US2134908A - Package structure - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 1, 1938. L. G. COPEMAN PACKAGE STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 23, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS NOV. 1, 1938. L. G CQPEMAN 2,134,908

PACKAGE S TRUCTURE Filed Dec. 23. 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Jloyd 6'. Cbpemar;

ATTORNEYS Nov. 1, 1938. G. COPEMAN PACKAGE STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 23, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. ,LTqyd @peman ATTORNEYS Nov. 1, 1938. G. COPEMAN 2,134,908

PACKAGE STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 25, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. $51,, 11/ 59 6' 6206/7740 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE PACKAGE STRUCTURE poration of Michigan Application December 23, 1935, Serial No. 55,887

8 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of packaging, and has to do especially with improved package structures useful for delicate, frangible or easily broken objects, articles or material.

The principal object of the invention is. the provision of a package structure or container for such objects, articles or material wherein the same are held in the package or container in a floating manner to thus be cushioned from shocks and the like. One good example of objects which may be packed and shipped with container structures of the present invention is eggs. Accordingly, the following detailed description and the drawings describe and show respectively containers or packages especially designed for the handling of eggs. Of course, it is to be appreciated that the invention is not limited to use with eggs, as various other articles of food or any other delicate, frangible or readily breakable articles or material may be packed in such containers. 7

More specifically the invention contemplates the suspensiomor the floating of the objects in the container by the means of a supporting substance havlng the property of elasticity or resilience and wherein the substance advantageously and preferably is under tension, and/or the supporting of the objects by a substance of a flexible nature under sufficient tension to support the objects in a floated or suspended manner. This material is generally described by the term stretchable. To this end the particular forma-- tion and structures of the containers are subject to much variation in form, and several are shown herein, and the substance used for thus support ing the objects is preferably and advantageously rubber.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the detailed description progresses and is considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank of cardboard or the like from which a portion of package may be made.

Fig. 2 is aview illustrating the formed blank.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the formed blankwith a piece of resilient or elastic supporting material.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of Fig. 4.

Fig.- '7 is a sectional view taken through a formed blank showing several pieces or strips of resilient or elastic material.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view illustrating one method of applying the rubber.

Fig. 9 is a view illustrating how two of such blank bodies may be brought together, with the objects to be packed or carried disposed between the same.

Fig. 10 shows the two blanks in cooperative relation.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 10 illustrating the completed package.

Fig. 12 is a view looking into a filled container of modified form.

Fig, 13 is a sectional view thereof illustrating some of the parts.

Fig. 14 is a similar sectional view illustrating the addition of another element.

Fig. 15 is a similar sectional view illustrating the eggs located.

Fig. 16 is a similar sectional view illustrating the addition of another element.

Fig. 17 is a similar sectional view illustrating the addition of a still further element.

Fig. 18 is a similar sectional view illustrating the addition of a final element.

Fig. 19 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the relation of the parts at the uppermost portion of an egg.

Fig. 20 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the parts at the lowermost portion of an egg.

Fig. 21 is a sectional view taken through a container completely filled and closed.

Fig. 22 is a partial plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 13.

Fig. 23 is a partial plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 14.

Fig. 24 is a partial plan view of one of the reenforcing elements.

Fig. 25 is a sectional view taken through a filled container of a further modified form.

Fig. 26 is a view illustrating the relation of some of the parts before assembly.

Fig. 27 is an enlarged sectional view showing some of the structure of the form shown in Fig. 25.

Fig. 28 is a view illustrating an assembled condition of the form shown in Fig. 25.

Fig. 29 is an enlarged sectional view also showing an assembled condition of the parts shown in Fig. 25.

Fig. 30 is a perspective view of a still further modified form of the invention.

Fig. 32 is a perspective view of a carrying member of the modified form shown in Fig. 30.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a blank of suitable cardboard or the like I provided with apertures 2 and which may be provided with crease lines so that it may be fashioned into tray form as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 with flanges or sides 4. A layer, in the form of one or more strips of flexible re silient or elastic material, is to be used in conjunction with the openings and in Fig. 4 a strip of such material is shown at 5 extending across one row of openings. This material may be a thin sheet of rubber. As shown in Fig. 7 there are three of such strips where the apertures are arranged as shown. One way to apply this rubber layer is by spraying latex in position on the tray form and which is in the form of a suitable liquid and sets up in the form of a rubber sheet. This may be done as shown in Fig. 8 by the use of a backing or platen member 6 placed on the under side and with the material sprayed thereon with a nozzle 1. In this particular method the rubber layer 5 may more or less fit into the apertures as shown.

There are two of such tray structures used in packing a plurality of eggs, and these are positioned reversely relative to each other as shown in Fig. 7. The two members are brought together as shown in Fig. 10, and each egg is thereupon encased by the rubber layers or strips, as shown. The apertures are preferably somewhat larger in diameter than the eggs so that the eggs are held suspended therein. As the two tray members are brought together the rubber which bridges the openings is stretched and rendered taut so that the eggs are firmly but movably and iloatingly suspended. The eggs are shown at A. These two tray forms may then be placed in an outer container or box as shown at l0, and the cover ll closed so that the two enclosed tray members are held snugly therein, as illustrated in Fig. 11. The rubber strips or layers adhere to the tray forms so that the portions which bridge the openings are tensioned. In the form shown in Fig. 4, for example, the rubber strips may be applied with the use of an adhesive or a similar arrangement for rendering the surface of the rubber tacky, while in the form shown in Fig. 8 the sprayed latex may adhere directly to the material.

Another form of the invention is shown in Figs. 12 to 24, inclusive. In this form there is an outer container I5 with a cover l6 and in it is placed a member ID with flanges l9 to separate the body thereof from the bottom of the container, and this member I8 has apertures as shown at 2| (Fig. 22). The member may be suitably reenforced by cross-pieces 20. Over this member l8 may be placed a suspending element. This element preferably takes the form of a sheet comprising two sheets of paper 23 and an intermediate layer or sheet of rubber 24. This material may be prepared in large form and cut to size. In some instances only one sheet of paper need be used. The paper is cut, slotted or provided with tear lines, as shown at 25, at the location of the apertures.

The eggs A may then be inserted as shown in Fig. 15, and as they are pressed into the openings the paper layers spread at the cut lines, or tear, it the lines are merely tear lines, such as perforations, as shown in Fig. 20, thus freeing the intermediate layer 24, which stretches. Following this, in some instances, an intermediate supporting member 26 may be placed in the container, it

being of box construction with cross-supporting members 21, and having apertures 28 with out lines 29 extending therefrom. The material of the bottom of the member 26 is bent upwardly separating at the cut lines to provide stabilizing and supporting portions 30.

Next a second layer of paper and rubber which may be identical to the one shown in Fig. 14 is placed over the eggs as shown in Fig. 17. Then a member which may be similar or identical to the member l8 but in reverse position is placed over the eggs as shown in Fig. 18. Since this upper member may be identical to the lower member the same reference characters are applied. This is pressed downward and the paper separates at the lines 25 freeing the intermediate rubber layer 24, as shown in Fig. 19. The completed and filled container is shown in Fig. 21, and when the cover is closed the two end members [8 are held positioned by the bottom and the top of the outer container with the eggs floated and held by the tensioned rubber. Fig. 12 illustrates how the paper may separate.

A further modified form is shown in Figs. 25

to 29, inclusive, and which in some respects is similar to the form shown in Figs. 1 to 11, inclusive, except that instead of suspending each individual egg an entire egg carton is floated in position. A suitable egg carton of a desired construction is shown at 40 and this may be used with a pair of similar members comprising an outer wall 4| closed on one side by a sheet comprising outer layers of paper 42 and 43 and an inner layer of rubber 44. This composite sheet may be suitably fastened to the wall I by adhesive or the like, as at 45. Two of such members with their composite sheets disposed in reverse positions are used and, as shown in Fig. 25, the carton is pressed into the sheets. As the bottom of the carton is pressed into one sheet the paper layers are torn. To facilitate this the paper may be moistened substantially at the locations indicated in Figs. 26 and 2'7. This breaking of the paper frees a portion of the intermediate rubber layer, with the result that the carton is held suspended both from above and below by the stretched rubber. The two members with the carton therebetween may then be placed in an outer container 50 which closes tightly around the superposed members, as shown in Fig. 25, and the carton therefor is held suspended in an intermediate position in the outer container.

A still further form is illustrated in Figs. 30,

31 and 32. This may take the form of a frame having end pieces 5| and 52 and side rails 53 and 54 and equipped with elastic members which may take the form of rubber bands 55, preferably two near each end. A suitable carton or container for delicate material or objects is illustrated at 56, and this is disposed within the frame with one rubber band at each end extending thereover, and one rubber band extending thereunder, with the result that the carton is suspended as illustrated in Figs. 30 and 31. The width of the carton 56 is less than the width between side rails 53 and 54. This frame structure, as shown in Fig. 30, may then be enclosed in a suitable outer container 60 for shipment or other handling.

Eggs or other objects of material may be thus packed in small or large cartons for handling in the usual channels of transportation or the like, and a number of filled containers may be placed into a crate. It is within the invention, where extra precaution is desired, to pack the containersshown in Figs. 11 and 21 in a suspended manner, so that the individual objects are floated or suspended in their respective containers, and several containers are in turn suspended in crates or large cartons.

I claim:

1. In a container for eggs or the like, a box structure, an apertured supporting member, a composite sheet of paper and rubber extending across and covering the apertures of the supporting member, said paper being cut on separating lines substantially at each aperture whereby an article may be partially extended through an aperture with the paper separated on the cut lines and the rubber element stretched.

2. In a container for eggs or the like, the combination of a box structure, a lower supporting element provided with apertures, an upper supporting element provided with apertures, said members lying in planes within the extremities of articles to be packaged and adapted to receive articles with the article ends projecting through the apertures, and a composite sheet of material comprising a sheet of rubber and a sheet of paper covering the apertures of each supporting member, said paper sheets having cut lines at the location of the apertures, whereby when the articles project through the apertures the paper layers separate on the cut lines and the rubber layers embrace opposite ends of the articles and are held taut thereby.

3. A container for eggs or the like comprising, a box structure, an apertured supporting element in the lower portion of the box, an apertured supporting element in the upper portion of the box, stretchable means bridging the apertures and adapted to be stretched by articles positioned in the apertures, said stretchable means com.- prising each a composite layer of paper and rubher with the paper having cut lines at the apertures.

4. A container for eggs or the like comprising, a box structure, an apertured supporting element in the lower portion of the box, an apertured supporting element in the upper portion of the hon, stretchable means bridging the apertures and adapted to be stretched by articles positioned in the apertures, said stretchable means each comprising a composite sheet composed of outer sheets oi paper and an intermediate sheet of rubher with the paper having cut lines at the apertill!!- 5. In a package structure for one or more articles, a supporting member having an opening therein and into which-an article is adapted to project when the article is packaged, and a composite sheet extending 'across the opening comprising a layer of fibrous material and a layer of rubber, said fibrous material layer having portions adapted to be separated or torn as the article is projected into the opening and the rubber layer being stretched by said article whereby the article is held in packaged position by said stretched layer of rubber.

6. In a package structure for one or more articles, a supporting member having an opening therein and into which an article isadapted to project when the article is packaged, and a composite sheet extending across the opening comprising a layer of paper and a layer of rubber, said paper layer having portions adapted to be separated or torn as the article is projected into the opening and the rubber layer being stretched by said article whereby the article is held in packaged position by said stretched layer of rubber.

'7. In a package structure for one or more arti cles, a supporting member having an opening therein into which an article is adapted to project when the article is packaged, and a composite sheet extending across the opening comprising an intermediate layer of rubber and a sheet of fibrous material on opposite sides thereof, said fibrous material having portions adapted to be separated or torn as the article is projected into the opening, and the rubber layer being stretched by said article when projecting into the opening, whereby the article is held positioned by said stretched layer of rubber.

8. In a package structure for one or more articles, a supporting member having an opening therein into which an article is adapted to project when the article is packaged, and a composite sheet extending across the opening comprising an intermediate layer of rubber and a sheet of paper on opposite sides thereof, said paper having portions adapted to be separated or torn as the article is projected into the opening, and the rubber layer being stretched by said article when projecting into the opening, whereby the article is held positioned by said stretched layer of rubber.

LLOYD G. COPEMAN.

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