US2022601A - Basket liner - Google Patents

Description

mm 6, 1935. 'l T; R. MCDONALD 2,022,601

BASKET LINER Original Filed April 10, 1935 [N VEN TOR.

[Do man),

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to McDonald Liner,

Inc., Columbus, Ohio Application April 10, 1933, Serial No. 665,449 Renewed September 9, 1935 4 Claims.

This invention relates to liners of the type used when packing fruit, vegetables and the like in containers such as a bushel basket in order to prevent the fruit from becoming bruised or otherwise marred by contact with sides of the basket and one object of the invention is to provide a liner formed from a single sheet of tough paper which will conform substantially to the inside diameter of the basket and when in use have its end portions firmly secured in overlapped relation to each other to prevent any danger of the end portions slipping out of their proper positions and permitting contact of the fruit with walls of the basket.

Another object of the invention is to provide end portions of the strip with improved joints of such construction that while the strips will be initially flat, they can be quickly united to form a frusto-conical liner which will not only retain 20 its shape during use but also when a form is removed to permit a basket to be set in place.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character which is simple in contruction, inexpensive to manufacture and very effective when in use.

With these and numerous other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application:

Figure 1 is a view of a blank from which a liner of the improved construction is formed;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a liner formed from the blank or strip shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken vertically through Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view of a modified form of blank or strip;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a liner formed from the blank shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken vertically through Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating the manner in which the tongues of the blank are folded in order to pass them through the slots in the other end portion of the blank;

Figure 8 is a View of another modified form of blank;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a liner formed from the blank shown in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken through the liner illustrated in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a view of a blank having another modified construction;

Figure 12 is a perspective view of a liner formed 5 from the blank shown in Figure 11; and

Figure 13 is a sectional view taken vertically through Figure 12.

A liner constructed in accordance with this invention is employed when packing fruit which 10 is liable to be very easily bruised or have its skin torn by contact with rough walls of a basket formed of thin wooden strips and known as splint baskets. These liners are placed Within a shaper which is set upon a base and after a layer of fruit 1 known as a top layer has been set in place upon the base and the shaper then filled with other fruit, the shaper is removed and a basket then set in place. It is important that end portions of the liner be firmly united in order to prevent 20 separation thereof when the shaper is removed and a basket set in place and it is also important that end portions of the liner be retained in overlapped relation to each other after a basket has been turned to an upright position and a cover applied. As the fruit is easily bruised and if end portions should separate, a portion of the fruit could contact with the rough walls of the basket and become bruised or skin of the fruit torn.

In accordance with this invention, the liner is formed from a blank cut from tough paper and end portions of the blank are so united that they will be firmly held during removal of a shaper and application of a basket and also prevented from being forced apart by the weight of fruit in a basket turned to an upright position.

Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing and each has a blank or sheet I which is arcuate longitudinally and has curved longitudinal edges and straight cut end edges converging in one direction. In the specific embodiment illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, one end portion 2 of the blank is cut from its inner or lower side edge to form a slit 3 extending transversely of the blank and in spaced relation to its upper or outer arcuate side edge there has been formed a slot 4 extending transversely of the blank in alignment with the slit 3. The other end portion 5 of the blank is cut from its end edge to form tongues 6 having upwardly extending bills I and also form other tongues 8. The tongues 6 are passed inwardly through the slit 3 and slot 4 when end portions of the blank are overlapped to form a liner 9 which been passed inwardly, the end portions of the blank are shifted transversely a sufficient distance todispose the side edges in registry with each other and the bills I will then engage the inner face of the overlapped end portion above the slit and slot. Therefore, the bills will serve to prevent the end portions from moving longitudinally of each other and end portions of the liner will be prevented from separating. It will thus be seen that there will be no danger of end po. tions of the liner sliding out of place between fruit and walls of a basket and the fruit cannot become bruised or skin of the fruit torn.

A liner formed in accordance with the disclosure of Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 has one end IQ of its blank formed with slots l 6 extending transversely of the liner in spaced relation to each other. The'other end portion of the blank or sheet is cut from its side and end edge to form a pair of tongues 52 which are T-shaped and extend longitudinally oi the blank with their side arms or bills is projecting upwardly and downwardly transversely of the blank. The side arms or bills is form free end portions of the tongues with cross heads, each of which is of greater width than the length of the slot ll and, therefore, in order to pass the tongues through the slots after end portions of a blank have been overlapped te form a liner M, the bills must be folded towards each other as shown in Figure 7. When so folded, the tongues may be passed inwardly through the slots and the bills then flattened so that they bear against the inner face of the end portion iii of the liner above and below the slot. When in this position, the bills will prevent the tongues from sliding outwardly through the slots and the end portions of the liner will be firmly held overlapped. Therefore, they cannot separate and permit fruit in a basket to contact with the rough side walls of the basket.

The liner l shown in Figures 9 and 10 and formed from the blank illustrated in Figure 8 has one end of its blank cut to provide slots I6 arranged in groups of 2 and the slots of each group are in such proximity to each other thatv they define bands ll extending longitudinally of the blank in spaced relation to each other transversely thereof. other end portion of the blank or sheet of tough paper is out to form tongues 53 extending transversely of the blank in alignment, one above another, and these tongues face downwardly and taper towards their lower free ends. By this arrangement, the tongues may be threaded through the slots 55 and' as each tongue is first passed inwardly through a slot and then outwardly through a companion slot, the band Ii defined by these slots will extend across the basket as clearly shown in Figure 9 andfrictional gripping will take place which willvery effectively prevent the tongues from sliding upwardly from beneath the band. Therefore, the end portions of the liner will be firmly held in overlapping relation to each other and they cannot accidentally slide apart and expose portions of a wall of a basket. It will thus be seen that all of the fruit in the basket will be prevented from contacting with walls of the basket and becoming bruised or skin of the fruit torn.

The blank illustrated in Figure 11 and from which the liner shown in Figures 12 and 13 and indicated by'the numeral lQ is formed, has one end portion cut to provide aligned slots 2| spaced from each other and extending transversely of the blank. The other end portion of the blank is cut to form tongues 22 and referring to Figures 11 and 13 it will be seen that these 5 tongues project diagonally from the body portion of the blank and each is provided with a depending bill 23. By this arrangement, the tongues may be slid through the slots 2| in the end portion 20 of the blank when the end portions are l0 overlapped to form the liner and after the tongues have been passed through the slots, end portions of the strips may be moved transversely of each other to. bring the bills into interlocking engagementwith the strip below the lower end l5 of the slot. Therefore, end portions of the blank will be retained in overlapped engagement with each other and strain exerted longitudinally of the blank or in other words circumferentially of the liner, will not cause the tongues to slip out- 20 simple, inexpensive and efiicient means for carrying out the objects of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: r V 1. A liner for use in packing fruit and the like comprising a strip of material bent to dispose its end portions in overlapped relation to each other and form an open ended liner of a diameter to fit within a basket in close proximity to walls thereof, one end portion of said strip being formed with a slot extending transversely of the 4Q strip adjacent the upper longitudinal edge thereof and a slit being formed in the said end portion of the strip and leading from the lower edge of the strip in alignment withthe slot, the other end portion of said strip being cut toform tongues extending longitudinally of the strip for engagement through the slot and slit and having upwardly extending bills to engage the strip and prevent movement of the tongues longitudinally of the strip out of'the slot and slit. 50.

2. A liner for use in packing fruit and the like comprising a strip of material bent to dispose its end portions in overlapped relation to each other and form an open ended liner of a diameter to fit' within a basket in close proximity to walls thereof, one end portion of said strip being formed with a slit leading from a longitudinal edge of the strip and a slot spaced from the slit transversely of the strip, the other end of said strip beingcut to form tongues engaged through the slit and slot and having bills engaging the strip 'to prevent the tongues from slipping out of the slit and slot. V

3. A liner for use in packing fruit and the like comprising a strip of material bent to dispose its end portions in overlapped relation to each other and iorm'an open ended liner of a diameter to fit within a basket in close proximity to walls thereof, one end portion of said strip .being formed with a slit leading from. a longitudinal edge of the strip and in spaced relation to the slit trans- .versely of the strip being formed with a slot aligned with the slit; the other end of the strip being cut to form tongues terminating at the end of thestrip and engaged through the slot 1;

and slit toretain the end portions overlapped, said tongues having transversely extending bills to engage the strip and prevent accidental retrograde movement of the tongues.

4. A liner for use in packing fruit and the like comprising a strip of material bent to dispose its end portions in overlapped relation to each other and form an open ended liner of a diameter to fit within a basket in close proximity to walls thereof, one end portion of said strip being formed with a slit leading from the lower longitudinal edge of the strip and in spaced relation to the slit transversely of the strip being formed with a slot aligned with the slit, the other end of the strip being out to form tongues terminating at the end of the strip and having upwardly extending bills, the tongues being passed through the slot and slit and bearing against one face of the strip and the other face of the strip being engaged by portions of the strip from which the tongues are cut.

THOMAS R, MCDONALD.

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