opposite edge 482 of strip 472 and beyond the corresponding edge 484 of substrate 474. Cover 46 may extend at its edge 480 somewhat beyond edge 478 of strip 472 and/or substrate 474 may at its edge 484 extend somewhat beyond edge 482 of strip 472. Cover 480 differs from substrate 474 in being somewhat less adhesive to, or somewhat more easily peelable from, strip 472 than substrate 474 and may additionally (or alternatively) have a distinguishing surface 486 readily apparent to the user, e.g. of roughening or of printed matter. Surface 486, and/or likewise surface 488, may carry advertising material and/or instructions. The beyond-extending part of cover 476, and likewise that of substrate 474, is sufficiently wide to enable it to be grasped easily to be peeled off strip 472. One of the substrate 474 and cover 476 may extend beyond strip 478 by a larger width than the other, e.g. as shown in dotted lines in Figure 62A at 490.

To enable readily usable lengths of tape 470 to be separated, transverse lines 490 of perforations are provided therein. This is particularly useful if tape 470 is provided in a roll 492 in a dispenser 494 having a dispensing slot 496 for tape 470 provided with a reinforced edge 498 for tearing off individual sections of tape 470. In a modification, shown in Figure 65, cover 476 and substrate 474 sandwich therebetween, in the area where they overlap, adhesive layer 472 and the portions at which they extend beyond layer 472 are on adjacent edges of rectangular layer 472. In a further modification, shown in Figures 66 and 67, substrate 474 and cover 476 are circular with radially extending tabs 500, 502 respectively, as shown in Figure 66. In an adhesive article, as shown in Figure 67, the substrate 474 with its tabs 500 is in a slightly rotated position relative to cover 476 with its tabs 502 so that the tabs 500 alternate with the tabs 502 around and extending beyond the adhesive layer 472, which may be a filled-in circle or, as indicated in Figure 67, may be a circular strip.

In use, a section of tape 470, between successive lines of perforations 490, is torn off dispenser 494, which may be fixed to a shop counter, cover 476 is peeled off the section and the revealed adhesive layer 472 is then placed onto a bag 504 of crisps. The substrate 474 is then peeled off the bag 504 leaving adhesive layer 472 adhering to the bag. Then a canister 506 is taken from a refrigerator, wiped free of moisture, possibly by the customer on the side of his trousers, and the side of canister 506 thus dried is placed against adhesive layer 472 and forms a connection of the aforementioned kind between bag 504 and canister 506, enabling both of them to be held conveniently in one hand, by the hand grasping canister 506 alone, thus leaving the other hand free to take crisps from bag 504 or for any other purpose.

In another embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 69, an adhesive tape suitable for connecting together two containers 504, 506 comprises a substrate 510, a strip 512 of self-adhesive material therealong, with transverse interruptions 514 in the strip 512, and transverse lines 516 of weakening, of substrate 510 at the interruptions 514. The tape 508 is rolled up as shown at 492 in Figure 64 and projects from dispensing slot 496 at which the non-adhesive end portion of substrate 510 can readily be grasped and puUed in the direction of arrow 511 from dispenser 494 until line 516 of weakening is at edge 498, at which instant a section of tape 508 can readily be torn off and placed with self-adhesive material 512 adhering to canister 506 and the section of substrate 510 then peeled off so that a bag 504 can be adhered to the section of self- adhesive material 512, as shown at 472 in Figure 68.

Referring to Figure 70, a connector 518 comprising a wire core 520 sandwiched between two layers 522 of thin, flexible plastics material, e.g. of known kind used for forming a bag closure strip (for which purpose the closure strip is folded around the bunched up neck of a bag and then the two ends are twisted around each other to hold the bag closed) has the added feature of a pad 524 of self-adhesive material adhering permanently to layers 522 and possibly covered by a peelable cover (not shown). The majority of the length of connector 518 is free of pad 524 and can be bent into a hook 526, Figure 71, to enable bag 504 to be adhered by pad 512 to hook 526 and thus hooked over the rim of glass 528 of wine.

In the drawings and descriptions of this chapter and those of the aforementioned prior chapters, and as between them, like reference numerals refer to like items or items having similar functions, though sometimes different references have been used for the same item or items having the same function without thereby implying that the items necessarily differ. It will be clear to one skilled in the art that various useful combinations can be selected from features of the various embodiments described in the present chapter and those accompanying the aforementioned prior chapters, including combinations of features selected from different embodiments, and various modifications can be made, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the foregoing "aspects of the invention" of the present chapter, which are to be considered as possibly independent features or sets of features and the subject matter of corresponding independent claims. CHAPTER 8 BACKGROUND This invention relates to food containers and more particularly those the subject of the prior Chapters 1 to 7. THE INVENΗON

The present invention provides improved manufacturing methods and apparatus for embodiments disclosed in the aforementioned prior chapters. According to the invention there is provided method or apparatus adapted for use in producing an article comprising a ring or other operating means passing twice between co-axial tubes. After considerable investigation of possible methods of producing food containers with ejecting mechanisms according to the prior Chapters, the present inventor considered that one important feature of method or apparatus for producing such embodiments in quantity would be to produce a ring operating means passing twice between co-axial tubes. Another important feature would reside in adapting such method or apparatus for continuous production of the articles rather than producing them singly, since this could facilitate not only the speed and convenience of production but also the packaging and presentation of the articles for selling to fast-food companies for their customers. In furtherance of these objects, another important feature was considered to be the ability of the method or apparatus to produce the article from or in the flat.

In a preferred aspect of the invention, a method or apparatus for producing relevant articles has the characterising features of Feature 105, which particularly facilitates the achievement of the aforementioned objects. The method or apparatus may utilise the unassembled blank for the outer tube having the inner tube positioned thereto or may be adapted for a prior step of appropriate positioning these together or for a prior step of positioning and fixing the inner tube to the outer tube blank, all of these possibilities depending upon the degree to which the method or apparatus is to be adapted for continuous production of the articles.

Particular simplification of the apparatus and method are produced by the characterising features of Feature 105. When the inner tube and outer tube blank are fixed together, these advantages are much enhanced by repositioning the inner tube as aforesaid by a rolling-like motion and, again depending on the degree of adaptation for continuous production of the articles, including a prior step of positioning and fixing the inner tube to the outer tube blank to leave said first portion of the outer tube blank exposed.

These objects may be further achieved by forming said inner tube from a blank. For embodiments that require means to catch or hold drips, sauce or the like, the method or apparatus utilises as said inner tube a blank or tube having a bag fixed thereto at or near the mouth of the bag, the bag preferably being fixed to the inner tube when the latter is in the form of a blank and preferably the inner tube is then assembled round the bag mouth and further attached thereto so that the inner tube is attached to said bag substantially all around said mouth.

In method or apparatus to produce embodiments such as those described in the prior Chapters, said parts are joined together to form said operating means and for a preferred embodiment to form said parts into a ring. For particular convenience, said parts are so formed into a ring after assembling the blank to form the outer tube about the inner tube and about said parts of said means, while a practical procedure to simplify the method and apparatus and make the production more consistent erects said article from the flat before joining said parts together as aforesaid.

DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figures 72 to 80 are cross-sectional views of production web of method and apparatus embodying the invention with insets giving schematic perspective views of particular features; and

Figure 81 is a plan view of a production line embodying the method and apparatus, broken into three parts for convenience, the positions of the cross-sections Figures 72 to 80 being shown by corresponding numbers prefixed X.

Referring to the drawings, a web of card for an outer blank 530 is provided with trimming at points 532 and fold lines at points 534 by a roller 536 driving trimming cutters 538 and folding scorers 540. The outer blank web 530 is fed continuously from a bulk reel 544 with a printing mechanism 546 for the exterior of the material

530 (the underside as seen in Figures 72 to 80).

A blank 542 for an inner tube is provided from a bulk reel (not shown) either having an axis parallel to that of reel 544 and a suitable trimming and scoring roll like 536 (not shown) and cut by a guillotine (not shown) into pieces of blank 542 placed as shown in Figure 81 at intervals of the production pitch or possibly having an axis parallel to the direction of movement of web 530 (left to right as seen in Figure 81) and feeding pieces 542 in from the side of the production line. This is seen more clearly from the perspective inset to Figure 73.

Piece 542 is provided with adhesive across its width (top to bottom in Figure 81) and a bag 548 is fed from a bulk reel 550 onto piece 542 with its mouth level with the right hand end (as seen in Figure 81) of piece 542. The bags on reel 550 are formed as a continuous plastics tube with welds at the bag production pitch (which is slightly shorter than the web 530 production pitch) and individual bags 548 are severed from the reel just after each weld so that the leading edge of the next bag is a mouth to fit to the next piece 542. The wings 552, 554 of the adhesive-coated piece 542 are then folded over bag 548 to secure themselves together (thus assembling the inner tube having an axis parallel to the line of travel of web 530) and substantially wholly around the mouth of bag 548, as seen in Figures 81 and 75.

This leaves exposed a first portion 556 of blank web 530 which is thereupon severed at the mouth of each bag 548 into production lengths of web 530, and the lengths of web 530 are separated along the direction of travel by suitable increase in their speed. (The actual separation is much greater than that shown in Figure 81 and may, for example, be equal to the production length of the severed pieces of web 530.)

From a reel 558 a strip 560 of plastics material is laid onto the exposed portion 556 of web 530 as seen in Figures 81 and 76. The inner tube 542, having been adhered along its portion 5621 (see Figures 71 and 81) to web 530 when first positioned thereto, is now moved in a motion which can best be described as a rolling- like motion by lifting up the top of tube 542 as seen in Figure 76 so that the tube adopts a parallelogram cross-section and swinging this about the fixed part 5621 of tube 542 until the right hand portion (as seen in Figure 16) of tube 542 together with the bag fixed therewithin overlies strip 560, as seen in Figure 77 and also as seen at the beginning of the second line of Figure 81. From a reel 562, a second plastics strip 564 forming a second part of said operating means is positioned to the now exposed second portion 566 by laying it on top of the bag 548 and inner tube 542 and folding outer tube blank 530 at its score line 535 (a particular one of score lines 534) and adhering the free side edges 568, 570 together to assemble blank 530 into the outer tube and possibly adhering its broad upper panel 572 to the top of inner tube 552, leaving strips 560, 564 completely free from adhesion, as seen in Figure 79.

As shown in the bottom line of Figure 81, and in Figure 80, the article produced is then erected into rectangular form, the planes of strips 560, 564 then being vertical and the strips 560, 564 being welded together at a point 574 between successive outer tubes 530, and one resulting ring 560, 564 there being separated from the next. Since the ring-like operating means 576 resulting from connection together of strips 560, 564 has to withstand a substantial pull, it is best if the welding and severing action at point 574- should be a pair of welds slightly spaced apart in the direction of travel and the severing is done between them. It will be clear to one skilled in the art that various useful combinations can be selected from features of the various embodiments described in the present chapter and those accompanying the aforementioned prior chapters, including combinations of features selected from different embodiments, and various modifications can be made. Any novel and inventive such combinations are to be considered as subject matter for corresponding independent claims. CHAPTER 9 BACKGROUND

This invention relates to food containers and more particularly those the subject of the prior Chapters 1 to 8.

Two problems have arisen with previous embodiments made by the present inventor. Operation of the ejecting mechanism was not sufficiently user-friendly in being consistent and the whole container was not sufficiently user-friendly by being readily held in the hand and able to be stood on a level surface. THE INVENΗON

The present invention provides improvements which can stand in their own right as well as being improvements to the embodiments described in the aforementioned prior chapters.

The inventor carried out numerous experiments trying to improve the movement of the article of food being ejected from its cover without much improvement. He then hit on the idea of improving the running of the member used to operate the ejection and found a marked improvement with consistent operation and, surprisingly, the ability to have the article of food forming quite a tight fit within the cover and still be ejected consistently and easily. According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a container as defined in Feature 119. Various kinds of operating member can be used, e.g. thread, string_or a tape, depending on the type of food article and whether there is a reinforcement at the bottom of it which moves up the cover as the article is being pushed out of the open top. With reference to the embodiments aforementioned, the member may have any ofthe features recited in the accompanying Features 120 and 121. The adaptation of the lip to facilitate operation has preferably any of the features of the accompanying Features 122 to 125, choice of which will depend upon the tightness of the article in the cover, the materials from which the cover and the member are made and the preferred method of manufacture. The best embodiment seems to be a layer of sponge-like plastics material with a self-adhesive backing folded over said lip. For the reasons described with reference to the embodiments in the prior Chapters, it is preferred that the container have the features of accompanying Feature 126. Further, it is possible to dispense with the need for an internal bag for the cover for most food articles provided that the container has the features of accompanying Feature 127.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a container as defined in the accompanying Feature 128, this having the advantages of enabling the container to be used in the hand and to be set down readily on a table or other level surface. There are two main preferred ways to achieve this, one is to use a slide mechanism as defined in Feature 129, while the other is to use an arrangement of the tops of the cover and said means in the manner defined in Feature 130. Following the principles in the prior Chapters, the container may be provided in the form of a kit of parts having the features of Feature 131. Likewise, it may have any of the features of Features 132 to 134 for allowing a drink holder to be attached to said cover. It is considered that the cover will usually be more rigid than the tray and therefore it is preferable that the drink holder should be attached to the cover rather than to the tray, though there may be circumstances in which the drink holder may preferably be affixed to the tray or other said means.

DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figures 84 to 87 are diagrammatic part-perspective views of covers of containers embodying the invention and having one or more lips adapted to facilitate pulling said member over the lip;

Figure 88 is a diagrammatic bottom view of one form of said tray showing a closure which is also applicable to the bottom of said cover; Figures 89 to 91 are diagrammatic perspective views of an embodiment comprising a sliding mechanism; and Figures 92 and 93 are diagrammatic perspective views of embodiments arranged to be level at their base.

Referring to the drawings and particularly Figure 84, a food container 10 comprises a longitudinally substantially rigid sleeve-like cover 12 open at the top end and comprising a flexible ejection-operating member 22 in the form of an open loop (as in Figure 15) of plastics strip 22 having a handle 28 at one end and being fixed at its opposite end 29 to the outside of cover 12. The lip 114 is provided with a split plastics tube 600 fitted on lip 114 for the purposes aforesaid. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 85, the lip 114 may be rolled as shown at 602. Also, and independently thereof, end 29 may be fixed to the inside of cover 12.

Figure 86 shows an embodiment in which a plastics member 604 covers all four lips of cover 12, fitting thereover. Figure 87 shows a plastics member 606 similar to member 604 but resting clear of two opposite edges of cover 12 so that loop 22 can be closed (as in Figure 16) and its outer sides can pass down within cover 12.

Figure 88 shows a closure that is self-erecting, being of known kind, with the proviso that its inner edges 608, 610 fit together very tightly and form a substantially liquid-proof closure at the bottom of the tray or, more especially, the cover 12, against all but the runniest liquids.

Figure 89 shows an embodiment with a sliding mechanism formed by a strip 612 fixed at its upper and lower ends to cover 12 and sliding through slots 614, 616 in tray 86. Figures 90 and 91 show the positions of the tray and dispensing cover (the dispensing mechanism of which is omitted for clarity but is the same as shown in Figures 84 to 87) in position for holding in the hand (Figure 90) and for resting on a level surface (Figure 91).

Figures 92 and 93 show embodiments of a food container comprising a longitudinally substantially rigid sleeve-like cover 12 with a mechanism 22 (including a backed foam plastic adhesive 603 on lip 114) for pushing out a solid-like article of food 34 from the cover 12, and comprising a tray 86 operatively combined with said cover 12 to enable the combination to be held in one hand, said cover 12 and said tray means 86 being adapted to be mutually substantially level at their base 620, 622, 624 to enable the combination to be stood substantially upright on a level surface 626. This applies also to the drink holder 94. The cover 12, tray 86 and drink holder 94 are arranged at their tops to be of such height and positional arrangement relatively to each other and by use of straw 628 to allow selective consumption of food and drink therefrom while the whole container 10 is held in one hand. The cover 12 comprises a strip 630 of self-adhesive tape to facilitate fixing thereto of said tray means 86 when the container is erected from a kit of parts comprising the cover and the tray means. The cover 12 has permanently fixed thereto by adhesive 634 a ring 632, Figure 93, to retain a drink holder 94 in the form of a beaker and in either embodiment shown in Figures 92 or 94 respectively, the cover 12 may be permanently fixed by adhesive strip 630 to tray means 86. As seen in Figure 92, the cover has a strip of double-sided self-adhesive tape 634 to fix thereto a drink holder, e.g. in the form of a soft drinks canister. Tab 636 is fixed to beaker 94 and prevents it from rising through ring 632. It wiU be clear to one skilled in the art that various useful combinations can be selected from features of the various embodiments described in the present chapter and the aforementioned prior chapters, including combinations of features selected from different embodiments, and various modifications can be made. Any novel and inventive such combinations are to be considered as subject matter for corresponding independent claims. CHAPTER 10 BACKGROUND

Improvements can be made to some aspects of the embodiments described in the prior chapters. THE INVENΩON

According to one aspect of the invention a food container having the features of Feature 119 is characterised in that said adaptation comprises a layer of material folded over said lip and preferably said open end and lip comprise three adjacent sides of a polygon, preferably a rectangle, adapted for said member to be pulled over the middle one of the said three sides of the lip, and preferably said folded over material extending along the length of said middle side and a substantial distance along the two adjacent sides of the lip. This can have the advantage of providing not only easier pulling of the tape with less chance of it snagging at the corners but also serves to strengthen the whole of the top of the mouth in the region at which most force is exerted to split it apart.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a sleeve-like food container having the features of Feature 139. This has the advantage that the seal can be made very simply from two strips of plastics material, e.g. polythene, with suitable weldings and cuts to separate adjacent containers, as will be described below.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 94 is a bottom perspective view of part of an aforementioned dispenser that is rectangular and provided with a seal; and

Figure 95 is a part schematic, slightly perspective, plan view of part of a production line showing how the seals of the Figure 95 embodiment are manufactured. Referring to the drawings, including Figure 93, a rectangular dispenser with a top edge 114 has a folded over piece of material 603 extending along three adjacent edges of the rectangular mouth edge 114, i.e. along the whole of the middle edge and extending a substantial distance along each of the side edges, one of which is visible at the front right, as seen in Figure 93, for the aforesaid purposes. The dispenser 12 (see also Figure 92) is provided with a seal at the bottom, as seen in Figure 94. This seal is in the form of two pieces of plastics sheet, 638, 640, welded together along their common edge 642. When the sleeve 12 is flat (with corner 644 against side 646), the pieces 638, 640 are co-extensive and lie one flat upon the other, as seen in Figure 95. In production, flattened blanks 12 are placed side by side in a first row 648 facing, bottom end to bottom end, a staggered second row 650. Upper and lower polythene tapes are fed from rolls 652, 654 respectively and welded to the bottom edges 646 and, at the shaded path 656, to each other and are then split along path 656 so that a right-angled corner pocket is formed as a seal over the bottom of each flat dispenser blank 12. When these blanks are erected, as seen in Figure 94, this special shape of pocket allows the seal to cover the bottom mouth of dispenser 12 with a substantially flat film of polythene, apart from a loose, and unimportant, flap 658. With suitable modification, this can be applied to any of the aforementioned embodiments or variations of these.

IMPORTANT FEATURES INDIVIDUALLY AND IN ANY USEFUL COMBINATIONS 1. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a food dispenser which comprises an open-topped tubular container adapted to be gripped upright in the hand and in operative combination therewith means for controUably raising solid food through the open top.

2. A container as defined in Feature 1, characterised in that the raising means comprise a loop, part of which is adapted to go under the solid food.

3. A container as defined in Feature 2, characterised in that the loop comprises a tape.

4. A container as defined in Feature 2 or 3, characterised in that the loop is open, fixed at one end to a point at or near the top of the tubular container, with the other end adapted to be pulled to raise the solid food.

5. A container as defined in Feature 2 or 3, characterised in that the loop is closed with one side adapted to go under the solid food and the opposite side outside the tubular container and adapted to be pulled to raise the solid food.

6. A container as defined in any preceding Feature, characterised in that it comprises at least one container for dispensing liquid to the solid food.

7. A container as defined in Feature 6, characterised in that said liquid container is tube-like.

8. A container as defined in Feature 7, characterised in that said liquid container is fixed vertically to said tubular container. 9. A container as defined in any one of Features 6 to 8, characterised in that said liquid container is mounted to a flap connected by a vertical hinge to said tubular container.

10. A container as defined in any one of Features 6 to 8, characterised in that said liquid container is mounted to a flap connected by a horizontal hinge to said tubular container. 11. A container as defined in any one of Features 6 to 10, characterised in that said liquid container is mounted to a strip that fits at least partly by slot means to said tubular container.

12. A container as defined in any one of Features 6 to 11, characterised in that said liquid container has a nozzle adapted to be at or near the top of said tubular container.

13. A container as defined in any one of Features 6 to 12, characterised in that said liquid container has a nozzle that is able to be bent over to a dispensing position and remain so bent.

14. A container as defined in any one of Features 6 to 13, characterised in that said liquid container has a nozzle that can be folded to close it and can remain so closed.

15. A container as defined in any one of Features 6 to 13, characterised in that said liquid container has a nozzle with a captive closure.

16. A container as defined in any one of Features 6 to 15, characterised in that said liquid container comprises a squeeze tube. 17. A container as defined in Feature 16, characterised in that said liquid container comprises a rigid part-tube in which is located said squeeze tube to facilitate squeezing the latter against the part-tube.

18. A container as defined in any one of Features 6 to 17, characterised in that said liquid container is arranged for automatic dispensing of said liquid upon operation of said raising means.

19. A container as defined in Feature 18, when appendant to any one of Features 2 to 5, characterised in that said liquid container is combined with said loop.

20. A container as defined in any preceding Feature, characterised in that it comprises a tray for holding food.

21. A container as defined in Feature 20, characterised in that said tubular container is arranged to act as a grip for said tray.

22. A container as defined in Feature 20 or 21, characterised in that said tubular container extends below said tray and said tray comprises a support opposite the tubular container to enable the tray to be set down level. 23. A container as defined in Feature 20 or 22, characterised in that said tubular container fits through a hole in the bottom of said tray. 24. A container as defined in Features 20 to 23, characterised in that said tubular container is to the front of said tray and said container comprises a drink carton to the front of said tray with a sucking outlet

25. A container as defined in any preceding Feature, characterised in that it comprises a second open-topped tubular container combined with the first mentioned tubular container and, in operative combination with the second tubular container, means for controUably raising solid food through the open top thereof.

26. Food container means characterised in that it comprises a plurality of units that can be selected and fitted together to produce a container as defined in any one of the preceding Features.

27. Means as defined in Feature 26, characterised in that it comprises self-adhesive fixing means for fixing together any of the selected units.

28. Means as defined in Feature 26 or 27, characterised in that it comprises rubber band attachment means for attaching together any of the selected units. 29. Means as defined in Features 26 to 28, characterised in that it comprises mark means to aid mutual positioning of the selected units when fitting them together.

30. A food container as defined in any one of Features 1 to 25, or made from food container means as defined in any one of Features 26 to 29, characterised in that it is combined with food therein in an operative combination that facilitates eating the food from the container.

31. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a food dispenser with a contents-ejecting mechanism and the food dispenser is adapted to pack flat.

32. A container as defined in Feature 31, characterised in that the food dispenser comprises an outer member and an inner member and a loop passing therebetween. 33. A container as defined in Feature 32, characterised in that the outer member is a shell member and the inner member is a shell member and they are fixed together. 34. A container as defined in Feature 31 or 32, characterised in that the loop goes around the inner member, which is adapted to act as a guide for the loop, and inside the outer member, which is adapted to act as a cover for the loop. 35. A kit of parts adapted to be assembled into a food container comprising a food dispenser with a contents-ejecting mechanism, characterised in that the kit is adapted to pack flat. 36. A kit of parts adapted to be assembled into a food container comprising a food dispenser, characterised in that the dispenser comprises a part adapted to be erected into a container shell and a part adapted to be erected into a contents-ejecting mechanism for the shell, further characterised in that the kit is adapted to pack flat. 37. A kit as defined in Feature 36, characterised in that the dispenser comprises a shell which is adapted to pack flat and to be erected into a cylindrically-shaped container shell.

38. A kit as defined in Feature 36 or 37, characterised in that the dispenser comprises a loop which is at least partly flexible and a stiff member which is adapted to co-act with the loop to enable the loop to be used as an ejector, said loop and member being adapted to pack flat and to be erected into said ejecting mechanism.

39. A kit as defined in Feature 38, characterised in that said loop and member are of strip-form and arranged substantially co-extensive when packed flat.

40. A kit as defined in Feature 38 or 39, characterised in that said loop and member comprise a slice of stock comprising loop stock enclosing stiff member stock.

41. A kit as defined in any one of Features 36 to 40, characterised in that said shell part and said mechanism part comprise co-operating means to lock them together when the kit is assembled.

42. A kit as defined in Feature 41, characterised in that said means comprise co- operating wing and slot means.

43. A food container, or a kit of parts to assemble into a food container, comprising a tubular shell member, characterised in that the shell member is constructed open at the bottom, and comprises an absorptive and/or sponge-like pad at the bottom. 44. A container or kit as defined in Feature 43, characterised in that it is adapted to pack flat and the pad is hinged to the bottom of the shell member to facilitate insertion of the pad thereinto on erection of the container or assembly of the kit. 45. A container or kit as defined in Feature 43, characterised in that it is adapted to pack flat and the pad is located within the bottom of the shell member and is of sufficiently elastic material to allow the shell member to be packed flat with the pad in position and, upon erection of the container or assembly of the kit, to gain or regain a shape filling the bottom cross-section of the shell member. 46. A container or kit as defined in Feature 45, characterised in that the shell member is of rectangular said cross-section and the pad is adhesively connected to the shell member substantially along the whole of two opposite sides of said cross-section.

47. A container as defined in Feature 45, characterised in that the shell member is of rectangular said cross-section and the pad is adhesively connected to the shell member around substantially the whole of the said cross-section.

48. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a tray for food, a holder for liquid, and means for interconnecting the holder and a side of the tray so that the holder may swivel about a horizontal axis relative to the tray. 49. A container as defined in Feature 48, characterised in that it comprises upwardly open slot means in the side of the tray and button means on the holder to engage the slot means.

50. A container as defined in Feature 48 or 49, characterised in that the arrangement is such as to allow the holder to remain upright under the action of gravity when weighted with liquid contents and suspended from the tray.

51. A food container, or a kit of parts to assemble into a food container, characterised in that it comprises any useful combination of features selected from two or more of Features 31 to 50.

52. A method of producing a kit of parts as defined in Feature 40, alone or in combination with Feature 41 or Feature 42, characterised in that said loop and member are formed by slicing off a slice of stock comprising loop stock enclosing stiff member stock.

53. A method of assembling a container from a kit of parts as defined in any one of Features 36 to 42, characterised in that said mechanism part is formed into said mechanism by bending it over a mandrel and said shell part is opened and placed over the mandrel and formed mechanism and locks to said mechanism.

54. A method of manufacturing a food container, characterised in that a loop of flexible material is held open, movements are effected to locate a first tubular shell member within the loop, part of the loop within the shell member and a second tubular shell member over the first with the loop passing therebetween, and the two shell members are connected together. 55. A method as defined in Feature 54, characterised in that the loop is cut as a slice from tubular stock.

56. A method as defined in Feature 54 or 55, characterised in that the loop is cut off from tubular stock, opened and held open until the first shell member is located therewithin, all with the aid of vacuum.

57. A method as defined in any one of Features 54 to 56, characterised in that part of the loop is pushed into one end of the first tubular shell member, and the second tubular shell member is moved over the first one from its other end.

58. A method as defined in any one of Features 54 to 57, characterised in that a former pushes one side of the loop into one end of the first tubular shell member and holds the latter while the second tubular shell member is moved over the first one from its other end and the former is used as an anvil or other reaction member for connecting the two shell members together.

59. Apparatus for manufacturing a food container, characterised in that it comprises means adapted to hold a loop of flexible material open, enable a first tubular shell member to be located within the loop, enable part of the loop to be located within the shell member, enable a second tubular shell member to be located over the first with the loop passing therebetween, and connect the two shell members together.

60. Apparatus as defined in Feature 59, characterised in that it comprises means to cut the loop as a slice from tubular stock.

61. Apparatus as defined in Feature 59 or 60, characterised in that it comprises vacuum means to assist in cutting the loop off from tubular stock, opening the loop, and holding the loop open until the first tubular member is located therewithin.

62. Apparatus as defined in any one of Features 59 to 61, characterised in that it comprises means to push said part of the loop into one end of the first tubular shell member and move the second tubular shell member over the first one from its other end.

63. Apparatus as defined in Feature 62, characterised in that it comprises a former arranged to push one side of the loop into one end of the first tubular shell member and hold the latter while the second tubular shell member is moved over the first one from its other end, and comprises means to use the former as an anvil or other reaction member for connecting the two shell members together. 64. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a tray having a loop extending beyond a side of the tray and suitable to hold a drink holder.

65. A container as defined in Feature 64, characterised in that it comprises a tongue which extends from one side of the tray, across the tray, and has a portion that extends beyond the opposite side of the tray and comprises said loop.

66. A container as defined in Feature 65, characterised in that the tongue has a portion which extends across the tray to form a base of the tray, and said loop portion extends from at or near the top of said opposite side.

67. A container as defined in Feature 66, characterised in that the tray comprises a ring of walls, the tongue extends from the bottom of a wall at said one side to form said base and up to the top or near the top of a wall at said opposite side over which its said loop portion folds.

68. A container as defined in Feature 67, characterised in that said opposite side wall slopes downwardly outwardly. 69. A container as defined in Feature 67 or 68, characterised in that said one side wall slopes upwardly outwardly.

70. A container as defined in Feature 67, 68 or 69, characterised in that it the tongue has a first fold at the bottom of said one side wall to enable the tongue to go across the tray to form said base, a second fold to enable the tongue to go up the other waU and a third fold to enable the tongue to go over the top of the latter.

71. A container as defined in any one of Features 66 to 70, characterised in that the base portion of the tongue is designed to be upwardly convex.

72. A container as defined in any one of Features 66 to 71, characterised in that the tray has one or more side walls that comprise slot means and the base portion of the tongue has wing means to engage the slot means.

73. A container as defined in any one of Features 65 to 72, characterised in that the tray is packed flat and can be readily erected to a form held rigid by means of the tongue.

74. A container as defined in Feature 73, when appendant directly or indirectly to Feature 70, characterised in that the tray is packed flat with said tongue folded at said first, second and third folds. 75. A container as defined in any one of Features 65 to 72, characterised in that the tray is designed to pack flat and has been erected to a form held rigid by means of the tongue.

76. A container as defined in any one of Features 64 to 75, characterised in that it comprises a drink holder which serves as a handle by which to hold the container in one hand.

77. A container as defined in any one of Features 64 to 75, characterised in that it comprises a food dispenser which is attached to the tray, packs flat with the tray and can serve as a handle by which to hold the container in one hand. 78. A container as defined in any one of Features 64 to 75, characterised in that it comprises two food dispensers which are attached to the tray, pack flat with the tray and at least one of which can serve as a handle by which to hold the container in one hand.

79. A food container, that comprises a food dispenser with a contents-ejecting mechanism, characterised in that the dispenser comprises a bag and a loop actuable to eject food contained in the bag.

80. A container as defined in Feature 79, characterised in that the mechanism comprises a reaction member, the bag is mounted to the reaction member, and the loop passes over the reaction member and within the bag. 81. A container as defined in Feature 80, characterised in that the dispenser comprises an outer member, to which the reaction member is mounted as an inner member with the loop passing therebetween.

82. A container as defined in Feature 81, characterised in that the outer member has an upwards mouth on which the inner member is adapted to rest. 83. A container as defined in Feature 81, characterised in that the inner member is fixed to the outer member.

84. A container as defined in any one of Features 79 to 83, characterised in that the dispenser is adapted to pack flat.

85. A container as defined in any one of Features 79 to 84, and also as defined in any one of Features 64 to 78. 86. A container as defined in Feature 85, characterised in that it is adapted to pack flat.

87. A method of erecting a food container, characterised in that the container comprises a ring of walls and a tongue which extends from one side wall of the tray, across the tray, and has a portion that extends beyond the opposite side wall of the tray and comprises a loop suitable to hold a drink holder, further characterised in that the container is erected by opening the ring of walls, partially unfolding the tongue, positioning a fold of the tongue to the bottom of the ring of walls and folding said loop portion of the tongue over said opposite side wall. 88. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a drink holder and at least one food holder connected thereto.

89. A container as defined in Feature 88, characterised in that said at least one food holder is fixed to the drink holder.

90. A container as defined in Feature 88, characterised in that said at least one food holder is integral with the drink holder.

91. A container as defined in any one of Features 88 to 90, characterised in that the drink holder is a canister.

92. A container as defined in any one of Features 88 to 91, characterised in that at least one said food holder comprises a loop and the connection is provided by connection means comprising the loop fitting loosely or otherwise around the drink holder.

93. A container as defined in any one of Features 88 to 92, characterised in that the drink holder serves as a handle by which the container can be held in one hand.

94. A container as defined in any one of Features 88 to 93, characterised in that at least one said food holder is a tray.

95. A container as defined in any one of Features 88 to 94, characterised in that it comprises two said food holders connected to the drink holder.

96. A container as defined in Feature 95, characterised in that the two food holders are separate from each other and have separate connection means to the drink holder.

97. A container as defined in Feature 95, characterised in that the two food holders are connected by a single connection means to the drink holder. 98. A container as defined in Feature 95, characterised in that the two food holders are integral with each other or at least formed as a single member.

99. A container as defined in any one of Features 95 to 98, characterised in that the two food holders are trays. 100. A container as defined in Feature 99, characterised in that the two trays are set on the drink holder at an angle to each other substantially less than 180°.

101. A food container which packs flat and can be opened and erected with one hand alone.

102. Method or apparatus, characterised in that it is adapted for use in producing an article comprising a ring or other operating means passing twice between co-axial tubes.

103. Method or apparatus as defined in Feature 102, characterised in that it is adapted for continuous production of the article.

104. Method or apparatus as defined in Feature 102 or 103, characterised in that it is adapted to produce the article from or in the flat.

105. Method or apparatus as defined in Feature 102, 103 or 104, characterised in that it is adapted to utilise an unassembled blank for the outer tube having the inner tube positioned thereto leaving a first portion of the blank exposed, to position a first part of said means to the exposed said first portion, to reposition the inner tube on the blank to cover said first part of said means and expose a second portion of the blank, to position a second part of said means to said second portion of the blank, and to assemble the blank to form the outer tube about the inner tube and said parts of said means.

106. Method or apparatus as defined in Feature 105, characterised in that it is adapted for a prior step of positioning the inner tube to the blank to leave said first portion of the blank exposed.

107. Method or apparatus as defined in Feature 105, characterised in that it is adapted to utilise said inner tube attached to said outer tube when said inner tube is a blank or a tube and before the aforesaid positioning of said parts of said member to said outer blank. 108. Method or apparatus as defined in Feature 107, characterised in that it is adapted for a prior step of positioning and fixing the inner tube to the outer tube blank to leave said first portion of the outer tube blank exposed.

109. Method or apparatus as defined in Feature 107, characterised in that it is adapted to utilise the inner tube as aforesaid fixed to the blank and to reposition the inner tube as aforesaid by a rolling-like motion.

110. Method or apparatus as defined in Feature 109, characterised in that it is adapted for a prior step of positioning and fixing the inner tube to the outer tube blank to leave said first portion of the outer tube blank exposed. 111. Method or apparatus as defined in any one of Features 105 to 110, characterised in that it is adapted to form said inner tube from a blank. 112. Method or apparatus as defined in any one of Features 105 to 111, characterised in that it is adapted to utilise as said inner tube a blank or tube having a bag fixed thereto at or near the mouth of the bag. 113. Method or apparatus as defined in Feature 112, characterised in that it is adapted to utilise said inner tube in the form of a blank with the bag fixed thereto.

114. Method or apparatus as defined in Feature 113, characterised in that it is adapted to utilise the inner tube in the form of a blank positioned and attached to the outer tube blank with the bag attached at or near the mouth thereof to the inner tube blank and then to assemble the inner tube round the bag mouth and further attach the same thereto so that it is thus attached substantially all around said mouth.

115. Method or apparatus as defined in any one of Features 105 to 114, characterised in that it is adapted for joining said parts together to form said means.

116. Method or apparatus as defined in Feature 115, characterised in that it is adapted to form said parts into a ring.

117. Method or apparatus as defined in Feature 116, characterised in that it is adapted to form about said parts into a ring after assembling the blank to form the outer tube about the inner tube and said parts of said means.

118. Method or apparatus as defined in any one of Features 115 to 117, characterised in that it is adapted for erecting said article from the flat before joining said parts together as aforesaid. 119. A food container comprising a longitudinally substantially rigid sleeve-like cover open at one end, characterised in that it comprises a flexible ejection-operating member extending out through the open end, and the open end has a lip with an adaptation to facilitate pulling said member over the lip. 120. A container as defined in Feature 119, characterised in that said member has the form of a loop extending into the cover to pass round a solid-like article of food and push out the same from the cover on pulling the outwardly extending part of the member.

121. A container as defined in Feature 119, characterised in that said loop is open and fixed at one end to said cover.

122. A container as defined in any one of Features 119 to 121, characterised in that said adaptation comprises a rolling or folding of the cover at said lip to reduce its sharpness.

123. Said adaptation comprises a coating of PTFE on said lip. 124. A container as defined in any one of Features 119 to 121, characterised in that said adaptation comprises a split tubular plastics member located on said lip. 125. A container as defined in any one of Features 119 to 121, characterised in that said adaptation comprises a layer of plastics and/or self-adhesive material folded over said lip. 126. A container as defined in any one of Features 119 to 125, characterised in that said lip is in the form of a collapsible blank that can be erected by squeezing the same.

127. A container as defined in Feature 126, characterised in that said cover has at its opposite end a closure that self-erects when the cover is squeezed to erect the same.

128. A food container comprising a longitudinally substantially rigid sleeve-like cover with a mechanism for pushing out a solid-like article of food from the cover, characterised in that it comprises a tray or other food- or drink-holding means operatively combined with said cover to enable the combination to be held in one hand, said cover and said means being adapted to be mutually substantially level at their base to enable the combination to be stood substantially upright on a level surface. 129. A container as defined in Feature 128, characterised in that it comprises a slide mechanism to allow said cover and said means to be readily mutually adjustable for holding in one hand and alternatively to be stood substantially upright on a level surface. 130. A container as defined in Feature 128, characterised in that said cover and said means are arranged mutually substantially level at their base and are arranged at their tops to allow selective consumption of food from said cover and from said means while the container is held in one hand.

131. A container as defined in any one of Features 128 to 130, characterised in that it is in the form of a kit of parts, said cover comprising a strip of double-sided self- adhesive tape to facilitate fixing thereto of said means.

132. A container as defined in any one of Features 119 to 131, characterised in that said cover has permanently fixed thereto a ring to retain a drink holder.

133. A container as defined in any one of Features 119 to 131, characterised in that said cover is permanently fixed to said means and has a ring to hold a drink holder.

134. A container as defined in any one of Features 119 to 131, characterised in that said cover has permanently fixed thereto said means and comprises a strip of double- sided self-adhesive tape to fix thereto a drink holder.

135. A container characterised in that it has the features of any one of Features 119 to 127 and the features of any one of Features 128 to 134.

136. A food container, food container means, a kit of parts to assemble into a food container, a method of producing a kit of parts adapted to be assembled into a container, a method of assembling a container from a kit of parts, a method of manufacturing a food container, apparatus for manufacturing a food container, a method of erecting a food container, apparatus, or means to provide a container, substantially according to any example hereinbefore described.

137. A food container, food container means, a kit of parts to assemble into a food container, a method of producing a kit of parts adapted to be assembled into a container, a method of assembling a container from a kit of parts, a method of manufacturing a food container, apparatus for manufacturing a food container, a method of erecting a food container, apparatus, or means to provide a container, substantially according to any example hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

138. Means to provide a container as defined in Feature 88, characterised in that it comprises means for fixing to a canister of drink and means connected thereto for fixing to a food holder, e.g. a bag.

139. A sleeve-like food container that is flat, or erected from the flat, characterised in that it is sealed at one end by a double corner piece of flexible sealing material that is shaped to be flat when the container is flat and to rearrange itself to allow the container to be erected. 140. A food container, characterised in that it comprises an aforementioned tray with an aforementioned dispenser and an aforementioned loop both together at one end of the tray.

141. A food container, characterised in that it comprises an aforementioned loop and dispenser which are located at a side of an aforementioned tray. 142. A food container, characterised in that it comprises an aforementioned loop generally has a diametral fold line intersecting a vertical line of juxtaposition between two units of the container.

143. A food container, characterised in that it comprises an aforementioned loop portion of flexible plastics material, e.g. polythene, so that it can fit easily to a canister, e.g. being passed over and fitting under the rim thereof.

144. A food container, characterised in that it comprises aforementioned wings moved forward until they are entirely within the nearer half of the tray to the loop.

145. A food container, characterised in that it comprises wings of an aforementioned tongue to engage the remainder of an aforementioned tray provided at or near the bottom of an aforementioned upgoing portion of the tongue alongside an aforementioned opposite wall.

146. A food container, characterised in that it comprises an aforementioned tray connected to one side of an aforementioned loop and a vertical tray (deeper than it is wide or long) connected to the opposite side of the loop and, preferably, the whole packs flat. 147. Attachment means, characterised in that it is for attaching a food holder to a drink holder and comprises a loop for fitting around a drink holder, the loop being provided with an adhesive portion for adhesion to a food holder.

148. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a drink holder, a food holder and attachment means attaching these together, and the attachment means may comprise a loop round the drink holder and an adhesive portion adhering to the food holder.

149. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a drink holder with a self- adhesive portion, preferably above the half-height of the holder and possibly on top thereof.

150. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a food holder and a second holder for food and/or drink, attached together to facilitate holding the container with one hand.

151. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a food holder in the form of a bag having at least one loop adapted to fit round a rigid liquid holder to enable the container to be held in one hand by holding the liquid holder while drinking from this and while eating from the food holder.

152. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a drink holder and a food holder in the form of a bag with at least one loop that goes round the drink holder so that this can be held in one hand to support also the bag.

153. Attachment means, characterised in that it is the said attachment means and is or is adapted to be combined with a said liquid holder and a said food holder to attach these together.

154. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a closed or sealed bag (e.g. a bag of crisps) containing food and having a loop to fit around a drink holder.

155. A blank (whether partly assembled or not), characterised in that it comprises a loop adapted to go round a liquid holder and a portion adapted to contain food and be closed or sealed therearound.

156. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a drink holder and a closed or sealed bag containing food and having a loop by which it is attached to the drink holder. 157. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a bag containing food (or a blank for such a bag) which bag (or blank) is provided with an adhesive portion by which it can be (or is) adhered to a drink holder.

158. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a sandwich or like food holder formed with a loop to fit round a drink holder in order to attach the same thereto.

159. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a food holder in the form of a deep box-like tray containing food resting against the sides of the tray and a drink holder in the tray. 160. A food container, characterised in that it comprises a food holder in the form of a tray and attachment means arranged to attach a drink holder inside the tray.

161. Attachment means, a drink holder loop, loop means for a loop portion, for use in connecting together a drink holder and a food holder, characterised in that it is provided with a box-like structure to support or help support a drink holder in the loop thereof.

162. A drink holder, characterised in that it comprises a drink-holding (preferably ring-like) portion which comprises a drink container or means to hold a drink container, connecting means to connect said portion (preferably hingedly or flexibly) to support means (i.e. supporting or supportable means) and spacing means for spacing apart said drink container and said support means.

163. A food container of generally tray-like form, characterised in that it is provided with a connecting means for connecting it to a second food container.

164. An adhesive tape, characterised in that it is suitable for use in connecting together two articles, e.g. a drink container and a food container, for example a canister of soft drink and a bag of crisps, the tape comprising a strip of self-adhesive material, a substrate for the same and a cover for the same, the substrate extending beyond one edge of the strip and beyond the corresponding edge of the cover and the cover extending beyond the opposite edge of the strip and beyond the corresponding edge of the substrate. 165. A tape as defined in Feature 164, characterised in that it is modified in that the shape is not a strip but some other shape and/or the substrate projects beyond one edge of the adhesive layer and the cover beyond an adjacent (not opposite) edge of the adhesive layer if the layer is e.g. rectangular, and/or the cover and substrate have alternate beyond-extending portions along a single edge of the adhesive layer.

166. An adhesive tape, characterised in that it is suitable for use in connecting together two articles, the tape comprising a substrate, a strip of self-adhesive material therealong with at least one transverse interruption in the strip, and a transverse line of weakening, e.g. perforations, at the interruption.

167. A connector for connecting together two articles, characterised in that it is for connecting together e.g. a food container and a drink container, and comprises a member bent into a hook or able to be bent readily into a hook, and an adhesive for adhering the member to one article, for example a food container, e.g. a bag of crisps or nuts, whereby the hook or hook when produced may be used to hang that article to another article, for example a drink container, e.g. a glass of wine.

Claims

1. Food container means, characterised in that it is adapted to facilitate handling thereof by a food server and/or food consumer.

2. Food container means as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a food dispenser which comprises an open-topped tubular container adapted to be gripped upright in the hand and in operative combination therewith means for controUably raising solid food through the open top.

3. Means as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the raising means comprise a loop, part of which is adapted to go under the solid food, the loop comprises a tape, and the loop is open, fixed at one end to a point at or near the top of the tubular container, with the other end adapted to be pulled to raise the solid food.

4. Means as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterised in that it comprises at least one container for dispensing liquid to the solid food, and said liquid container is arranged for automatic dispensing of said liquid upon operation of said raising means, e.g. said liquid container is combined with said loop.

5. Means as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, characterised in that it comprises a food dispenser, or a kit of parts adapted to be assembled into a food container, with a contents-ejecting mechanism and the food dispenser, or the kit, is adapted to pack flat.

6. Food container means as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a tray having a loop extending beyond a side of the tray and suitable to hold a drink holder.

7. Means as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that it comprises a tongue which extends from one side of the tray, across the tray, and has a portion that extends beyond the opposite side of the tray and comprises said loop, the tongue has a portion which extends across the tray to form a base of the tray, and said loop portion extends from at or near the top of said opposite side, and preferably the tray is packed flat and can be readily erected to a form held rigid by means of the tongue.

8. Means as claimed in claim 6 or 7, characterised in that it comprises a food dispenser which is attached to the tray, packs flat with the tray and can serve as a handle by which to hold the container in one hand.

9. Food container means as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a drink holder and at least one food holder connected thereto.

10. Means as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that the drink holder comprises a loop for fitting to a canister of drink and the food holder comprises a triangular sandwich holder and is provided with said loop.

11. Means to provide container means as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterised in that it comprises means for fixing to a canister of drink and means connected thereto for fixing to a food holder, e.g. to a bag.

12. Food container means as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it packs flat and can be opened and erected with one hand alone.

13. Food container means as claimed in claim 1, that comprises a longitudinally substantially rigid sleeve-like cover open at one end, characterised in that it comprises a flexible ejection-operating member extending out through the open end, and the open end has a lip with an adaptation to facilitate pulling said member over the lip.

14. Means as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that said member has the form of a loop extending into the cover to pass round a solid-like article of food and push out the same from the cover on pulling the outwardly extending part of the member, and said loop is open and fixed at one end to said cover.

15. Means as claimed in claim 13 or 14, characterised in that said adaptation comprises a layer of material folded over said lip.

16. Means as claimed in claim 15, characterised in that said lip extends along three adjacent sides of a polygon and said layer extends along the middle one of said sides and a substantial distance along each of the other two adjacent sides of the lip.

17. Food container means as claimed in claim 1, that comprises a longitudinally substantially rigid sleeve-like cover with a mechanism for pushing out a solid-like article of food from the cover, characterised in that it comprises a tray or other food- or drink-holding means operatively combined with said cover to enable the combination to be held in one hand, said cover and said means being adapted to be mutually substantially level at their base to enable the combination to be stood substantially upright on a level surface.

18. Food container means, a kit of parts to assemble into a food container, a method of producing a kit of parts adapted to be assembled into a container, a method of assembling a container from a kit of parts, a method of manufacturing a food container, apparatus for manufacturing a food container, a method of erecting a food container, apparatus, or means, to provide a container, substantially according to any example hereinbefore described.

19. Food container means, a kit of parts to assemble into a food container, a method of producing a kit of parts adapted to be assembled into a container, a method of assembling a container from a kit of parts, a method of manufacturing a food container, apparatus for manufacturing a food container, a method of erecting a food container, apparatus, or means to provide a container, substantially according to any example hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

20. A method of production, characterised in that it is adapted for the production of means as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17 and comprises any one or more of the hereinbefore defined Features 52, 53, 54, 87 or 102.

21. Apparatus for use in production of means as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, characterised in that it comprises either one or both of the hereinbefore defined Features 59 or 102.

22. Means as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, characterised in that it comprises a combination of interconnected food and/or drink holders, such that the combination is adapted to be held in one hand during selected consumption of the respective contents of the holders.

23. Means as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17 or claim 22, characterised in that it comprises an elongate food holder adapted to be open at one end and comprising means to move an article of food controUably out through that end.