US2177034A - Shipping-display container - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 24, 1939.

E. l. FLEMING SHIPPING-DISPLAY CONTAINER Filed Sept. 8, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l muy,

Oct. 24, 1939. E, V| FLEMlNG 2,177,034

SHIPPING -DISPLAY CONTAINER Filed Sept. 8, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lemig,

imei/nud Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE SHIPPING- DISPLAY CONTAINER Edgar I. Fleming, Welisburg, W. Va., assigner to Eagle Manufacturing Company, Wellsburg, W. Va., a corporation of West Virginia,

Application September 8, 1937, Serial No, 162,950

-.1 for display disposition through a simple and prac-- tically instantaneous adjustment on the users part of a part of the container.

lt has been heretofore proposed and commercially adopted to provide a shipping case or conloiftainer within which was included one or more additional parts, which could be arranged to prof-l vide a display shelf or support when desired, but this arrangementrequired the provision of additional parts, forming no part of the shipping case, for display function, and necessitated time and labor, and often considerable difculty on the part of the dealer in arranging such additional parts when display was desired.

The primary object of the present invention is y the provision of a shipping container and display container wherein the parts necessary to provide an effective shipping case are provided, and wherein, without theprovision of any additional or extra parts, one part of such shipping case may '4be converted to a display rack or holder by a simple, rconvenient and rapid movement of such shipping case part. y y

' A further object of the invention is the provision of a combined shipping and display container,

Y made up-of a box-like body and a cover therefor,

whereinfthegoods are arranged in the body and protected by the cover, with the body formed inherently for folding into two connected upright adjacent sections after removal of the cover,

with the side walls of the body becoming the bottoms of the sections to support the contained articles in display relation.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a' shipping-display container, in which the goods, when packed the body for shipment, need not be disturbed vor even touched in forming the body into a display rack or holder, the goods when in their shipping positions in the container, Aautomatically assuming their ldisplay positions when the box body is moved to form the display rack. j

A further object of the invention is the provision of a shipping-display container wherein no additional parts, other than as needed for shipping purposes, are necessary in converting the container into a display rack or holder, whereby the time and labor heretofore required for the conversion is not only entirely avoided, but the N expense of making and the not infrequent dif- (Cl. 20G-44) culty of assembling the additional parts heretofore required, is entirely done away with.

The invention in a preferred form is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the container as completed for transportation and storage, the top or upper portion being partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the lower portion 'of the container following the removal of the cover.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the lower ,portion of the container folded to provide a display rack.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the bottom portion of the container folded as a display rack, the cans being shown in dotted outline.

Figure 5 is a blank from which the bottom portion of the container is formed.

The improved shipping-display container is here shown for convenience for the shipping and display of pressure-delivery oil cans, and while the following description will be directed to such specific use, it will be understood that the container is designed for any and all appropriate articles, with the size and shape of the container' modied, if necessary, to accommodate .such articles.

The improved container includes a box-like body l, having a bottom 2, side walls 3, and end walls 4. The body I is in the instance shown of greater length than width, of rectangular shape in plan, and formed to accommodate six oil cans, indicated at 5, with the cans packed three on each side with the bottoms of each three cans resting against the side walls. The width of the body is such as to just accommodate the overall length of the oil can and spout, and the cans on one side are offset from the cans on the opposite side, withthe spouts of the cans on one side arranged betweenthe bodies of the cans on the opposite side. As thus arranged, the bodies of the cans do not extend from the side wall of the body against which they rest to the longitudinal median line of the container.

The end walls Il of the body are divided vertically at their central points, as at 6, and the walls are preferably cut away throughout the upper part of this division, as at l. 'I'he bottom 2 of the body is scored for folding at 8, in line with the divisions 6 of the end walls, and this line of fold may, if desired, be appropriately reinforced to prevent breakage in use. 'Ihe end walls may be reinforced at 9, and in the use illustrated it is preferred that the side walls be provided with a narrow inwardly extending ledge l0 to partly over-lie the bodies of the oil cans. By suitably extending the lengths and heights of the parts of the box blank used in making the body, the end reinforcing sections 9 and the ledges Il! may be formed integral with the body, the ledge forming portions being extended beyond the length required for the body and the excess lengths turned down and secured to the reinforcing sections 9.

The other part of the shipping-display container is a cover ll, of a size and shape to fit over the cpen end of the box bodyv and snugly embrace the side and end Walls 3 and Il. As the cover bears more or less snugly against the side and end walls, it entirely prevents the possibility of the box body folding on the line 8, and hence with the cover in place the container is a complete rigid and protective receiver for the goods, permitting any usual handling or shipping without disturbing the contents in any Way.

When it is desired to convert the container into a display rack or holder, the cover is entirely removed, the box body is folded on the line 8, moving the side Walls from each other, and the folding continued until the sections of the bottom 2 are in contact, the side Walls in th-e same plane as a bottom support. The oil cans automatically follow this movement, without being moved or even touched until in the nal position, such cans are in upright positions, their bottoms resting on the former side-Walls of the box body, and the cans arranged on each sideV of the ccntacting bottom sections. The oil cans are thus in complete display positions, as shown in Figure 3, and the result is secured by merely folding the box body along a defined line,v and without the necessity of any other action or manipulation.

In the display positions, the ledges Il) prevent Y outward movements of the individual cans, while at the same time permitting the removal of any can by merely liftingfit over the ledge. If preferred, particularly in shipping oil cans, a removable partition may be provided, as at l2, with openings i3 to be passed over the spouts of all cans, the partition being in line with the line of hold and merely serving to prevent undue movement of the cans during shipment. The partition is loosely positioned and is to be removed before arranging the 'box body as a display rack.

The improved shipping-display container is of particular importance from the standpoint of economy in manufacture and facility in use. It materially reduces the area required for display over that required in previous containers; it requires less material to make and less time toasl semble; eliminates the necessity of individually packing the articles; eliminates the additional material required in forming the usual display steps; it reduces overall weight as compared with similar previous containers; it requires less time Vto pack; it presents no complication in converting i for display purposes; and maintains the display sections clean and fresh until conversion.

Of course, the container as a whole will be adapted in form and packing space to the particular articles to be accommodated, and While the material preferred is ordinary commercial cardboard, any' appropriate material may be employed. Again, the parts of the display sections that are visible on display may be ornamented, printed or otherwise treated to any extent desired.

It will of course be appreciated and understood that the display element above described is, in its simplicity of construction and ease of handling, an important feature wholly independent of the cover, and such display element is to be considered an independent feature of the present invention capable of use by itself as a more or less permanent display rack or holder and to be capable and useful for display Without the necessity of utilizing its shipping function in connection with the cover.

It is to be particularly noted that when the sections of the bottom. 2 of the blank are folded upwardly to form the central partition of the display container, such sections are in contact and at right angles to the side walls which form a broad bearing for the container resting flat upon the surface supporting the container and maintained rigidly at right angles to the upfolded sections of the bottom. This not only supports the container against casual displacement on any surface but permits the utilization of the upfolded sections of the bottom as a convenient hand-grip by which the container may be moved from place toV place when necessary. When the container is grasped to move it from place to place, it will be apparent that the fingers of the tion against separation or against a tendency to dislodge any of the articles within the container.

When utilized as an independent and moreV or K less permanent display rack, the element may bev constructed of more permanent material than cardboard or the like, for example of wood or metal, and the fold line constructed as a hinged joint. Under these circumstances, the element, A

when folded to Vprovide the display rack, may become a more or less permanent adjunct to the dealers counter, shelves or the like,V and the articles to be displayed placed by'hand the re-k spective display sections. l

What is claimed to be new is: Y A display container, comprising Yin combination two compartments open at their tops and Y front to display merchandise, the two'ncompartments having extended back portions hinged toi geth'er at the top, Wherebythe two compartments can be unfoldedrto lay in' a flat storage condition o-r folded in an upright display condition, said compartments adapted to receive articles protruding above the top of the container' when the latter is in display condition and interlaced across the two compartments when the container is in unfolded condition, a central dividing strip having means to straddle the interlaced arti-

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