US1633605A - Container and cover therefor - Google Patents

Description

T. M. PRUDDEN June 28, 1927. 1,633,605

CONTAINER AND COVER THEREFOR Filed June 5. 1925 fizz/altar IYltOlblfMH'lldllJ Marzegg Ill Patented June 28, 1927.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE MITCHELL PRUDDEN, 0F HINGIIAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO KALIX CUP COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

CONTAINER AND COVER THEREFOR.

Application filed June 3, 1925. Serial No. 34,682.

This invention relates to a cover for a food product pack which when removed, may be utilized as a spoon.

In the art of merchandising individual servings of ice cream and similar food products, many efforts have been made to provide in association with the pack itself means by which to remove the contents of the pack. These efforts have produced spoons of various materials including metal. paper and cardboard, and have packed these spoons in various relations either in or apart from the container.

Spoons or like articles apart from the pack are inconvenient. or in contact therewith they are unpleasant to handle.

My invention contemplates a spoon or the like, itself a part of the pack and normally in contact with its contents, but when ready for use capable of being held without soiling the fingers.

Furthermore such an article calls for two other and inconsistent factors. It must be .thick enough to serve as an ordinary closure by marginal engagement and also thin enough to give a good scooping, edge. On the other hand it must be strong enough to withstand the transverse bending or break ing strains when used to remove the content which usually is hard or frozen.

In accordance with my present invention, I provide an' ordinary disc or cap of cardboard such as is usually employed to cover paper or cardboard packs, this cover being so constructed that it may readily be adapted to the uses of a spoon.

Throughout the specification and drawings, like reference numerals are employed to indicate corresponding parts, and in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vie-w of a container closed with my cap.

Fig. 2 is a View of the cap removed and showing the scorings along which it may be folded to form a spoon.

Fig. 3 shows the cover with one flap folded.

Fig. 4 is a view showing both flaps folded in place.

Fig. 5 Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;.

is a section on the line 5-5 of If packed in the contents Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 4.

My container consists of a paper cup similar to that disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 27,752. filed May 4, this cup being generally indicated at 1. This cup is of general frusto-conical construction and comprises walls 2 and a bottom 3., said walls being formed with an annular depressed channel 4 adjacent the top thereof.v This channel 4 is adapted to receive the cover 5. to be hereinafter discussed, and prevent accidental removal of the same therefrom.

Referring to the cover member 5, it will be noted that this is provided with a tab 6 which, when the cap is in place on the container, extends above the periphery thereof and adapted to be engaged by hand or otherwise to remove the cover from the pack. T his tab may also be used as a display surface for any instructive or descriptive matter as to the contents of the cup. I

The cover is provided with two scorings or lines of fold 7 which as shown in the drawing may extend as diverging chords from either side of the tab (3. These scorings may however, be converging chords from any portion of the periphery of the disc, and the tab may be positioned at any other point on the cover as indicated at (3. lVhen the cover is removed and the segments 8 folded under the area 10 included between the score line 7, the cover becomes a spoon-like scoop for removing the contents of the package.

It will be noted that the nnderturned flaps or segments 8 protect the fingers from the underside of the cap which may be wet with the contents of the pack. The flaps 8 also impart longitudinal stiffness to the portion 10 under which they are folded. The resulting device, it will be observed is a very satisfactory spoon with which to eat the contents of the pack. This spoon is characterized by its single curved cutting edge which is well adapted to dig into the ice cream or other contents. The sides of the spoon are doubled and reinforced and thus tend to give the longitudinal stiffness required to support the cutting edge and to resist any prying action in removing the contents. The spoon is tapered to the divergence of the lines of fold so that it is conveniently grasped by the fingers at its upper end, and at its lower end has a sufliciently broad, lower or cutting end for the delivery of a substantial spoonful of the contents of the pack. I have referred to the folding of the segments 8 under the area 10 to protect the fingers. Some may prefer to waive this protective feature for the sake of using the inner surface which has been protected and might be thought more sanitary. In that case, I simply reverse the fold and fold the segments 8 over instead of under, thus exposing the inner surface of the disc.

Various. modifications in the lines of fold and shape and general construction of the spoon may be resorted to without departing from the spiritof my invention, if within the limits of the appended claims.

lVhat I therefore claim and desire to se cure by Letters Patent is:

1. A paper closure for an ice cream pack or the like comprising a flat disc of paper stock scored and foldable on diverging chords to form a spoon.

2. A closure for an ice cream pack or the like comprising a disc scored to form a central area and outside segments, said segments being foldable upon said scorings under said central area, to form a spoon.

3. A paper closure for an ice cream pack or the like comprising a flat disc of paper stock scored on two diverging chords to form a) central area and two outside segments, said segments being foldable upon said scorings under said central area, to form an article capable of use as a spoon.-

4. A paper closure for an ice cream pack or the like comprising a flat tabbed disc of paper stock scored on two diverging chords from said tab to form a central area and two outside segments, said segments being.fold able upon said scorings under said central area, to form an article capable of use as a spoon. v

5. A spoon consisting of a disc of sheet material weakened along two diverging chords and folded along said lines of chord to provide a pair of overlapping flaps for longitudinally stiffening the material of the disc included between said lines of chord. 6. A spoon consisting of a disc of sheet material having a peripheral tab, said disc weakened along two lines which extend from said tab as diver ing chords, and folded along said lines o chord to provide a pair of overlapping segmental flaps for longitudinally stiffening the material of the disc included between said lines of chord.

7. The method of providing a spoon for an ice cream pack consisting in producin a disc of cardboard or similar stock an divergently scoring said disc to form two outside segments and a central area, in folding said segments along said scorings under said central area to protect the user from the wet under surface thereof, the entire resulting device being capable of use as a spoon.

8. A closure disc for a container having l'nedcterinined indicated lines of fold divergent from a central axis whereby a spoon shaped member is formed having a single curved cutting edge and laterally reinforced side edges.

In testimony whereof I afiix my 'signa ture.

THEODORE MITCHELL PRUDDEN.

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