International Paper Company

Other

International Paper

Roderick W Kalberer

Robert L Gordon

Kimberly D Ammons

Arnold L Berzins

Clarence R Thompson

Frederick J Henkel

Patrick J Smith

A disposable lid and handle combination for a container for food products, for example, and a blank for such combination which is die cut from a sheet of laminated paperboard without generation of inner scrap.

Disposable lid and handle combination for container

A method and apparatus for forming a bottom closure of a container employing multiple assembly lines and including a universally foldable seal fin as a part of the bottom closure. A novel blank for the container is disclosed.

Apparatus for forming a bottom closure for a container

Method of closing the bottom of a container

A frangible pour spout construction is improved by the addition of reinforcing webs at the upper plug portion. These webs function to localize the upward pulling force to thereby concentrate the rupture force at the frangible connection between the upper plug and lower pour spout portions. This insures that the pulling force is concentrated so that the frangible connection will rupture prior to the entire fitment being pulled off of the container to which the fitment is secured. The upper plug, later to function as a cap or stopper for the lower spout portion, is provided with a pull ring. The entire construction is die molded, as for example of polyethylene, with the pull ring being molded substantially at 90.degree. from its flat or storage position. A pair of lugs carried by the upper plug holds the pull ring down in its storage position.

Frangible pour spout fitment

A gable top type paperboard carton for juices and other pourable product which may attack the integrity of seals is formed with a pour spout fitment attached to one of the two sloping roof panels. The carton is formed so as to exhibit a rectangular cross section transverse to its longitudinal (vertical) axis, to thereby yield a gable top whose sloping roof panels extend upwardly from the narrower carton side walls. In use, the consumer grasps the two widest side walls of the carton by the thumb and one or more other fingers. This is in distinction to grasping the narrower carton sides, which would entail a wider finger grasp or span. The carton includes a V pocket forming panel in a first gusset, the V pocket receiving a V forming point or wedge on the second gusset. A similar V forming pocket and V point may be located on opposite bottom closure panels. Either V forming pocket may be of paperboard or of barrier film. This construction overcomes the problem of abutting tips of opposite gussets which arises when the gussets are necessarily moved towards each other to form longer sloping roof panels, so as to accept a larger diameter pour spout.

Gable top container

A pour spout carton for extended shelf life paperboard containers, such as those of the gable top type. A first barrier layer lines the carton interior and and a second lines the carton exterior surface. A dispensing opening is formed, as by die cutting, in a panel of the carton. The two barrier layers span the dispensing opening, except for a concentric dispensing hole through them, with the two barrier layers sonically sealed together along an annular zone radially intermediate the dispensing opening and the dispensing hole. The pour spout carries a flange extending from the edge of the dispensing hole to a location radically beyond the dispensing opening, the flange sonically bonded to the outer barrier layer at three radially spaced, concentric zones. The spout screw cap is of a different polymer than the spout, to prevent bonding between the cap and spout. Use of the specific sonic horn configuration and spout dimensions of this invention yields pour spout attachment times of about one half of prior spout attachment methods and spout constructions.

Pour spout construction and method

A pour spout carton for extended shelf life paperboard containers, such as those of the gable top type. A first barrier layer lines the carton interior and a second lines the carton exterior surface. A dispensing opening is formed, as by die cutting, in a panel of the carton. The two barrier layers span the dispensing opening, except for a concentric dispensing hole through them, with the two barrier layers sonically sealed together along an annular zone radially intermediate the dispensing opening and the dispensing hole. The pour spout carries a flange extending from the edge of the dispensing hole to a location radially beyond the dispensing opening, the flange sonically bonded to the outer barrier layer at three radially spaced, concentric zones. The spout screw cap is of a different polymer than the spout, to prevent bonding between the cap and spout. Use of the specific sonic horn configuration and spout dimensions of this invention yields pour spout attachment times of about one half of prior spout attachment methods and spout constructions.

Pour spout construction

A pour spout carton for extended shelf life paperboard containers, such as those of the gable top type. A dispensing opening is formed, as by die cutting, in a panel of the carton. A pour spout carries a flange extending from the edge of the dispensing hole to a location radically beyond the dispensing opening, the flange sonically bonded to the outer barrier layer along an annular outermost knurled zone. The knurled zone sonic horn configuration yields pour spout attachment times and spout attachment integrity superior to known prior spout attachment methods and spout constructions.

A paperboard carton for containing and pouring liquid has a pour spout fitment adhesively secured to its upper surface and at least partially over a reinforcing patch on said upper surface to spread the upward force exerted by opening the fitment over an area of the carton surface larger than the bottom surface of the fitment so as to prevent the fitment from being torn away from the carton surface. In addition to the force distribution, the tensile strength of the added patch material is much greater than the strength of the carton coating, thus this new patch material becomes the primary seal.

Plastic pour spout bonding

A gable top carton and a blank for forming it. The upstanding fin at the top of the gable includes two fin forming protions or extensions from each gable panel laminated together. Half of the length of each fin forming gable panel portion is provided with a horizontally extending tear line and also with a plurality of vertically extending cut lines at its midportion, the latter functioning as tear lines. To open the carton, the midportion of the upper edge of the fin is ripped downwardly and thereafter half of the fin removed by also tearing along the horizontal tear lines, to thus open half of the carton top for manual pour spout formation by the consumer. By virtue of the plurality of vertical cut lines on each gable panel fin portion, the initial vertical ripping can take place along respective non-corresponding (non-homologous) vertical cut lines in each of the two fin forming gable portions, thus compensating for any edgewise misalignment of the gable panel fin portions. The carton interior is internally coated with a barrier layer material, as conventional, but the several cuts through the paperboard and the external PE coating do not extend through the barrier layer, thus preserving the contamination inhibiting property of the barrier layer.

Opening arrangement for gable top container

A pour spout construction particularly adapted for longer shelf life barrier paperboard containers, such as containers of the gable top type. Barrier containers often carry products and the interior surfaces of the former are lined or covered with a barrier layer. According to this invention a dispensing opening is formed in the paperboard and the major barrier layer extends across and covers this opening. An externally threaded pour spout, attached to the container, carries a threaded cap which normally closes the pour spout. This cap carries an innermost annular skirt whose lower edge is adhered to that barrier layer portion which spans the dispensing opening. When the cap is unscrewed from the spout, the innermost annular skirt carries a part of the barrier layer away from its normal, sealing position, thus rupturing the barrier layer and permitting dispensing of the container contents.

Self opening pour spout and screw cap

A pour spout fitment for a flat top or a gable top paperboard container. A flat strip of rigid plastic material is bent over upon itself to form upper and lower strips integrally hinged together. The lower strip carries a plug coplanar with it, the upper surface of the plug adhered to a part of the lower surface of the upper, hinged strip. The lower surface of the plug is sealed to a portion of a barrier extrusion which covers the entire interior surface of the container, the plug being aligned with a dispensing opening through the paperboard, the opening also covered by the barrier extrusion material. For initial opening and dispensing of the container contents, the upper strip is pulled upwardly, carrying with it the plug and the ruptured barrier extrusion material adhered to the plug. The surfaces of the lower strip over which the contents of the container flow during dispensing are thus protected from contamination at all times except during dispensing. In other embodiments, the upper strip is adhered to a second plug, similar to the first, and a vent hole is defined upon initial opening. In still another modification, the forward edge of the fitment extends beyond the carton edge to prevent dripping. A tamper evident tab may be provided on any embodiment, the tab being integral with the upper strip. The tab must pulled up and a seal broken between it and an associated carton wall to permit opening of the carton.

Pour spout for containers

An end closure construction for a tube-type container formed from a single paperboard blank, the blank having an extruded barrier layer coating on one surface thereof. The carton has at least one end closure which is flat and defined by end closure panels. To prevent excessive overlapping of paperboard layers at the center of the flat, closed carton end, each one of a pair of facing end closure panels is centrally recessed along its free edge. An abutment tongue on one of the facing end closure panels is bordered by a pair of recesses. Each of the recesses is spanned by the extruded barrier layer coating. The abutment tongue bears against the oppositely positioned barrier layer to form gussets, in a controlled manner, from the barrier layer.

End closure construction for liquid containers

A pour spout for a paperboard container of either the flat top or gable top type. In one embodiment, a rectangular strip of a rigid plastics material, such as high density polyethylene, is provided with two upwardly liftable, coplanar hinged flaps, integrally formed with the strip. The flaps are aligned with respective vent and pour openings pre-cut in the container top. Upon lifting the flaps from the plane of the strip, an extruded barrier layer (typically a polymer-foil laminate) spanning the pre-cut openings is ruptured and is carried upwardly through the die-cut openings. One opening is a dispensing opening and the other a vent opening. In a second embodiment, a single integral, coplanar and also liftable flap on the rigid strip is employed to define a single pour opening. In a third embodiment, a single integral and copolanar flap on the rigid strip is covered by a flexible strip which is peeled back to expose the flap. The flap is then pushed downwardly to define a single pour opening.

Growing community of inventors

Salisbury Mills, NY, United States of America

Roderick W Kalberer