[1]pp, Patented Nov. 1, 1938 2pl34,860 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,134,860 F'OLIDING PAPER BOX Arthur Cormier, Montreal, Quebec, Canaft Appflcation January 23,1935, Serial No. 3,160 ]In Canada August 3,1934 15 Claims. tWs invention relates to folding boxes or car tons and has for an object the provision of an improved folding box or carton having a plurality of compartments. The invention relates particularly to the manufacture of folding bo3res of the class generally employed in packaging and shipping quantities of eggs and other fragile objects. -Heretofore, it has been customary to manufacture boxes of o the class. to which the inventiori 10 relates by providing a body member adapted to form the longitudinal walls of the box and having a plurality of slots for the recep@tion of, transverse Partition members. The relationship between the body members and the tmnsverse partition memN bers in boxes as heretofore constructed g6nerally lias been such that the lower half of the tramverse PArtition members protiuded- beyond the side and bottom walls of the box as defined by the body member, and the upper half of the parti20 tion members have been disposed entirely within the side walls of the box. As a result of this construction, it li@s been possible to substitute eggs or other objects of inferior quality for those originally sealed within the box by merely withdraw25 Ing the partition members from their positiorl within the slots of the body member. To overcome tMs disadvantage, it has been proiiosed to provide the partition members with lips or lugs adapted to engage the body member and thereby 30 hold the partition members in place. This expedient, however, has been unsatisfactory, for it has not been effective In preventing the withdrawal of the partition members after assembly of the box and sealing of the cover; it has siinpiy 35 affected the degree of force req . uired to withdraw the partition member. F'Urthermore, folding boxes of the heretofore CUstomary type have been difficult to assemble. In the folded position, the transverse partition 40 members of such a box bave been Positioned -@vithin the folded side walls of the box, and, to assemble the box for use, it bas been necessary flrst to extend the body member by partiany unfolding the side walls and then to insert each 45, di the partition members individually into the slots intended to receive them in the side :waM. In accordance with the present invention, an improved box is provided in which the foregoing disadvantages are avoided and in whi , ch advan60 tages not heretofore attainable are secured. Briefly, boxes constructed in accordance with the invention comprise a body member folded to provide longitudinal side walls, bottom walls, cover and a center partition waH. The body member Is provided, with a plurality of sets of slots, pref(Cl. 229-29) erably three such sets, each slot of each set being aligned with a corresi)onding sl6t of each other set. Transverse partition members are inserted in each row of aligned slots, and thereafter the relative alignment of one set of slots is altered 5 with respect to the other sets of slots to lock the partition mernbers in their proper positions. As a result, the partition rnembers are firmly held in place, and to remove them after the box has been fllled and the cover sealed is impossible without I a actually tealing or breaking the partition members. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the position of the partition members withIn the slots of the body member is such that the outer edge portions of each partition member extends for substantially its entire width beyond the outer surfaces of the side walls as defmed by the body member. The upper and lower edges of the partition members lie witwn the bottom and cover walls of the box. By virtue df tliis. arrangement 20 of body member and partition members it is possible to open the folded box for use by simply partially unfolding the body member. This motion automati cally brings the partition members into their proper positions, where.they are firmly held 25 when the box has been closed and the cover sealed. In its preferred form, the body member of the box is prepared from a blank of cardboard or other suitable material, suitably cut to form three 30 sets of slots, each slot of each set being aligned longitudi nally with respect to a corresponding' slot of each other set, and the blank is scored to deflne a series of substantially parallel longitudinal folding lines. One such folding line fOllOws 35 substanti ally the center line of the center set of slots. Flolding lines are als6 provided adjacent the outer ends of the center set of slots and adclitional folding lines are provided adjacent the inner ends of each of the outer sets of slots. In 40 assembli ng the box, the blank is folded downwardly substantially'through 180' along the center folding line and upwardly through substantially 180' along,the folding lines @tdiacent the outer ends of the center set of slots. In tWs POSI- 45 tion the aligmnent of each row of slots is such that the partition members m@ty be inserted without@ distortion an(I with a minimum of effort. After insertion of ibe partition members, the center portion of the body member is forced upwardly r)o by partially unfolding it along the folding lines adjacent the outer end portion of the center set of slots and correspondingly folding it along the folding lines adjacerit the inner ends of the outer sets of slots. During this operation the relative r) r)
[2]2 2,134,860 alignment of the center set of slots with respect to the outer sets of slots is altered and the center partition wall of the body member is introduced Into firm engagement with the partition members, effectively preventing their removai. 7he partition members are provided with lugs adjacent the upper and lower ends of their side edge portions, and with recesses or open-end slots extending inwardly from their top and bottom 10 edges substantially along the center line of the member. The lugs serve to prevent the partition members from slipping from their position within the slots provided In the side, walls of the body member, and they serve also to prevent unfolding 15 of the side walls, when the box is opened for use from its folded position, to such an extent that the partition members would be dislodged from their positioh within the slots. The inwardly extending recesses provide means for engagement 20 of the partition members with the center partition wall of the body member of the box. The upper portions of the side waus of the box are folded inwardly along folding lines adjacent th6 outer ends of the outer sets of slots to provide a 25 cover for the box. The invention will be, better understood from a consideration of.the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 30 Plig. 1 is a plan of a fragment of a body member of a box embodying the invention; FU. 2 is an elevation of the fragment of the body member after folding to permit Insertion of the partition members, showing the partition 35 members in their folded positions; Plig. 3 is an elc,.,ation -gimil r to Plg. 2 but showing the body member after the relative alignment of the slots has been altered to lock the p&rution members in position; 40 Plig. 4 is an elevation showing the alsembled box in its folded position; lMg. 5 is an end view of the folded box shown in Flg. 4; Plg. 6 Is an end view of the box unfolded for use 45 and with the cover closed; Plg. 7 is an end view showing the box after insertion of the partition members but before they have been locked in position; Mg. 8 is a plan view of a transverse partition so member of preferred design; Pig. 9 is a perspective view of the box ready for use; Fig. 10 is a perspective of the box at the same stage Qf assembly as shown in Flg. 2, biit with the 55 tr-nsverse partition members not in their folded postuons; and 'Pig. 11 is a perspective dmflar to Fig. 10 but, showing the box at the same stage of assembly as shown in Flg. 3. so The body member I 0 (Plig. 1) of the box is genemby rectangular In shape and is stamped or otherwise formed from a sheet of paper board or other suitable material. Preferably it is provided With a center set of slots I I and with outer or flanking sets of slots 12 and 13.. Eheh slot is longitudinally disposed across the width of the body, member and is In substALntlaUy longitudinal allgnment with a cori@esponding slot in-each of the other sets of slots. The alots of the outer or To flankfng sets 12 and I 3 ore simply elongated openlngs of substantially rectangular ahape, of a width slightly greater than the thickness of the partiUons and of a lerigth substantially equal to or sughtly less thaii the width or.depth of the outer ye end portiom of the partition members. The slots I I of the center set are %imil r in shape to those of the outer sets but are partiauy closed by inwardly extending lugs 14 adjacent their midportions. The body member I 0 Is scored for folding longi- 5 tudinally along a folding line 15 passing substantially along the center line of the center set of slots I i. Scores are provided adjacent the outer ends of the center set of slots to define folding lines 16 and 17, and similar Scores dt--flning fold- lo ing lines 18 and 20 are provided adjacent the inner ends of the outer sets of slots. By folding the body member downwardly along the folding line 15 and upwardly along the folding lines 16, 17, 18 and 20, the body member wlU asmime a 1,5 position defining side walls, bottom wam and a center partition wall. Scores passing through the outer sets of slots define folding lines 21 and 22 along which the body member may be bent upwardly to cause It to assume a somewhat fuller 20 configuration than it would otherwise have. Scores adjacent the outer ends of the outer sets of slots and scores adjacent the edges of the body member blank deflne folding lines 23, 24, 25 and 26 along which the body member may be folded 25 to provide cover wuhs for the box. 'The body member s6s described above may be cut to the proper size and shape, the slots may be forn2ed in it, and the scores marked upon It by machine In a siwe operation. 30 The transverse partition members 27 (Mg. 8) are generally rectan"ar In shape. At opposite ends of each side edge of the partition member lugs 28, $8, 31 and 32 are provided for engagement with the outer surfwes of the side waus of the 35 box after it has been assembled to retain t;ae partition members in their proper position with respect to the bodv member& Recesses or slots U and 34 extending Inwardly from the bottom and top edges, respectively, of the partition -ember are provided for, engagement with the center partition W&H of the assembled box to prevent withdrawal of the partluon member after the box b&s been assembled and closed. A web 35, the eftes of which define the bottom surfaces of the re- 45 cesses br slots 33 and 34, joins the two halves of the partition member in ah integral piece. The lower edge of the parUUon member Is undercut to provide sloping edges 36 and 37 to conform with the bottom surface of the assembled box. so The partition members, Uke the body member, niay be formed from paper board or ouier mdtable material by' machine In a single operation. To assemble the box, the body member Is bent downwardly through substanti&Uy 180' almg the center folding Une II and upwardly through xubstantially 180' along the folding lines 18 and 17 adjacent the outer ends of the center wt of 310U. When the body member is thus folded, the center set of slots extends through the center parUUon Go waU, extending downwardly from the.upper edge thei;eof, and each row of slots Is so allgned that the pextition members niay easfly be inserted through them, the length of the slots 12 and 13 of the oute sets I su6stanU&Uy eqW to. as slightly grer@ th or slightly less than the L T or overau height of the@:tion num2bers 27. MM 2 -and 10 show the box , at this stme of the ammbly. If slots slightly aborter thnn the height of the outer end poruons'. of the partition mmembers To are employed, insertion may be effedeo by tiltft the PiLrUtion members to permit the lugs to pan through flrst. After the parution members have been boated. the center p&rution wall of the box is forced up-
[3]2,134,860 3 wardly with respect to the side waus. cawdng the body member to be folded through an angle of substantially 1800 along the folding lines 18 and 20 and to, be unfolded correspondingly along the folding llnes II and 17 (PI . 7). During this op. 9 eration, the center partition wall (in which the center set of slots Is cut) Is moved with respect to the transverse partition members so that the webs 35 of the transverse partition members lie below 10 the projections 14 which pamally close the slots I I of the center set (Fig. 9). At the stime tiine the unslotted portion of the center partition waU Is forced Into the recess 33 with which the partition members are provided, thus securely. locking 15 the partition members in their proper position with respect to the body member. The box at the completion of this stage of the assembly Is shov;n in elevation in Flg. 3, and in perspective in Flg. 11. In foiding the box for packing or shipping, @he 20 transverse partition members are caused to lie flat against the side walls of the box, and the portion of the body member above the folding .lines 23 aiid 24 adjacent the outer ends of the outer tets@ of slots is bent downwardly as shown &I In eleve@tion'in Fig. 4 and In an end view In Mg. 5. When thus folded, the box is very compact, and the - transverse partition members are protected f@om damage by the downwardly folded cover .p6rtions of the body member. The box may be 'tO maintained In its compact folded condition by any suitable means such, for example, as encireiing rubber bands or gummed paper strips attached to and extending between the outer ends of the body member. 3 i't When it Is desired to unfold th4@ box for use, the downwardly extending portions of the body member which cover the tiansverse parti ' tion members are grasped, after removal of any megms employed for holding the box in a compact fold40 ed condition, and the entirid body member Is opened by pulling outwardly. During this operation, the body member Is partially unfolded albng the fglding lines 18 and 20 adjacent the ends of the center set of slots and Is simultaneously and 4 r, correspondingly folded along the folding lines I 6 and 17 adjacent the outer ends of the center set of slots. The body member is then forced outwardly along the folding lines 21 and 22 substantially along the center lines of the outer sets of slots (as indicated by -the arrows In Mg. 9), whereupon the body member assumes a crosssectional shape substantially as shown in Fig. 6. 'Me upwardly extending portions of the side walls are bent inwardly alo.ng the folding Unes 23 and 24 adjacent the out6r ends of the outer sets of slots and are ben-t downwardly along the folding llnes 25 and 26 adjacent the edge portions of the body member to form cover members for the box. The downwatdly folded p6rtions of the cover members are received in the recesses extending Inwardly from the upper edges of the paitition mombers 27, thus completing the box. in the assembled box, the lugs 28, 30, 31 and 32 with which the partition members are provided adjacent the corners thereof engage the o I ute r , surfaces of the side walls of the bdx as deflned by the cover members to prevent the' transverse par@ tition members from being dislodged from their proper positions,@ and serve to prevent -extending the body member to too great an extent when it Is being opened for use from its folded position. ber s in place. If an attempt is made towithdraw any of the partition members when the box Is thus distended, it wtU be necessary to tear. the partition member across the web In order to succeed. 5 From the foregoing description, it will be apParent -that the invention provides a box comprising substantially parallel trou -like mem. gh bers, each of which is divided by the. transverse partition members Into a plurality of compart- la ments. While we have shown and described a box comprising two parallel rows of compartments, It is to be understo(>d that boxes embodying the invention may comprise any swtable number of parallel rows of compartments. By 15 suitably designing the proportions of the box, It may be made suitable for packaging various obJects such, for example, as eggs and'fruit. Since the side walls -of the box are not flrmly held extended along the folding lines 21 and 22 pawing 20 substanti ally along the center line of the outer set8 of slots, it follows that the side w&Us will be resilient to a certain extent, thus cushioning o@-. Jects which may. be placed within the box. -This feature is of special value when the objects to be 25 package d are fragile, as is -the case with eggs. The upper edge portions of the longitudinal dividing wall between the partitions are separated. This arrangement permits movement of. the Inner side wall of each compartment relatively to 30 any obji@et contained therein and faellitates removal of such objects by permitting easy insertion of the fingers for the purpose of grasping the object. Boxes constructed in accordance with the In- 35 vention present many advantages when compared with boxes of the type heretofoie customarjly manufac tured and employed. The essential components of the box, the body member and the several partition members, may each be formed by 40 machine in a single operation. Assembly of the box is easily accomplished and may be performed either manually or by machine. The box when folded is_very compact, @nd large quantities of folded l@oxes may be packed iii very small spaces. 45 Opening of the folded box for use is an extremely simple operation and may be performed rapidly and substantially without eff6rt. Preferably, the scoririg employed in forming the fold lines is of such a nature that the resillency of the cardboard to or other material employed in formi7ig the box is not seriously iinpaired, and the box In its compact, folded condition is In the nature of a spring under comprewon, tending to expand to its open position upon the release of the means employed 55 for holding it In its compact, folded condition. This tendency, varied according to the width of the webs of the trar@sverse partition members, the flexibility and quality of the material employed 60 in making the box and the thickness of the central partiiion, is increased by properly correlating the width of the slots 33 and 34 in the transverse partiti on members wit@ respect to the thickness of the material from wnch the box is constructed. 65 With the box in, the f(Zlded position, the transverse partition members@ pass through four thickness6 S of the material. of the body, member, so if the slots 33 and 34 therein are of a width somewhat less than four thicknesses of the material 7o 'of the b6dy member, the resiliency of the material 'the recess 33 extending inwardly from the lower of thetransverse partition members wiU. tend to edge of the par5tion member receives the upturn the partition members into their normal open wardly extending uiislotted portion of the body position perpendicular to the plane of th6 body 76 member and effectively locks the partition mem- member. The assembled box is sturdy and pro-
[4]4 2,134,860 vides exceuent protection for objects which may be packed. I
