US3058585A - Carton for geraniums and the like - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 16, 1962 L. J. BUDD CARTON FOR GERANIUMS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 24, 1960 INVENTOR neef/M5000 BY 7/ WK @QQ- f ATTO EYS L. J. BUDD 3,058,585

Oct. 16, 1962 CARTON FOR GERANIUMS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 24, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 frgr if r i? y n f k if zo; if h J7 l .m is s 8 EIQA 111/ ml" 1L@ m 3,058,585 CARTQN FOR GERANIUMS AND THE UKE Larry J. Budd, Chicago, 1li., assigner to Pallet Devices Inc., Des Plaines, lil., a corporation of illinois Filed Aug. 24, 1960, Ser. No. 51,739 1 Claim. (El. 20E-65) The present invention relates generally to a container and more particularly to a container for the storage of articles, such as plants. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a new container for the storage of geraniums.

Many gardeners after the summer season is over, desire to preserve the geraniums they have had in their gardens during the preceding growing season. In the past, many gardeners have attempted to preserve their geraniums over the winter season by hanging them over the water pipes and the like in the basement of their homes. This system of storing geraniums has not been satisfactory for the geraniums frequently fall to the floor after the root structure has become dried out since the balance of the geranium on the pipe is thereby upset. Also, where the geraniums are stored on the water pipes, the geraniums are frequently dried out in such a severe way that they do not come to life when they are replanted the following growing season.

According to the present invention, a new type of container has been developed for the storage of plants such as geraniums over a non-growing season.

A very important object of the present invention is to provide an economical device for storing a plurality of geraniums over a non-growing season.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved system for storing geraniums and the like which system tends to protect the geraniums from damage and from becoming dried out so that they will grow again upon being planted the following growing season.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a geranium storage device which is of a type that permit the geraniums to be readily inserted and removed from the device comprising the container.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a low cost container for the storage of geraniums which may be economically manufactured on a large production basis.

According to the general features of the present invention there is provided a container for storing a plurality of geraniums and the like. The container has fiberboard side panels and end closure flaps. The end closure aps at each end of the container are engageable together to close the ends of the container. Clips are retainingly attached to the side panels and each include a supporting clip extension projecting into the interior of the container. A platform is provided for supporting the geraniums and it has a peripheral dimension slightly smaller than an internal transverse dimension of the container and which platform is supported in the container by said clip extensions. The platform has a series of peripherally spaced notched platform areas extending inwardly from the peripheral platform edge enabling the geraniums to be extended longitudinally of the platform and supported in the spaced notched platform areas on the platform.

Other objects and features of the present invention will more fully become apparent in view of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanging drawings, illustrating a single embodiment and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a carton for storing plants such as geraniums;

States Patent FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional View taken substantially on the line II-ll looking in the direction of the arrows, as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a clip for supporting a platform;

FIGURE 4 is a view of a plan view of a carton blank; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a platform for disposition in the carton.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 in FIGURE l indicates generally a container for storing plants and the like. The container may be made from any suitable materials such as a paperboard or a cardboard material, and the like. The term iiberboard as herein used, constitutes a generic term of reference and is intended to connote the entire class of materials commonly used in the production of cartons including paper, and fibrous or iberboard materials.

In accordance with the present invention, a series of clips 11 are mounted on the container and a platform A12 is supported Within the container on the clips. A series of geraniums 13 are mounted on the platform and extend longitudinally of the platform so that portions of the geraniums are disposed on opposite sides of the platform with the geraniums being supported by the platform within the container.

The container comprises a single sheet of material including side panels y1li-'17, inclusive, and a sidepanel closure flap 18. It will be noted that the side panels 14-1'7 and the side panel end closure flap are separated from one another by a series of score lines Ztl-23, inclusive, and the side panels may be folded into rectangular form along these score lines. The side panelend closure flap 18 is secured by suitable means such as rivets 19 to theside panel 14 so that the side panels may be secured together in a folded position.

Secured to the side panels vlei-17, inclusive, are a series of end closure iiaps 24-31, inclusive. It will be noted each side panel has end closure aps secured at its opposite ends. The end closure aps are separated from the side panels by a series of score lines 24-39, inclusive, and the end closure flaps may be folded relative to the side panels along these score lines.

The end closure flaps each has a centrally located closure flap notched area and it will be noted that the closure ilap notched areas on the end closure flaps are identified at 40-47, inclusive. Since the end closure flaps are all identical, a description of a pair of them will suliice for the remainder. In this regard, it will be noted the end closure flap 2.4 has a particularly shaped closure flared notched area 40 which includes an outer ilared or lead-in closure apedge area 43 and a bottom slit portion 49. The other end closure flaps also have lead-in closure flap edge areas and notched portions. Theend closure flaps 24 and 26 are provided withflap portions 24a, 26a and 24b, 26b which are disposed on opposite sides of the closure ap notchedareas 40 and 42. Now when the container is to be closed, the end closure flaps 24 and 26 are engaged together. This end may be attained by engaging the notched area 40 with thenotched area 42 in such a way that the flap portions 24a and 2Gb are disposed in lapped relation and theflap portions 24h and 26a are disposed in lapped relations. In other words, theflap portions 24a, 26a and *Z4-b, 26!) on each side of the flap notched areas are disposed in lapped relation with one another. The flap portion 24a on theflap 24 may be disposed on top of the flap portion Zb on the confrontingflap 26 and another llap portion 24h is then disposed underneath theflap portion 26a on the confronting iiap Z6. Corresponding flap portions on theend closure aps 25 and 27 may be engaged together in the same Way as the zflap portions on thetiaps 24 and 26. The end closure flaps on the opposite end of the box are also adapted to be secured together in the same Way as described above.

The berboard side panels have a series of side panel notched areas 50-57, inclusive, with each side panel being .suitably provided with a pair of side panel notched areas. 'The clips 111 are each provided with a loopedportion 11a and an extension 11b. The loopedportions 11a of the clips are adapted to be engaged through the side panel notched areas 50i-S7 in snug engagement with the opposite faces of the side panels to which it is being attached. The clip extension 11b is disposed interiorly of the conltainer and extends generally at right angles to the side panel on which it is carried. These clips provide the means for suspending theplatform 12 Within the container 10.

The platform has a series of platform notched areas 58-67, inclusive, which are disposed about its peripheral edge. The platform notched areas each include a platform flared edge area such as indicated at 68 to enable the stem of a geranium to be readily guided into the lnotch defined by the notched area S8. The platform notched area also each include an enlarged notched portion such as is indicated at 69 to permit the stems of the `geranium to be loosely carried on the platform so they will be less susceptible to being damaged when the platform is loaded and unloaded relative to the container end, or when the loaded container is being transported.

To aid in the loading and unloading of the platform relative to the container, the container is provided with finger gripping means illustrated in the form of a circular hole 70 disposed centrally of the platform so the fingers may be directed through the platform. By providing central finger gripping means, the peripheral edge of the platform may be disposed in closer proximity to the side panels so that the platform is less able to shift transversely of these side panels when the container is being moved. Also, the length of the extensions may be kept to a minimum where there is a relatively small space between the side panels and the peripheral edge of the platform. The circular hole 70 provides an edge which may be readily grasped by the fingers of a person who desires either to load the platform Within the container or remove the platform from the container.

The platform may be loaded in any suitable Way, but

preferably, the roots are disposed on a top side of the platform with the foliage disposed on an underneath side of the platform. Since the container defines a relatively air tight enclosure, the plant moisture may be retained in the plants for longer periods since the plant moisture evaporation rate may be retarded through the use of a container of this type, thus increasing the chances of the plant surviving the period it is to be stored. The platform tends to divide the container into super-imposed upper and lower subchambers. By dividing the container enclosure into subchambers and by disposing the roots in the upper subchamber, the roots may be better preserved for longer periods.

It Will be understood that modification and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

In a parallel sided paper board geranium container for storing a plurality of geraniums therein including four side panels and end closure flaps at opposite ends of the container, a parallel sided paperboard platform having four edges confronting the side panels, inwardly projecting supporting means on the side walls for hanging the platform from the four side panels spaced from the end closure flaps at the opposite ends of the container and with the platform supported on said inwardly projecting supporting means solely by gravity, and means for hang- Y ing a plurality of geraniums from said platform comprising keyhole-shaped notched areas extending inwardly from all four of said four edges with enlarged portions of the notched areas being spaced innermost from the edges of the paperboard platform.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 409,118 Seaman Aug. 13, 1889 634,646 Knobeloch Oct. l0, 1899 760,886 Lord May 24, 1904 1,287,1f11 Roth Dec. 10, 1918 1,470,688 Cleeland Oct. 16, 1923 1,669,617 Kennedy May 15, 1928 1,965,215 Boeye July 3, 1934 2,721,632 Surpierre Oct. 25, 1955 2,845,212 Gerowin July 29, 1958 2,887,220 Hankus May 19, 1959

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