The Mead Corporation

Richard K Watkins

Prentice J Wood

James R Oliff

William S Layman

Leo Benatar

For preventing damage to the tops and bottoms of end loading stacked can cartons, a reinforcing panel is affixed to the inside surface of the top or bottom walls of the carton or to both such walls so as to prevent coincidental can chimes on the upper ends of cans in a lower carton from damaging the top wall of its associated carton and the bottom wall of a carton stacked thereabove and without which the lower ends of the cans of the upper carton may cooperate with the chimes of the cans in the lower cartons to effect substantial damage to the top of the lower carton and to the bottom of the upper carton. For facilitating entry of the cans into an end loading carton and for preventing damaging engagement between the cans and the reinforcing panels, an inwardly extending embossment may be formed in the carton wall adjacent the end edge of the reinforcement panel and if desired the end edge of the reinforcement panel adjacent the end of the carton through which the cans are loaded may be bevelled or may be otherwise configured so as to prevent damage to the carton due to loading of the cans.

End loading can carton

Article carrier

An article carrier comprising bottom panel elements, inner and outer side wall means upstanding from the bottom panel elements, apertures formed in the side wall means for receiving the neck portions of the packaged articles, the bottom panel elements arranged to define bottom apertures, the bottom apertures aligned respectively with the apertures, pull tabs formed in one of the outer side walls and extending between each pair of aligned apertures, cut lines disposed in the inner side wall adjacent the pull tab, and an ad panel foldably joined to the other outer side wall and extending downwardly therefrom.

Article carrier blank

An article carrier formed from a unitary blank comprises a top wall (1) with side (2,3) and end walls (6,7) depending downwardly and generally outwardly therefrom, multiple neck receiving apertures (16-21) together with finger gripping apertures (10,11) formed in the top wall, and an overlapping web panel (22,23,26,27) and anchoring tabs (30,31,34,35) foldably joined to the end edges of the side and end walls and secured together at each corner of the carrier.

Article carrier and blank therefor

Panel interlocking means for securing a pair of panels in overlapping face contacting relation includes a locking tab struck from one of the panels and arranged to be driven through a locking aperture defined by a retaining tab struck from the other panel and arranged so that its free end engages the locking tab in angularly disposed mutually bracing relation, holding means formed in said locking tab for receiving the free end of said retaining tab to hold said locking tab and said retaining tab in angular braced relation to each other, a securing tab projecting from a transverse edge of the locking aperture remote from the fold line of the retaining tab and disposed within a securing aperture struck from the locking tab and disposed at the base thereof and adjacent the locking tab fold line so as positively to secure the panels together against relative movement.

Panel interlocking means

Loaded article carriers of the basket style are tested by engaging the handle of the carrier with hanger means secured to a suitable gauge mounted on a ram which is driven upwardly by motive means in such manner as to cause the articles to engage a fixedly mounted stop plate and thereby to simulate a gradually increasing load on all critical parts of the carrier the magnitude of which is indicated by the gauge.

Growing community of inventors

Lithonia, GA, United States of America

Richard K Watkins