Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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~ his invention relates to cartons for holding and
dispensing rolls of sheet stock~
Cartons for holding and dispensing rolls of thin
she~t material, for e~ample, metal foil, plastic film, and
waxed or glassine paper, provided with a tearing edge to
facilitate tearing off a length, are a com~on si~ht in
stores. A saleable artic~e must be economical in terms of
material, manufacturing costs, and facility in filling and
closing with available machinery. It is also desirable
that the product be such that the chance of cutting the
user is minimized.
Although many cartons still employ a metal-cutting
edge, there are examples'of making the cutting edge from the
material itself and hardening it with curable plastic, see,
for example, Canadian Patents 738,265, Finn et al tl966)
and 1,068,175, Atkinson (1979).
One of the problems with some cartons is that
effectiveness is sacrificed in favour of economy. For
example, where plastic-hardened teeth are made from the
paperboard itself, these teeth are not usually as sharp
'as metal teeth and the paper does not tear as readily.
erefore, if the teeth are on a wall which is too flex-~'
ible, tearing may not take place as freely as it should.
;Further, some cartons of the general type dis-
' cussed, once opened, do not close readily and tend to allow
the contents to escape inadvertently.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide
an improved carton which overcomes these disadvantages and
' ' provide certain positive advantages as will be evident from
the following description.
A preferred carton, according to the invention,
includes an elongated rectangular receptacle part for a
roll of sheet material to be dispensed, having front, rear,
bottom and end walls. Hinged to the rear wall is the top
of a cover part having connected front and end walls which
form a trunk lid. The front and end walls'of the lid over-
' lap the front and end'walls of the container part. Flex-
ible catch means integral with the lid and container part
,
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respectively engage to hold the lid closed when not in use.
The front wall of the lid preferably extends only part way
down the front wall of the container part where it is
connected by a tearable joint with a securing panel
permanently connected to the front wall of the container
part.
Along the front of the bottom wall protruding
slightly beyond the front wall of the receptacle part is a
serrated edge made up of several toothecl sections died out
of the material of the carton and coated with cured plastic,
intervened by ligaments of carton material left intact to
join the front of the bottom of the receptacle part to the
bottom of the front of the receptacle part.
In use, the front of the lid may be disengaged
from the securing panel and the lid swung up about the
crease which joins the top of the lid with the rear wall
of the receptacle part. Further, the roll may be pulled
out and a piece torn off against the tearing edge. When
the lid is pushed down again on the container part, the
flexible catch means will hold it closed.
The creased, cut and scored blank of foldable
sheet material for making the preferred carton described
is constructed as follows. It has front, bottom, back, top
and terminal panels connected by parallel creases in the
material. The terminal panel is divided into inner and
outer sections by a weakened line parallel to said creases.
The panels and inner section are provided at each end with
a flap connected to it by a crease in the material. The
flap on the front panel is substantially the width of the
flap on the inner section and located near the bottom. The
flap on the bottom panel is substantially the same width as
the bottom. ~he flaps on the top and bottom panels are
provided with complementary cutout portions. The front
panel has an indentation at each end edge adjacent to its
flap and each top flap has an ~dge cut out to provide a
tongue adapted to engage with the indentation when the
! carton is assembled. The blank is provided with a serrated
cut between its front and bottom panels, interrupted by
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narrow creased parts constituting foldable ligaments
connecting these panels. ~he inner section is adapted to
be permanently connected to the flap on the top to form the
ends of a trunk lid. The flaps on the front and bottom are
adapted to be permanently connected together to form the
ends of the container part.
This construction is particularly effective in
terms of ease of erecting the carton. The blank is formed
into a flat tube by adhesively connecting the outer section
of the terminal panel to the front panel to form a collapsed
tube. It is in this form that the partly finished carton is
shipped to the customer.
The carton is then erected into tubular form and
filled with a roll of sheet material and closed mechanically.
mis is effected by first folding in the flaps on the bottom
panel, then folding in over the bottom panel flap the inter-
locking flaps on the top and back panels to leave part of
the bottom panel flap exposed. It is at this stage that
glue is applied to the exposed parts of the top and back
flaps and of the bottom flap. Then, the flaps on the front
and the inner section of the terminal panel are folded in
over the glue-carrying surfaces so as to complete the ends.
In the course of the erection of the carton, the tongues on
the top flap are positioned so as to engage in the indenta-
tions in the front panel to provide the locking mechanism.
m e construction described abo~e is that of a
preferred carton embodying the combination of several
unique features. The construction may be modified, within
the purview of the invention, to employonly ce~tain sub-
combinations of these features or even unitary features.
The construction may also be modified to placethe cutting edge at a different position. For example,
the cutting edge may be placed on the margin of the front
panel or on the margin of the so-called inner section of
what has been referred to as the terminal panel (in this
case, omitting the so-called outer section~, while retain-
ing other desirable features of the applicant's combination.
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The end flap construction for formung the ends of
the container part and/or the lid may be replaced by other
constructions while retaining the special nature of the
preferred cutting edge. The preferred cutting edge is
formedof a series of arcuate cut-outs whose arcs inter-
sect or are tangential to one another so that the inter-
vening teeth are relatively sharp, as compared with zig-
zag or sawteeth.
The catch feature for retaining the lid in closed
position may be used in conjunction with other cutting
arrangements or, may, if desired, be omitted or replaced
by other catch arrangements, while retaining one or other
of cutting features of the invention.
Other modifications may suggest themselves with-
in the scope of the invention as described and claimed.
Having thus generally described the invention, it
will be dealt with in more detail by reference to the
accompanying drawings, illustrating preferred embodiments,
and in which:
Figure 1 i9 a perspective view showing one form
of carton, according to the invention,
as sold to the consumer with part of
the front panel removed to show the
tearing edge;
Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a cut
_ and creased blank, according to the
invention, looking at the face or
white lined side of the board,
Figure 3 is a plan view of a flattened tube
formed from the blank of Figure 2,
'ready to go to the customer for
filling and closing,
Figure 4 (appearing on the same sheet as Figure
1) is an enlarged fragmentary view
showing a preferred form of serrated
edge;
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Figures 5 to 7 are perspective views from one
end of the carton in the process of
being erected with a roll of tearable
sheet material inside it,
Figure 8 is a similar perspective view showing
the opening of thé er~cted carton by
swinging the trunk lid about its hinged
connection with the receptacle part;
Figure 9 is a plan view showiny another con
struction of blank for making a carton
in which the serrated edge is on the
margin of the front panel;
Figure 10 is a view in which the serrated edge
is on the margin of the front panel of
the lid,
Figure 11 (appearing on the same sheet as Figure
3) is a plan view showing another means
hinging the bottom and front panels to-
gether, in this case, by applying adhe-
sive tape.
Figure 1 shows an assembled and filled carton
accordiny to the invention. It i5 made up of a receptacle
part indicated generally by A and a lid indicated generally
by B hinged to the receptacle part. The lid B is removably
secured to the receptacle part by a securing strip indicated
generally by C which is permanently connected to the recep-
tacle part A and is separated therefrom by tearing along
the weakened line 25b. Further details of the construction
of the carton will be evident from the description of the
cut and creased blank for forming it, as shown in Figure 2.
Referring to Figure 2, the blank is divided, as
follows, into elongated panels and flaps. A back panel 15
is connected to a bottom panel I7 by a skip cut crease 17a.
m e back panel 15 is also connected to a top panel 19 by a
crease 21 which is skip-cut as at 21a. The panel 17 is
connected to a terminal ~ront panel 23 by ligaments 23a
between aligned zig-zag skip-cuts 23b. The zig-zag skip~
cuts 23b are made just in front of a crease 17c in the
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panel 17 for reasons which will become clear when the
erection of the carton is described. The panel 19 is
connected to another terminal panel 25 by a crease 25a.
The panel 25 has an intermediate weakened skip-cut line
25b, dividing it into an inner section 27 and an outer
section 29. The section 29 has a series of spaced-apart
diagonal transverse creases 29a.
The panel 15 is provided at one end with a flap
30 of special shape as shown, connected to it by a crease
30a~ At the other end, the panel 15 is provided with a
flap 31 of the same shape as the flap 30, connected to it
by a crease 31a.
The panel 17 is provided, at one end, with a
square flap 33, connected by a crease 33a, and at the
other with a square flap 34, connected by a crease 34a.
The panel 19 is provided, at one end, with a flap 35 of
special shape, and connected by a crease 35a and, at the
other end, with a flap 36 of the same shape and connected
by a crease 36a.
The panel section 27 is provided with an elon-
gated rectangular flap 37, connected by a crease 37a, at
one end, and a similar flap 38 at the other, connected by
a crease 38a. The panel 23 is provided with an elongated
rectangular end flap 39 extending from one side of it
connected by a crease 39a, leaving the remainder of the
- edge of the panel 23 free. Likewise, the other end of the
panel 23 is provided with a flap 40 connected hy a crease
40a. The panel 29 is de~oid of end flaps and has tapered
ends.
The flap 35 is provided with a cutout part leaving
a projecting tongue 35b. The flap 36, likewise, has a cut-
out part 36a and tongue 36b. The function of these tongues
will be described later.
~he zig-zag skip-cuts 23b and adjoining ligaments
23a are punched out on the flat blank with a press and die,
just beyond the crease 17c. T:hen, when the panel 23 is
folded under the panel 27 along the crease 17c, as shown
in Figure 3, the edge of the panel 17 will project slightly
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beyond the edge of the panel 23 so that jagged edges of the
zig-zag skip-cuts of the panel protrude as a serrated edge
having a line of teeth 20 projecting beyond the panel 23.
In this position, resin is applied to the area of the blank
where the teeth 20 are located as well known in the art,
and cured so as to provide a hardened margin with a cutting
edge. This area includes the crease 17c. However, the
resin only reaches the exposed side of the ligaments 23a
which have already been folded over at the crease 17c so
that the other side is underneath when the resin is applied.
The ligaments remain flexible at the crease 17c so that,
when the carton is erected, the front wall 23 is folcled
back about the creases 17c in the ligaments 23a and is
thus inwardly offset from the serrated edge of the bottom
wall 17 as best shown in Figure,l.
The terminal panel 23 is embossed with circular
parts 23c, depressed slightly from the surface of the panel,
so that when the blank is printed, these areas will remain
free of printing ink and thus remain more adherent to glue.
The edge of the panel 23 is provided at each end near the
flaps 39 and 40 respectively with indentations 23c.
The small rectangles, shown on the flaps 33,34,
30,31 and 35,36 are merely to denote areas where glue will
ultimately be applied as the blank is erected into a carton
after filling.
To complete the cartcn for sending to the customer
the blank is folded to form a collapsed tube, as shown in
Figure 3, with the panel 25 juxtaposed to the panel 23 and
these two panels separably secured together by glue on the
stops 23c to form the blank into a flat tube, as shown in
Figure 2. The tube is then ready to go to the customer for
erection, filling with a roll of sheet material, and clos-
ing to form a saleable package.
The tube is then filled through one end with the
roll of material and closed. The closing operation, which
can be done by machine, is as follows, referring to one end
of the arton, as shown in Figures 5 through 7.
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g
The flap 34 is folded in first. Then, the inter-
locking flaps 31 and 36 are folded in as shown in Figure 6.
At this stage, glue strips 42 of hot melt adhesive are
applied -to the infolded flaps 31 and 36 and to the exposed
part of the flap 34. Then, the flaps 38 and 40 are folded
in to contact the adhesive strip 42. At the same time, the
other end of the carton is formed by folding in and gluing
the corresponding flaps together.
In this way, the overlapping flaps 34, 36,31,
38 and 40 are permanently connected together to form one
end of the carton and the flaps 33, 35, 30, 37 and 39 are
permanently connected together to form the other end of the
carton. m e flaps 36, 38 and 37, 39 are also connected
together permanently to form the corners of the carton lid.
When the carton is assembled, the tongue 36~
engages in the indentation 23c at one end of the carton
and the tongue 35b in the indentation 23c at the other
end of the carton.
The carton is opened hy tearing along the line
25b so as to release the section 27 from the section 29
which remains permanently attached to the panel 23. A
trunk lid B is thus formed and freed to swing upwards from
the body A of the carton about the crease 21 as a hinge so
as to allow access to the roll of sheet material from which
a length can be pulled and torn off, using the serrated
edge ~ teeth 20 to cut it off. The tongues 36b and 35b flex
to allow release from the notch~s 23c.
When the lid B is closed again, the section 27 is
brought down to overlap the top of the top part of the
panel 23 and the skirt formed by the panel section 27 and
the flaps 39 and 40 overlap the container part A. The
tongues 35b and 36b snap into the respective notches 23c
to retain the lid in closed position.
The diagonal scores 29a help to direct the tear
along the line 25b against the possibility that the tear
might direct itself into the panel 27.
In an alternati~e structure, shown in Figure 11,
a strip 23d of adhesive tape is applied to the blank to
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cover the cut forming the tearing edge, this constituting
a means hinging the bottom and front panels together and
add~ strength to the structure. In this alternative
structure, it is preferable that the ligaments 23a remain,
although some or all may be omitted, if desired.
The blank is made from foldable sheet material,
generally a fibrous material usually paperboard~ One
suitable paperboard is single white line newsback.
The procedure for hardening the serrated edge by
depositing a synthetic resin varnish may be standard.
Various types of synthetic resin, as well known in the art,
may be applied in liquid form and cured by heating, for
example, thermosetting resins of the nature of polyesters,
polyurethanes, epoxies or phenolic resins dissolved in
suitable solvents may be applied and cured in a conven-
tional manner so as to render the teeth 20 sufficiently
stiff for cutting purposes. It should be noted that the
resin which is applied to the teeth of the blank on the
outside of the blank with the margin of the bottom edge
projecting beyond the margin of the front edge as shown in
Figure 3. The resin also covers the crease 17c so that the
margin of the bottom includiny the crease 17c and the teeth
20 are stiffened. On the other hand, the resin is applied
to the coated side of the ligaments 23a with the underside
left uncoated so that they remain sufficiently flexible to
bend about the crease 17c.
An alternative construction of blank is shown in
Figure 9. Similar parts, to those shown in the previous
Figures, have been given similar reference numerals in the
tens and digits but raised by 100. In the blank of Figure
9, the tearing edge 123b is on the bottom margin of the
front panel of the receptacle part.
Likewise, Figure 10 shows another modified form
of blank. The referencenumerals employ similar digits and
tens but have been raised into the 200's. In the case of
Figure 10, the cutting edge 223b is on the lower margin of
the panel 227 which becomes the front of the lid part of
the container and the terminal section 29 (referring to
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Figure 2) is omitted and there is no initial adhesive
connection between the front of the lid part and the front
of the receptacle part~
The construction, erection and use of the carton
from the blanks of Figures 9 and 10 wil:L readily follow
from a reading of the description of the foxm of invention
shown in Figures 1 to 8.
In an alternative structure, a shown in ~igure 11,
a strip of adhesiva tape may be applied across the margins
of the bottom and front panels on the screening or reverse
side of the blank to bridge the cuts forming the tearing
edge. This has the advantage of adding strength to the
structure. In this alternative structure, it is preferable
that at least some of the ligaments 23a remain, although,
if desired, they may be omitted once the adhesive tape
forms the hinge.
