US2986320A - Container - Google Patents

Description

May 30, 1961 H. c. NICHOLLS ETAL 2,986,320

. CONTAINER Filed March 28, 1960 4 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTORS Hansen QNICHOLLS BY Ouven HUISHEERE y 30, 1961 H. c. NICHOLLS ETAL 2,986,320

CONTAINER Filed March 28, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 "I hum mmvrons HERBERT C. NICHOLLS BY 7 Ouvsn Hmsueeaz May 30, 1961 H. c. NICHOLLS ETAL 2,986,320

CONTAINER Filed March 28, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS HERBERT C.NICHOLLS BY OLIVER HUISHEERE A'rTYs,

Ute

2,986,320 CONTAINER Herbert C. Nicholle and Oliver 'Huisheere, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., assignors to Consolidated Water Power & Paper Company, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Mar. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 17,949

Claims. (C1. 222,- 6).

Thisinvention relates to improvements in containers. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a functional container adapted for blast-freezing of poultry and other frozen foods and comprises essentiallya tray into which the freshly prepared or other productis placed and the trays adapted to be stacked .with similar trays one above the other in a freezing room, after which a conventional type of telescopic cover is adapted to be placed on the tray and the package is ready for shipping.

For this purpose the sides and ends of the tray should be open so as to facilitate blast-freezing of the product when the trays are stacked one upon the other, good ventilation from both sides and ends of the tray solving a problem which up to now led to restrictive positioning of trays on pallets and palletized trays within thefreezer.

In accordance with the present invention, the tray is provided with four triangular corner posts, all three sides of the triangular posts being of full depth, the container being further constructed and arranged of corrugated paperboard in a manner whereby the triangular. posts. have vertical corrugations to achieve excellentstacking.

qualities.

Itis a particular object of the present invention to form. a tray of the class describedof a.unitary. sheet of corrugated paperboard cut and scoredand adapted to be erected to form a wholly self-interlocked container body without the requirement for securing means such as .adhesives, taping, metal stitching or stapling, and without the necessity for jigs of any kind for settingup, the.

arrangement being characterized .byself-locking ,members which form .a rigid and collapseeproof tray when properly. set up.

' A further object of the present inventionis to provide atray having outermost smooth surfaces withoutprojiections,-so that a telescopic complementarycover. may be easily engaged thereover without catching on projections to. thereby facilitate packaging and. form. a secure.

assembly.

Other objects and advantagesof the .present invention. rehte to details of construction, arrangement ofparts, and the economies thereof, as willbeapparentfrom the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the assembly of the present invention, i.e., its characterizing tray enclosed bya conventional telescopic cover; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective exploded view-of .the assembly atent ice the end walls vertically extended to the bottomor central.

panel.

Fig. 7 isa progressiveperspective view similartotha t of Fig. 6 showingan outer side wall and its integral postforming components partially erected; and

Figs. 8 and 9 are further consecutive views progressing from Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the characterizing tray of thepresent invention in erected position.

Fig. 11 is asection on the line 1111 of Fig. l. Fig. 12 is a section on the line 12--12 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a section on the line13-13 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 14 is a section on the line 14-14 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 15 is a section on the line 15-15 of Fig. 12. Fig. 16 is a section on the line 16-16 of Fig. 11. Referring to the drawin-gs, particularly to Fig. 4, the

blank shown, which is suitably composed of corrugated paperboard, comprises a rectangular center or bottom panel 10,'a pair of opposed outer end walls 11, 11 hinged thereto on lines 12, 12, each carrying an inner end wall panel 13 hinged thereto on the dual scored fold line 14, the dual score line being provided so that the panel.13 may-be folded against and to .plane parallel relationship It .will be noted that the panel 13 with the panel 1 1. While of equal height with the panels 11 is of lesser length and is severed on a vertical line at each end as at 15, leavingrelatively short flaps '16 16 which remain hinged to the outer end wall-panel 11 ona score line 14', these flaps 16-each being provided with an endcutout as at 17 for a purpose that will hereinafter be explained.

The panels 13 further comprise at their outermost, 1ongitudinal edges one or more tongues 18 adapted for receptionin the slots 19 formed in the panel 10 adjacent its score line 12 and adapted for reception of the tongues 18 when the panels 13 are folded against the panels 11. The

panels 13 and 11' can also be formed with one or more matching hand- hold openings 20,21 adapted to be aligned in the panels 13, each folded against the panels 11 'to.

facilitate handling of the set-up tray.

Hinged to the opposed sides of panel 10 on the score lines 22 arethe outer sidewall panels 23, 23, each of which carries an inner side wall panel 24 hinged thereto on the dual fold line 25 whereby the panel 24 may be folded against the panel 23 and its tongues 26 engaged in the apertures or slots 27 in a manner similar to that, de-

scribed with respect to theinner end wall panels .13.. Here, also, the panel 24 is of substantially equal height to the adjacent portion of the panel 23 but of lesser width, being separated therefrom by lines of severance. or slots 28, 28, leaving the end portions 29 of each of thepanels 23 of agreater height than that of the v-remaining portionof the panel when the inner panel por-- tion 24 is; folded thereover in set-up condition. V This. panel. portion 29 provides a first panel or component of atriangular corner post when the panel 23 is erected vertically as shown in Fig. 7, and has a panel 30 extending laterally therefrom and hinged thereto on the. line 31' forming a second panel of the corner post and adapted to overlie an outer end wallpanel as shown in the progressive viewof Fig. 7. This panel 30 is in turn partiallyhinged won the line 32 and partially severedat the line ofseverance or slot 33 from a third panel 34 which is adapted to extend obliquely across the cornerof the .cartonandbetween the first and second panels when the end wall panel 11 is disposed in a slot 33 as shown by the details of Figs. 7 and 8. i

The third corner facing 34vis further provided with a locking tab v35 reversely hingedthereto on the. line '36,. saidtab 35 beingadapted tobe disposed between a side end portion of. inner .side wall panel 24 and outerside wall panel 23 when the tongues of panel 24are engaged in the slots 27, normally completing the interlocked'a's Patented May 30, 1961 sembly of the tray. As will be apparent, the inner end wall panels 13 are not essential other than for reinforcement and for providing a strong hand-hold. However, the tabs 16 are essentially in erected position in that they provide an interlock or abutment within the corner posts, retaining them in vertical position.

In the ararngement shown and when these are present, the tabs 16 are first folded down against the panels 11, the slot 28 being sufiiciently wide to receive the double material as shown in the progressive view of Fig. 7 in setting up the tray, and after the side wall panels 23 have been erected vertically. As further shown in the view of Fig. 8, the tab 16 is grasped at the finger opening or arouate cut 17 and elevated, so that it extends in plane parallel relationship to the second corner post panel 30, after which the third panel 34 can be disposed obliquely with its tab 35 against panel 23 and thereafter panels 24 locked down.

As will appear from Fig. 10, the post panels 30 are integral and continuous with the outer side wall panels 23 and the post panels 30 smoothly overlie the outer end wall panels 11 without break from top to bottom. Further, the oblique third faces 34 terminate wholly within the tray so that there are no outer projections. As will be further apparent, the tray becomes firmly locked in set-up position without the aid of any staples, stitches, tapes, or adhesive means. The corner components of the tray are also formed in a manner whereby the corrugations extend vertically, and these posts are reinforced by the tabs 16 erected within them so that they may be conveniently stacked on one another upon their posts and upon a device such as the pallet 37 as shown in Fig. 3.

In view of the unencumbered arrangement of the posts and tray side walls, it will be apparent that a conventional cover 38 comprising a top 39, end walls 40 and side walls 41, may be completely and quickly and conveniently disposed in a close fit over the tray to enclose its posts and sides before shipping.

Although we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made in the details thereof and in the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A carton section composed of a unitary sheet of foldable paperboard cut, scored and erected to a wholly self-interlocked container section comprising a bottom, a pair of opposed side walls, a pair of opposed end walls and corner posts of triangular cross-section at each corner extending above said walls and each including a first panel integral with a side Wall, a second panel integral with the first extending at a right-angle thereto, and a third panel integral with the second and extending obliquely between a side and end wall terminating in a tab secured between aside wall and means integral with the latter, a flap integral with an end wall projecting thereabove between said first and third panels and lying against the second panel, said second and third panels being slotted at their jointure and in bifurcated engagement thereat With an end wall.

2. A carton blank composed of a unitary sheet of foldable paperboard cut, scored and adapted to be erected to form a wholly self-interlocked container body with integral corner posts of triangular cross-section projecting above the side walls of the container, comprising a rectangular bottom panel, a pair of opposed end wall panels hinged thereto, a pair of opposed outer side wall panels hinged thereto, the latter each including an inner side Wall panel of equal height but lesser width hinged thereto, said inner side wall panel including tongue means projecting from its free longitudinal edge receivable in slots formed in said bottom panel continguous to the hinge line of outer side wall panel, and post forming means at each end of said outer side wall panels comprising a first panel constituting the terminal end portion of an outer side wall panel severed from an inner side wall panel and extending beyond the fold line thereof, a second panel extending laterally from and hinged to the first panel and adapted to lie against an end portion of an end wall panel when erected, a third panel extending laterally from and partially hinged to and partially severed from the second panel and adapted to extend obliquely across a set-up box corner and at said line of severance to edgewise receive and embrace said end wall panel between said second and third panels, a tab projectable from an end wall into said corner above said line of severance for vertical post stabilization, and a hinged tab extending laterally from said third panel for reception between an outer side wall panel and an overfolded inner side wall panel.

3. A carton blank composed of a unitary sheet of foldable corrugated paperboard cut, scored and adapted to be erected to form a wholly self-interlocked container body with integral corner posts of triangular cross-section projecting above the side walls of the container proper, comprising a rectangular central panel, a pair of opposed outer end wall panels hinged thereto each including an inner end wall panel of equal height but lesser width hinged thereto, said inner end wall panel including tongue means projecting from its free longitudinal edge receivable in slots formed in said central panel contiguous to the hinge line of said outer end wall panel, and a pair of opposed outer side wall panels hinged to said central panel, the latter each including an inner side wall panel of equal height but lesser width hinged thereto, said inner side wall panel including tongue means projecting from its free longitudinal edge receivable in slots formed in said central panel contiguous to the hinge line of outer side wall panel, and post forming means at each end of said outer side wall panels comprising a first panel constituting the terminal end portion of said side wall panel severed from an inner side wall panel and extending beyond the fold line thereof, a second panel extending laterally from and hinged to the first panel and adapted to lie against an end portion of an outer end wall panel when erected. a third panel extending laterally from and partially hinged to and partially severed from the second panel and adapted to extend obliquely across a set-up box corner and at said line of severance to edgewise receive and embrace said outer end wall panel between said second and third panels, a tab spaced endwise of said inner end panel hinged to said outer end panel for initial folded relationship thereto and subsequent projection thereabove within the corner post, and a hinged tab extending laterally from said third panel for reception between an outer side wall panel and an overfolded inner side wall panel.

4. A carton section composed of a unitary sheet of paperboard cut, scored and folded to a wholly self-interlocked container body with integral corner posts of triangular cross-section projecting above the side walls of the container, comprising a rectangular bottom panel. a pair of opposed end wall panels and a pair of opposed outer side wall panels hinged thereto, the latter each including an inner side wall panel of equal height but lesser width hinged thereto, said inner side wall panel including tongue means projecting from its free longitudinal edge into slots formed in said bottom panel contiguous to the hinge line of outer side wall panel, and post means at each end of said outer side wall panels comprising a first panel constituting the terminal end portion of said outer side wall panel severed from an inner side wall panel and extending beyond the fold line thereof, a second panel extending laterally from and hinged to the first panel and lying against an end portion of an outer end wall panel. a third panel extending laterally from and partially hinged to and partially severed from the second panel and extending obliquely across a carton corner and at said line of severance edgewise receiving said outer end wall panel between said second and third panels, a hinged tab extending laterally from said third panel disposed between an outer side wall panel and an overfolded inner side wall panel, and a hinged tab extending from an end wall into the corner post above said line of severance providing a vertical post stabilizer.

5. A container section composed of a unitary sheet of foldable corrugated paperboard cut, scored and folded to a wholly self-interlocked tray adapted to be stacked on and to support similar trays, comprising a bottom, a pair of opposed side walls, a pair of opposed end walls and corner posts of triangular cross-section at each corner extending above said walls and each including a first panel integral with a side wall, a second panel integral with the first extending at a right-angle thereto, and a third panel integral with the second and extending obliquely between a side and end wall terminating in a tab secured between a side wall and an inturned flap integral with the latter, said second and third panels being partially slotted at their iointure and in bifurcated engagement thereat with an end wall, and a vertical stabilizer flap extending from an end wall into each corner post against the second panel and between the first and third panels above said line of severance, said first and second panels presenting smooth unbroken exterior faces and each extending to the bottom of the tray and adapted to snugly receive thereover an all-enclosing cover section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,350,932 Schaefer June 6, 1944 2,833,459 Greene May 6, 1958 2,844,293 Whitney July 22, 1958 Decision in Interferen In Interference No. 92,267 involving Patent No. Q,9-86,320,

Container, final judgment adverse to the patentees was H. G. Nicholle,

Notice of Adverse ren- and O. Huisheere,

dered'Mar. 9, 1962, as to clalms 1, 2, 4, and.

[Oficial Gaaette,April17, 1.962.]

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