US2554137A - Package with improved tear-tape - Google Patents

Description

May 22, 1951 D. R. BURTON PACKAGE WITH IMPROVED TEAR-TAPE Filed July 9, 1947 Imnentor Grtorncg Patented May 22, 1951 JZUNILTZED arias "PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE. WITH IMPROVED .TEARTABE Drury R.--Bur-ton,- Akrn, Ohio,:assignor;to -Wingfoot Corporation, Akron, Ohio, 2. a corporation of Delaware v.Applicaition" July. 9, 194 7,7SerialNo. 759,870

vI I' -Claim. 1 I'I'his,v invention relates to a;package provided .withmangimproved tear-tape; Thetear-tape is ....united .to-a portion of the wra per which is3de- ;;tions. The, tear-tape may be releasablyxsealed to the wrapper over the perforationsor the..perforations maybefilled with a plastic. The in- .ventionhas particular application to wrappers of rubberhydrochloride film and like wrapping materials which have no substantial grain to facilitate tearing in a straight line;

In recent years tear-tapes have been used quite extensively for opening the protective. film wrapper on.cigarette packages, cigars, andjthe like.

These tear-tapes have been'used most extensive ly in connection with transparent wrappers of regenerated cellulose. This wrapping material tears relatively easily and has apronouncedgrain which is parallel .to the edges of the wrapper so that on tearing it tears in a substantially straight drochloride film and can beMused satisfactorily with other grain-less films.

The tear-tape of"this=-invention is located on theyoutside of the wrap er-and not inside-as is customary. with the 1 tear-tapes :used with regenerated cellulose. It is permanently united to the wrapper and this union is conveniently efiected by the use of heat and pressure. The union is between only a narrow area of the tear-tape and the rubber hydrochloride wrapper, and the wrapper is perforated on one or both sides of this area. In removing the tear-tape, the area of the wrapper which is united to the tear-tape is removed with it, and if the wrapper is perforated on both sides of this area the wrapper tears through the perforations and only the small area between the perforations is removed with the tear-tape. If the tear-tape is located near one edge or end of a package it is not necessary to perforate the wrapper on that side of the tear-tape nearest the edge or end of the package, because the whole end of the wrapper may readily be removed with the tear-tape. "llheportions-of the tear-tape "which" extend outwardlyiromeach side '--of the area which is-united to the wrapper, ove'rlie' the "perforations and prevent'ready passage of moistur e,-dust, 'etc.,'--throughthe perforations.

-To-=maintain them-oisture-tightnessof'the film in spite of the perforations-the perforations'may "befilled with-waX-or otl'ler-plastic-or'"theouter .edges of the tear-tape-may be'united to the' wra'p- "per-bywaxor' other suitable adhesive. A preferred" material--for either "purpose-is a micro- :crystallineiwax with a melting point of- 1301-70 "F. A satisfacto-ry'wax is Lemon Syncera Wax,

- melting'point 140- 150 F.,-made*by* Standard vOil Company in Cleveland; Ohio. -In a'preferred T method of -prepari-ng the-"wrapper the perfora- 1 "tions'are formed with an "instrument covered with molten wax which deposits" wax in the perforationsas'they are vformed.

;,iAlthough the: invention -israpplicable-i to y the use "of" tear-tapes"'with;:any*-type; of package, it is. illustrated *in' the accompanying'drawings" as applied to acigar-wrapper. :In the drawings:

'Fig. 1 illustrates a. cigar wrapped in rubberhydro'chloride -film' and; providedwith" a "tear-tape;

Fig.- 2 illustrates the same withithe tear-tape partially removed;

Fig; 3 is a section through Fig. 1 at the wrapper; Fig/.4 isv an enlarged plan view'showingthe edge. of. the wrapper. with-:the tear-tape fastened to.it before the'jwrapper is applied to the "cigar, -Fig. 5 is a similar plan view showing how the tear-tape, removes. a portion. of the wrapping film when it is stripped from .the wrapped cigar .or other package; and

Eigqj 6 'illustr'atesj the" method. of perforating film. andsimultaneously.filling jthe. holes with plastic.

Refe1fring-. .tofthe .drawings, jthe .cisar l is wrapped with rubber hydrochloride film 2 many ordinary way that a wrapper is usually applied to a cigar. The tear-tape 3 is preferably printed so as to serve the double purpose of a tear-tape and cigar band. Fig. 3 shows how the wrapper is preferably lapped at its edge and also shows that the tear-tape is narrowof cigar-band width or narrower--its length being a little greater than the width of the wrapper. The wrapper is heat-sealed together where its edges overlap, but the outer end 5 of the tear-tape is not sealed down. It is loose so that it may easily be grasped when the cigar wrapper is to be opened.

Fig. 4 shows how the end of the cigar band 5 extends beyond the edge of the wrapper. Underneath the cigar band and spaced inwardly from its edges the wrapper is perforated at E and I and in the area 8 between the perforations the tear-tape or cigar band 3 is sealed to the wrapper. If the tear-tape is a relatively thick band of rubber hydrochloride, such that it will not readily stretch when subjected to the tension required to tear the wrapper at the perforations, the band may easily be heat-sealed to the rubber hydrochloride wrapper. The seal may be formed by pressing the tear-tape and the wrapper together with a heated roller which is narrower than the distance between the perforations 6 and I.

In wrapping the cigar the edge H) of the wrapper overlaps the opposite edge of the wrapper and in the overlapped area the two portions of the wrapper are heat-sealed together to form a permanent moisture-tight bond. Thus, when the cigar wrapper is to be opened, the tear-tab 5 is lifted from the cigar so as to tear the wrap per along the perforations 6 and 1. The area 8 of the wrapper. which is united to the tear-tape or band 3 is lifted from the Wrapper with the tear-tape and as the tear-tape tears the wrapper at the perforations the wrapper is divided into two parts. These two parts are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5. After cutting the wrapper in two by the tear-tape, the two parts of the wrapper on each side of the tear-tape may easily be slipped off the opposite ends of the cigar.

The perforations are advantageously filled with wax or other plastic to prevent the entrance of dust, etc., and the escape of moisture-vapor, etc. This is preferably done by perforating with an instrument coated with molten plastic. Fig. 6 shows the rubber hydrochloride wrapper 2 in which the perforations 6 are being made with an instrument In the pointed portions l l of which are coated with molten Lemon Syncera Wax, 12. As each perforation is completed and the pointed instrument is removed from it,-a minute droplet of wax I3 is deposited within the perforation. On cooling, this seals the opening.

This type of tear-tape may form the band for a cigar. It is sealed to the wrapper. On stripping the tear-tape from the wrapper the wrapper is cut into two parts, not as an ordinary tear-tape shears a wrapper, but by removing a narrow area of the wrapper which is defined on each side by perforations. The edges of the teartape which extend beyond the perforations may be removably bonded to the wrapper, if desired, to prevent air and moisture from passing in or out of the perforations.

It will be evident that if instead of placing the tear-tape at the usual cigar-band position, it had been placed very near one end of the cigar, it would not be necessary to perforate the wrapper on both sides of the tear-tape. It would only be necessary to perforate the wrapper on the side of the tape away from the end of the cigar. Then in removing the tear-tape the wrapper would be torn along this perforation and the end of the wrapper would be slipped ofi the cigar with the tear-tape fastened to it.

' Although the invention has been described more particularly as applied to a cigar wrapper, it is to be understood that the tear-tape may likewise be applied to wrappers enclosing other objects such as packages of cigarettes and boxes of all kinds, and even to wrappers enclosing fruits such as apples, oranges, etc. Although described more particularly as applied to a wrapper of rubber hydrochloride film, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, as a tear-tape of the type described may be used with other wrapping materials, and even with wrappers such as regenerated cellulose, although it is most advantageously applied to wrappers composed of grain-less film. The tear-tape is advantageously formed of rubber hydrochloride film or other material which may be sealed to the wrapper by the application of heat and pressure, although tear-tapes of other composition may be employed and any suitable adhesive may be used to unite the tear-tape to the wrapper.

The invention is defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In combination and as a part of a package, a moistureproof wrapper and outside of the wrapper a tear-tape encircling the package, a narrow, longitudinal area of the tear-tape spaced inwardly from each edge of the tear-tape being united to a narrow area of the wrapping material, said narrow area of the wrapping material being defined on each side by a line of perforations, the perforations being covered by the outer portions of the tear-tape and being filled with plastic to prevent the passage of moisture therethrough, the perforations facilitating tearing the wrapper to remove the portion bonded to the tear-tape.

DRURY R. BURTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,682,104 Andros Aug. 28, 1928 1,957,903 Odell May 8, 1934 1,960,881 Sunbury May 29, 1934 2,178,557 Burns Nov. 7, 1939 2,194,451 Soubier Mar. 19, 1940 2,296,830 Beals Sept. 29, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 153,084 Great Britain Oct. 29, 1920

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