US2987236A - Corrugated container - Google Patents

Description

June 6, 1961 P. c. sTRlNE 2,987,236

CORRUGATED CONTAINER Filed June 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 6, 1961 P. c. sTRlNE 2,987,236

coRRUGATED CONTAINER Filed June 5, 195s 2 sheets-sheet 2 HQE/17 F163 I 5' 23d I PM# f 75:11h, www f y United States Patent() 2,987,236 CORRUGATED CONTAINER Philip C. Strine, Chatham, NJ., assignor to International Paper Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 5, 1959, Ser. No. 818,370 8 Claims. (Cl. 229-34) This invention relates to boxes and more particularly to a paperboard box construction especially well suited for packaging such articles as perishable foods requiring refrigeration.

Considerable diiculty has hitherto been encountered in providing a container susceptible of high speed, manufacture and handling and which is suitable for use in packaging such articles as perishable foods together with a refrigerant such as ice. While wood boxes embody to a desired degree the ability to withstand wetting and are characterized by a high degree of wet-strength, they are relatively costly to produce and handle because of, among other reasons, the diiculty of providing high speed machinery for automatically forming and erecting them. Paperboard boxes are highly desirable when the required blanks may be readily formed by high speed machinery and may be shipped liat to conserve space. These blanks are readily erected at the point of use either manually or by means of high speed box machinery. However, boxes hitherto made from paper stock with which I am familiar have not proven to be entirely satisfactory. One drawback has resided in the failure of such paperboard boxes to have a suiiiciently strong corner construction so as to be able to resist tearing when Wet to the degree required by many uses. Another drawback of conventional paperboard boxes resides in the inability of the side and end walls to support any substantial load when wet.

In accordance with an important feature of the present invention a box is fabricated from paper stock in such a way as to be readily adapted for production and erection by high speed mass production machinery while at the same time incorporating a substantially reinforced corner construction as well as substantially improved strength to support loads. Important advantages are achieved in accordance with the present invention by forming the end panels and aps of the box blank so that when the box is erected therefrom the end Wall and flap construction is such as to provide at least two thicknesses of the paperboard around the corner formed so as to join with and reinforce the adjacent end portion of the side wall of the boxes. The arrangement is such as to provide substantially improved strength to resist tearing and to support greater loads even when wet. In accordance with a further important feature of the invention, the end Wall is formed so as to provide a pocket for the insertion of a rigidifying member substantially coextensive with the end wall for providing such strength in the `end walls of the box that it is capable of supporting substantially the same vertical load as a box made entirely of such rigid material as wood.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved box fabricated from paper stock which may incorporate wood rigidifying members, which lends itself to manufacture by high speed, mass production methods and which is especially well suited for packing such articles as perishable foods together with ice.

Further features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a blank fabricated in accordance with the present invention;

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FIGURE 2 is a topvplan View of a box erected from the blank shown in FIGURE 1 and constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are sectional views taken respectively through the lines 3 3 and 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 are plan views showing successive intermediate steps in the erection of the box; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary elevational view showing one bottom corner of the erected box.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a blank 10 is formed by conventional methods from paper stock which preferably is well known corrugated paperboard having a corrugated medium 11 sandwiched between inner and outer sheets of paperboard. The blank 10 is formed with four slots 12 and fold lines 13, -14 which define side panels 15 and end panels 16. If desired, the paper from which the blank 10 is formed may be pretreated in a well known manner by impregnating or otherwise applying waterproong, Wet-strengthening or moisture-resistant compositions as is Well known in the art.

Each of the end panels 16 is formed with two closely spaced fold lines 17, 17a extending across the blank 10 and terminating at slots 18. The fold lines 17, 17a divide each of the end panels 16 into what, in the erected box, become outer and inner end wall portions 16a, 16b. Fold lines 20, 20a, 2Gb are formed transversely to fold lines 17, 17a across each of the end panels 16, lengthwise to the blank 10 and define aps 21 connected to the ends of the end panels 16. As shown in FIGURE 1, the - fold lines 20 and 20a are somewhat offset from each other and from the fold lines 13 to facilitate formation of the box. The diagonal fold lines 2Gb connect them together. The flaps 21 are each divided by a slot 18 and a bridging portion 21a between the fold lines 17, 17a into what, in the erected box, become an outer flap 22 and an inner ap 23. Each of the inner iiaps 23 is divided into flap portions 23a and 23h by a fold line 24 which extends from the inner end of the slot 18 and substantialy normal to the fold lines 17, 17a.

In erecting the box 10, the inner aps 23 are folded along the lines 24 with the portions 23a over the portions 23b as shown in FIGURE 5. A rigidifying member 26 such as a Wood board or other suitable material which has been precut to t between the fold lines 14, 17a and 20 is positioned on each of the end wall portions 16a. Then the parts are folded along the fold lines 17, 17a so that the inner end wall portion 16b overlies the outer end wall portion 16a forming a pocket 30 in which the member 26 is enclosed between them and with the folded portions 23a, 23h of the inner flaps 23 overlying the outer flaps 22 as shown in FIGURE 6.

Then the superimposed inner and outer aps 23, 22 are folded up substantially perpendicular to the end walls 16V as shown in FIGURE 7, and at the same time, the side walls `15 are folded up along the fold lines 13 perpendicular to the bottom 19. Now, the two end walls 16 are folded up along the fold lines 14 and at the same time the ends of the side walls 15 are guided into a space 25 between the inner flap portions 23a and the outer iiaps 22 so that the box is now substantially erected as seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. The box is conveniently secured in erected condition by fastening the outer flaps 22 to the side walls 15 with stitching staples S seen in FIGURE 2 and from inside the box in FIGURE 3.

As shown most clearly in FIGURE 1, the erection of the box 10 may be facilitated by the formation of small diameter holes 28 at each of the corners of the box formed at the convergence of fold lines 13 and 14 with each of the slots 12. These may also act as drain holes for melted ice Water. side walls 15 may be cut away as indicated at 27 in FIG- URES 1 and 6 to provide clearance for the bridging por- The upper end edge portions of thev anexas@ 3 tionszla. Any'suitable'cover may be utilized when one is required.

In order to take advantage of the directional strength of corrugated paperboard, the blank is formed so that the corrugations extend lengthwise of the blank Yas viewed in FIGURE l. Thus, when the side walls '15 are erected and the box is viewed as in FIGURES 3 and 4, the cor- 'rugations inthe side walls and bottom extend horizontally so as to provide a maximum degree of lateral strength and resistance to lateral bending, while the corrugations in the end wall and end reinforcing portions 16, 21 extend vertically to withstand the weight of filled and stacked boxes. lf desired the bottom of the box may be reinforced by means of wood slats 29 which extend along the outer surface of the bottom 19. These wood slats may be readily affixed by means of glue which is preferably waterproof.

The unique nap and double end' wall construction of box 1t? insures a unique degree of strength in the 'box to resist rupture at the corners and to support a vertical load. When such boxes are packed with perishable food together with ice and then are stacked one on top of another to form a relatively high tier in a warehouse or a delivery van, a substantial weight is placed upon the vertical' walls of the lower boxes. Even in the absence of wood board rigidifying members 26 in the end wall pockets, the construction of box is such that it has a greatly enhanced degree of strength even when subjected to the adverse elect of the moisture formed when the ice melts. When the wood board members 26 are in place in the end wall pockets, as is preferred, the Ystrength of the box to support vertical loads compares well with that of wood boxes while at the same time the drawbacks which normally attend the use of wood boxes are avoided.

The box is economical to produce because, as seen in FIGURE l, the blank is substantiallyrectilinear in shape so that full use is made of the paperboard stock with very little trimming and Waste.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that Various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A paperboard box, comprising a bottom member, a pair of side wall members joined with said bottom member along fold lines on opposite sides of said bottom member, a pair of end walls joined with said bottom member along fold lines extending along the opposite ends of said bottom member, each of said end walls being doubled over upon itself along va fold line extending therealong substantially parallel with the end of said bottom thereby forming inner and outer end wall portions, said inner and outerend wall portionsrespectively merging at each end thereof into mutually juxtaposed inner and outer flaps extending substantially normal to said end wall portions, a bridging portion uniting the inner and outer naps formed at each end of each of said end walls, the juxtaposed inner and outer aps extending in substantially parallel spaced relation with an end portion of one of said side Walls extending therebetween and with said bridging portion extending across the edge of said side wall remote from said bottom member.

2. A paperboard box, comprising a bottom member, a pair of side wall members joined withsaid bottom member along fold lines on opposite sides Yof said bottom member, a pair of end walls joined with said bottom member along fold lines extending along theopposite ends `of said bottom member, each of said end walls being doubled over upon itself along afold line extending therealong substantially parallelwith the end of said bottom lthereby 4forming inner and outer end wall portions, said inner andouter end wall portions respectively merging at each end thereof into mutually juxtaposed inner and outer iaps extending Ysubstantially normal to said end wall portions, bridging portions extending substantially normal to said end wall portions and each integrally uniting the juxtaposed inner and outer aps, said inner aps each being folded back along itself so that the juxtaposed outer ap extends therebeyond, and the inner and outer iaps formed at each end of each of said end Walls extending in substantially parallel spaced relation with an end portion of one of said side Walls extending therebetween and with the associated bridging portion extending across the edge of the side wall remote from said bottom member.

3. A paperboard box, comprising a bottom member, a pair of side wall members joined withsaid bottom member along fold lines on opposite sides of said bottom member, a pair of end walls joined with said bottom member along fold lines extending along the opposite ends of said bottom member, each of said end walls being doubled over upon itself along a fold line extending therealong substantially parallel with the end of said bottom thereby forming inner and outer end lWall portions, Said inner and outer end wall portions respectively merging at each end thereof into mutually juxtaposed inner and outer naps extending substantially normal to said end wall portions, bridging portions extending substantially normal to said end wall portions and each integrally uniting the juxtaposed inner and outer aps, said inner flaps each being folded back along itself so that the juxtaposed outer nap extends therebeyond, the inner and outer flaps formed at each endVof each of said end walls extending in substantially parallel spaced relation with an end portion of one of said side walls extending therebetween Vand with the associated bridging portion extending across the edge of the side Wall remote from said bottom member, and fastening means securing each of said outer aps with the end portion of the side wall juxtaposed thereto.

4. A paperboard box, comprising a one-piece paper member forming integrally united bottom, side and end wall members with the side and end Wall members extending substantially normal to each other and to said bottom member, each of said end wall members having spaced parallel fold lines around which it is folded inwardly back upon itself thereby forming substantially coextensive inner and outer end wall portions extending in substantially parallel spaced relation and forming a pocket therebetween, a rigidifying member extending in said pocket, said inner and outer end wall portions respectively merging at each end thereof into mutually juxtaposed inner and outer aps extending substantially normal to said end wall portions, said inner aps each being folded back along itself so that the juxtaposed outer ap extends therebeyond, and the inner and outer naps formed at each end of each of said end walls extending in substantially parallel spaced relation with an end portion of one of said side walls extending therebetween.

5. A paperboard box, comprising a one-piece paper member forming integrally united bottom, side and end wall members with the side and end Wall members extending substantially normal to each other and to said bottom member, each of said end wall members having spaced parallel fold lines around which it is folded inwardly back upon itself thereby forming substantially coextensive inner and outer end wall portions, extending in substantially parallel spaced relation and forming a pocket therebetween, a rigidifying member extending in said pocket, said inner and outer end Wallportions respectively merging at each end thereof into mutually juxtaposed inner and outer flaps extending substantially normal to said end wall portions, said inner naps each being folded back along itself so that the juxtaposed outer ap extends therebeyond, the inner and outer naps formed at each end of each of said end walls extending in substantially parallel spaced relation with an end portion of one of said side walls extending therebetween, and fastening means extending through each of said outer aps and the end portion of the side wall juxtaposed thereto.

6. A paperboard box, comprising a one-piece paper member forming integrally united rectilinear bottom, side and end wall members with the side and end wall members extending substantially normal to each other and to said bottom member, each of said end wall members having spaced parallel fold lines around which it is folded inwardly back upon itself thereby forming substantially coextensive inner and outer end wall portions extending in substantially parallel spaced relation and forming a pocket therebetween, a rigidifying member extending in said pocket, said inner and outer end wall portions respectively merging at each end thereof into mutually juxtaposed inner and outer flaps extending substantially normal to said end wall portions, said inner flaps each being folded back along itself so that the juxtaposed outer ap extends therebeyond, the inner and outer naps formed at each end of each of said end walls extending in substantially parallel spaced relation with an end portion of one of said side walls extending therebetween, mutually adjacent corners of said bottom, side and end wall members and said outer aps being cut away to form an opening through each of the bottom corners of said box,

and fastening means extending through each of said outer flaps and the end portion of the side wall juxtaposed thereto.

7. A blank for a paperboard box comprising a bottom, sides, and ends, the sides being dened by fold lines lengthwise of the blank, the ends being defined by fold lines and slots crosswise of the blank, the ends being divided into inner and outer end portions by additional fold lines crosswise of the blank, the inner and outer end portions having corresponding inner and outer aps delined essentially by extensions of said lengthwise fold lines, corresponding inner and outer flaps being united by a bridging portion dened by the end portions of said additional fold lines, the flaps being foldable into engagement with portions of the sides with said side portions positioned between said aps and with said bridging portions extending about the edges of said side portions.

8. A blank for a paperboard box, said blank being substantially rectilinear in shape and comprising a bottom, sides and ends, the sides being defined by fold lines lengthwise of the blank, the ends being deiined by fold lines and slots across the blank, the ends being divided into inner and outer end portions by additional fold lines crosswise of the blank, said additional crosswise fold lines being in pairs, the fold lines of each pair being spaced to provide a pocket for accommodating a rigid member between the folded inner and outer end portions, the inner and outer end portions having inner and outer flaps dened essentially by extensions of said lengthwise fold lines, corresponding inner and outer iiaps being united by a bridging portion deiined by the end portions of said additional fold lines, the flaps being foldable into engagement with portions of the sides with said side portions extending between said flaps and with said bridging portions extending about the edges of said side portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,136,184 Fellowes NOV. 8, 1938 2,143,308 Flach Ian. 10, 1939 2,864,545 Royce Dec. 16, 1958

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