Pack N'stack, Inc.

Triangle Container Corporation

Pack &lsquo;n&rsquo; Stack

Phil B Sheffer

A container is made in a collapsed configuration with bellows fold corners for self erection. Outer end wall panels are joined to the container bottom, leading to horizontal ledge panels and inner end wall panels fold over and down to lock via tabs into openings in the bottom. Columns reside under the ledge panels and are provided by column forming panels folded inwardly and glued to the inner end wall panels. Fold lines define the corners of each column and bear against inner sides of the front and back walls holding the columns open. The column forming panels have protruding tabs back by corresponding tabs on one of the ledge panels betwen the inner and outer panels of the end walls. These tabs form a two thickness registration tab that engages a corresponding opening in the container bottom for stacking.

One piece folded and glued container

A preferably one-piece fold-and-glue container has corners reinforced by extensions that fold over and compress self-erecting bellows or gusset corner joints, and cutouts in each of the four front, back and end walls. The corrugated paperboard panels of a single flat blank define a bottom, opposite front and back walls and longitudinally opposite end walls. The joints have bellows panels integral with the front, back and end walls, joined at folds oriented diagonally and being glued to one of the adjacent walls to pull one another perpendicular to the bottom when erected. The end walls have an outer end wall panel integrally extending from the bottom and joined adjacent to the front or back to an extension having a protruding tab at its free end for locking into the bottom when the extension is folded over the gusset joint. The cutout in each wall is spaced inwardly from opposite ends and extends only part way from a top edge to the bottom, leaving a lower wall portion adjacent to the bottom at which the material is doubled over and also locked to the bottom. Adjacent to the junction between the extension and the outer end wall, a registration tab is cut in the extension to register with a corresponding opening in the bottom of a container stacked on the container. The extensions can have two or more thicknesses of material folded laterally inward and glued against one another for added reinforcement.

Fold and glue stacking container with side access

An open-top fold-and-glue container is provided a collapsed or knocked-down-flat configuration and can be erected into a nested stacking frusto-pyramidal configuration in which the container walls are inclined outwardly and an upper container is supported on self-erecting shoulders in a lower container in the stack. The container has a bottom integral with opposite end walls and side walls, the end and side walls each being formed of an inner panel folded downwardly against an outer panel. The shoulders are located in the inner panels of the end walls, and are self-erecting in the manner of an expanding parallelogram between upper and lower glue strips and a support strip projecting substantially vertically downwardly from the shoulder to the bottom. The attachment of the upper glue strip to the outer panel of the end wall forms a reinforcement at the rim. The ledge is disposed adjacent to and under this reinforcement, and a manual grip can be placed immediately under the ledge. The end and side walls are structurally attached to one another at each corner of the container, by means of a wing or a bellows fold that extends laterally from the outer panel of the end wall at each corner. The wing or bellows fold is captured between the inner and outer panels of the adjacent side wall. The container is particularly apt for carrying lightweight bulky but crushable items such as bakery rolls, loaves and similar products. Such products can be transported and handled in large stacks of nested containers, extending a substantial vertical distance and including many nested containers that contain product covered by the next higher container(s) and protected from vertical crushing forces.

Stackable open-top container

A container is made in a collapsed configuration with bellows fold corners for self-erection and has spaced-panel end walls encompassing hollow columns for vertical reinforcement. An outer end wall panel is joined to the container bottom, leading to a ledge panel that is horizontal when the container is erected, and an inner end wall panel folds over and down to lock via tabs into openings in the bottom. The hollow columns reside under the ledge panel and are provided by column-forming panels folded inwardly and glued to the inner end wall panels. Score or fold lines define the corners of the hollow column and are placed to bear against inner sides of the front and back walls, which holds the hollow columns open when the container is erected. The column-forming panels have protruding tabs backed by corresponding tabs on a ledge panel between inner and outer panels of the end walls. These tabs form a two thickness registration tab that engages a corresponding opening in the container bottom for stacking. The registration tab is barb shaped, having laterally opposite stepped edges dimensioned such that edges of the top panel flaps pass and are locked down by the stepped edges when the top panel flaps are folded downwardly to engage the registration tab. The container can be made entirely automatically in a knocked-down-flat state by application of glue and folding at the appropriate lines, and is erected in a single motion.

One piece folded and glued container with tabbed columns

A collapsible container for packing, shipping and displaying articles is formed from an integral piece of corrugated craft, paperboard or similar foldable material. The container includes a plurality of panels which are connected to form a bottom, front, back and exterior sidewalls, and preferably also a top. A bellows fold connects each of the exterior sidewalls with at least one of the front and back walls. Each exterior sidewall is provided with a respective interior sidewall which together support a horizontal ledge. The horizontal ledges are useful for stacking multiple cartons in vertical alignment and can support containers that are somewhat out of registry. Locking tabs extend from the bellows panels of the container to limit lateral deflection of the sides and deformation of the container.

Stackable container

Blank for stackable tray with locking lid

A container formed from an integral piece of corrugated material includes projections extending from its upper side edges, and notches disposed on its lower side edges. The projections of one container are placed and sized to engage the notches of a similar container so that the containers engage when stacked. The engagement of the sides is such that the containers are unlikely to be inadvertently horizontally displaced, and have increased vertical weight bearing strength. The containers are apt for shipping and display cartons stacked on pallets accessed directly by end-user customers. The containers have four-layer sides to further bear vertical forces, to resist inadvertent collapse of the container or a stack of containers, and to increase horizontal rigidity.

A shipping and display container is formed from an integral piece of corrugated board, paperboard, or the like. The container has a top which includes two opposing flaps allowing access to the contained space of the container for loading. The two flaps are adhered to each other at their opposing edges when the container is closed and sealed for shipping. The top may be removed from the container by separating the top from the sidewalls at perforation lines extending generally at the outer edges of the top. The front of the container has removable portions which are integrally attached to the top so that a pair of windows is formed when the container is opened by the end user's removal of the top together with the removable portions. Product is accessible through the two windows as well as through the top of the opened container. The container is folded and glued from an integral flat blank, and is erected from a collapsed parallelogram shape by moving together outer transverse edges. Reinforcing panels foldably connected to the side panels create double layer sides for the container. A partition is also integrally formed, preferably in three thicknesses, from panels foldably attached to the blank.

Container and blank for making same

Combined stackable tray and shipping carton

Stackable tray

Stackable tray with tabbed lid

A reinforced display carton is cut from a single sheet of material and folded to form exterior wall panels, bottom flaps and an internal subdividing web, that can be collapsed flat for shipping. The bottom flaps lock together when the carton is erected into a rectilinear state, and engage with the subdividing web, which is reinforced by folded over panels. A barb shaped slotted tongue on one of the bottom flaps fits into a slot between the other bottom flaps to lock them, and straddles a lower edge of the internal web. The subdividing web is formed from an extension of a half-width rear panel folded at a rear glue joint with a second half-width rear panel, and is attached at a glue tab to the back side of the front panel. The web has upper and lower reinforcing panels folded up and down over one another and locked in the slot of the tongue. Access openings extend up to the top edge of the front wall on either side of the central web, and the central web reinforces the carton against vertical forces, e.g., due to stacking. The access openings can be closed by top flaps that fold over in a U-shaped configuration and are removable for use of the carton as a dispensing display.

Plural-compartment display carton with locking bottom and center support

A carton is cut out and foldably formed from an integral piece of corrugated paperboard or similar sheet material, and has foldable bottom flaps and foldable closure flaps attached to panels forming side walls. Some of the panels define sidewalls forming a rectilinear carton, and at least one panel defines a partition dividing the carton into at least two compartments. Another panel defines a front wall of the carton, and has openings permitting access through the front wall to the compartments. The closure flaps have flanges which cover the access openings during shipping and inventory storage of the closed carton. The closure flaps are defined by fold lines that are weakened by scoring, perforating or the like, and are easily severed at the weakened fold lines. The carton can be assembled and folded flat, and erected for closure of the bottom, loading with product, and closure of the top. By removing the top closure flaps, the carton is converted to a display permitting customers to access the compartments through the openings in the front wall.

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Thomasville, PA, United States of America

Phil B Sheffer