Philip Morris Inc.

Christopher N Chance

Donald H Evers

Robert E Talley

Reginald W Newsome

James A DeBlasio

Michael A Kirby, Sr

John Mathew Adams

William C Harris, Jr

Xuan M Pham

Robert T Mitten

J Jerome Fleenor

Susan J Douglas

William P Taylor

Edward J Woolridge

James A BeBlasio

A half-carton container for cigarette packs, formed from a unitary blank, having windows formed in a first wall to display and facilitate the removal of the contained goods and having partitions hingedly attached to the first wall and secured to a second wall to support the half-carton structure and to partition and hold in place the contained goods. The half-carton container can be paired with another half-carton by attachment or by placing in a full-carton container such that they can be tax-stamped as a pair and later easily separated for sale as independent units.

Half-carton structure and method of forming same

A cigarette carton comprising two half-carton sections, each containing five cigarette packs, which may be sold as one standard ten-pack cigarette carton or may be separated and sold as individual half-cartons. The dual half-carton configuration permits the use of existing tax-stamping machines without any modifications. The dual half-carton unit is formed from a single blank and is detachably connected along a perforated line running along the top of the interior walls of each half-carton section, extending from one side wall to the other. Each half-carton section contains a top closure attached to the external hull that may be closed to encase the five cigarette packs in that half-carton section by tucking a tuck portion into the interior of the box along the inside of that half-carton section's interior wall. The top portion of the interior walls may be folded away from each half-carton section to which they are attached to create a space in which each tuck portion may be inserted.

Tax-stampable half-carton

A method of attaching two containers wherein two containers faced toward each other are secured by cooperation of at least one tab on the front wall of one container and at least one slot on the front wall of the other container, and the dual container structure formed thereby. The slot and tab act to securely attach the two containers such that the containers may easily be separated for later sale as independent units.

Dual half-carton structure and method of forming same

A dual carton formed from two cartons each having at least one pair of opposed top flaps. One carton has an extended top flap which extends over the other carton when the cartons are positioned adjacent one another such that the extended top flap may be secured to the top flaps of the other carton to thereby join the two cartons to form a dual carton. The extended portion of the extended top flap is joined to the remainder of the extended top flap along a weakened line to facilitate later separation of the two joined cartons. The dual carton may be a cigarette carton of dimensions compatible with tax-stamping machinery and temporarily sealed in such a manner as to facilitate the opening and later resealing of the carton for tax-stamping purposes.

Dual carton

A method of attaching two containers wherein a releasable attachment insert is placed during assembly between the side walls and side flaps at each end of two containers faced toward each other, and the dual container structure formed thereby. The insert acts to securely attach the two containers such that they may easily be separated for later sale as independent units.

Method of attaching two half-cartons and the product

A cigarette carton formed from a blank in which the front and rear long walls of the carton are joined along a side wall instead of along a top or bottom wall. The carton thus has two sets of closure flaps, one set along the top end and another set along the bottom end. At least one set of closure flaps is a set of lap flaps, which are easily opened by a tax-stamping machine and easily closed by a machine. Preferably the other set of closure flaps is a tuck-in flap which is easily openable and reclosable by a consumer. Also disclosed is a multiple unit carton formed by applying adhesive bearing carrier means across top and bottom walls of the adjoining cartons. The multiple unit carton may be separated by a retailer or consumer for purchase of the individual component cartons.

Easily sealable, openable, and reclosable carton

A dual cigarette carton formed from two substantially identical single cigarette cartons. The two cartons are connected along their front walls, which face one another, with releasable adhesive, and along their bottom walls with a label such that the two cartons remain securely connected when in the dual carton configuration and hence can be processed for tax-stamping through standard machinery and distributed to the consumer as a dual unit. The cartons can readily be separated by the consumer for the sale of an individual carton.

Two cartons joined as a single unit separable into two single cartons

A carton having a tuck-in flap extending from each wall which travels substantially parallel to the path of travel through a tax-stamping machine. At least one tuck-in flap is provided with a tapered tuck-in portion which is positioned and dimensioned so that the hold-down guide positioned to hold down the shorter of a pair of lap flaps of a conventional cigarette carton will hold down the tuck-in flap having the taper as if it were a short lap flap. Moreover, the longer portion of the tapered tuck-in flap is properly held down as well, without being snagged by the hold-down guide. An additional extension panel may be provided along the free edge of the tuck-in portion of either or both tuck-in flaps. The tuck-in portion may be folded under the top closure portion of the tuck-in flap, and the additional extension panel tucked between the cigarette packs in the carton and the wall from which the folded tuck-in flap extends. The folded tuck-in flap thus resembles a short lap flap which may be sufficiently held down by the hold-down guide for a short lap flap.

Cigarette carton with modified tuck-in flap

A dual carton formed from two substantially identical individual cartons secured together along their top flaps such that the means for securing the cartons is not readily apparent to a consumer. An additional means for securing the individual cartons together is provided across the bottom walls of the individual cartons. A dual cigarette carton of dimensions compatible with tax-stamping machinery is also shown.

Two cartons joined as a dual carton separable into two individual cartons

A cigarette carton adapted to contain two rows of five cigarette packs per row. The carton is formed from two substantially identical cartons which are each adapted to contain one row of five cigarette packs. The two cartons are connected along their front walls, which face one another, with a joining strip which is placed over or between the tops of the front walls. The cartons are also connected along their bottom walls with a label. These connections keep the two cartons securely connected when in the ten-pack configuration so that they can be processed through standard machinery for processing ten-pack cartons, such as tax-stamping machinery. The cartons can readily be separated by a consumer for the sale of an individual five-pack carton.

A dual cigarette carton is formed from two identical single cartons. The two cartons are connected together with adhesive bearing carrier means such that the two cartons remain securely connected when in the dual configuration and can hence be processed for tax-stamping through standard machinery and distributed to the consumer as a dual unit. The use of adhesive bearing carrier means such as stickers allows for convenient and acceptable methods of separation of the dual carton for individual purchase of the single cartons.

Two separate cartons combined as a single unit by adhesive/carrier means

An apparatus for testing the quality of a seal on a package overwrap having a cutting or burning element to create a hole in the package overwrap without breaching the integrity of the package; a measuring head for introducing super-atmospheric air pressure through the hole between the overwrap and the package; and a pressure transducer for determining whether the rate of air leakage from the overwrap is within acceptable limits.

Growing community of inventors

Richmond, VA, United States of America

Christopher N Chance