TRAY AND METHOD FOR PREPARING CUPS TO BE FILLED

CONTENANT ET METHODE DE PREPARATION DE GOBELETS DESTINES AU REMPLISSAGE

English Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure
A package for a plurality of generally cylindrical
objects has a generally rectangular base panel, a pair of
generally rectangular and parallel end panels extending
upwardly from opposite edges of the base panel, and a pair
of generally rectangular and parallel side panels extending
upwardly from opposite edges of the base panel and bridging
the end panels. Extending inwardly from the edges edges of
these side panels are respective planar stiffening lips
having spaced-apart confronting edges, and lying in a plane
generally parallel to that of the base panel. The objects
held in such a package have their axes parallel to the base
panel and end walls and their ends against the side panels.
For loading a machine with objects so packaged one of the
end panels is torn out and the package is set in the trough
with the torn-out end lowermost 80 that the objects can
roll out and down the trough.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A package for a plurality of generally cylindrical
objects, said package having: a generally rectangular base
panel; a pair of generally rectangular and parallel end panels
extending upwardly from opposite edges of said base panel; a
pair of generally rectangular and parallel side panels extending
upwardly from opposite edges of said base panel, said side
panels bridging said end panels and having respective upper
edges remote from said base panel; a pair of generally planar
stiffening lips extending toward each other each from a
respective upper edge, said lips being generally coplanar and
generally parallel to said base panel; and tape securing each
of said side panels to said end panels.
2. A package defined in claim 1 wherein each of said
side and end panels has a pair of upright and generally parallel
edges, said side and end panels being provided at half of said
edges with fastening flaps flatly engaging the adjacent side
and end panels.
3. The package defined in claim 2, wherein said tape
engages said flaps.
4. The package defined in claim 1, wherein said lips
have confronting spaced-apart edges.
5. The package defined in claim 4, wherein said lips
each have a width measured parallel to said end panels which is
equal to at most one-third of the width of said bottom panel
measured in the same direction.
6. A system for loading a machine with generally
cylindrical objects, said system comprising: a package
containing a plurality of said objects and having a generally
rectangular base panel, a pair of generally rectangular and
parallel end panels extending upwardly from opposite edges of

said base panel, a pair of generally rectangular and parallel
side panels extending upwardly from opposite edges of said
base panel, said side panels bridging said end panels and having
respective upper edges remote from said base panel, a pair of
generally planar stiffening lips extending toward each other
each from a respective upper edge, said lips being generally
coplanar and generally parallel to said base panel, and tape
securing each of said side panels to the adjacent end panels,
said objects being arranged with their ends between said lips
and said base panel; a loading trough having an inclined floor
of a width greater than the width of said base between said
end panels and adapted to receive one of said packages full of
said objects with one of said end walls opened and positioned
below the other side wall so said objects can roll out of said
package down said trough; and means for removing said objects
one-at-a-time from said trough below said package.
7. The system defined in claim 6, wherein said
trough has a pair of edge walls extending upwardly from said
floor and laterally flanking said package.
8. The system defined in claim 6, wherein said
means for removing includes a wheel-type conveyor.
9. The system defined in claim 6, wherein said tape
is tearable and one of said side panels is displaceable on
tearing of said tape between a position parallel to the other
side panel and holding said objects in said package and a
position parallel to and aligned with said base panel and
allowing said objects to roll out of said package down said
trough.
10. A method of handling generally cylindrical objects,
said method comprising the steps of: packaging said objects in
a container having a generally rectangular base panel upwardly
from which extend two parallel side panels and two parallel

end panels nonpermanently joined at their corners; retaining
said objects during transit in said container with reinforcing
lips extending toward each other from respective upper edges
of the side panels; feeding said objects into a machine by
tearing out one of said end panels and positioning said package
containing said objects on an inclined feed-trough floor with
the torn-out end panel lowermost so said objects can roll out of
said package down said trough; and removing said articles
one at a time from said trough at a location spaced from said
package.

Description

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SHIPPING CARTON AND SYSTEM ~OR
LOADING CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS
SPECIFICATION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shipping carton
and a method of loading cylindrical objects. More particularly
this invention concerns a carton adapted to hold a plurality of
cylindrical objects and adapted to coact with a system for loading
these objects one at a time into a machine.
Background of the Invention
It is known to ship elongated generally cylindrical
objects such as full or empty bottles, stacks of lids, or the
like in a carton having a generally rectangular base panel
provided at its ends with upwardly extending end panels and
at its sides with upwardly extending side panels. The end panels
bridge the side panels and are sècured at the corners thereto~
Such a carton normally has a similarly constructed lid, that is
comprising a top panel formed with downwardly extending side
and end panels that engage over and around the side and end
panels of the lower part of the carton. To gain access to the
objects within the carton the top is removed.
Such a shipping carton is disadvantageous in that the
production of a base and a cover is unduly expensive. Similarly
such an arrangement is disadvantageous in that when the objects
must be unloaded, as for example to feed them to a machine that
fills them or otherwise uses these objects, it is necessary to
open the carton and load the objects or articles by hand into
the filling chute for such a machine.
Objects of the Invention
It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide an improved package usable as a shipping carton for
generally cylindrical objects.
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Another object is the provision of an improved system
for loading a machine with such objects.
Summary of the Invention
These objects are attained according to the instant
invention in a package or shipping carton of the above-described
general type, but having at the upper edges of its side panels
a pair of generally planar stiffening lips extending toward each
other from the respective upper edge~ These lips are generally
coplanar and generally parallel to the base plane and have
spaced-apart confronting edges.
With the system according to this invention, it is
thereore possible to place a plurality of cylindrical objects
lying down within the package with their longitudinal axes
extending parallel to the end walls thereof. The ends of these
objects, whether they be tubes, bottles, receptacles, or stacks
of lids for receptacles, therefore are held under these lips
which serve the double function of stiffening the package and
holding the contents in place.
It is possible further, according to this invention, to
provide the upright edges of some of the side or end panels with
laterally extending flaps that are folded over the adjacent end
or side panels and secured thereto by means of tape or staples.
In accordance with the system and method o~ the instant
inVention a package containing a plurality of such articles
e~tending parallel to each other is set in a feed trough that is
inclined to the horizontal. One of the side panels having the
reinforcement lip is arranged at the lower edge of the package
and is ripped off or pulled downwardly so that the objects can
roll out of the package and down the trough. Means is provided
to remove the packages one at a time from the trough.
Such an arrangement completely obviates the need for a
separate cover on the package. Furthermore it allows the package

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readily to be emptied into a machine, without having to even
touch the articles or objects contained within the package. What
is more the reinforcing lids constit~te a firm support so that
a plurality of such packages can be stacked one on top o~ the
other. Indeed if a pallet or underlying support board is provided
with a thin shrink-type skin it is possible even to make such a
stack of packages according to this invention weatherproof.
Brief Description of the Drawing
FIG. 1 iS a side partly sectional view of ~he system
aecording to this invention;
FIG. 2 is a top view of a blank for making a package
aceording to this invention;
FIG. 3 iS a perspective view of a package made with
the blank of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a top view of another blank according to
this invention; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a package made from
the blank of FIG. 4.
Specific Description
2~ As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 a package 16 according to
thls invention is formed of a blank as shown in FIG. 2 and
eomprising a reetangular base panel 1 having a pair of opposite
s~de panels 2 and 3 extending from its long side edges and a pair
reetangular end panels 4 and 5 extending from its end edges.
~xtending rom the upper edge of each of the side panels 2 and 3
ar~ xeinoreing lips 6 and 7~
As shown in FIG. 3 the side panels 2 and 3 and end
panels 4 and 5 are folded up perpendicular to the base panel 1
and the reinforcing lips 6 are folded inwardly toward each other.
Each of these reinforcing lips has a width w equal here to
approximately one-eighth of the width W of the CartQn 160 ~hen
thus folded up pieces of tape 8 are applied at each of the corners

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and between the one end panel 4 and the xeinforcing lips 6 and
7. Such an arrangement is adapted to hold a plurality of
cylindrical objects with their ends lying against side panels
2 and 3.
It is also possible as shown in FIG. 4 to provide the
side panels 2 and 3 at their upright edges 15 with laterally
projecting flaps 9 - 12. Pieces 13 and 14 of tape or staples
may be used to secure these flaps 9 - 12 to the respective
end panels 4 and 5.
As shown in FIG. 1 such a carton ~6 is set up to
contain six objects 17, here each comprising a tube to be filled.
In use the carton is set in a trough 20 having an inclined floor
and a pair of upright sides 22. The one end wall 5 is arranged
at the lowermost portion of the carton 16 and the tape 8 between
it and the side panels 2 and 3 is torn so that this end panel 5
can lie flatly on the floor of trough 20. In this position the
objects 17 can easily roll in direction P down out of the
carton 16 toward a wheel-type conveyor 18 that picks them up
one at a time from the lower end of the trough 20. This
conveyor 18 is associated with a shield 21 that covers the
conveyor in one quadrant and allows the objects 17 to-be deposited
into a belt-type conveyor 19 forming part of a filling machine.
Thus the user need merely rip the tape 8 between the
panel 5 and the two panels 2 and 3 and then set the entire carton
16 in the trough 20. The objects 17 can roll then out of the
carton 16, or the user can simply pull the carton 16 backwardly
to dump them out into the trough 20. No tape is provided between
the panel 5 and the reinforcing lips 6 and 7 to ease this opening-
up of the package 16.
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