US2844297A - Collapsible carton - Google Patents

Description

July 22 1958 Filed June 25, 1955 R. M. HOLMES 5 Sheets-Sheet l 64 5a 24 80 f v 72 30 '50 sag 2' 1 2e 52 68 6'2 56 42 29 66 FEEE33 1:-:: \70

FIG. :L

INVENTOR. RAY/V01? M. HOLMES BY HIS ATTORNEY July 22, 1958 R. M. HOLMES 2,844,297

COLLAPSIBLE CARTON Y Filed June 25, 1955 5 Sheets- Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. RAYIVOR M. HOLMES- "IS A T708115 Y July 22, 1958 v R. M. HCIDLMES 2,844,297

v COLLAPSIBLE CARTON I Filed June 25, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. x mam/on N. HOLMES ms ATTORNEY COLLAPSIBLE CARTON Raynor M. Holmes, Newark, N. Y., assignor to Bloomer Bros. Company, Newark, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 23, 1955, Serial No. 517,427

Claims. (Cl. 229-41) This invention relates to collapsible cartons made of fibrous material, such as cardboard, for packaging ice cream and other frozen comestibles, and the like. As a result of a recent invention which I made jointly with William H. Inman, such cartons have been provided with bottom flaps so constructed as to be automatically unfolded and extended by manipulation of the side walls. This automatic bottom construction was combined with a side opening pull flap producing a practical and useful carton which has found wide use in this field. These cartons wereso constructed that when the side opening flap was pulled and the closure wall opened to expose the contents, the top and bottom flaps were moved out of engagement so that the carton became partially unfolded for exposing the contents for removal by dipping or slicing. However, this opening movement was not entirely satisfactory for it left the carton unfit for further use.

My present invention is an improvement on the above carton, disclosed in the patent to RaynorM. Holmes and William H. Inman, No. 2,655,304. One object of the present invention is to provide an improved carton of the general character described, but so constructed as, to remain substantially intact when opened for partial removal of the contents, and thus, in condition for being reclosed for further preservation of the remaining contents.

Another object is to provide a carton having the above advantages which does not require the addition of extra flaps or members for holding the front and rear Walls of the carton in erected position when the carton is open for partial removal of the contents.

Another object is to provide a carton having the above advantages which is so constructed as to be readily manufactured, conveniently erected for filling and conveniently opened by the consumer, as described above.

Another object is to supply a carton of the above naturewhich requires lessmaterial per carton than cartons heretofore constructed.

7 A further object is to afford a carton having the above advantages in a form capable of being readily manufactured in quantity lots by known machines and at relatively low cost. v

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter, morefully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification. I

,'In the drawings: f Fig. 1 is a plan view of cardboard blank for forming the carton;

Fig. 2 is a similar View with the bottom flap portions folded over and glue applied;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the carton showing the same, erected, filled and closed;

Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 3, but shows the, carton after being opened to remove a portion of the contents;

Fig. 5 is an edge view of the blank as seen from Fig.

United States Patent 0 2,844,297 Patented July 22, 1958 ice Figs. 6 and 7 are bottom plan views of the outside of the carton in progressive positions of erection for filling, and

Figs. 8 and 9 are top plan views of the inside of the carton in progressive positions of erection for filling, corresponding to Figs. 6 and 7.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention, herein disclosed by way of illustration, is preferably made from a one-piece cardboard blank, such as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and scored to form front, side, rear and clos'urewalls 20, 22, 24 and 26, respectively, separated by parallel scored fold lines 28, 30 and 32, as shown. Closure wall 26 has a securing strip or flap 34 hingedly attached thereto along a score line 36. When the blank is glued and folded, as hereafter described, strip 34 is detachably secured to the outer surface of front wall 20 adjacent the free edge thereof.

Frontwall 20 has its outer surface cut or otherwise scored along a series of parallel lines of weakness 38 (Figs. 1 and 4) to produce a weakened surface area 40 (Figs. 1 and 4) for providing ready separation of securing strip 34 from front wall 20 While at the same time preventing peeling of the front wall during the above opening movement of the carton.

Walls 20, 22, 24 and 26 are provided with top closure flaps 42, 44, 46 and 48, respectively, which are foldably connected therewith along a score line 50. Flap 4-2 is formed with a slit 52 to receive a tongue or hook 54 on flap 46 for securing these flaps in position for closing the top of the carton. The carton is filled through the top, after which the top flaps are folded over, completing the closureof the carton.

Front and rear walls 20 and 24 carry bottom closure flaps 56 and 58 foldably connected therewith along a score line 60. These flaps are provided with score lines 62 and 64, respectively, extending diagonally thereacross and separating each of them into two portions as at 66 and 68, so that each flap may be folded on itself and folded over the side wall to which it is connected, as further described hereafter.

The outer free edge of flaps 56 and 58 have the irregular shape shown in the drawings,'including notches 70 together placing'thecarton in collapsed? condition;

and 72 respectively, for engagement with each other in the erected position of the carton. Bottom flap 56has a small outwardly projecting part or portion 74, having a purpose to be hereafter more fully described. Side wall 22 has a substantially rectangular inner bottom flap 76 foldably connected therewith along score line 60', between flaps 56 and 58. Closure wall 26 has an inner bottom flap 78' foldably connected therewith along line 60.

Rear wall 24 is-preferably provided with a score line 80 which extends substantially diagonally across the wall as shown in Fig. 1. Score line 80 extends diagonally from that corner of the rear wall which is adjacent the point of intersection of the rear wall with closure wall 25 and top locking flap 36. This may be described as the upper top corner of the rear wall. Score line 80 extends from the above corner of the rear wall to the opposite or lower bottom corner, as can be best seen in Fig. 4.

In the folding and the gluing of the blank, as shown in Fig. 2, bottom flap 56 is folded on itself and folded inwardly over front wall 20. 'Flap 76 is folded over side wall 22. Flap 58 is folded on itself and folded in- Wardly over rear wall 24 and flap 78 is folded over closure wall 26. In this position of the parts, glue is applied to a restricted area 82 of flap 56 and to a similar restricted area 84 of flap 58. Glue is likewise applied in a narrow band 86 on securing strip 34 adjacent its line of fold 36 leaving an unglued outer portion8'8 to provide a free pull tab which is preferably extended as at 90, Fig-.2.

In the further folding and gluing of the blank, front over side Wall 22 and its inwardly folded flap 76. Closure wall 26 with its inwardly folded flap 78 is then folded over rear wall 24 and its inwardly folded bottom flap 58 and securing strip 34 is simultaneously pressed down over and glued to the weakened area 40 of front wall 20, thus completing the folding and gluing of the carton. At this point, the carton is in compact, collapsed condition as shown in Fig. 5 and is ready for storage and shipment to the ice cream dispensers.

When it is desired to erect the carton for filling, this is quickly accomplished by inward pressure against the opposite edges 28 and 32 which serves to distend the walls in the progressive manner shown in Figs. 6 and 7, as viewed from the outside of the bottom of the carton, and in Figs. 8 and 9 as viewed through the open top of the carton. The separation of front wall 26 from side Wall 22 tends to pull the inwardly folded flap 56 and the inner bottom flap 76 to erected position, while the separation of closure wall 26 and rear wall 24 pulls inwardly folded flap 58 and inner bottom flap 78 to erected position. Projection 74 on the inner portion of flap 56 guides flap 56 over the outer surface of flap 78, thereby initiating the proper movement of the bottom flaps towards erected position in the correct sequence. As the carton continues toward erected position, the inner portion of flap 56 rides along the outer surface of flap 78 and then passes beneath the outer portion of opposite flap 58. During this latter movement, the inner portion of flap 58 passes beneath the outer portion of flap 56. As a result, the opposing edges of flaps 56 and 58 slide along the outer surfaces of the opposite inner bottom flaps until flaps 56 and 58 come into engagement, as shown in Fig. 3, with notches 7t and 72 interengaging. Such engagement of the notches tends to limit the erecting movement of flaps 56 and 58 with these flaps in a position normal to the walls of the carton. The erecting movement of the flaps is further limited by the engagement of inner bottom flap 76 with the inside of flaps 56 and 58 along the bottom corners of the carton.

Thus, the bottom flaps are quickly snapped to their erected position by merely pressing on the opposite corners of the carton, as described above, leaving the top closure flaps in open position to receive the contents. The carton, resting on its bottom, is then filled and the top closed by folding flaps 44 and 48 down across the filling opening, after which flap 42 is folded down followed by flap 46, the tongue 54 of which is engaged in slit 52 of flap 42 to secure the closure of the top or filling opening. It will be noted that tongue 54 is on the flap of the rear wall to which the closure wall is attached, and is pointed in the direction of the closure wall so that an opening pull of the latter serves to keep the tongue engaged in slit 52 and to maintain that end of the carton closed. The carton is now in the condition shown in Fig. 3 and is ready for delivery to the consumer.

To open the carton, it is only necessary to grasp and pull the unglued flap area 88 or extension 90 of securing strip 34. For this purpose, tab or extension 90 may be readily bent relative to securing strip 34 along diagonal fold line 92. The opening of closure wall 26 i made easier by the provision of weakened area 40 on the upper free edge of front wall 20. This weakened area which is defined by slits 38 not only makes it easier to direct the detachable connection securing strip 34 and front wall 20, but it also prevents undesired surface peeling of either the front wall or securing strip.

As pointed out above, locking tongue 54 is so positioned that the opening action of closure wall 26 tends to draw the tongue into tighter engagement with slit 52, thereby securely locking top flaps 42 and 46 in closed position and maintaining the front and rear walls of the carton in erected position at the top end of the carton. However, it will be seen that the above retention of back wall 24 in erected position would prevent closure Wall 26 from moving from its closed position shown in Fig. 3 to its open position shown in Fig. 4. That is, as bottom flap 58 which is attached to the rear wall, is glued to bottom flap 78, attached to closure wall 26, it can be seen that closure wall 26 and back wall 24 must move as a unit, and closure wall 26 cannot be opened Without tearing the carton, unless rear wall 24 moves from its erected position to its position shown in Fig. 4. Thus, closure wall 26 is also held in its above erected position by the locking action of top flap 42 and 46. Therefore, it can be seen that if it were not for the provision of score line on rear wall 24, the above carton could not be opened without tearing same.

Score line 80 extends diagonally across the rear wall, as shown in Fig. 4, and allows the rear wall to fold backwardly on itself in response to the opening of closure wall 26. That is, although fiaps 42 and 46 are interlocked and flap 46 is on rear Wall 24, score line 8%) allows the triangular portion of rear wall 24 below it and above score line 30 to remain in erected position, while allowing the triangular portion of wall 24 above it and below score line 32 to be moved 'backwardly to its open position in response to the opening action of closure wall 26, as shown in Fig. 4. As score line 80 extends diagonally from the upper top corner wall 24 to the lower bottom corner thereof, this movement of that portion of wall 24 above score line 81? allows bottom flaps 58 and 78 to move out of engagement with bottom flaps 56 and 76, as is necessary to open the carton. It will be seen that the movement of the portion of rear wall 24 above score line 80 to its open position does not affect the remaining portion of the rear wall so that the carton may be opened with flaps 42 and 46 in locking engagement and with the upper end of rear wall 24 remaining in erected position, substantially parallel to front wall 20.

Thus, it will be seen that due to the bending of rear wall 24 upon itself, along fold line 80, my carton may.

be conveniently opened without disengaging the top flaps and without tearing the carton. As closure wall 26 is opened, it moves upper flap 48 and lower flaps 78 and 58 to their open positions shown in Fig. 4. This movement of upper flap 48 is aided by the fact that it is outside of large top flap 44, and thus, is prevented by flap 44 from contacting and adhering to the contents of the carton. Similarly the movement of bottom flaps 58 and 78 is aided by the fact that both flaps lie outside of large bottom flap 76 and are, therefore, prevented by flap 76 from contacting and adhering to the contents of the carton.

With the carton in the position shown in Fig. 4, the contents may be readily removed by scooping or dipping. When in this position the carton may be readily reclosed for replacing under refrigeration to preserve the residue of the contents for later consumption. This is done by merely guiding flap 48 into position outside of top flap 44 and swinging closure wall 26 downwardly while guiding bottom flap 78 inside of, and bottom flap 58 outside of, bottom flap 56, to return to bottom closure to its position shown in Fig. 3. While securing flap 34 may be tucked inside of the free edge of front wall 20 during the above temporary reclosing of the carton, this is not necessary, for the carton may be effectively closed by the procedure outlined above while leaving securing flap 34 outside of front wall 20. If this latter procedure for closing the carton is followed, securing strip 34 is kept out of contact with the contents of the carton and preserves a clean portion which may be grasped to reopen the carton without soiling the fingers.

Thus it will be seen from the above description that my invention provides a carton which may be readily and economically manufactured with the usual materials and by known methods and standard machines, in compact, collapsed condition for storage or shipment to food dispensers. The latter may erect the carton by merely pressing on its opposite corners to erect its automatic bottom.

Thereafter, the carton may be easily filled at the top and closed in the usual manner until ready for delivery to thejconsumer. The consumer can easily open the carton to remove a portion of its contents by pulling on pull tab 34 'so as to raise the closure wall to open position in which the contents are exposed for dipping out to the extent desired. Thereafter, the carton may be readily closedto preserve the remaining contents by closing and securing the closure wall, as described, the pull tab being conveniently disposed on the outside of the front wall to provide means for further opening of the cover without soiling the, fingers. The opening of closure 26 and dipping of the ice cream from the side of the cartonthus exposed, instead of dipping the cream from the top of the carton, has the advantage of avoiding contact of the hands and sleeveswith the cream remaining on the upstanding top closure flaps. Furthermore, opening of a side of the carton .exposes a larger area of the contents for dipping strokes [of more convenient length and such dipping strokesreduce the tendency to pack the cream and press out the over-run as compared with the downward insertion of a spoon through the cartontop, thus leaving the cream in a more palatable condition, these advantages being additional to the improved access for slicing.

In addition, it will be seen that my invention provides a carton having the above advantages in which the front and rear walls are held in erected position at the upper end of the carton when the same is opened, without the .aid of special bridging members or extra flap members connecting'the front and rear walls, as has been the case inthe past; As a result, my carton does not require any more stock'materialthan the above patented carton and may be readily and economically manufactured from the usual material and by known methods and standard machinery.

It will thus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects and while it has been herein disclosed by reference to the details of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that such disclosure is intended in an illustrative, rather than a limiting sense, as it is contemplated that various modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts will readily occur to those skilled in the art, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible carton having a self-erecting bottom comprising a one-piece blank cut, scored and folded to form foldably connected front, rear, side and closure walls, a detachable connection between said closure wall and the free edge of said front wall, top and bottom closure flaps foldably connected with said walls at the opposite ends thereof, said bottom flaps being arranged in pairs of opposed inner and outer flaps, each of said outer flaps being secured to the adjacent inner flap for forming the bottom of the carton in'two sections, each of said outer flaps being formed with a fold line and foldable inwardly about said fold line together with the associated one of said inner flaps upon relative lateral shifting of said walls to collapsed position, said bottom closure flaps being moved to erected closed position normal to said walls by erecting movement of said walls, and locking means on said top closure flaps for locking said top flaps in closed position in the erected position of the carton, said rear wall being formed with a score line extending thereacross, said detachable connection being adapted to be broken for moving said closure wall to open position, and said rear wall folding backwardly along said score line for allowing said closure wall to move to said open position and for allowing one of said bottom sections to move out of engagement withthe other said bottom sections for partially unfolding said carton and exposing the contents thereof.

2. A collapsible carton having a self-erecting bottom comprising a one-piece blank, cut, scored and folded to form foldably connected front, rear, side and closure walls, a detachable connection between said .closure wall and the free edge of said front wall, top and bottom closure flaps foldably connected with said walls at the'opposite ends thereof, said bottom flaps being arranged in pairs of opposed innerand outer flaps, each of said outer flaps being secured to the adjacent inner flap for forming the bottom of the carton in two sections, each of said outer flaps being formed with a fold line and being foldable inwardly about said fold line together with the associated one of said inner flaps upon relative lateral shifting of said walls to collapsed position, said bottom closure.

flaps being moved to erected closed position normal to said walls by erecting movement of said walls, and locking means on said top closure flaps for locking said top flaps in closed position insthe erected position of the carton, said rear wall being formed with a score line extending thereacross for dividing the same into upper and lower portions, said lower portion beingconnected with said side wall and connected with one of the top flaps having locking means thereon, said upper portion being connectedwith one of said bottom sections .and with said closure wall, said detachable connection being adapted to be broken for moving said closure wall to open position, the upper portion of said rearwall folding backwardly along said score line for allowingsaid closure wall to move to said open position and. for allowing one of said bottom sections to move out of engagement with the other said bottom sections for partially unfolding said carton and exposing the contents thereof, said top flap locking means remaining in locked position for connecting said front wall and said lower portion of said rear wall and maintaining the same in erected position adjacent the top of the carton as said closure wall is opened.

3. A collapsible carton having a self-erecting bottom comprising a one-piece blank cut, scored and folded to form foldably connected front, rear, side and closure walls, a detachable connection between said closure wall and the free edge of said front wall, top and bottom closure flaps foldably connected with said walls at the opposite ends thereof, said bottom flaps being arranged in pairs of opposed inner and outer flaps, each of said outer flaps being secured to the adjacent inner flap for forming the bottom of the carton in two sections, each of said outer flaps being formed with a fold line and foldable inwardly about said fold line together with the associated one of said inner flaps upon relative lateral shifting of said walls to collapsed position, said bottom closure flaps being moved to erected closed position normal to said walls by erecting movement of said walls, and locking means on said top closure flaps for locking said top flaps in closed position in the erected position of the carton, said rear wall being formed with a score line extending substantially diagonally thereacross, said detachable connection being adapted to be broken for moving said closure wall to open position, and said rear wall folding backwardly along said diagonal score line for allowing said closure wall to move to said open position and for allowing one of said bottom sections to move out of engagement with the other said bottom sections for partially unfolding said carton and exposing the contents thereof.

4. A collapsible carton having a self-erecting bottom comprising a one-piece blank cut, scored and folded to form foldably connected front, rear, side and closure walls, a detachable connection between said closure wall and the free edge of said front wall, top and bottom closure flaps foldably connected with said walls at the opposite ends thereof, said bottom flaps being arranged in pairs of opposed inner and outer flaps, each of said outer flaps being secured to the adjacent inner flap for forming the bottom of the carton in two sections, each of said outer flaps being formed with a fold line and foldable inwardly about said fold line together with the associated one of said inner flaps upon relative lateral shifting of said walls to collapsed position, said bottom closure flaps being moved to erected closed position normal to said walls by erecting movement of said walls, and locking means on said top closure flaps for locking said top flaps in closed position in the erected position of the carton, said rear wall being formed with a score line extending substantially diagonally thereacross, said detachable con nection being adapted to be broken for moving said closure wall to open position, said rear wall folding backwardly along said diagonal score line for allowing said closure wall to move to said open position and for allowing one of said bottom sections to move out of engagement with the other of said bottom sections for partially unfolding said carton and exposing the contents thereof, and said locking means on said top flaps remain-,

ing in locked position as said closure wall is opened for connecting and maintaining said front and rear walls in erected position adjacent the upper end of the carton.

5. A collapsible carton having a self-erecting bottom comprising a one-piece blank, cut, scored and folded to form foldably connected front, rear, side and closure walls, a detachable connection between said closure wall and the free edge of said front wall, top and bottom closure flaps foldably connected with said walls at the opposite ends thereof, said bottom flaps being arranged in pairs of opposed inner and outer flaps, each of said outer flaps being secured to the adjacent inner flap for forming the bottom of the carton in two sections, each of said outer flaps being formed with a fold line and being foldable inwardly about said fold line together with the associated one of said inner flaps upon relative lateral shifting of said walls to collapsed position, said bottom closure flaps being moved to erected closed position normal to said walls by erecting movement of said walls, and locking means on said top closure flapsfor' locking said top flaps in closed position in the erected position of the carton, said rear wall being formed with a score line extending substantially from the upper top corner thereof diagonally across said wall for dividing the same into upper and lower portions, said lower portion being connected with said side wall and connected with one of the top flaps having locking meansthereon, said upper portion being connected with one of said bottom sections and with said closure wall, said detachable connection being adapted to be broken for moving said closure wall to open position, the upper portion of said rear wall folding backwardly along said diagonal score line for allowing said closure wall to move to said open position and for allowing one of said bottom sections to move out of engagement with the other of said bottom sections for partially unfolding said carton and exposing the contents thereof, and said top flap locking means remaining in locked position for connecting said front wall and said lower portion of said rear wall and maintaining the same in erected position as said closure wall is opened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,054,530 Goodyear Feb. 25, 1913 1,652,844 Van Wormer Dec. 13, 1927 1,992,222 La Grua Feb. 26, 1935 2,598,627 Weiss May 27, 1952 2,655,304 Inman et al Oct. 13. 1953 Inman Aug. 17, 1954

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