US3001688A - Carton handle - Google Patents

Description

p 26, 1961 HOKENSON 3,001,688

CARTON HANDLE Filed Aug. 14, 1958 INVENTOR. A Y/V/V HO/Cf/VS O/V BY n w W United States Patent 3,001,688 CARTON HANDLE Lynn Hokenson, 2905 Dogwood Road, Springfield, Ohio Filed Aug. 14, 1958, Ser. No. 754,994 Claims. (Cl. 229-52) This invention relates to a carrying device and moreparticularly to carton handle devices advantageously adapted for application to containers fabricated of paperboard or corrugated material. In preferred form, the invention also serves the function of a seal as will be hereinafter described.

While particular forms and applications of invention embodiments are presented herein, such is not to be construed as limiting the nature and scope of the invention.

The self service aspect of todays markets has created a definite need for improvements facilitating the lifting and carrying of products from the market shelves. This is particularly so when economy packaging of products results in containers of substantial weight, as in the instance of large containers of products in granule or powder form. Various types of carrying handles have been provided for such packages. The major problem has been 'the difficulty in providing a handle which is at the same time easy to grasp, of suflicient strength to support the necessary weight, sutnciently interlocked with the package to prevent breakage in lifting and carrying thereof, low in cost and simple to fabricate and apply. To date the prior art devices for such purposes do not appear to meet the noted requisites to optimum advantage.

The present invention corrects the weakness in prior art carrying devices. It affords embodiments which can be readily inserted as unitary structure in any container shell or, in the alternative, may be integrally incorpo-' rated in any container shell fabricated with corrugated material as a component part thereof. Invention embodiments are extremely easy to apply, durable, re-usable and low in cost.

A primary objectof the invention is to provide improvements in container carrying devices whereby such devices may be economically fabricated, more eflicient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety of applications and more convenient to handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved carton handle device particularly advantageous in application to corrugated containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide an im-' proved carrying device of a unitary nature which may be simply introduced in any container structure without modification or mutilation thereof so as to provide a strong effective suspension means therefor.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved carton carrying device freely insertable within the closure flaps of any carton to serve a dual function of a cover for the products in the carton and provide a handle means projecting exteriorly of the flaps on closure thereof for ready carrying of the carton.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved carrying device for containers consisting of a corrugated board element having a handle providing aligned loops projecting in one surface to be threadedly. engaged by a rod disposed longitudinally within the corrugated board between adjacent corrugations thereof.

A'furthcr object of theinvention is to provide means medium'of the rod'lZ.

Patented Sept. .26, 1961 insertion in apertures in the exterior surface of the container between adjacent corrugations used in combination with a rod inserted longitudinally between said adjacent corrugations for engagement of said handle. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a carton handle possessing the advantageou structural features, the inherent meritorious characteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafterdescribed or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein is shown one but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective elevation view of a container incorporating a carton carrying device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the device illustrated in FIG; 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional detail view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG.

3;'and

FIG. 5 is a perspective elevation view of a corrugated container embodying a further modification of the invention. 1 7

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several Views.

The invention can be best described with aparticular reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 illustrates a paperboard container 1 which may be filled with granular soap or detergent products, for example. The container 1 is provided with the normal inn-er flaps 2 which fold over from its sides to have their extremities in relatively spaced relation and outer flaps 3 at right angles thereto folded from the front and back face of the container to have their extremities in spaced relation.

. The invention embodiment as disclosed in FIGS. 1-4 includes a rectangular section 4 of corrugated fiberboard consisting of upper and lower sheets 5 and 6 sandwiching a corrugated sheet 7 therebetween. The upper sheet 5 has spaced apertures 8 spaced equidistantly from the center thereof, on its longitudinal axis opening within the space between adjacent corrugations of sheet 7. An in-' verted U-shaped wire handle 10 is provided. The extremities of the legs of the U are offset and bent on themselves to provide axially aligned loops 11 angularly offset from the plane of handle 10. The loops 11 on the handle 10 are projected within the'apertures 8 in the sheet 5 of the fibreboard unit 4 to dispose them in longitudinal alignment in the channel formedbetween said adjacent corrugations in the sheet 7. A rod 12 inserted in one end' of the section 4 between said adjacent corrugations, thread1 through the loops 11 of the handle .10 therein to be disposed longitudinally without the unit' 4. The rod .12 isthus contained within section 4 and locks the handle 1( thereto in this simple manner. As will be obvious, grasp-.

ing of the handle 10 lifts the structure 4 through the container 1, transversely thereof, to and over the upper surface level of the product therein. The inner flaps 2 are folded over the ends of the structure 4, the handle 10 projecting up between spaced ends of the flaps at right angles thereto. The outer flaps 3 are then folded over at right angles to the inner flaps 2 to dispose their extremities in spaced relation accommodating the projection of the handle therebetween in a plane parallel to their adjacent spaced extremities which are sealed to the inner flaps in a suitable manner. The corrugated section 4 is suitably dimensioned to nest immediately to the inner surfaces of the container.

A sealed container results including a unitary carrying device which has been freely inserted without modification or mutilation of the container. 10 of the carrying unit as sealed to the container, the eontaiiler; is fully and strongly supported through the medium thereof the weight being distributed in a manner believed obvious. This embodiment of the invention is exceedingly simple to fabricate and correspondingly low cost in nature. Moreover, it provides optimum convenience in effecting a carrying means for a container of any nature. The offset of the loops 11 enables the handle 10 to lie flat to the outer surface of the container, facilitating storage. and shipping thereof. a

FIG. 5 of the drawings shows a further embodiment of the invention to be used when the package to be carried basically provides a container of corrugated material. -In this instance the handle is formed as provided in the first described embodiment with loops 11 at the extremities of the legs thereof and oifset from the plane of the handle in axial alignment. Hence since the container ;1 is formed of corrugated fiber-board, the outer flaps 3' are provided with axially aligned apertures 13 in their hinged extremities, co-axially of a space between adjacent aligned corrugations in their sheets 7'. Apertures 8." are provided in each of the outer flaps 3' opening into the space between said adjacent aligned corrugations. The loops 11' on the handle 10' are disposed through the apertures 8', bridging the space between the extremities of flaps 3.

- A rod 12 inserted through one aperture 8 in one flap 3' threads through the loop 11' in the space between said adjacent corrugations therein and into the aligned space between said adjacent corrugations in the other flap 3 through the loop 11' projecting therein to lock the handle 10 to the container 1' as an integral part thereof.

In this second modification of the invention, the rod 12 and handle 110' are integrally incorporated to the container 1' after the container is closed in a simple and efiective manner believed obvious.

In the first embodiment, in addition to serving as a stable. support for the container for lifting and carrying purposes, the unitary carrying structure there provided serves to seal the product within the container and prevent sifting of the powder or granules therefrom.

It will be readily obvious that novelty is eflected in the art by utilizing corrugated material as the medium for integrating the carrying handle to the container in asimple yet effective manner. In either form described, a support of substantial strength is provided which is durable, economical and available for re-use. The adaptable nature of embodiments of the invention to any form of container, utilizing corrugated mediums, lends a versatility creating a definite advance in the an.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing' the particular features of advantage before enumer-' ated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved'or sacrificing any of its advantages,

WhiIe in order to comply with the statute the invention On grasping the handles,oo1,,ess A 4 has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the in-' vention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the inventionis therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims. 7

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. A carton carrying device comprising, a board unit, at least a portion thereof being corrugated, apertures in said board unit communicating with the space between adjacent corrugations, handle means having spaced projecting portions disposed through said apertures into said space between said adjacent corrugations and means lying between said adjacent corrugations threaded through said projecting portions of said handle whereby lifting up said handle will effect a lift of said board unit through the medium of said means threaded through the projecting portions thereof.

2. A carton carrying device including, a board unit consisting'of at least superimposed layers of sheet material having a rod element contained therein, apertures in one of said layers in communication with said rod element and handle means interlocked through said apertures to said rod element, said handle means having a grip portion in projecting relation to the board unit and turned over legs entering said apertures, said legs terminating in reversely bent portions encircling said rod, the other one of said layers limiting inward movement of the legs of said handle and, said one layer limiting endwise movement of the handle along said rod.

' 3. A carrying device including, a handle element of an inverted U-shaped nature having the legs thereof ofiset at their extremities and bent upon themselves to form loops in axially aligned relation, a rod element rotatably related to said handle threaded through said axially aligned loops, said rod element having container means in saudwiching relation thereto providing means for lifting and carrying a container.

4- In combination, a carton type container having axially aligned apertures therein, apertures in said container intermediate said axially aligned apertures at right angles thereto, ahandle means having portions projecting through said second mentioned apertures in axial alignment, with said axially aligned apertures and means threaded through said axially aligned apertures and said projecting portions of said handle means to afford a portable container thereby.

5. The structure set forth in claim 4, wherein said handle means is rotably related to said means threaded therethrough and has an offset at said projecting portions permitting its disposition in abutting relation to the surface of the container for shipping or storage.

6. A carton carrying device including, a sandwich type board structure of a dimension to nest in the top of a container and having reinforcing means contained therein, and an inverted substantially U-shaped handle having means projected through a surface of said board structure and engaged to reinforcing means therein, said sandwich type board structure including intermediate corrugated sheet structure, said reinforcing means being aligned between adjacent corrugations thereof.

7. The structure as set forth in claim 6 wherein said projected means on said handle are in the form of eyelets, the reinforcing means in said sandwich type board structure being provided by rod means.

8. In combination with a paper board container having sealing flaps at right angles to each other at one side thereof, a corrugated board structure having an inverted substantially U-shaped handle. element disposed to have its extremities project therein between adjacent corrugations thereof and rod means sandwiched therein threaded through the extremities of saidhandle, said corrugated 5 board element being nested said carton in underlying relation to said flaps to have said handle project there between.

9. A carton carrying device, including spaced apart layers of sheet material and an intermediate strip of undulating section, said layers and said strip being secured together to define an integral board unit, a stifi rod longitudinally disposed between undulation of said strip between said layers, one of said layers having longitudinally spaced apart openings therein exposing said rod, and a handle having a grip portion above said one layer and turned over legs received in respective openings in said one layer, the extremities of said legs having loops engaged with said rod and said one layer limiting endwise movement of the handle along said rod.

10. A carton carrying device according to claim 9, characterized in that said openings are formed in an overlying one of said layers, an underlying one of said layers being in closing relation to said openings to limit inward movement of the legs of said handle and to preclude communication between opposite sides of the board unit through said openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,158,707 Morton Nov. 2, 1915 1,950,376 Alexander Mar. 13, 1934 2,052,525 Belcher Aug. 25, 1936 2,093,616 Mo Sept. 21, 1937 2,163,138 Baldwin June 20, 1939 2,741,420 Bodard Apr. 10, 1956 2,790,585 Smith Apr. 30, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 211,396 Switzerland Dec. 2, 1940

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