US3193176A - Collapsible reusable carton - Google Patents

Description

July 6, 1965 R. A. GULLlcKsoN 3,193,176

GOLLAPSIBLE REUSABLE CARTON Filed March 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. mw l. muc/rsa famine Jly 6, 1965 R.,A. GuLLlcKsN 3,193,176

COLLAPSIBLE REUSABLE CARTON yFiled uarch 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Arran/vifs* INVEN TOR. maf/fr ,4. muc/rmx United States Patent O 3,193,176 COLLAISIBLE REUSABLE CARTN Robert A. Gullickson, Cloquet, Minn., assigner to Weyerhaeuser Company, Tacoma, Wash., a corporation of Washington Filed Mar. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 96,581 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-41) This invention relates to a collapsible and reusable carton.

In the transportation of produce, it is usually desirable to use a heavy paperboard or corrugated board carton. If this carton is discarded after one shipment, the cost of transportation and consequently the cost of the produce is greatly increased. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a carton that can be reused a number of times before being discarded. Since the carton will normally be returned to its original point of shipment for reuse, it is also desirable that the carton be collapsible so as to use a minimum `amount of space during the return shipment.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a collapsible carton which may be reused a number of times.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a co1- lapsible carton having reinforced end members.

It is another object of this invention to provide a collapsible carton having end members that are integral with the base member.

These and other objects will become readily apparent upon a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the attached drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a blank for the preferred form of the carton.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a blank of a divisional insert for the carton.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of another form of blank for the carton.

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of the carton with pori, tions cut away to show details of construction.

FIGURES 5 and 6 are isometric views of the carton illustrating the method of collapsing the carton, again with portions cut awy to show details of construction.

Referring to FIGURE l, the numeral indicates the blank for the preferred form of carton 100. Blank 10 comprises a central portion havingside extensions 30 hingedly connected thereto along score lines 4i). The blank is further subdivided by a pair ofscore lines 41 which dividecentral portion 20 into abase 21 and intermedateend wall members 22, and divide each of the side extensions 36 into an outerend wall member 31, aside wall 32, and an innerend wall member 33.Top end flaps 34 andtop side flaps 35 are hingedly connected towall members 31 andwalls 32 alongscore lines 42. Each of the end walls has ahand hole 44 placed therein. These hand holes are in alignment when the carton is formed.

In forming the carton, theside extensions 30 are squared with respect tocentral portion 20. Innerend wall members 33 are turned inwardly until they are in alignment withscore lines 41. Intermediateend wall members 22 are turned upwardly until they are contiguous with innerend wall members 33, and outerend wall members 31 are turned inwardly until they are contiguous with the intermediateend wall members 22. The end wall members are then stapled together to form end wall 5G as shown in FIGURE 4.

To properly align the members inend wall 50, it is necessary to provide separating cuts between the end wall members. As shown in FIGURE 1, while outerend wall members 31 need only be separated from intermediate Hee end -wall members 22 byslits 60, innerend wall members 33 must be separated fromthe intermediateend wall members 22 by slots 61 which allowend wall members 33 to be placed inwardly ofend wall members 22.End wall members 33 also havenotches 62 on theirlower edges to facilitate the collapse of the carton.

The carton is collapsed by folding the end walls inwardly and folding thebase 21 outwardly alonga line that runs longitudinally and centrally of the carton. This line is defined by a series of score lines in the blank, such as the aligned vertical score lines in theend walls 50. As

shown in FIGURES l and 4, these Vertical score lines include pairs of score lines on innerend wall members 33, pairs ofscore lines 71 on intermediateend wall members 22 and thescore lines 72 on outerend wall members 31 andtop end flaps 34. For ease of folding,score lines 70 are farther apart thanscore lines 71. The line of folding is also defined by alongitudinal score line 75 onbase 22.

From FIGURE 6 it may be seen thatbase 22 must have triangular infold sections, or bellows folds, which fold inwardly with theend walls 50 in order for the carton to collapse. Theseinfold sections 80 are deiined byscore lines 81, extending from the corners 25 of thebase 21 to their intersection atscore line 75, which bisect the angle formed byscore lines 40 and 41 at corners 25.Score lines 81 are preferably equal in length so thatsections 80 are isosceles triangles. The infolding ofbellows sections 80 are facilitated by a series oftransverse score lines 82, as well asnotches 62 in inner end Wallmembers 33. The notches extend acrossscore lines 70 to the edges ofmembers 32 allowing the lower edges ofend walls 50 to fold inwardly withbellows folds 80.

A pair ofscore lines 76, parallel to and spaced fromscore line 75, extend betweenscore lines 81.Score lines 76 also facilitate the folding of thebase 21.

In addition, a center divider insert such as insert may be provided for the carton. Insert 90 is of the Z-type and has twofastening panels 91 hingedly connected to twocenter panels 93 alongscore lines 92.Center panels 93 are also hingedly connected together atcentral score line 94. In use, thefastening panels 91 are stapled to theside walls 32 of the carton, and thecenter panels 93 fold alongscore line 94 to lay flat in the carton when the carton is folded. The insert also reinforces the carton.

In FIGURE 3 a blank 10 is shown. Since blank 10 is similar to blank 10, the same reference numerals are used on both blanks to denote the same parts. The difference between blank 10 and blank 10 is found in the scoring of base 21'. In blank 10' the longitudinal score lines inbase 21 are continuations ofscore lines 71 in intermediate end wall members 22', andinfold sections 80 are not transversely scored. Otherwise the two blanks are identical.

While specific details of preferred embodiments have been set forth above, it will be apparent that many changes and modiiications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will therefore be understood that what has been described herein is intended to be illustrative only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A carton comprising a base having upright side walls, and end walls comprising upright intermediate end wall members hingedly connected to said base,

outer end wall members hingedly connected to one edge of said respective side walls,

vertical score lines located centrally of said end wallsv Y,

members,

longitudinal Score lines for'medfin said 'base i6 align;

`ment vwith said score lines in said lend Walls,

bellows folds in said base adjacent said end wallsfsaidV folds being isosceles triangles* rhaving AVbasesY con tiguous with said end' wall connections;V said inner endvwall member havingI a`n0tch in 'Kits 'lower edge extending across said vertical score line carton.

Birnie etal. L 229-16 KondolfV 229-33 Lange 229-6 -Bixby 229-33 Van Wingen 229-33 Smith et al. 7229-41 X Trickett'et al. `229-41 X Wilcox 229-41 FRANKLlN T. GARRETT, PrimaryEkraminer.

which is adopted to facilitate the'collapse Vo'frsaid 15YEARLEI. DRUMMOND,.'Exezmnerr.v

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