US3687279A

US3687279A - End structure for shadow box display carton

Info

Publication number: US3687279A
Application number: US84425A
Authority: US
Inventors: Orison W Stone
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-10-27
Filing date: 1970-10-27
Publication date: 1972-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-29

Abstract

An improved upper end construction for a shadow box display carton, comprising a sliding sling structure hingedly interconnected between a pair of upper end dust flaps and including a sling panel positioned in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carton. The sliding sling structure also includes a pair of article-supporting, wedge panels hingedly connected between the sling panel and the dust flaps, and angularly positioned in the upper end of the carton. The sling panel cooperates with ledges or slots in the wedge panels to support one end of the article received in the carton.

Description

United States Patent [151 3,687,279

Stone 1 1 Aug. 29, 1972 [54] END STRUCTURE FOR SHADOW BOX 3,270,868 9/1966 Pantalone...............206/45.l9

DISPLAY CARTON Inventor: Orlsou W. Stone, Carlann Lane,

Valley Cottage, N.Y. 10989 Filed: Oct. 27, 1970 Appl. No.: 84,425

US. Cl ..206/45.l4, 206/4519 Int. Cl. "5651! 5/50 Field of Search.......206l45.l4, 45.19, 45.31, 79,

206/46 FR; 229/16 D, 14 C, 39 B References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1967 Hanson et a1. ..229I39 B 5/1971 Martelli ..206/45.14 1/1969 Rosenburg, Jr.........206/45.14 2/1967 McGorty et al. ..206/45. 14

Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman Atromey-Schovee & Boston [57] ABSTRACT An improved upper end construction for a shadow box display carton, comprising a sliding sling structure hingedly interconnected between a pair of upper end dust flaps and including a sling panel positioned in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carton. The sliding sling structure also includes a pair of article-supporting, wedge panels hingedly connected between the sling panel and the dust flaps, and angularly positioned in the upper end of the carton. The sling panel cooperates with ledges or slots in the wedge panels to support one end of the article received in the carton.

29 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures SHEET 1 [IF 2 ORI SON W. STONE ATTORNEYS P A TENTED MIG 29 I973 SHEET 2 D1 2 ATTORNEYS ORlSON W. STONE END STRUCTURE FOR SHADOW BOX DISPLAY CARTON BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to shadow box display cartons and in particular to an improved end structure for supporting one end of an article displayed within the carton.

Known types of end structures for shadow box display cartons are disclosed in my US. Pat. Nos. 3,379,305, 3,378,137 and 3,4l9,l 33.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved end structure for a shadow box display carton.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a sliding sling structure hingedly interconnecting a pair of upper end dust flaps, and including a sling panel positioned in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carton and article-supporting wedge panels.

It is another object of the invention to provide a carton having a sling panel positioned such that the front surface of the sling panel supports an article in the carton.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Two different end structure embodiments are disclosed, each of which employs a sliding sling panel positioned in one or more planes parallel to the longitudinal axis of the canon. The sliding sling panel is connected to the upper end dust flaps by intermediate wedge panels. Movement of the dust flaps to their closed position causes the sliding sling panel to slide toward the lower end of the carton and causes the wedge flaps to be positioned in a predetermined location. The sling panels preferably cooperate with ledges or slots in the wedge panels to support the article in the carton. In a first embodiment, the sling panel has a length equal to that of the width of the carton and the sling panel exerts an upward biasing force to clamp the article between the sling panel and the top wall of the carton. In a second embodiment the sling panel is longer than the width of the carton and includes a fold line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carton such that it is formed in the shape of a "V" for supporting the article without any upward biasing force.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description thereof, when read in conjunction with the attached drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, and wherein:

FIG. I is a top planar view of a carton blank of a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top planar view of a carton tube made from the carton of FIG. I and folded flat;

FIG. 3 is a top planar view, partially broken away, of a fully erected carton formed from the carton tube of FIG. 2',

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view through the carton of FIG. 3 along the line 4-4;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional end view through the carton of FIG. 3 along line 5-5 thereof, showing the end structure of the carton prior to insertion of the article 16;

FIG. 6 is a top planar view of a carton blank of a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a top planar view of a carton tube made from the carton blank of FIG. 6 and folded flat;

FIG. 8 is a top planar view, partially broken away, of a fully erected carton formed from the carton tube of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the carton of FIG. 8 along the line 9-9; and

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional end view through the carton of FIG. 8 along line l0 10 thereof, showing the end structure of the carton prior to insertion of the article 216.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the drawings, FIGS. 1-5 show a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. I shows a carton blank 10 which can be formed into a carton tube 12 (see FIG. 2) that can be erected automatically to form a shadow box display carton 14 (see FIGS. 3-5) for receiving and displaying therein an article 16. The carton 14 includes an upper end 18 and a lower end 20.

Referring now in detail to FIG. I, the carton blank 10 includes four serially connected walls including a top wall 22 hingedly connected at opposite sides thereof to

sidewalls

24 and 26 and a bottom wall 28 hingedly connected to the sidewall 26. The top wall 22 is divided by a central longitudinal slit 30 and a horizontal slit 32 into a flat upper wall panel 34 and a pair of

shadow panels

36 and 38. The

shadow panels

36 and 38 include

locking tabs

40 and 42, respectively, for hooking into a pair of

slots

44 and 46 in a tuck panel 48, as shown in FIG. 3, when the carton 14 is erected.

The carton blank 10 further includes a glue flap 50 hingedly connected to the bottom wall 28. A surface of the glue flap 50 (facing up in FIG. I) is glued to the underside (as shown in FIG. 1) of the sidewall 24, to form the carton tube 12 of FIG. 2. The carton blank 10 also includes an upper end construction 52 and a lower end construction 54. The lower end construction 54 includes a lower end wall 56 hingedly connected to the bottom wall 28 and to the lower end wall tuck panel 48, having a hole 60 therein, into which hole 60 a cap 62 (see FIG. 3) of the article 16 projects. The lower end construction 54 also includes a pair of lower

end dust flaps

64 and 66 hingedly connected to

sidewalls

24 and 26 respectively.

Reference will now be made in detail to an upper end construction 52 of the present invention. The upper end construction 52 includes an upper end wall 70 hingedly connected to the top wall 22, and an upper end wall tuck flap 72 hingedly connected to the upper end wall 70. A pair of upper

end dust flaps

74 and 76 are hingedly connected to the

sidewalls

24 and 26, respectively.

According to the present invention, a sliding sling structure 79 is provided comprising a panel 80 hingedly connected to a pair of

sling support panels

82 and 84 along

hinge lines

86 and 88. The

sling panels

82 and 84 are hingedly connected to a pair of

wedge panels

90 and 92 along

hinge lines

94 and 96. The

wedge panels

90 and 92 in turn are hingedly connected to the upper

end dust flaps

74 and 76 along

hinge lines

98 and 100.

The

wedge panels

90 and 92 each include a

slot

102 and 104 therein respectively, for supporting an end of the article 16 received in the carton 14 as shown in FIG. 3. The

hinge lines

94, 96, 98 and 100 are all transverse to the longitudinal axis (which axis is parallel to slit 30) of the carton blank and of the carton 14. The

hinge lines

86 and 88 are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carton blank 10 and are in-line with a pair of

hinge lines

106 and 108 connecting the top wall 22 with the

sidewalls

24 and 26, respectively. The length of the sling panel 80 is thus equal to the width of the top wall 22 of the carton 14.

FIG. 2 shows a carton tube 12 formed from the carton blank 10 and folded flat. The carton tube 12 is formed by folding the sliding sling structure 79 underneath the carton blank 10 along the hinge lines 98 grid 100, and by gluing the glue flap 50 to the sidewall FIGS. 3-5 show the carton tube 12 fully erected into a carton 14 into which the article 16 is to be inserted. As the upper end dust flaps 74 and 76 are folded toward the lower end of the carton 14, the sling panel 80 is caused to slide toward the lower end 20 of the carton l4, underneath and adjacent the top wall 22. The sling panel 80 is positioned in the erect carton 14, immediately adjacent the undersurface of the top wall 22, and the

sling support panels

82 and 84 are each positioned immediately adjacent the

sidewalls

24 and 26, respectively. The sliding action of the sling panel 80 continues until the upper end dust flaps 74 and 76 are positioned transverse to the longitudinal axis of the carton 14. When the sliding action terminates, the

wedge panels

90 and 92 are properly angularly positioned (as shown in FIG. 3), in a predetermined location. This location is predetermined to properly position the

slots

102 and 104 for receiving an end 109 of the article 16 received in the carton 14. In the position occupied by the sling panel 80 in the erect carton 14, a lower portionsilo of the sling panel 80 extends underneath the slit In operation, the

shadow panels

36 and 38 are forced downwardly as the article 16 is forced into the carton 14 such that the end 109 of the article 16 enters the

slots

102 and 104. The

panels

36 and 38 contact the sling panel 80 and force it downwardly also. Since the sling panel 80 is only as long as the top wall 22 is wide, this downward force causes an upward biasing force on the article 16 received in the carton 14. The end 109 of the article 16 is supported by both the sling panel 80 and the

slots

102 and 104.

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 6 thru 10 of the drawings showing a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows a carton blank 210 which is similar to the carton blank 10 of FIG. 1. The elements of carton blank 210 that are the same or substantially the same as corresponding elements of the carton blank 10, are referred to by the same reference numerals as used in FIGS. 1-5 except that they are preceded by a 2. The carton blank 210, and a carton 214 erected from the blank 210, differ from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5 in the nature of the upper end construction 252 of the carton 214. This description of the second embodiment of FIGS. 6-10 of the present invention therefore, need not go into detail concerning the parts of the carton blank 210 that are the same as corresponding parts of the carton blank 10 of the first embodiment of FIGS. 1-5.

The upper end construction 252 of the carton blank 210 comprises an upper end wall 302 hingedly connected to a bottom wall 228 of the carton blank 210. An upper end wall tuck flap 304 is hingedly connected to the upper end wall 302. A pair of upper end dust flaps 306 and 308 are hingedly connected to a pair of

sidewalls

224 and 226 of the carton blank 210. The crux of the invention in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 6-10 is in a sliding sling structure 279 comprising a sling panel 310 hingedly connected to a pair of

sling support panels

312 and 314 along a pair of

hinge lines

316 and 318. The

sling support panels

312 and 314 are hingedly connected to a pair of

wedge panels

320 and 322 at

hinge lines

324 and 326. The

wedge panels

320 and 322 are hingedly connected in turn to the upper end dust flaps 306 and 308 at

hinge lines

328 and 330. The hinge lines 316 and 318 are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carton blank 210 as are the

corresponding hinge lines

86 and 88 of the first embodiment of FIGS. 1-5. However, as contrasted with the hinge line 88, the hinge line 318 is not in-line with the hinge line 2108 connecting a top wall 222 with the sidewall 226. As will be discussed in detail below, the hinge line 318 is about inch to the right (as viewed in FIG. 6) of the hinge line 2108. By this construction, the sling panel 310 has a length greater than the width of the top wall 222. The sling panel 310 includes a fold line 332, dividing the sling panel 310-into a pair of

article support panels

334 and 336, the purpose of which will be described in more detail below. The hinge lines 324, 326, 328 and 330 are all transverse to the longitudinal axis of the carton 214. Each of the

wedge panels

320 and 322 includes a cutout portion 338 and 340, respectively, whereby the wedge panels each include a

top edge

342, and 344, respectively, which edges 342 and 344 support the article 216 in cooperation with the sling panel 310, as will be described hereinbelow. Both of the

edges

342 and 344 are, in the preferred embodiment, about inch displaced from the

hinge lines

2106 and 2108, respectively. The hinge line 318 is preferably in-line" with the edge 344 whereby the sling panel 310 is preferably about inch longer than the top wall 222 is wide.

FIG. 7 shows a carton tube 212 formed from the carton blank 210 of FIG. 6 and folded flat. The carton tube 212 if formed by folding the sling structure 279 underneath the remaining portion of the carton blank 210 along the

hinge lines

328 and 330, and gluing a glue flap 250 to the sidewall 224. In addition, a quantity of glue 347 (see FIG. 10) is applied to the sling support panel 312 in the stippled area 346. In this way, when the carton blank 210 is folded into the carton tube 212, the sling support panel 312 is glued to the article support panel 334. Then, when the carton 214 is squared up", the sling panel 310 is forced to fold along the fold line 332 into a V" shape (see FIG. 10). While the glue is not essential to this operation of forming the sling panel 310 into a V" shape, it is preferred. It is a noted that the V" is lop-sided as shown in FIG. 10. The panel 334 is adjacent to the top wall 222 and the panel 336 is located about 5i; inch below the top wall 222. The article support panel 334 is slightly longer than the panel 336. This construction allows the carton tube 212 to fold flat. The V-shaped sling panel 310 provides easier entry of an article into the carton 214 than does the sling panel 80 in FIGS. 1-5, and the V-shaped sling panel 310 does not exert an upward biasing force as does the sling panel 80 of FIGS. 1-5.

FIGS. 8-10 show the carton 214 in its fully erected position. As with the first embodiment described above, when end dust flaps 306 and 308 are folded down into position forming the upper end 218 of the carton 214, the downward folding action forces the sling panel 310 to slide toward the lower end 220 of the carton 214. The sling panel 310 slides down and a lower portion 2110 extends below the slit 232 and underlies the two

shadow panels

236 and 238. The two

wedge panels

320 and 322 are positioned at a predetermined location (and at a predetermined angle to the longitudinal axis of the carton 214) by the sliding action of the sling panel 310. The

top edges

342 and 344 of the

wedge panels

320 and 322 are positioned in a predetermined location for supporting an article 216 to be received in the carton 214. When the carton 214 is erected, the sling panel 310 is caused to form a V" shape with the apex being at the fold line 332. The

article support panels

334 and 336 cooperate with the

top edges

342 and 344 of the

wedge panels

320 and 322 to support the article 216.

As will be seen from the above description of the invention, the present invention comprises a sliding sling construction including a sling panel and wedge panels, and which, upon erection of the carton causes the wedge panels to be positioned at a predetermined angular location for supporting, in cooperation with the sling panel itself, an end of the article to be received in the carton. In both embodiments, the sling panel itself is in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carton. The term the longitudinal direction of said sling panel is hereby defined to mean, throughout the present specification and claims, the direction of the sling panel from its edge adjacent the upper end 18 of the carton 14 (see FIG. 3 for example) to its other edge adjacent the lower end 20 of the carton 14 in the longitudinal direction of the carton 14. That is, the line (such as the line to which numeral 80 points in FIG. 4) formed by taking a side cross-section through the sling panel, is parallel to the top wall 22. The direction of the sling panel transverse to the longitudinal direction of the canon may also be parallel to the top wall 22, as in the embodiment of FIG. 1 before the article 16 is inserted, or it may not be parallel to the top wall 22 and may extend in several different planes, as in the embodiment of FIG. 6. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, the sling panel 80 is also parallel to the top wall 22, while this is not true in the erect carton 214 of the second embodiment of FIGS. 6-10. The wedge panels can be either slotted or provided with a top edge for supporting the article. The sling panel can be used to properly locate article-supporting wedge panels in other than shadow box display cartons. The article can, alternatively, be supported by the sling panel or by the wedge panels, rather than by the cooperation of both.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove, and as defined in the appended claims.

1 claim:

1. In a carton for supporting an article, the improve ment of an end structure, for supporting one end of said article, comprising:

a. a pair of separate dust flaps connected at one end of said carton to opposite sidewalls of said carton;

b. a sliding sling structure hingedly interconnecting said dust flaps; and

c. said sliding sling structure including a sling panel positioned underneath a top wall of said carton, the longitudinal direction of said sling panel being approximately parallel to said top wall, said sling panel including a surface thereof adjacent said top wall for supporting an article between said surface and said top wall.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the longitudinal direction of said sling panel is parallel to said top wall of said carton.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said sling panel has a length approximately equal to the width of said top wall.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein aid sliding sling structure includes a pair of sling panel support panels hingedly connected to opposite ends of said sling panel, each of said sling panel support panels being hingedly connected in turn to a pair of wedge panels, and said wedge panels being hingedly connected in turn to said dust flaps, whereby said sliding sling structure interconnects said dust flaps.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the hinge lines connecting said sling panel and said sling panel support panels are parallel to the longitudinal axis of said carton, and wherein the hinge lines on both ends of each of said wedge panels are transverse to the longitudinal axis of said carton.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said wedge panels are angularly positioned in said carton and are positioned in a plane normal to a bottom wall of said carton and at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said carton, and wherein said wedge panels include means for supporting said article.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said support means comprises a slot in each of said wedge panels for receiving an end of said article.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sling panel has a length greater than the width of a top wall of said carton and wherein said sling panel has a fold line therethrough parallel to the longitudinal axis of said carton, such that said sling panel forms V" shape in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said carton.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said sliding sling structure includes a pair of sling panel support panels hingedly connected to opposite ends of said sling panel, each of said sling panel support panels being hingedly connected in turn to a pair of wedge panels, and said wedge panels being hingedly connected in turn to said dust flaps, whereby said sliding sling structure interconnects said dust flaps.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the hinge lines connecting said sling panel and said sling panel support panels are parallel to the longitudinal axis of said carton, and wherein the hinge lines on both ends of each of said wedge panels are transverse to the longitudinal axis of said carton.

l l. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said wedge panels are angularly positioned in said carton and are positioned in a plane normal to a bottom wall of said carton and at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said carton, and wherein said wedge panels include means for supporting said article.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said support means comprises a top edge of each of said wedge panels, said top edges being positioned a predetermined distance below said top wall.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sliding sling structure includes a pair of wedge panels hingedly connected between said sling panel and said dust flaps, and wherein said wedge panels are angularly positioned in said carton and are positioned in a plane normal to a bottom wall of said carton and at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said carton, and wherein said wedge panels include means for supporting said article, and wherein said sling panel cooperates with said support means for supporting an article within said carton.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, including an article positioned in said carton and supported by said sling between said sling and a top wall of said carton.

15. In a shadow box display carton for an article, including a plurality of serially connected walls including a top wall having a pair of shadow panels, a bottom wall, and a pair of sidewalls, the improvement of an end structure for one end of said carton comprising:

a. an end wall connected to one of said top wall and bottom wall;

b. an end wall tuck flap hingedly connected to said end wall;

a pair of separate dust flaps, each hingedly connected to one of said sidewalls; and

a sliding sling structure hingedly interconnected between said pair of dust flaps, and including a sling panel positioned underneath a top wall of said carton, the longitudinal direction of said sling panel being approximately parallel to said top wall, said sling panel including a surface thereof adjacent said top wall for supporting an article between said surface and said top wall.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said sliding sling structure includes said sling panel hingedly connected at opposite ends thereof to a pair of sling panel support panels, each of said sling panel support panels being hingedly connected in turn to a pair of wedge panels, and said wedge panels being hingedly connected in turn to said dust flaps.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the hinge lines between said sling panel and sling panel support panels are parallel to the longitudinal axis of said carton and wherein the hinge lines on both ends of each of said wedge panels are normal to the longitudinal axis of said carton.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said wedge panels are angularly positioned in said carton and are positioned in a plane normal to a bottom wall of said carton and at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said carton, and wherein said wedge panels in clude means for supporting said article.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said support means comprises a slot in each of said wedge panels for receiving an end of said article.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said support means comprises each of said wedge panels having a cutout portion on the top thereof defining a support edge for supporting said article.

21. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said sling panel cooperates with said support means for supporting said article between said top wall and said sling panel.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said sling panel has a length approximately equal to the width of said top wall and exerts an upward biasing force on said article toward said top wall.

23. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said sling panel has a length greater than the width of said top wall and includes a fold line approximately centrally located with respect to the width of said carton, said fold line being substantially parallel to the iongitudinal axis of the carton, said sling panel forming a V in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the carton.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said sling panel fold line divides said sling panel into first and second portions forming the two legs of said V" shape, and wherein said first portion is longer than said second portion and wherein said first portion is hingedly connected to a sling panel support panel adjacent said top wall of said carton and said second portion is hingedly connected to a sling panel support panel spaced a predetermined distance below said top wall.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, including a quantity of glue positioned on both sides of the hinge line connecting said first portion to the sling panel support panel connected thereto and said quantity of glue being positioned on the opposite surface of said sliding sling structure from said top wall.

26. The apparatus according to claim 15 including an article positioned in said carton and supported by said sling panel between said sling panel and a top wall of said canon.

27. A carton blank comprising:

a. a plurality of serially connected walls including a top wall hingedly connected at each side thereof to a sidewall, and a bottom wall hingedly connected to one of said sidewalls;

b. an upper end wall hingedly connected to one of said top wall and said bottom wall, and an upper end wall tuck flap hingedly connected to said upper end wall;

. a lower end wall hingedly connected to said bottom wall and a lower end wall tuck flap hingedly connected to said lower end wall;

. a pair of lower end dust flaps, each hingedly connected to one of said sidewalls;

. a pair of upper end dust flaps, each hingedly connected to one of said sidewalls; and

. a sliding sling structure hingedly interconnecting said upper end dust flaps, said sliding sling structure including a sling panel hingedly connected at opposite ends thereof to a pair of sling panel support panels, each of said sling panel support panels being hingedly connected in turn to a pair of wedge panels, said wedge panels being hingedly connected in turn to said dust flaps; the hinge lines between said sling panel and sling panel support panels being parallel to the longitudinal axis of said carton blank and the hinge lines on both ends of each of said wedge panels being normal to the iongitudinal axis of said carton blank.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27 wherein said sling panel has a length approximately equal to the

Claims

1. In a carton for supporting an article, the improvement of an end structure, for supporting one end of said article, comprising: a. a pair of separate dust flaps connected at one end of said carton to opposite sidewalls of said carton; b. a sliding sling structure hingedly interconnecting said dust flaps; and c. said sliding sling structure including a sling panel positioned underneath a top wall of said carton, the longitudinal direction of said sling panel being approximately parallel to said top wall, said sling panel including a surface thereof adjacent said top wall for supporting an article between said surface and said top wall.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said sliding sling structure includes a pair of sling panel support panels hingedly connected to opposite ends of said sling panel, each of said sling panel support panels being hingedly connected in turn to a pair of wedge panels, and said wedge panels being hingedly connected in turn to said dust flaps, whereby said sliding sling structure interconnects said dust flaps.

8. The apparatus accOrding to claim 1 wherein said sling panel has a length greater than the width of a top wall of said carton and wherein said sling panel has a fold line therethrough parallel to the longitudinal axis of said carton, such that said sling panel forms ''''V'''' shape in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said carton.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said wedge panels are angularly positioned in said carton and are positioned in a plane normal to a bottom wall of said carton and at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said carton, and wherein said wedge panels include means for supporting said article.

15. In a shadow box display carton for an article, including a plurality of serially connected walls including a top wall having a pair of shadow panels, a bottom wall, and a pair of sidewalls, the improvement of an end structure for one end of said carton comprising: a. an end wall connected to one of said top wall and bottom wall; b. an end wall tuck flap hingedly connected to said end wall; c. a pair of separate dust flaps, each hingedly connected to one of said sidewalls; and d. a sliding sling structure hingedly interconnected between said pair of dust flaps, and including a sling panel positioned underneath a top wall of said carton, the longitudinal direction of said sling panel being approximately parallel to said top wall, said sling panel including a surface thereof adjacent said top wall for supporting an article between said surface and said top wall.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said wedge panels are angularly positioned in said carton and are positioned in a plane normal to a bottom wall of said carton and at an angle to the Longitudinal axis of said carton, and wherein said wedge panels include means for supporting said article.

23. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said sling panel has a length greater than the width of said top wall and includes a fold line approximately centrally located with respect to the width of said carton, said fold line being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carton, said sling panel forming a ''''V'''' in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the carton.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said sling panel fold line divides said sling panel into first and second portions forming the two legs of said ''''V'''' shape, and wherein said first portion is longer than said second portion and wherein said first portion is hingedly connected to a sling panel support panel adjacent said top wall of said carton and said second portion is hingedly connected to a sling panel support panel spaced a predetermined distance below said top wall.

26. The apparatus according to claim 15 including an article positioned in said carton and supported by said sling panel between said sling panel and a top wall of said carton.

27. A carton blank comprising: a. a plurality of serially connected walls including a top wall hingedly connected at each side thereof to a sidewall, and a bottom wall hingedly connected to one of said sidewalls; b. an upper end wall hingedly connected to one of said top wall and said bottom wall, and an upper end wall tuck flap hingedly connected to said upper end wall; c. a lower end wall hingedly connected to said bottom wall and a lower end wall tuck flap hingedly connected to said lower end wall; d. a pair of lower end dust flaps, each hingedly connected to one of said sidewalls; e. a pair of upper end dust flaps, each hingedly connected to one of said sidewalls; and f. a sliding sling structure hingedly interconnecting said upper end dust flaps, said sliding sling structure including a sling panel hingedly connected at opposite ends thereof to a pair of sling panel support panels, each of said sling panel support panels being hingedly connected in turn to a pair of wedge panels, said wedge panels being hingedly connected in turn to said dust flaps; the hinge lines between said sling panel and sling panel support panels being parallel to the longitudinal axis of said carton blank and the hinge lines on both ends of each of said wedge panels being normal to the longitudinal axis of said carton blank.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27 wherein said sling panel has a length approximately equal to the width of said top wall.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27 wherein said sling panel has a length greater than the width of said top wall and includes a fold line therein parallel to the longitudinal axis of said carton blank.