US3059829A - Locked corner box and blank - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 23, 1962 P. THOMPSON LOCKED CORNER BOX AND BLANK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1959 Fig. 1

Fig. 2

mmvroa Paul Thompson A T TORNE Y Oct. 23, 1962 P. THOMPSON LOCKED CORNER BOX AND BLANK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1959 Fig. 4

Fig. 5

INVENTOR. Paul Thompson JW ZJWMZM A 1' T qkIvEr 3,059,829 Patented Oct. 23, 1962 3,059,829 LOCKED CORNER BOX AND BLANK Paul Thompson, 15 Tennyson Road, Wellesley Hills, Mass. Filed Apr. 15, 1959, Ser. No. 806,525 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-35) This invention relates to folded paperboard boxes of the locked corner type wherein adjacent side walls of the box are interlocked through slits to support the walls in upright position. Each such box is formed from a scored blank which blanks are ordinarily shipped flat to the consumer and need to be set up as used, such operation requiring considerable time and/ or setting up mechanism. My invention herein contemplates a blank and box of this nature which is partially set up at the manufacturing plant and shipped therefrom to the consumer in compact nested relation. The construction is such that the consumer needs only to press the ends of the nesting box together to complete the setting up operation, thus facilitating rapid use of the box without the aid of expensive setting up machinery.

The invention particularly concerns a novel corner lock wherein a flap integral with a side panel at each corner is adapted to fold to corner forming relation overlapping the adjacent panel and interlocking therewith through a slit herein. The relation at the slit is such that the flap carrying panels can be folded either to full and upright corner forming relation with the adjacent panels or to a partially folded position inclined outwardly therefrom. In the latter position the boxes are adapted to be nested in compact relation for easy and convenient shipping and each box can be brought to fully set up position mereby by pressing the flap carrying panels toward each other. The production of a box of this nature having corner locks as and for the purpose described comprises the primary object of the invention.

These and other features of the invention will be more readily understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of a box blank embodying the invention,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the blank folded to nesting and shipping position,

FIG. 3 illustrates the blank fully folded to box form,

FIG. 4 illustrates a stack of partially folded boxes in nested relation,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of blank,

FIG. 6 illustrates this blank folded to box form, and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of this blank partially folded for nesting.

The paperboard blank 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is scored on lines 12 and 14 to provide a bottom panel 16 and side wall panels 18 and 20. A corner forming flap 22 is integral with one end of the panel along a score line 24 and is provided with a locking ear 26 at its outer margin.

Each end of the panels 18 is slitted at 28 to receive the adjacent locking ear 26 therethrough when the panels are folded upwardly as illustrated in FIG. 2. The panels 18 are also provided with slits 30 spaced from the slits 28. Each locking ear 26 includes a tip end portion 32 disposed to overlap the panel 18 when the shoulder 34 of the ear is in contact with a marginal edge of either slits 28 or 30. When the shoulder is engaged with the marginal edge of slit 30 the panel 20 is inclined outwardly as illustrated in FIG. 2 and when the panel 20 is moved inwardly to the position of FIG. 3 the shoulders 34 engage the marginal edges of the slits 28 and support the panels 20 in the fully upright and full corner forming relation illustrated. The tip end 32 of the locking ear is slightly bent forward (FIG. 1) to facilitate its passage through the slit and the engagement. of the shoulder 34 with the slit margins. The panel 18 is also preferably provided with a slit 36 converging into the slit 30 and forming a wing 38 adapted to aid in supporting and facilitating the operation of the locking ear.

In FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 I have illustrated a modified construction in which parts corresponding to those of FIGS. 1-3 are indicated by like reference characters primed. In this construction the locking ear 26 of the flap 22' is provided with two shoulders 40 and 42 for engaging a marginal edge of the slit 28' as illustrated in FIG. 6. When the shoulders 40 are thus engaged the panels 20' are supported in the outwardly inclined position illustrated in FIG. 7 and in broken lines in FIG. 6 and when the shoulders 42 are thus engaged the panels are folded in the fully upright and full corner forming .relation illustrated in full lines in FIG. 6.

The flat blanks are folded at the manufacturing plant to the nesting relation shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 7 and are shipped to the consumer in the compact nested relation illustrated in FIG. 4. The consumer has merely to push the end panels 20 inwardly to the fully upright position and the box is ready for use. Thus no setting up machinery is required and the operation is quick and economical. Particular attention is called to FIG. 7 wherein is illustrated not only the outwardly inclined position of the panels 20' but also the outwardly inclined bowing of the panels '18 whereby each partially folded blank quite naturally nests completely with the adjacent blanks. Attention is also called to the slight bend on the tip 32 of each locking car which facilitates the automatic locking engagement. My improved box has no weakening diagonal folds at the corners, uses a minimum of paper stock, is conveniently and economically shipped in nested relation and can be set up quickly and economically without the employment of expensive mecha nism.

Having thus disclosed by invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a paperboard box embodying a rectangular bottom panel and four side wall panels folded upwardly therefrom to provide side walls forming a box corner at the junction of each two adjacent side panels, a corner lock at each corner of the box comprising a flap integral with one end of a side panel and folded right angularly thereto to provide a corner wall overlapping the adjacent side panel, said adjacent side panel being slitted therethrough adjacent to said corner wall, and interlocking means including a locking ear integral with the flap and extending through said slitted panel and including coabutting stop shoulders on the locking ear and said slitted panel for optionally and positively supporting said side panel folded either in upright and full corner forming relation with said adjacent panel or inclined outwardly therefrom, the box being adapted to nest compactly with other like boxes when its corners are supported in the outwardly inclined position.

2. The corner lock defined in claim 1 in which said interlocking means includes two spaced shoulders on said ear disposed to engage a marginal edge of said adjacent panel at the slit therethrough for supporting said side panel in said upright and outwardly inclined positions respectively.

3. The corner lock defined in claim 1 in which said interlocking means includes a stop shoulder on said ear disposed to engage a marginal edge of said adjacent panel at one slit therethrough for supporting said side panel in upright position and to engage another marginal edge of said adjacent panel at another and relatively spaced slit for supporting said side panel in the outwardly inclined position.

4. The corner lock defined in claim 3 in which said ear includes a tip end portion integral therewith beyond said shoulder for overlapping said side panel at said slits when the shoulder is engaged with said marginal edges at the slits, said tip end portion of the ear being bent laterally out of the plane of the ear to facilitate engagement of said shoulder with the marginal edges.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Ramsey Ian. 17, 1905 Higginson July 17, 1923 Metcalf Dec. 14, 1943 Trickett et al. Nov. 24, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany May 1, 1906 Great Britain July 27, 1955

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