Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
il~SZ~37
The invention relates to a dispensing package for
elongated strands, such as cord, thread or yarn, wound on a
spool. The invention also relates to a blank for such a
dispensing package.
It is known in the prior art to provide such dis-
pensing packages as shown,for example"in Canadian Patent
116,272, Greeneet al, issued January 26, 1909, Canadian
Patent 271,115, McDougall, issued May 31, 1927, Canadian
Patent 601,354, Ruiz, issued July 12, 1960, Canadian
Patent 626,871, Zackheim, issued September 5, 1961, U.S.
Patent 2,042,311, Hirsch, issued May 26, 1936, and U. S.
Patent 3,284,025, issued November 8, 1966.
The present invention relates to a dispensing
package which is unique in design and construction, and to
a blank for such a dispensing package.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention
there is provided a blank for a dispensing package for elon-
gated strands such as cord, thread, yarn or the like wound
on a spool. T~le blank is made of a material which is fold-
able but which will, when the package is formed from the blank,
provide a free standing package. The blank includes a main
body portion having a first end and a second end, a fold
line extending longitudinally of the main body portion from
the first end to the second end, and a first outside flap
member and a first inside flap member foldingly connected at
the first end of the main body portion A second outside
flap member and a second inside flap member are foldingly
; ~ connected at the second end of the main body portion, and
an elongated tab member is connected to a free end of one
:
, 30 of the outside flap members A short tab member is con-
' nected to a like free end of the other one of the flap
members The blade holder means is adapted to receivingly
.. -- 1 --
,, ~ ~
,, ,
~152G37
hold a blade such that the cutting edges thereof face inward-
ly of the assembled package.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the
invention there is provided a dispensing package for elon-
gated strands such as cord, thread, yarn or the like wound
on a spool. The package is made of a material which is
foldable but which will provide a free standing package,
The package includes a floor member and a parallel ceiling
member spaced from the floor member by wall means. The wall
means have an opening, and a blade holder means extends into
the opening. The blade holder means is adapted to receiv-
ingly hold a blade such that the cutting edges thereof face
inwardly of the package~
The invention will be better understood by an
examination of the following description together with
the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a view of the outside surface of
the blank,
FIGURE 2 is a view of the inside surface of the
blank, and
FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the dispensing
package in accordance with the invention.
Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, the blank
includes a main bocly portion 1 having a fold line 2 extend-
ing longitudinally of the main body portion. The main body
portion also has a first end 3 and a second end 5. Fold-
ably connected at the first end is an outside flap member 7
~, ~ and foldably connected to the second end 5 is an outside
flap member 9. Also foldably connected to the first end 3
is an inside flap member 11, and foldably connected to the
end 5 is an inside flap member 13. Extending from a free
end of the flap member 9 is an elongated tab 15, and
- 2 -
., ,, ~ ~
':`1 ,'~
~5;~37
extending from a like free end of the flap member 7 is ashort tab 17.
As can be seen, the free ends of 11 and 13 are
somewhat semi-circular in shape, and, referring to Figure 2,
a series of concentric protrusions 19 are disposed on the
inner surface of the flaps 11 and 13. The flaps 7 and 9
are seven-sided figures, and the tab 15 extends from a free
side of the tab which free side is away from the side
foldably connected to the main body portion 1 and extend-
ing away from the main body portion, As above-mentioned,
the tab 17 is connected to a like side or the flap 7.
Referring again to Figure 2, the inner surface
of the tab 15 includes fastening means 21 for engaging
with fastening means 23 on the tab 17. In one e~bodiment
of the invention, the fastening means comprise snaps.
Disposed centrally of the main body portion is
an opening 25, and a blade holder 27, including a blade 29,
extends in the opening 25. Disposed at both side edges of
the main body portion are retaining means 31 for retaining
the free end of the thread. In the illustrated embodiment,
- the retaining means are notches in the side edges.
Tab means 15 include openings 33 disposed on the
longitudinal center line of the tab means.
In order to assemble a package from the blank,
' the main body portion is first folded along the fold line 2.
The flaps 11 and 13 are then folded so that they extend
inwardly and at right angles to the main body portion 1,
and the flaps 7 and 9 are then folded in a like manner to
~:,
overlie the flaps 11 and 13 respectively. The tabs 15 and
17 are then folded to extend at right angles to their
respective flap members to form a wall parallel to the wall
- 3 -
,,., ~
~152!~37
formed by the main body portion 1 and opposite thereto. The
structure will then have the shape as illustrated in Figure 3.
As can be seen in Figure 3, the main body portion
forms a two-walled arrangement 35, the two walls being at an
angle to each other and connected to each other at a com~on
edge thereof, The common edge is, of course, the fold line 2.
The tabs 15 and 17 form third wall means, comprising,
in this embodiment, a third wall 41 which is parallel to the
two-walled arrangement and opposed thereto.
The flaps form a ceiling 37 and a floor 39 respect-
ively, Disposed on the inner surface of both the ceiling and
floor are the concentric circular protrusions 19. The pro-
trusions permit the acceptance of different size spools into
the dispensing package.
The openings 33 in the third wall 41 permit the pack-
age to be hung on the wall on nails or screws.
In operation, a spool is placed into the dispensing
package by first unfastening the fastening means on the one end
of the tabs or inserted prior to full assembly of the dispens-
ing package, The spool will then be supported in both of theprotrusions top and bottom for rotatable motion about the
center of the concentric circles.
A free end of the elongated strand is then pulled out
around the outside of the two-walled arrangement and, when a
desired length of strand has been withdraw~, it is cut-off
, using the blade 29 in the opening 25, The free end of the
, ~ thread can then be retained in either one of the notches 31
! ~ on the side edges of the main body portion,
The dispensing package is made of a flexible but
rigid material, Preferably, the package is made of a plastic
material,
-- 4 --
A
, . .
:P152~37
SUPPLEMENTARY D I SCLOSURE
The embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 will
accommodate a role of twine or the like which has a side
feed. That is, the free end of the twine comes off the
outside of the roll.
There are rolls of twine whose free end comes out
through the center of the roll. The embodiments illustrated
in Figures 1 to 3 could not very easily accommodate such a
center feed roll.
It is therefore an object to modify the previously
illustrated embodiment to be adaptable to accommodating a
center feed roll.
In order to modify the package to be adaptable to
accommodating a center feed roll, an opening is provided in
either the floor member or the parallel ceiling member.
The modification is illustrated in the accompanying
drawing in which:
FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the dispensing
package with the opening in the ceiling
member;
FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the dispensing
package with the opening in the floor
member, and
FIGURES 6A to 6L show different shapes for the
floor and ceiling members of the dispen-
sing packages.
Referring to Figure 4, the dispensing package 35,
also made of a rigid but flexible (preferably plastic)
material, has an opening 101T in the ceiling member 37, As
s 30 can be seen, the free end of the twine 103 emerges from this
central opening and can be lodged in the notches 31 for
_ 5
s
' ,A,
s
.
S2~37
rekention as described with respect to Figures 1 to 3, or
brought to the blade 29 for cutting as also above-described.
It will, of course, be appreciated that the opening 37 could
be located in the floor member 39.
Figure 5 illustrates a dispensing packa~e which
can also be used with a center feed roll of twine but wherein
the opening for the twine 101B is in the floor member 39.
Although specific shapes have been above-illustrated,
it will of course be appreciated by one skilled in the art
that the dispensing package can take different shapes. Thus,
a top view of the dispensing package could be either pear-
shaped or, in fact, the entire dispensing package could be
cylindrical. A variety of different shapes for the floor
and ceiling members are illustrated in Figures 6A to 6L.
As can be seen, each of the shapes includes an offset OFF
; as between the blade 29 and the outer periphery of the roll
of twine which is inserted in the dispensing package. (In
Figure 6I, any one of the corners could be the offset corner).
This is to ensure that the outer periphery of the roll does
not interfere with the operation of the blade.
.
;~ Thus, a cylindrical package would be useful only
when the diameter of the roll is smaller than the diameter
of the dispensing package. In the case where the diameter
o the roll is substantially equal to the diameter of the
dispensing package, then a protruding member would have to
be provided for the bl~de so that the blade holder and blade
would protrude outwardly from the outer periphery of the
~5 dispensing package.
It is also pointed out that the above embodiments
~' 30 illustrated a dispensing package which could be mounted with
~ screws onto a wall. Obviously, it may be unnecessary to have
'~ such a mounting means on the dispensing package. Thus, a
~ - 6 -
'
'' ,
~S~Q37
square-shaped top view for the dispensing package is also
possible.
Although in Figure 2 ridges 19 were shown on members
11 and 13, it would of course be possible to have ridges on
only one of the members or, indeed, it would be possible to
make the dispenser without any ridges at all without defeating
the working of the dispenser in accordance with the invention.
The ridges are shown as a preferred embodiment and a preferred
feature of the invention
; 10 Although specific embodiments have been above-
described, this was for the purpose of illustrating, but not
limiting, the invention Various modifications, which will
come readily to the mind of one skilled in the art, are within
the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
,~
"
~, ~
.--.
:
. -- 7 --
A
. . .
