US2936068A - Can holder - Google Patents

Description

May 10, 1960 E. E. MUNKACHY 2,936,068

CAN HOLDER Filed Aug. 29, 1957 (FIG. 5

\ (Heiz) m; (FeG. 3)

4 i SURFACE INVENTOR.

By ELMER E. MUNKAGHY at...) di

Ufd Sttte Pafeiif i CAN HOLDER Elmer E. Munkachy, Bay Village, Ghia `Application August 29, 1.957, Serial No. 680,943 2 Claims. (20G-46) This Y. invention relates to holding devices andA more particularly to. a support for supporting and holding a container.

As is well known to those versed in the art, it is common practice for various beverages, as well as other materials, to ,be packaged in cans, which most commonly comprise a cylindrical side wall and circular end walls secured to the side walls by beads, although in some instances the beads may not be very predominant. The above practice is particularly common in the packaging of beer and other beverages.

It is frequently desirable to leave the product in the container because it is normally cooler in that container. When this product is being used it is also common to provide coasters when the container is set upon the table.

The problem arises due to the fact that coasters are not always available and if available are not always used. Furthermore, even with a coaster the -cold container is touched by the hands which is undesirable, since it moistens the hands and alsoV since it helps to warm its contents.

By the present invention I have provided a device which is extremely cheap to manufacture and therefore may be shipped with the containers as a premium, thus making the product preferable to one not containing the device.

Briefly, the invention contemplates an open ended polygonal box-like support having provision made at one end for engagement with and supporting of the container above the surface which supports the support. Preferably the support is provided with foldable handles which may be moved outwardly and be grasped by the user and the use of which enables the support to more securely grasp the container.

Still other advantages of the invention and the invention itself will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiment thereof which is illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

|In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the support without the container, ready to receive the container;

Fig. 2 is a view of a blank from which the support is made prior to folding to form the support of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of the container in a partially folded condition;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the support and showing fragment of the bottom of thecan in position and the support resting on a surface; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a modification thereof. Y As best shown in Fig. 2, the support comprises a plurality of side walls 10, 11, 12 and 13 hingedly connected to each other at score lines 14. At one end, a tab 15 is provided which may lap over the wall I13 and be secured thereto by an adhesive, as best shown in Figs. l and 3. As can be seen from Fig. 1 this provides an open ended box-like structure of rectangular cross-section. At this time it should be pointed out that although four Walls provides a preferable construction, six or more walls are contemplated and in some instances it may be made with as few as two walls in the form of an envelope.

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Adjacent the bottom of the container there is provided slots 20 extending transversely across the walls and of a heighth preferably slightly greater than the end bead of a can. These slots are spaced from the bottom edges of the Walls and may be of various heighths above the bottom edges but preferably should be relatively close thereto but sufficiently highly spaced thereabove that, when the container is in the support, the bottom of the container will be well above the supporting surface as illustrated in Fig. 4.

Two of the wallsare preferably providedwith C- shaped cutouts 30 whichmay be pushed outwardly, as shown in Fig. l, to provide handles. The ends of the leg of the C, as shown by the dotted lines at 31, are uncut but scored so that the handles may be moved outwardly past the corner 14 and juxtaposed to each other.

The support can be made of any material such as paper, cardboard or plastic. It is desirable that the spacing of the walls, in its assembled condition, be such that the opposite walls are spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the can at the bead, thus, being of iiexible material, a can may be easily moved downward into the support the bead forcing the walls outward until it finally reaches the slots 20 at which time the walls, due to their resiliency, move inwardly and the bead is engaged in the slot, as best shown in Fig. 4, wherein the wall of the can is indicated at 35 and the bead at'36. In this position the can is supported above the surface of the table or other surface upon which the support may rest.

When the handles 30 are moved outward to a position for utilization, the grasping of the handles tends to pull the opposite Iwalls inward and to more securely engage the can.

I also contemplate that the body of the container may be made of a laminated pasteboard structure, at least on the sides l2 and 13, so that after the handles 30 are moved outward there is still a complete closure for the can. Preferably the height of the support is such that the can extends Well above the top edge of the support so that the character of the beverage contained in the can may be readily observed. The side surfaces of the support provide a space which may be decorated in any suitable manner or provided with some form of advertising.

When assembled from the blank of Fig. 2, the support may be folded to the position in Fig. 3 and thus a relatively small space for shipping purposes is utilized. I contemplate that since cans of beverages are usually sold in packages of six that such packages also be provided with six supports, enclosed with the package.

Although I have shown the bead engaging portions of the support as being slots of appreciable Width, I also contemplate that the results could be obtained if the slots were merely slits. In this instance, the upper portion 12 an 10' of the support would be forced outwardly and the bead 36 of the can would rest on the bottom wall 10" which could be reinforced if desired with a narrow band 37 of a similar material, making it slightly less resilient than the walls 10 and 12. It should be appreciated that the part 37 could be` omitted, especially if the slit 20' 4was made slightly longer than shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A support containing a can comprising a plurality of upstanding side walls of generally rectangular shape forming a box-like structure open at its upper and lower ends, said 4side walls being integrally joined together with one of said sid'e walls having a laterally projecting end edge extension overlapping the marginal end edge of the adjacent side wall and xedly secured thereto forming a band, the last mentioned side wall and the next adjacent side wall each having a handle member rigid therewith, each handle member being of U-shaped configuration and being joined only at the extremity of its legs to its corresponding side wall, the extremities of said legs of each handle member being joined to the corresponding side wall along a line spaced from the edge defined' by the juncture between the two side walls having the handles, whereby grasping of the two handles will tend to further grip the can, and each side wall having an eiongate slot formed in close proximity and parallel to its lower edge receiving the bead ofthe can therein.

2. A support containing a can comprising a plurality of upstanding side walls of generally rectangular shape forming a box-like structure open at its upper and lower ends, saidv side walls being integrally joined together with one of said side walls having a laterally projecting end edge extension overlapping the marginal end edge of the adjacent side wall and xedly secured thereto forming a band, the last mentioned side wall and the next adjacent side wall each having a handle member rigid therewith, each handle member being of U-shaped configuration and being joined only at the extremity of its legs to its correassepes v f Y edge providing portions ofsaid side walls below such slits engageable beneath the bead of the can within the support.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 45,848 Morris Jan. 10, 1865 702,776 Clement June 17, 1902 778,688 Marsh Dec. 27, 1904 1,131,579 Wallace Mar. 9, 1915 2,331,038 Mcller Oct. 5, 1943 2,335,345 Libit Nov. 30, 1943 2,378,750 Carew June 19, 1945 2,617,676v Kinney Nov. 11, 1952 2,771,236 Claif et al. Nov. 20, 1956 2,801,743 Geen Aug. 6, 1957

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