US2306328A - Container - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 22,' 1942.

M. G. BIBERTHALER CONTAINER Filed Jan. 31, 1939 8,, /7Ax 6. BABE)? TH/YLER.

(Ittomeg Patented Dec. 22, 1942 comma Max G. Biberthaler, Meriden, Conn., assignor of one-half to Wesley R. Becher, Wethersfleld,

Conn.

Application January 31, 1939, Serial No. 253,758

4 Claims.

My invention relates to containers of the knock-down type and particularly to such containers or cartons as are made from corrugated vboard which commonly consists of a corrugated sheet of paper material between two fiat sheets of a similar material.

Heretofore, cartons of this type have been produced which required the use of a strip of adhesive tape to keep them closed. In other types of such cartons, means have been provided for locking the flaps thereof in closed position. No provision, however, has heretofore been made whereby the flaps of the carton may be locked in closed position, without the use of additional sealing means, and so that they could be unlocked without damaging any part of the carton, or the sealing means, to permit re-use of the carton after it has been opened.

An object of my invention, therefore, is to provide self-locking means, for the end flaps of such cartons, whereby the said flaps may be locked in position without requiring the use of additional sealing means.

A further object of my invention is to provide a carton having improved locking means and which is formed from a blank that is 50 constructed that the same may be produced in a most economical manner through the elimination of waste in the cutting of said blank from a sheet of material.

My invention further provides other novel features and advantages which are obtained by details of construction having considerable utility and which appear more fully in the following description and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a carton blank embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating a carton formed from such blank.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, in central vertical section and on a further enlarged scale, through a portion of my improved carton showing the flaps thereof closed and in locked position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view, in elevation, and on a still further enlarged scale, illustrating a portion of the end flap of .the carton comprising my improved locking means.

Figure 5 is a front view, in elevation, of the said locking means.

Figure 6 is a plan view showing a modifiedform of a carton blank comprising my invention.

Figure 7 is a similar view showing such a blank-in a further modified form.

Figure 8 is a plan view of a blank for the end flaps used in connection with the blank shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a carton, formed from the blank illustrated in Figure 7, with one of the end flaps shown detached therefrom.

As illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing, my invention provides for a carton blank which consists of side wall portions 5, 6 and l; The

said portions 5 and 6 being provided with extensions forming flaps 8 and 9, which areadapted to be folded on the dotted lines Ill, and the portion 1 being provided with extensions forming the flaps II which are adapted to be folded on the dotted lines I2.

In order to produce the said blank in a most economical manner by reducing to a minimum the amount of waste resulting from the cutting of said blank, I provide a separate piece comprising a wall portion l3 having extensions forming the end flaps I4 which are foldable on the dotted lines I 5. The said separate piece may be joined to the remainder of the blank by means of the flaps l6 and, I1 which extend from the side wall portions 5 and 6 thereof and are secured to the said separate piece, as indicated at It, by suitable fasteners. The said flaps I 6 and II and side portions 5, 6 and 1, being foldable on dotted lines I 9, 20, 2| and 22.

Previous to folding the said blank into a carton, the same is folded over and the flap I6 is secured to the portion l3, at 23, in the same manner as the flap I! is secured by means of the fastener indicated at E8.

It will be noted that the end flaps l4 extend for the full distance across the end of the carton and that they may be provided in a blank formed from a single piece of material as illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawing. However, cutting such a blank will cause considerable waste of material for the reason that the said end flaps I 4 extend beyond the other portions of the blank and, therefore, necessitate the use of a larger sheet of material than is required to produce the blank illustrated in Figure 1 wherein a. separate piece is used to provide the end flaps H.

In addition to providing maximum economy in the production of a blank for a carton, I, by

my invention, provide means whereby the said end flaps may be locked, in position to keep the carton closed, by a simple operation and without requiring the use of additional sealing means. Furthermore, my invention provides for to remove said goods from the cartons, for inspection or for the purpose of displaying them,

. permitting a carton to be opened without destroying the locking means so that the said cardifferent position from that of the end fiaps in the blank illustrated in Figure 1. My improved locking means, however, are fully eifectlve on a,

blank of this form although the blank itself is more costlyto produce, on account of the extra waste of material, than whenthe said blank. is

. made from two pieces as the one illustrated in and then return the goods to the same carton.

My improved sealing means comprises opposed extensions 24, on the end flaps I4, having outwardly diverging opposed edges 25 terminating in notches 28 against the edge 21 of the end flaps to provide hooks 2-8 in each of said extensions. The flaps l I, which extend from the wall portion 1,

that is opposite the wall portion l3, are provided with notches or slits 29, adjacent the foldin lines l2, to receive the extension 24 therein as will now be described.

In forming the carton, as illustrated in Figure 2, the blank illustrated in Figure 1 is first folded on 5 the lines It, 20, 2| and 22 and the flap I6 is Joined,

by the fastening means It, to th side, indicated at 23, of the wall portion i3. Then the flaps H 'are first folded inwardly on the lines l2 in the thereby causing said extensions 24 to enter the carbon through the slots 29 and the hooks 28" to lock under the flaps II, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawin thus locking the said end flaps over the flaps 8, 9 and II and securely retaining the said flaps in locked p sition to prevent accidental opening of the carton.

As clearly illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, it will be 'noted that the hooks 28 extend in a cross-wise direction to the corrugations of the corrugated sheet 3| in the material from which the blank is cut. This renders the hook portions flexible in that direction and provides advantages of con: siderable utility since it permits the said hooks to compress, 'by contact with the ends 32 of the notches 29, as the extensions 24 are being forced into said notches, and then spring back towards their original shape and cause the hooks to lock under the said ends and flaps ll. Furthermore, the ends 32 of the notches are disposed parallel to the corrugations 3| to permit the blank material, at those points, to also compress, by contact with the diverging edges of the hooks 28, and then return to its normal condition and into said hooks to be retained therein.

By reason of the flexibility thus rendered to my several times without seriously efiecting the lock- In the modification illustrated in Figure '1, I 3 provide a blank which is also very economical to Produce for the reason-that the end flaps for said blank are formed as separate pieces "-15 having the extensions 24b which are foldable on thedotted lines 20-12 and are provided with hooks 2t-b. On this form of a blank, both of the wall portions l--b and "-4) are provided with flaps "-1: which are notched, as at 2L4), to receive the extensions 24-h.

1 In forming a carton from the said blank, the same is folded on.the dotted lines ll-b, 2l-b and 2I-b'and the edges of the blank are ioined by a strip of adhesive, indicated at 33. The flaps I l-b are then folded inwardly and the fiaps H and 9-1: are folded over them; thus closing the end of the carton, as clearly'illustrated in Figure 9 of the drawing. The end member "-1) is then folded, with the extensions projecting laterally' therefrom, and the said extensions are inserted through the notches "-11. The hooks 28-1) 30 will then engage under the fiaps "-1) thus locking the said end member in position, over the *other flaps, and retaining the said flaps and carton in locked P sition.

From the foregoing specification, .it will be clearly understood that I have provided a'blank improved locking means, the same maybe used ing action of the hooks with relation to the edges of the notches 29. This will permit the locking means to remain effective for securely holding the end fiaps l4 in locked position so that the carton may be re-used with all the advantages provided by said locking means.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 6, it will for a carton which can be produced with a minimum of waste and which includes-economical and efllcient locking means wherebythe said carton tions thereof which will permit re-use of the carton for the purposes above set out.

I claim: V l. A carton comprising side walls each having a flap extending inwardly on said carton with the edge thereof substantially in abutment with the edge of anopposite fiap, two of said fiaps overlying the other flaps to form at least a double layer of flaps closing an end of said carton, the underlying flaps having notches extending inwardly from the edges thereof adjacent the side walls of said carton, a separate cover having extensions at the sides thereof in alignment with, opposite edges of said end, and hook portions on said extension adapted to engage the said lower fiaps adjacent the notches therein and ,to lock said cover over the overlying flaps and thereby retain said fiaps in closing position and provide at least three layers of the material of said carton extending entirely over the'area of the ends thereof.

2. A carton comprising side walls each having a fiap extending therefrom and bent inwardly over the end of said carton, two of said flaps closing the end of said carton with their edges substantially in abutment, the other flaps also closing the end of said carton and overlying the first two fiaps with'the edges thereof substantially in abutment,

be noted that the end flaps l4 are disposed in a the lower fiaps having notches extending inwardlyfrom the side edges thereof, a separate cover having extensions at the comers thereof in alignment with opposite edges of said end and insertible in said notches, and hook portions on said extensions for engaging the said lower fiap portions adjacent the ends of said notches to retain said cover in locked position over said overlying flaps with the corners of said cover securely retained against the end of said carton.

3. A carton comprising side and end walls each having a flap extending inwardly on said carton, two of said flaps overlying the other flaps over an end of said carton, the underlying flaps having notches extending inwardly from the edges thereof adjacent the walls of said carton, a cover having extensions on the edges thereof and registering with said notches, and opposed hook portions in said extensions for engaging the surface of said underlying flaps adjacent the ends of the notches therein and thereby locking said flaps in relative position and closing said carton.

4. A carton of the character described comprising side walls each having a flap extending inwardly on said carton, two of said flaps overlying the other flaps at an end of said carton, a separate cover overlying all of said flaps, extensions on theedges of said cover adjacent corners thereof, at least one of the underlying flaps having notches extending inwardly from the edges thereof and disposed to receive said extensions, and hook portions on said extensions adapted to project beyond the ends of said notches and engage the underlying flap for retaining the upper flaps in position relative to the lower flap and closing said carton.

MAX G. BIBERTHALER.

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