US2032351A - Merchandising pack and method of assembling the same - Google Patents

Description

March 3, 1936. M. P. CHAPLIN MERCHANDISING PACK AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE SAME Filed April 27 1954 2 Sheet s-Sheet 1 u" -uuuuummm lLuLLu- .Dzveni-ar .IIrleBOlaaplin March 3, 1936. P. CHAPLIN 2,032,351

MERCHANDISING PACK AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING .THE SAME Filed April 27, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I fiwentqr nel-zezwaa lm i my Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MERCHANDISING PACK AND METHOD ASSEMBLING THE SAME Application April 27, 1934, Serial No. 722,724

In the merchandising of paper plates and dishes in which foods are to be placed, it is very necessary that the insides or top surface which comes in contact with the food be kept clean and sanitary as they are not washed or otherwise cleaned prior to use as would be the case with a china or metal dish.

Where these plates or dishes are shipped in bulk to the ultimate user, the bulk packages protect the article during shipment and these articles being used directly from these packages by the user are protected and kept clean and sanitary.

However, where paper plates and dishes are sold in small quantities they are usually displayed on counters where they may be exposed to contamination and may be handled by prospective customers, it is necessary to provide a different form of package.

The purchaser naturally wishes to see as much of the article as possible and at the same time the surface of the article on which foods are to be placed must be protected from that contamination which would inevitably occur if the articles themselves are handled unprotected. My invention contemplates a method of preventing contamination and still permitting examination by covering the surface of the plate or dish with a transparent head or window. This covering may be a thin transparent sheet drawn tightly over the top surface of the plates or dishes through which the surface of the plate can be examined but preventing any dirt or other contamination from reaching this surface.

If such a covering is made thin enough to be sufliciently transparent it is apt not to have sufficient strength and durability to withstand handling and shipment of the package without becoming damaged. This is particularly true where the entire package of plates or dishes are wrapped in a transparent covering alone. Such packages are particularly weak where the wrapper is bent or folded over the edges of theplates and sois very easily broken at this point.

According to myinvention I provide more protection for the package around the edges of the plates and dishes than is afforded by the wrapper alone, but-it is not necessary that this wrapper protect the bottom of the plate or dish in the package. Thisbottom does not come in contact with the food which may be. placed in the plate or dish and lack of covering over it provides for a more complete examination of the article by a prospective purchaser. I v The desirable transparent covering or wrap- 9 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) ping materials are expensive and if a sheet large enough to wrap the entire package is used, it becomes a very considerable item in the cost of the finished package. My invention provides a transparent sheet only large enough to cover adequately the top surface of the plates or dishes, this being secured in place by a heavy especially formed protective band around the edge which not only secures the transparent wrapper in place, but forms an adequate protection for the sheet at the edges of the plates, protects the edges of the plates against the entrance of dust and dirt and firmly holds the plates or dishes and their transparent covering in a compact and attractive package.

My invention therefore provides for the use of a minimum quantity of transparent material to cover the portion of the plate or dish in which the food is to be placed and permitting the entire surface to be seen. It provides for a heavy protective band for securing the transparent covering sheet in the assembled package of dishes in place, but allows for a certain variation in thickness of the package still holding them tightly compressed and preventing the entrance of dust and dirt.

This method of holding a transparent wrapper over the tops of the plates allows for expansion and contraction of the transparent wrapper without putting suflicient strain on it to cause rupture. If the transparent wrapper contracts unduly it may be withdrawn slightly from its position between the band and the plates and being held in place by the friction grip of theband on the plates. In such a package in which the transparent covering, a protective band and the desired quantity of plates or dishes are assembled together in a single operation, the use of adhesives of any kind for securing the transparent wrapper to the package may be avoided. The protective band around the edge of the package affords a surface on which can be printed the description of the contents ofthe package, advertising matter and the like.

In such packages in accordance with my invention, a predetermined number I of plates or like articles constitutes the stiffening factor or backbone of the pack itself. The character of the plates and dishes 'of this pack makes them nat-.

urally-resilient and this factor is utilized in the assembly of the articles withthe wrapper in the protective band.

These and various other advantages and'immerchandizing unit, as also its method of assembly.

In the specification reference is made to the accompanying drawings and in these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pack in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 a fragmentary section through such a pack.

Fig. 3 a view of the marginal band.

Fig. 4 a view of the transparent cover sheet.

Fig. 5 is a view of a fragment of the band strip.

Fig. 6 shows its initial channel bend.

Fig. '7 indicates the same strip with its edges folded and ironed flat.

Fig. 8 is a view of the same but partially reopened as will be described.

Fig. 9 is a partial section of a fragment of pack material being assembled in a die.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragment of the edge band, and

Fig. 11 is a section through the pack in the assembling die.

In these drawings there is indicated at P, fibre articles of conventional plate type. Such articles may be of varied manufacture, but those molded especially as by suction onto foraminous dies have certain characteristics that lend themselves to combinative relations in the pack and its method of assembly.- I do not wish to be limited by any method of making the article itself.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the pack as a unit consists of a stack of such plates P in nested relation and having a cover C of transparent or like material over the top plate, the pack being unified by a marginal gripping inclusive of all the plates.

The plates P or other articles therefore constitute a part of the pack itself. The bottom of the bottom plate P of the. pack is preferably uncovered and exposed and is utilized as the basis on which to rest the pack when on the counter. The inside of the upper plate P at the top of the stack is clearly visible through the transparent material or like cover sheet C so' that its finish or any other feature which is desired to be inspected can be plainly seen. Furthermore, this structure and the method of assembling the same make possible. a high degree of perfection in the sealing of the cover sheet, and in its functioning as a window. These transparent materials if allowed to become slack or wrinkled lose some of their transparency. Furthermore, if the cover sheet is slack it is more likely to rupture or tear. The pack is held together by a band B having an upper inclined flange b and a lower inclined flange D The ends of the strip forming the band B are abutted as at a and spliced by a splint S of fibre stock or adhesive tape. The member 8 may be continued all around the band for added strength, but in practice a short splint with the strong stock of the band is sufficient. The splint S flts in between the flanges b and b of the band B and makes a strong tight joint capable of standing the strains of such a pack.

While the bottom of the pack may also be covered, it is foundsatisfactory in practice to let the bottom of the lowermost plate P in the pack form the bottom of the unit, and in fact, the units pack and handle better with the lower side consisting of a plate bottom.

As indicated in Fig. 2, in articles like plates having a depressed bottom p surrounded by a raised rim 1: the projecting bottom supports the mama-mus. 10 he:

pack unit on a counter top T with the band and crimpings out of contact.

In the drawings I have shown a continuous strip or band B which is formed automatically of three successive and continuoussteps into the shape shown in Fig. 8, and at which time it is curved to approximately fit around the outside of the package as shown in Fig. 3. The flange b forms the top or the transparent wrapper side of the package, and the flange b forms a flexible lock which secures the package of plates or dishes together.

The continuous strip B, Fig. 3, may be of any suitable material, either fibre or. metal, but I prefer using a tough strip of homogeneous fibre as I find this more durable after it is assembl d with the package. The width of the strip or band B is sumcient for the desired quantity of articles to be packed plus the flanges at the top and bottom of the package. cally folded on the two sides as shown in Fig. 6, the two flanges being then at right angles to the normal length of the strip.

The next operation is to fold these two flanges over and to press them'tightly on the main portion of the strip as shown in Fig. 7. For this purpose I preferably use two rollers having fine teeth which assist in reforming and reshaping the flanges, preparing them for the final operation to bring them into shape as shown in Fig. 8. The

strip as shown in Fig. 7 is fed onto a curved wheel having on one side a shape suitable to form the flange b The band or strip is held tightly against this wheel or drum by a curved shoe which is preferably heated. The pressure and heat result in the band being curved to the approximate diameter of the package on which it is to be used and the flanges take the position as shown at b and b, Fig. 8.

This continuous strip is then cut into lengths a being laid on top ofthe wrapper as shown at Z dotted line, Fig. 11, and the plates including the transparent wrapper are then pushed downward as shown in Fig. 9, past the flange B which deflects outward until all of the plates have passed and then snaps inwardly to hold them in place as shown in Fig. 11.

In this step the disc C as. it folds over the edges of the plates or dishes acts as a shield or "shoe spoon" to guide the edges of the plates by the top edge b of the band which is held in place by the die D. When the assembly of plates or dishes has been pushed downwardly to bring the bottommost plate against the flange b a slight additional pressure on the uppermost plate around the edge compresses the stack axially and permits the flange b to snap inwardly over the edges of the plates to retain them in the position as is shown in Figs. 2 and 11. The natural tendency of the stackofplates ordishestore-expandaxiallyafter being compressed continues to hold them tightly gmbledbetweentheflangesb andbofthe Various modifications in the product and method may obviously be resorted to without do- This strip is first automatii parting from the spirit of the invention if within the limits of the appended claims.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In an article pack, a plurality of nested assembled plates, dishes, receptacles, or the like, a cover sheet over one end of the pack and folded over the edge of the pack, an annular band surrounding the edge of the pack and exerting radial pressure on the folded portion of the cover sheet and on the edge of the pack to retain said cover sheet and articles in position.

2. In an article pack a plurality of nested assembled plates, dishes, receptacles or the like, a relatively fragfle cover sheet over the top of the upper article of the pack and a relatively tough protective band enclosing the edges of the assembled articles and exerting radial pressure thereon and on the cover-sheet whereby said cover sheet and articles are retained in assembled position.

3. In an article pack a plurality of plates, dishes, receptacles or the like, a relatively fragile cover sheet over the top of the upper article of the pack, a relatively tough protective band of greater depth than the total thickness of the pack at its edges, said band having top and bottom flanges contacting the edges of the pack and the cover sheet whereby radial pressure is exerted on the cover sheet and on the edges of the articles, said pressure cooperating with the top and bottom flanges to retain cover sheet and the nested articles in assembled position.

4. In an article pack, a plurality of nested plates, dishes, receptacles or the like, a cover sheet over the top of the upper article, an imperforate annular band surrounding the edge of the pack and exerting radial pressure thereon and on the cover sheet whereby the cover sheet and the articles are retained in position.

5. An article pack comprising a stack of nested,

band having an inwardly projecting retaining flange and an inwardly projecting locking flange. saidlocklngflangeservingtoretainthearticles after they have been compressed against the retaining flange.

6. The method of packaging nested plates, dishes, receptacles or the like which consists in forming a resilient flbrous annular band having a retaining flange and a locking flange and of compressing a stack of nested articles into the band past the locking flange and against the re.- taining flange until the locking flange engages the stack of articles to retain them in position.

'7. The method of packaging nested plates, dishes, receptacles or the like, which consists in forming a resilient flbrous annular band having a retaining flange and a locking flange and of placing a cover sheet over a stack of articles and compressing the stack of nested articles and the cover sheet into the band past the locking flange and against the retaining flange until the locking flange engages the stack of articles to retain them in position.

8. The method of packaging nested plates, dishes, receptacles or the like, which consists in forming a resilient fibrous annular band having a retaining flange and a locking flange, of placing said band in a retaining ring and of compressing the stack of nested articles into the band past the locking flange and against the retaining flange until the locking flange engages the stack of articles to retain them in position whereby the resilient annular band exerts radial pressure on the periphery of the nested articles when removed from the retaining ring.

9. The method of packaging nested plates, dishes, receptacles or the like which consists in forming a resilient flbrous annular band having a retaining flange and a locking flange, of placing said band in a retaining ring, of placing a cover sheet between said articles and said ring, of compressing the stack of nested articles and the cover sheet into the band past the locking flange and against the retaining flange until the locking flange engages the stack of articles to retain them in position whereby the resilient annular band exerts radial pressure on the periphcry of the nested articles and on the cover sheet therebetween when removed from the retaining ring.

MERIE P. CHAPLIN.

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