US1960279A - Packing tray or flat for fragile articles - Google Patents

Description

May 29, 1934. R. E READ PACKING TRAY OR FLAT F 'OR FRACrILE ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 30, 1930 Z Q E/ r 2. 2

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May 29, 1934. R. E. READ PACKING TRAY OR FLAT FOR ERAGILE ARTICLES Filed Oct. 30, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 A TTORNEYJ Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE memo TRAY on FLAT non rnaoms ARTICLES Application October 30, 1930, Serial No. 492,190

15 Claims.

This invention relates to holders or trays in which to pack fragile articles for storage or transportation and the like, such articles as hottles, radio tubes, incandescent light bulbs, eggs,

and other articles of a fragile nature; and the invention is concerned more particularly with the type of packing unit known in the trade as a flat, comprising a tray like body containing a number of cells of the general form of the article to be packed, and which trays are adapted, in filled condition, to be assembled or stacked one upon the other in a carton or box or other container for transportation, storage, etc.

Such flats are now commonly made from 5 paper pulp in perforate forming molds, and are produced as an integral molded structure or unit with the cells formed therein side by side, which cells follow in form the general contour of the particular article which is to be packed,

g0 and the cells are usually of a depth approximately half or more of the diameter of the article, and with the filled trays assembled in the container one upon the other as hereinbefore mentioned, the underside of one tray will rest upon the articles contained in the tray immediately beneath, whereby the individual articles of a tray will be separated from each other by the side walls of the cells of that tray, and the articles in one tray will be separated from those and hence the breakage of the articles in transportation is wholly avoided or reduced to a negli-' gible minimum.

The present invention has for its chief aimto give strength and stiffness to trays or flats of the type referred to, so as thereby to make them more eflicient and durable in supporting the articles without sagging and consequent injury to the articles or cells; and a further aim of the invention is to give the trays such external form. on their undersides, that, when the filled trays are superposed one upon the other in cartons or carriers, as hereinbefore referred to, each tray will be given effectual support by the articles in the next tray be 'eath, and of such character that the trays will prevented from shifting or displacement relative to each other and independently of the surrounding walls of the box or container.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved form and construction of the parts which will be fully described in detail in the specification to follow, and the novel features of which will be set forth in the appended claims. a

in the adjacent tray, by the bottoms of the trays,

In the accompanying drawings the invention .has been illustrated, by way of example, in connection with a tray or flat having cells of a form to receive bottles, but it will be manifest from the specification to follow, that the invention is not limited to a tray containingv cells of this particular form, but is applicableas well to trays equipped with cells of other forms for packing other articles of a fragile nature.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of a tray or flat" constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the-same;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; v t Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the improved ray;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a number of filled 75 trays assembled one upon the other, and showing how the tray above is supported by the articles in the next tray beneath;

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation on the line 7--7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a cross section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of a shipping package embodying a container with the filled trays placed one over the other therein in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 5, the improved tray or flat comprises a flat body portion 1 containing a number of cells 2 arranged side by side, and constituted by concavities in one side of the body and corresponding projections on the other side. In the present instance, these cells are of a form to hold bottles, and therefore each cell is formed with a wide portion 2 at one end, to receive the body portion of the bottle, and a narrow portion 2 at the other end to receive the neck of the bottle; and for the purpose to be presently described, these cells are disposed in alternately reversed positions, with the wide end of one cell lying next the narrow end of the adjacent cell, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

This tray or flat is preferably molded in a perforate mold from paper pulp, so asto produce an integral structure with the cells incorporated other materials, provided that a structure will no the bottles seated in the cells will project some distance above the upper edges of the ribs or partitions, as best shown in Fig. 6. These dividing partitions converge towards each other from the wide ends of the cells to their narrow ends, and

they are curved slightly longitudinally, so as to follow the longitudinal curvature of the bottle where the body portion joins the neck portion, whereby the bottles are given support from the cells substantially throughout their extent.

I prefer to give the side walls of the individual cells a. flat form, as shown at 3 at the right in Fig. 8, and these walls are so spaced from each other that it will require some force to seat the article in the cell, the joining of the upper edges of the walls of the adjacent cells as just referred to, giving the dividing partitions formed by these walls, a resilient bellows-like character. As a result of this form and construction of the parts when a bottle for instance, is inserted in a cell and pressed down to its seat therein, the fiat side walls will, due to their resiliency, yield and fit around and follow the contour of the bottle, and will embrace the sides of the same at points some distance above the horizontal diameter of the bottle, as shown at the left in Fig. 8, and the bottles will be thus held veryufirmly and securely in the cells.

In accordance with the main feature of the invention, two strengthening and stiffening grooves 4, 4, constituting a stiffening formation, are formed in the trays, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5. These grooves extend transversely across the trays near their front and rear edges respectively, and they intersect the cells therein, and present on the opposite side of the tray, corre sponding projecting ribs 5, 5, and serve to give the tray great strength and stiffness, and enable the tray to support alone, the considerable weight of the filled bottles contained in the cells. As a matter of fact the strength and stiffness imparted by this stiffening formation is such that, a filled tray containing, as in'the example shown six filled bottles, can, in the lifting and handling of the same in moving it from place to place, and in assembling it in the containers, be supported at its opposite ends without the same sagging or collapsing.

The two ribs, at points where the grooves intersect the narrow parts of the several cells, are formed with upwardly extending cavities 6, 6, which are curved to correspond to the curvature of the bodies of the bottles, and the cavities in one rib are staggered relative to those in the other rib, so that with the filled trays superposed one upon the other in a container, as shown in Fig. 6, the cavities in the ribs will fit around the upper sides of the bodies of the bottles in the next tray beneath, and in this way the trays will be prevented from shifting transversely relatively to each other.

Between the cavities 6, 6, the ribs 5 present on the underside of the tray, plain fiat surfaces '7, 7 etc., which are staggered relatively on the two ribs, similar to the staggered relation of the cavities 6, and these flat surfaces rest upon the neck portions of the bottles in the next tray beneath, as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The trays are given further support from the articles in the tray beneath, when the filled trays are superposed in a container, by a projection 8 ex tending downwardly from the underside of each cell at its wide end, and a projection 9 extending downwardly from each cell at its narrow end, which projections 8 and 9 are adapted to bear upon the necks and body portions respectively of the bottles in the next tray beneath, as shown in Fig. 6.

Further support is afforded a tray by the bottles in the next tray beneath, by the formation of the undersides of the central or main portions 10 of the cells, which, as best shown in Figs. 7 and 8, are provided each with a longitudinally extending downwardly projecting protuberant hollow rib 10, the underside of which is curved upwardly slightly longitudinally, so as to follow the curvature of the bottle where the neck portion joins the body portion, as shown in Fig. 7. This hollow rib, by projecting below the underside of the cell and seating on the upper side of the bottle in the cell in the tray beneath, affords a resilient cushion between the two bottles, and effectually prevents breakage of the bottles from the sudden jolts and jars received in transportation.

A molded or formed tray or fiat" of the structural form described will, due to the stiffening formation, constituted specifically by transverse grooves (and corresponding ribs) intersecting the cells, in accordance with the invention, possess great strength and unusual stiffness, without detracting from the lightness of the structure and the comparatively small expense of its production. And due to the presence of the cavities in the transverse ribs on the underside of the tray, the intermediate flat surfaces of said ribs, the hollow longitudinal ribs on the undersides of the cells, and the depending projections 8 and 9 at the ends of the individual cells, the trays with their cells filled may be assembled one upon the other in a container or box, and when so assembled, each tray will be supported by the articles in the next tray beneath, in such manner that the trays will be prevented from shifting, and the articles will be held in their cells, and will be separated from each other individually; and those in one tray will be separated from those in another tray. Contact between the articles being thus effectually prevented, breakage in transportation or storage will be. if not entirely eliminated, reduced to a negligible minimum.

The stiffening of the tray by the provision of the' transversely extending stiffening formation as described, is of peculiar value in connection with trays molded from paper pulp and having elongated cells arranged side by side, since the effect of the stiffening formation is to prevent the tray from bending under the weight of its contents, along the longitudinal lines of the cells, as it would do, if no means were provided to prevent it. The stiffening grooves and ribs as hereinbefore described, effectually resist such tendency to bend or sag, and act to give to the tray a stiff and strong reinforced condition, which greatly aids in the handling of the tray with the cells filled, and in moving the trays from place to place, and in assembling them in the container.

It will be understood that in superposing the filled trays one upon the other, the convexity of the underside of one tray will be placed over the concavity of the upper side of the next tray beneath, in order that the severalformations on the undersides of the trays will function as hereinbefore described in receiving support from the articles in the trays beneath.

While in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings the invention has been set forth in the particular detailed form which in practice has been found to answer to a satisfactory degree the ends to be attained, it will be understood that these details may be variously changed within the skill of the mechanic, without departing from the limits of the invention; and further, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular form or construction of the parts, except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:-

1. A packing tray for fragile articles comprising a fiat body having a cell therein to receive the articles and formed in one side with a transverse strengthening groove intersecting said cell, and presenting on the other side a rib, the said rib being formed with a cavity to fit around the upper side of thearticle in a similar tray beneath.

2. A packing tray for fragile articles comprising a flat body having a series of cells therein arrange side by side to receive the articles, and provided with a stiffening formation presenting a transverse groove in one side of the body intersecting said cells, and a corresponding rib on the other side of the body, said rib being formed at intervals with cavities to fit around the upper sides of the articles in a similar tray beneath.

3. A packing tray for fragile articles comprising a fiat body having a series of cells therein arranged side by side to receive the articles, and provided with a stiffening formation presenting transverse grooves in one side of the body intersecting the cells, and corresponding ribs on the opposite side of the body, said ribs being formed at intervals with cavities to fit around the upper sides of the articles in a similar tray beneath, and

the cavities in one rib being staggered relative to the cavities in the other rib.

4. A packing tray for fragile articles, comprising a flat body having a series of cells therein arranged side by side to receive the articles, and provided with a stiffening formation presenting a transverse groove in the inner side of said body intersecting said cells and a corresponding rib on the outer side of the body, said rib being formed at intervals with cavities to fit around the upper sides of the alternate articles in a similar tray beneath, and said rib presenting between the cavities, fiat surfaces adapted to bear on the upper sides of the other articles in said tray beneath.

5. A packing tray for fragile articles, comprising a fiat body having a series of cells therein arranged side by side to receive the articles, and provided with a stiffening formation presenting transverse grooves in one side of the body intersecting the cells and corresponding ribs on the opposite side of the body formed at intervals with cavities to fit around the upper sides of the alternate articles disposed in reversed relations in a similar tray beneath, said cavities in one rib being staggered relative to the cavities in the other rib, and said ribs being provided between the cavities with fiat surfaces in staggered relations on the two ribs and adapted to bear on the upper sides of said articles in the tray beneath.

6. In a packing tray for fragile articles comprising a flat body having in one side a series of cells wider at one end than at the other end, and disposed side by side in alternately reversed positions, said tray being provided in its other side with two series of cavities, one series adapted to fit around the upper sides of the larger portions of alternate articles in a similar tray beneath, and the other series adapted to fit around the upper sides of the larger portions of the other articles in said tray beneath.

"l. A packing tray for fragile articles comprising a. flat body having in one side a cell wider at one end than at the other end to receive a similarly shaped article, and havingin its other side a cavity to surround the upper side of the larger end of a similar article in a similar tray. beneath, said tray having also a depending projection to bear upon the smaller, end of said article in the tray beneath.

8. A packing tray for fragile articles comprising a fiat body having in one side a series of cells wider at one end than at the other end, and disposed in alternately reversed positions to receive articles of similar shape, said tray having in its other side cavities to surround the upper sides of the larger ends of similar articles in a similar tray beneath, and having also depending projections to bear upon the upper sides of the smaller ends of said articles.

9. A packing tray for fragile articles comprising a flat body having a cell therein wider at one end than at the other end to receive a similarly shaped article, and having in its other side, near one end, a cavity to surround the upper side of the larger end of a similar reversely disposed article in a similar tray beneath, and having near ,its other end a fiat surface to bear on the smaller end of said article in the tray beneath. 1

10. A packing tray for fragile articles, compris ing a body having a cell therein wider at one end than at the other end to receive a similarly shaped 11 article, and having in its other side near one end a cavity to surround the upper side of the larger end of a similar reversely disposed article in a similar tray beneath, and having adjacent said cavity a depending projection to bear on said end of the article, and said tray having near its other end a fiat surface to bear on the smaller end of said article beneath, and having adjacent said fiat surface, a depending projection to bear on the said smaller end of said article.

11. A packing tray for fragile articles comprising a fiat body having in its inner side a series of cells wider at one end than at the other end, and disposed side by side in relatively reversed positions to receive articles of similar shape, and having transverse grooves in its inner side intersecting the cells along lines adjacent their opposite ends respectively, and presenting corresponding ribs on the outer side of the tray, said ribs being provided at intervals with cavities and intervening fiat portions, to engage the opposite ends respectively of similar articles in a similar tray beneath, and said tray being also provided beyond said ribs with depending projections to bear on said articles beneath.

12.'A packing tray for articles, comprising a fiat body having a cell therein to receive the article, the bottom of said cell being formed with a longitudinally extending hollow protuberant rib extending downwardly therefrom to seat upon an article in a similar tray beneath, and the underside of said rib being curved longitudinally to follow the curvature of the article beneath.

13. A packing tray for fragile articles comprisother side of the body, said rib being formed at intervals with cavities to fit around the upper sides of the articles in a tray beneath;

15. A packing tray comprising a body of flbrous material having at least two article receiving cells arranged side by side, each cell comprising a mid-section curved in the direction of its shorter diameter, and two end sections curved to complement the curvature of said mid-section, but being spaced therefrom, said mid-section being provided with a strengthening rib extending parallel to the side walls thereof, and stiffening means connecting said ends and mid-section.

- ROBERT E. READ.

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