US1480358A - Folding carton - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 8; 1924.

Filed sept. V1o '1918] 2 sheets-sheet 1 lim/KEW? Jan. s, 1924. 1,480,358

G. M. WRTZ FOLDING CARTON Filed Sept. l0, 1918 2 Sheets-Shea?l 2 Geary@ J@ mreg citizen of the United States, residin at St.

Patented Jim.'` s. 1924. j

UNITED S'livrasN PATENT' OFFICE.

enonenm. Wm'rz, or sr. PAUL, MINNnsora 'EOLDlNc CARTON.

v VApplication led September 10, 1918.. Serial No. 253,478.

To aZZavwm z'v' may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. VIRTZ, a

Paul, in the county of Ramsey and tate-'of Minnesota, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Folding Cartons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to foldin cartons l which are preferably made of car board or other suitable material, to give a strong` light weight carton, which can be packed flat so as to require only a small spacewhen it is knocked down or folded together for shipment or storage, while when the vcarton is opened and put together it makes a suitable container tc be used -asY a shipping carton or box for anydesired purpose.

The primary object is in means for lock- I ing the box sealed so that the contents of the same can not be tampered with, without destroying the seal or a portion of the carton.

The locking means also forms strengthenin@ means atv the corners of the cartons,

allbwing the same to carr a considerable weight without danger of t e carton `coming apart in shipment. vMy carton is formed with reinforcing means about its ends, the

rtionof a carton before the closures have een attached thereto.

lFigure is aperspective view of the clos- {lureforeither end ofthe carton.

.Figure '4 i'sja cross-sectional detail 'of a portion of the carton. i

Figure' isv aV .perspective view ofa detail-'of eport-ion of the carton.

Figure 6 is al side elevation of al detailed portion ofthe carton.

Figure 7 is across section on the line 7- of A.Figure 6. 'y

Figure 8 is ay side elevation of a detailed .portion ofthe carton, .I

Figure 9 is a crees section on the line 9--9 of Fi 8.

Figum 1 is a perspective of n detailed portion, illustrating an alternative construction;

Fi re 11 is a perspective yview of a detaile portionof an alternative construction.

In the drawing, the carton A is formed ,of cardboard, corrugated board,'or`other suitable'material, having a body portion` 1 which is secured together by'means of the staples 2, in the ordinary manner, so that the walls 3` 4 5- and 6 are adapted to form the sidewalls rof Vthe carton A same is set up for use. f v

The walls of the cartonA a-re formed with flaps 7, which are approximately thesame' length as the width of the walls, and by suit-able scoring at the upper and lower edges of the walls the flaps can be hinged when the so as to be bent downward to lie parallel and adjacent to the outer surface of the wall to which they are attached. A locking member 8, formed of thin sheet met-al, or A other' suitable material, is secured to the ends of the aps 7 of the opposite 'walls'B and 5 by means,` of the engaging points 9, so as to rigidly secure the locking member 8 to the flap 7.v The member 8'is formed with an engaging ton e 10 which projects beyond the edge of t e flaps 7 when the member 8 is attached thereto, and the tongue 10 is formed with engaging barbs lland' l2, the points of which project toward each other. The barb 11 projects from one side lor face of the tongue 10, while the barb 12 projects from the other side or face of the tongue. The apex of each of the barbs 11 and l2 is bent inwardly so as to lie approximately parallel with the face of the l tongue 10 from which they project, the purpose of which 4will be hereinafter described. The barbs l1 and 12, together with theengaging points 9` arev formed integral with the locking member 8 by punching them out of the same in the ordinary manner. l

The locking members 8 are attached to the ends ofthe flaps 7 of the opposite walls 3 and 5 when the boxis in the course of manufacture or construction,l and the tongue 10 projects in the same plane with the body of the attached portion ofthe lirnember 8 so that thernember 8, with the tongue 10, lie flat in the same plane to allow packing of the carton A when .folded together or in a knocked down state. The locking members 8 are scored transversely along the line 13, and may also be 'formed with notches 14 on either side of the member, and in line with the scored line 13 adapted to be closed by members 15 which are formed of cardboard or other suitable material, preferably similar to the material that the body portion 1 of the carton is' made of, -thus forming'a carton of uniform construction when it is put together. `The membeis 15 are rectangular in shape,- and the body portion 16 of the same is approximately the same size as the opening 1n the top and bottom and the body portion 1 wien the same is set upl in rectangular shape. The bot y portion 16 of the member 15 is formed wlth double flaps 17 and 18 which project, and are formed integral from the four sides of the body portion, the -iaps'17 and 18 being approximately the same length as the sides of the body portion 16. B means of suitable longitudinally exten ing scoring between the flaps 17 and 18 and between the flaps 17 and the body portion 16, the liaps 17 and v18canbe folded or hinged together so as to befolded to` lie parallel to each other and so that the aps 17 and 18, when folded, can be positioned to extend at right angles from the body portion 16. -The flaps 17 and 18 are a trifle wider than the Hap 7,` and are adapted to engage the flap 7 between the inner surface of the liaps 17 and 18 when the carton A is put together, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4. Two of the flaps ,17 which are positioned opposite to each other from the body portion 16, are formed with projecting guards 19 which are formed integralv with the flaps 17, and by suitable scoring can be bent to extend at right angles to the ends of the flaps 17. The guards or tongues 19 are formed with a curved edge 2O and an opening or hole 21, the purpose of which will be hereinafter describl'ed. The guards 19 are preferably slightly narrower than they;` width of the flaps 17 to allow for folding` when the carton is put to ther.j

The fiaps 7 projecting rom the opposite sides 4 and 6`of the body portion 1 are formed with holes or openings 22 near their ends. When the body portion of the carton A is setup and it is desired to close the carton with the members 15, the iaps 17 carrying the guard 19 are folded over the aps 7 carrying the locking member 8, the

4locking member 8 having been bent to a right angular shapebefore the Hap 7 is engaged by the tiaps 17 and 18, so that the guard 19 can be folded over the tongue 10 of the right angular locking member 8 rand the barb 11 brought into engagement with the hole 21 so as to hold the guard or ton 1e 19 in osi'tion on the tongue 10. The a jacent aps 17 and 18 are then folded over the flap 7, having the holes 22 near its ends,

into close proximity to the wall of the body portionlof the carton, as illustrated in F ig ures 5 and 6. Thel curved edge 20 allows the guard to slide easily into position when bei .at the cornerv of the carton A being closed,

at the start of 'being inserted between the ends of the , apr 17 and 7, and Figure 6 illustrates the tongue 10 in locking position with the barb 12 engaging in the o ening 22. The locking member 8 tends to orm a reinforcement atl the corner of the box strengthening the same, and is protected by the guard 19, so that it is practically impossible to open the box Without tearinfr the hole 22 tosuch an extent that it wil not again hold the locking means in position to lock the folded and interlocked flaps 7, 17

jand 18 together at the corners to seal the box. The guards 19 also conceals the locking means, giving a very effective locking device which can not easily be tampered with. Each of the corners of the folded flaps are locked together in the same manner by means of the locking member 8, and when theopenings of the carton Aare closed by the .members 15 the cartonis entirely sealed and can not be opened without breaking the seal or locking means. .In this man- 'ner the carton A is'locked without adhesive tape or other gluing means, and the folded lll) fiaps or members 17 and 18 of the members 1.7 form a convenient shoulder by which the carton A can be engaged to carry onhandle l the same during shipment. Y

The upper and lower flaps on the body portion 1 of the carton A are identical and the carton is closed by two members or closures, such as 15, which areiidentlcal 1n form and shape. :It is essential, however, that the flaps 7 of the opposite walls carry the locking members 8 on their ends, and that the aps 7 on the other opposite walls of the carton are formed with openings 22'. It is also necessary that the covers 15 have a pair of opposite flaps, such as 17, which carry the guards 19, an opening twenty-one being formed in each of the guards' for en gagementwith the 'barbs 11 of the locking member. The locking member 8 is not bent into right angular shape until it is desired to set up thecarton to be used as a container.

The double folding flaps 17 and 18 interlock with and enga e the ila s 7, and when these interlocked an folded aps are locked together at their corners by means of the locking member 8 the flaps lie against the outev` surface of the walls of the carton A and form a reinforcement for the carton about its upper and lower edges, giving a t light weight, strong and durable carton.

Figures -10 and 11 illustrate details of an alternative lconstruction of locking means, Where a flat, plate like locking member 24 is secured to the pairs of flaps .7 of the opposite walls at their ends in a similar manner as the members 8 and the locking plate 24 is formed 'with engagingl barbs 25 which are adapted to engage in the openings or holes 26 formed in the guard or tongue 19. In this construction 'the guard or tongue 19 holds the folded vflaps 7, 17 and 18 together at each of the corners, and is adapted for use on light weight cartons where a comparatively light content is to be contained in 'the same. However, the tongues 19 in the construction illustrated in Figure l0 can be made sufciently strong to carry a considerable strain and thus lock and hold the carton A locked at its corners, if it is desired. The tongue 19 in this construction is inserted between the flaps 17 and the flaps 7 so as to engage the barbs 25 in the holes 26 when the flaps 17 and 18 are folded over the flaps 7. The barbs 25 formed on the locking member 24 project in the'same direction and from the same face having their lapexes bent to extend in a similar' manner as the barbs 11 and 12. When this construction of locking means is used on a carton it vis also impossible to open the carton without destroying the locking means.

In each of the constructions illustrated, the locking means is formed by a locking member havin'g sharp barbs which are adapted to engage in a holeor recesses formed in a portion of the carton, and the carton can only be opened by destroying or breaking the seal or locking means sufficiently so that it would be impossible to again use the same locking means to hold the box sealed. The preferred construction of locking means having the right angular member 8 strengthens the carton at its corners, putting most of the strain on the angular locking member at the corner in place` of on the tongue 19, as is the case inthe 'alternative construction'. The tongue 19, in, the preferred construction, tends to form a against the locking member In accordance with the I have described the pr'incip 8 patent statutes, "i es of operation of my invention, together with the'apparatus which I now consider tov represent the` best vembodiment thereof, but I.- desire to' vhave it' understood 'that the construction shown is only illustrative,and that the invention can be carried out. byother means and applied to uses other than those abovel ao set forth within the scope of the' following" claims:

` 1. In a Afolding carton havingabddy portion, a series of flaps formed on said bodyportion, at the upper and lower edges'of the same, closures for said body portiona series f 1 of double flaps formed on said closures, locking means secured to the end of the Qp- I posite pairs tion, said double aps being adapted-'to en gage the flaps formed Ion said body 'ortion f between the inner sides of said doub said body portion, and said locking i being adapted to lock saidseries of double and body flaps together in interlocked and folded position to close and seal said carton, said locking means being concealed between said flaps to prevent exposure or tampering with the same.

2. In a folding carton having a folding body portion, closures for the ends of said body portion, a series of folding flaps formed on said body portion and said closures, which are adapted to interlock with each other when said carton is set up, means for locking said folding and interlocked flaps together :it the corners of said lcarton, and means formed integral with said closure flaps for concealinosaid locking means for the purposesspecifiaed.

3. In a folding carton having a body portion, closures for the ends of said body portion, a series of flaps formed on said body portion, a series of double flaps formed on said closures, locking means secured to the opposite pairs of said flaps on said bod portion which are adapted jacent ends of the flaps formed on said body portion, guard means formed on the ends of the opposite pair of said double flaps for concealing said locking means, and means for engaging said guards to hold the same i i 1n close proximity to said locking means.

4. In a carton of the class described having a folding body portion, closures for the ends of said body portion, ay series of folding a s formed about the edges of the ends of sai body portion, a series of double folding flaps formed on said closures,and engage' fiaps` l to interlock with and engage said lapson'v mea-ns' to engage the a I ing means secured to the ends of the opposite pairs of said flaps on said body. portion, which are adapted to be inserted between the sides of the adjacent ends of the iiaps to enga e and lock said flaps in folded and interloced position to close or seal said carton, for the purposes specified.

5. In a carton of the class described' having a folding body portion, closures for the open ends of said body portion, a series of hinged flaps projecting from the ends of said body portion, a series of hinged and folding iiaps on said closures rWhich are adapted to be folded over said fiaps` on said body portion to interlock said flaps on said closures with the flaps on said body portion, locking means for locking said interlocked flaps together to seal s aid carton and tongues' formed on said closure flaps for concealing;

said locking means.

6. In a carton of the class described which is adapted to be folded into a fiat thin state, a body portion, a closure for said body portion, j interlockingmean's formed on said body -nndfclosure portion including a number .of flaps which are adapted to be interlocked whens'ai'd closure 1s in position to close said carton, lockingk tongues extending between said aps for holding saidA interlocking means in folded position, said locking tongues being-'positioned at the corners of said carton and forming a strengthening means for said carton at its corners.

7. A carton of the class described which is adapted to be folded ,into a-lat, thin state when collapsed, a body portion, a closure for said body portion, interlockingv iaps formed on said body portion and closure and means secured" to said flaps at the corners of said carton adapted to'be concealed by said aps to lock said flaps and carton at the corners with the interlocked flaps folded flat against the side Walls of the body por-- tion of said carton to form a compact carton when concealed.4

8. A carton having an opening formed with flaps adjacent said opening, a closure member provided with hinged 'flaps adapted. to fold around the fia-ps on said carton, lockinglmeans secured to the corners of said carton flaps adapted t0 slide in between said closure and carton aps to holdv the same in place.

GEORGE M. WIRTZ.

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