US2344437A - Combined greeting card and container - Google Patents

Description

March 14, 19M. JJM. LANEJE EZ MAW COMBINED GREETING CARD AND CONTAINER Filed April '21, 1945 3 sheeis haa March 14, 1944. J LANDE 2,344,437

COMBINED GREETING CARD AND CONTAINER Filed April 21, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT 2 f? BY 5 ,4 /5 w m v March 14, 1944. I LANDE 2,344,437

COMBINED GREETING CARD AND CONTAINER Filed April 21, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

z I 4 BY y/Az M atented l, ltd

2,344,437 cornea onnn'rino cane AND oonramnn 8 (Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in greeting cards, and has for its principal object the provision of a novel card formed from a single blank of material and having a plurality of hinged leaves, all movable about a common axis, which leaves, however, are of differing sizes and shapes, thus giving a very novel effect when such leaves, each having appropriate greetings, word messages or suitable designs thereon, are turned, one by one, by the recipient.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel greeting card formed from a single rectangular blank which is folded and is out along certain transverse and longitudinal lines, and which may be formed either into a unique greeting card having a plurality of messages on the successive pages thereof, or be formed into a novel container or box-like structure adapted to hold one or more articles, the container likewise having the function of a greeting card.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination structure of the character described which may be easily and readily folded either into the greeting card structure with a plurality of hinged leaves, or the combined greeting-card container, and which requires no more paper or other material than. the usual greeting card.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel container partaking of the char= acter of a greeting card which is formed with a plurality of flaps, the first two of which give the recipient the idea that the container is in the nature of a book, and after turning the first page will desire to turn the second, etc.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is also a perspective view with the con tainer in partly opened position.

Fig. 3 is another perspective view showing the container in substantially unfolded position.

Fig. 4 shows an alternate means of folding the blank when the article is to be used as a greeting card only,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank used in forming the combined greeting card and container of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a modified form of the invention.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention when arranged as a container.

- up in several independent sections joined by an elongated blanlr or tape.

Fig, 14 is a perspective view of a container tive internal area of the container.

Fig. 15 shows a plan view of the blank. used in forming the container of Fig. 14.

The article forming the present invention is made from a generally-rectangular blank or" flexible material, such as paper, cardboard, or the like. This blank is shown in Fig. 5 and includes a longitudinally-disposed line of fold it, which is substantially in the center of the blank, and another line of fold it parallel therewith and spaced therefrom. The blank is further formed with three transverse lines of fold l2, l3 and it, thus forming a plurality of rectangular, longitudinally-disposed portions iii, ii, iii and iii which form the side walls of the device when used as a container. on each side of fold lines it and i i. fold lines l2, l3 and it are out, as shown at 2!, 22 and 23, thus forming blank portions 25, 2B, 2? and 23 which constitute the lower wall-form ing flaps of the device when used as a container, and also portions 3t, 3t, 32 and 33 which constitute the upper wall-forming flaps. In the preferred form, alternate flaps it and 32 are shorter than flaps ill and 33, thus providing a generally rectangular container. If all four of these flaps are square and oi the same size, the result will he a square container.

The inner surface of portion it (Fig. 3) may have secured thereto a short length oi trans parent adhesive tape of the type which may be secured to a surface, such as paper, and then be removed without leaving any deposit of adhesive. Tape 35 may initially be folded over the transparent and unobtrusive. Tape 35 may, if desired, be eliminated, and an integrally-formed tab or tongue provided, one surface of the tab or tongue being adhesive.

If the blank is to be used as a container, that portion of the tape overlying the outer surface of the portion I6 is stripped from such surface so that it occupies the position shown in Fig. 3. This free tab is now joined to the inner surface of the outer terminal of portion l9 at the opposite end of the blank, thus forming the four side walls of the container, so that they occupy the position shown in Fig. 2. Lower flaps 25 and 21 are next folded inwardly and then flaps 25 and 28 are folded inwardly thus completing the lower wall of the box.

The particular dimensions of the box are a matter of choice, as will be appreciated. In one embodiment of the invention the box may be so proportioned as to snugly receive four packages of cigarettes of conventional size. After the contents are placed in the container upper flaps 30 and 32 are folded inwardly, then flap 33 and finally flap 3| Flap 3|, which is the top cover desirably has on its outer surface a suitable word message of the kind ordinarily associated with greeting cards and may contain some reference to the occasion for the greeting. For instance in Fig. 1 the words "Happy birthday" are printed which conveys to the recipient the thought that some appropriate birthday greeting is contained within the package. On the opposite side of this page or flap are the words Greeting" and other appropriate word messages. The outer surface of flap 33 may have some design thereon and other greeting indicia may be printed or otherwise inscribed on successive flaps of the blank on its outer surface.

If the novel container of the present invention is to be sent by mail after the desired contents are placed therein it may simply be inserted in a mailing container of appropriate size. If desired, the outer flaps, both upper and lower, of the greeting container may be sealed as by the use of a transparent adhesive tape of the same type as that shown at 85.

If the blank is to be used as a greeting card only, it may be folded as follows. The upper half of the blank is folded over the lower half along transverse fold line |3,and then the upper portion of such upper half then folded upwardly along fold line 4. The blank will then occupy substantially the position shown in Fig. 3. The lower portion of the lower half is now folded upwardly along crease line l2, and the entire blank then folded along longitudinal fold line H], thus forming the structure shown in Fig. 4. The uppermost flap has the greeting indicia on both sides thereof and is the first one to be opened. The successive flaps may also have appropriate greeting indicia, and thefact that these successive flaps are of differing sizes and their upper and lower edges are not aligned gives the greeting card a distinctly novel appearance and effect. Another method of folding the blank for greeting card purposes consists in first folding the lower section upwardly along fold line It, then folding the upper half of the blank downwardly over the lower half along fold line l3, and then folding the upper portion of this upper half upwardly along fold line I4. Then the blank is folded along longitudinal fold line it, which produces an attractive result, particularly in that the tongue or tab is not visible when the cardis opened along fold line ill.

The blank forming the modified embodiment of the invention, shown in Fig. 11, is also generally rectangular in shape, and is formed with two spaced, longitudinal fold lines 40 and 4|, and three unequally spaced, transverse fold lines 42, 43 and 44, thus dividing the blank into side wall sections 45, 46, 41 and 48 when the blank is used as a container. On each side of longitudinal fold lines 40 and 4|, the blank is out along lines in alignment with transverse fold lines 42, 43 and 44, thus forming flaps 49, 50', 5| and 52 which form the lower flaps when used as a container, and also flaps 53, 54, 55 and 56 which form the upper flaps when used as a container. Flap 55 has a cut-away section, indicated at 51. The blank is further formed with a transverse fold line 58 in alignment with the edge formed by cut-out section 51.

If the upper end of the blank is now folded along fold line 44 downwardly over the balance of the blank, and the lower end of the blank folded along fold line 42 over the balance of the blank, it will occupy substantially the position shown in Fig. 10. A short piece of gummed paper or other similar material 60 is now used to join sections 45 and 48 together. If the embodiment is to be used as a container, the four side wall sections 45, 46, 41 and 48 will be positioned to occupy a generally rectangular relationship, and the lower flaps 49, 50, 5| and 52 are moved inwardly so that they occupy the position shown in Fig. 8. The upper flaps 53, 54, 55 and 56 may then be folded inwardly and the container will be in closed position, as shown in Fig. 7.

In the event, however, that the embodiment is to be used as a greeting card, the blank may 00- cupy the position shown in Fig. 10, and the upper section folded along fold line 58, and finally folded along fold line 4|. The blank will then occupy the position shown in Fig. 9 wherein flap 54 occupies the uppermost position and forms a cover for the entire greeting card. Flap 53 will be the next page of the greeting card, and it will be noted that this page is of lesser length than the first page, although its lower edge coincides with the lower edge of the first page. Flaps 56 and 55 constitute the third and fourth pages, and these pages are of the same size as flap 53, although in this instance their upper edges are in alignment with the upper edge of flap 54. In this embodiment, flaps 5|, 52, 49 and 50, respectively, follow. It will be seen from an examination of Figs. 8 and 10 that if the blank is to be folded as a container, the gummed strip 60 serves to retain the opposite ends of the blank together, and that if it is to be folded as a greeting card, it is not necessary to remove strip 60. In other words, the opposite ends of the blank may always be joined by this strip or other equivalent means, and the blank folded as a greeting card or as a container without breaking any joint, or without making any other change or alteration whatsoever, and once folded as a greeting card, it may thereafter be folded as a container and vice versa. This is an important feature of all of the possible embodiments of the present invention. No particular reeting indicia is shown on the several pages of the greeting card, which also form the flaps when used as a container, although it will be appreciated that such indicia is a matter of choice and may be arranged generally in the same manner as that shown in Figs. 1-4, inclusive.

This modified form of the invention lends itself very well to the combined container of Fig. 7 and to the greeting card of Fig. 9, particularly since the uppermost page 54 and the lowermost page 50 are the largest in size, and all of the other and smaller pages are completely enclosed by, and do not extend beyond, these cover pages. This embodiment of the invention may also be v modified considerably without departing from the spirit of the invention.

One of the principal advantages of the modified embodiment illustrated in Figs. 711, inclusive, resides in the fact that the opposite terminals of the blank may be joined together as by the adhesive tape 68, or by the integrally-formed tongue or tab, and the article then used either as a greeting card or as a container by folding the same as described, in the case of the greeting card, or by setting the blank up, in the case of the container. In other words, the finished embodiment joined in the manner shown in Fig. 10 is in the nature of a sleeve which can be packed and sold flat, and folded or set up at will. In the event that all of the flaps are substantially square rather than alternate square and reotangular, as shown in .Fig. 11, the blank may terminate at its upper end along fold line 58. In this embodiment, also, the transverse lines lying on each side of the longitudinal fold lines 48 and ii may be perforated rather than out through, thus permitting a box of any desired height to be utilized.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 12 is similar to that shown in Fig. 10 in that the blank 88 has the centrally disposed, longitudinal fold line M, the second longitudinal fold line 62, and the sections 83, 84, 65, 66, 81, 68, 88 and 10. Each of these sections, however, is substantially square rather than the alternate square and rectangular sections shown in Fig. 3. When this embodiment of the invention is folded into a booklet or greeting card, the respective pages are all substantially square, and accordingly are not offset as are the pages illustratedin Fig. 3. When the upper portion of this booklet, i. e., that portion lying above fold line H, is folded downwardly over the lower portion, section 83 will constitute the outer page and sections 66, 65, and 66 the next three pages. The remaining pages may be folded along fold line 62.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 13, the blank is formed in a plurality of sections M, 15, 16 and 11, which are joined by elongated blank or tape 18, which may have an adhesive surface or may be otherwise secured to these blank sections, and may also be-provided with an extension 18 which serves the same purpose as the tab 35 shown in Fig. 3.

The blank 8! shown in Fig. is somewhat similar to the blank shown in Fig. 11, and has the longitudinal fold lines 82 and 83, and the transverse fold lines 86 which are cut through, or perforated, on opposite sides of longitudinal fold lines 82 and 83. Lateral sections 85 and 86 may have a plurality of fold lines 81, thus forming portions 88, 89 and 90. When this blank is assembled into the container shown in Fig. 14, sections 88 and 89 are folded inwardly, thus forming an internal platform which reduces the area of the inner portion of the container. If desired, sections 85 and 85 may have only a single fold line, and when this blank is formed into a container, there will be provided a plurality of compartments separated by walls and 27', as shown in Fig. 6.

It will be apparent that many other changes and modifications may be made in the foregoing invention without departing from the spirit thereof, as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A greeting card formed from a generally rectangular blank having a pair of spaced. longit dinally-disposed fold lines substantially in the center thereof, and three unequally spaced, transverse fold lines between such longitudinal fold lines, each side of the blank being out along lines forming extensions of the transverse fold lines, the blank being folded along the central transverse fold line and folded along the two remaining transverse fold lines, and then folded along one of said longitudinal fold lines, thus forming a booklet with a plurality of offset pages, and greeting indicia contained on a plurality of said pages.

2. A greeting card formed from a generally rectangular blank having a pair of spaced, substantially centrally-positioned, longitudinally-disposed fold lines, and a plurality of spaced, transverse fold lines between such longitudinal field lines, each side of the blank being out along lines forming extensions of the transverse fold lines, the blank being folded along the central transverse fold line and folded again along the remaining transverse fold lines, andthen folded along one of said longitudinal lines, thus forming abooklet with a plurality of pages, and greeting indicia contained on a plurality of said pages.

3. A combined greeting card and container formed from a generally rectangular blank having a pair of spaced. substantially centrally-positioned, longitudinally-disposed fold lines, and a plurality of spaced, transverse fold lines between such longitudinal fold lines, each side of the blank being out. along lines forming extensions of the transverse fold lines, the blank being folded along the central-transverse fold line and folded again along the remaining transverse fold lines, and then folded along one of said longitudinal lines, thus forming a booklet with a plurality of pages, word indicia contained on a plurality of said pages, and means joining the opposite ends of the blank together between the iongitudinal fold lines, whereby the blank may be alternately folded to form a container wherein the portions of the blank lying between the longitudinal fold lines form the side walls of the container, and the portions lying on opposite sides of such fold lines form the upper and lower walls, respectively. of the container.

4. A combined booklet and container formed from a generally rectangular blank having a plurality of spaced,longitudinally-disposed fold lines, one of such fold lines being at the center of the blank, and a plurality of spaced, transverse fold lines between such longitudinal fold lines, each side of the blank being out along lines forming extensions of the transverse fold lines, the blank being folded along the central transverse fold line and folded again along the remaining transverse fold lines, and then folded along the central longitudinal lines, thus forming a booklet the longitudinal fold lines form the side walls of the container, and the portions lying on opposite sides of such fold lines form the upper and lower walls, respectively, of the container.

5. A combined booklet and container formed from a generally rectangular blank having a substantially centrally-positioned, longitudinal fold line, and another longitudinal fold line spaced therefrom, and a plurality of spaced, transverse fold lines between such longitudinal fold lines, each side of the blank being out along lines forming generally square extensions of the transverse fold lines, the blank being folded along the centra1 transverse fold line and folded again along the remaining transverse fold lines, and then folded along one of said longitudinal lines, thus forming the booklet with a plurality of pages, word indicia contained on a plurality of said pages, and means Joining the opposite ends of the blank togethe between th longitudinal fold lines, whereby the blank may be alternately folded to form a container wherein the portions of the blank lying between the longitudinal fold lines form the side walls of the container, and the portions lying on opposite side of such fold lines form the upper and lower walls, respec tively, of the container.

6. A combined greeting card and container formed from a generally rectangular blank having a pair of spaced, longitudinally-disposed fold lines substantially in the center thereof, and three unequally spaced, transverse fold lines between such longitudinal fold lines, each side of the blank being out along lines forming extensions of the transverse fold lines, the blank being folded along th central transverse fold lin and folded along the two remaining transverse fold lines, and then folded along one of said longitudinal fold lines, thus forming a booklet with a plurality of ofiset pages, Word indicia contained on a plurality of said pages, and means joining the oppoosite ends of the blank together between the iongitudinal fold lines, whereby the blank may be alternately folded to-form a container wherein the portions of the blank lying between the 1ongitudinal fold lines form the side walls of the container, and the portions lying on opposite sides of such fold lines form the upper and lower walls, respectively, of the container.

'7. A combined booklet and container formed from a generally rectangular blank having a pair of spaced, longitudinally-disposed fold lines, one

assets? of such fold lines being substantially at the center thereof, and three unequally spaced, transverse fold lines between such longitudinal fold lines, each side of the blank being cut along lines forming extensions of the transverse fold lines, the blank being folded along the central transverse fold line and then folded along the two remaining transverse fold lines, and folded again along the central longitudinal fold line, thus forming the booklet with a plurality of offset pages, word indicia contained on a plurality of said pages, and means joining the opposite ends of the blank together between the longitudinal fold lines, whereby the blank may be altemately folded to form a container wherein the P 1- tions of the blank lying between the longitudinal told lines form the side walls of the container, and the portions lying on opposite sides of such fold lines form the upper and lower walls, respectively, of the container.

8. A combined booklet and container formed from a plurality of generally rectangular blanks having a plurality of spaced fold lines therein, one of such fold lines being substantially in the center of each blank, means comprising an elongated blank joining said rectangular blanks together along the portions of such blanks lying between the fold lines, thus forming an articulated blank with transversely-disposed, generally-rectangular sections lying on opposite sides of the elongated blank, the articulated blank having a plurality of transverse fold lines aligned with the edges of the individual blanks, the articulated blank being folded along the centra1 transverse fold line and folded along the two remaining transverse fold lines, and then folded along the central longitudinal fold line, thus forming a booklet with a plurality of pages, word indicia contained on a plurality of said pages, and means joining the opposite ends of the blank together between the longitudinal fold lines, whereby the blank may be alternately folded to form a container wherein the portions of the blank lying between the longitudinal fold. lines formthe side walls of the container, and the portions lying on opposite sides of such fold lines form the upper and lower Walls, respectively, of the container.

JULIUS lVL LANDE.

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