US2662649A - Shipping package - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 15, 1953 w. GILL ETAL SHIPPING PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 27, 1951 wwwmwwww wwwwwmmw Q Q Filed July 27, 1951 Dec. 15, 1953 w. L E AL SHIPPING PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 C L v 2/! v I Patented Dec. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OF Fl-CE SHIPPING PACKAGE Willie Gill, Montreal, Quebec, Eanada, and .Samucl S. Nicholson, River zEdgaN. J assign- .ors toAmerican Can- Company New.ork, N.lY.,

a corporationofNew Jersey Application July'27, 1951, Serial 160;238:908

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to a shipping package and the method of buildingup the same and has particular reference to -'a relatively large and heavy shipping unit built up from a plurality of stacked smaller articles or packagesarranged in layers ortiers and tied together by a single or substantially continuous binding element interwoven between the layers 'of th articles and the articles themselves.

An object of the invention is the provision of a package and method of producing the same wherein a large number of smaller articles'may be built up in stacked relation to produce a strong and. stable unitary package which may be readily handled for unit loading into trucks or railroad cars or for eflicient and compact storage.

Another object ls'the provision of such a shipping package and method of producing the same wherein the built up shipping packages are stable enough to stack one on top of the other to a considerable height and volume, even though'the articles in themselves are of'considerable weight.

Another object is the provision ofsuch 'a package and method of producing the same wherein the various articles in the package are held :in place Vertically stacked and preferably in staggered relation by a relatively inexpensive, substantially continuous binding element which :is interwoven between the articles in such a manner as to lock the ends of the binding element in place as well as to tie the articles together in a unitary structure.

Another object is the provision of sucha package and method of producingthe same wherein the package maybe assembled in a rapid 'i'and economical manner with a comparatively inexpensive binder .element which may be discarded after use, with the result that Egreat savings in material and time are obtained.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a packageproduced by the steps of the instant method invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlargedschematic -side elevation of the package shown in Fighl, the view-showing how the binder element is interwoven between the articles in the package;

Fig-3 is an enlarged view of 1affragmental DOP- tion .of the package shown in Fig. .1, the @view showing how the binder element hOIdSwthB outer 7 overhangingsorprojecting articles in place in the package; and

'Figs. 54110210 inclusive :are schematic side .elevations showing the 1preferred method steps of producingrthep'ackage shown in Fig. 1.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the invention, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings illustrate a unitary package .A built up of a plurality-of :smaller packagesor articles B held together ina predetermined arrangement preferably-by .a single binder or tie element C which isinterwoven Jor snaked betweenthe articles. In the instant case, the articles B are cylindrical in shape and-comprise fibre tube containing metal can ends packaged for "shipment to customers plants or for storage until required, although the inventionvis equally'welbadapted to other articles which may be readily stacked-one upon another in rows-or layers or tiers. The package A preferably is built .up on agpallet, skid or other support D foreasy handling.

The binder element C preferably is a single continuous flexible element which preferably is a relatively wide :strip of strong paper or other tough fibrous material, although the invention is equally well adapted .to 'the-useofnarrow webs, or wire-form binder elements made .from other materials such as.-non-fibrous substances, metals, plastics; etc.

In such .a package the ibinder element C may form'the foundation oripart of the foundation of the package and may'cxtend under the'first or lowermost .row .of-articles B as best shown in Fig. 2, .the leading :endaof the binder or tie element being looped OVel.'iO1'l8-:01 more of thearticles at one end oftherow (at'the-left as viewed in Fig. 2) andtucked under-one or'more of the adjacent intermediate-articlesin the row to-lock or securely hold this .endrof the binder element in place. At the opposite end '(the'rightas viewed in Fig. 2) of the first row of :articles, the binder. element extends up around the endarticle andback toward the left betweenrthe first andsecond rows, thence up aroundthetend .articlezat the left in the second .row=and extending toward the right between the second .-and'third.rows and-s0 on along a rising sinuous tpath .of travel extending between each twoadjacent staggeredrowsof articles until it reaches-the top rower-the stack. At this top row-the binder :elementextends over the top of one or moreeof the articles at the left end of thestaok'as yiewed in Fig. -2, thenalong toward the right opposite end of the .stack, back .over one or more of the .articles :at this opposite end '(attherightim :E'lg. 12') Of the stack, and terminating under a. plurality of the intermediate articles in this top row between the surrounded articles at the ends of the stack, as best shown in Fig. 2. This tucking of the terminal end of the binder element C under several of the intermediate articles in the top row, anchors this end of the binder element and thus holds the element inplace.

The binder element C thus interwoven between adjacent rows of the articles B in the stack compactly holds the articles together in a stable, rigid, unitary package or structure, which it has been found, can withstand severe shock and rough handling without damage. The entire package may be readily moved and transported on its pallet or skid D and several such packages may be piled one on top of the other to economize in space during transportation or storage.

The method of producing such a package is schematically illustrated in Figs. 4 to inclusive. In forming such a package, the leading end of the binder or tie element C is laid across the skid D as shown in Fig. 4, with a short length marginal free end portion G of the element overhanging one edge of the skid. One or more of the articles B, depending upon the number of articles to be assembled in a row or layer, are placed on the skid side-by-side or in contiguous relation across the binder element adjacent its free end portion G as best shown in Fig. 5. The free end portion G of the binder element is then folded back over these initially placed articles and pressed down against the remainder of the binder element on the skid as in Fig. 5. The length of this free end G of the element should be long enough to overlap the skid so that two or three articles B can be placed on top of it. With the leading end of the binder element in place, the remainder of the articles to complete the first row or layer are laid side-by-side in engagement with each other on the skid across the binder element, including the free end of the short length G, as shown in Fig. 6. This locks or anchors the leading end of the binder element in place.

As the next step in building up the unitary package, the binder element C is folded back over the top of the first row or layer of articles B as shown in Fig. '7. A second row of articles B is then laid in place over the binder element on top of the first layer of articles as shown in Fig. 8. Where the articles are cylindrical in shape as shown in the drawings, the articles inthis second row are preferably in staggered relation to the articles in the first row. Hence the articles in the second row depress the binder element into the spaces between the articles in the first row, thus drawing the binder element taut. In this manner the package is built 'up, by folding the binder element back over the top of each row of articles as it is laid in place one. preceding row and hence the binder element is woven back and forth between each row of articles and is drawn tight by the articles as they are laid in place on the element. The end articles at opposite ends of alternate rows or layers of the package are partially surrounded by the binder element C and project beyond or overlying the end articles in adjacent rows as best shown in Fig. 3 and thus these end articles firmly are locked in place against displacement from the package.

In placing the top row or layer of articles B in the package, one or more articles are placed in position on top of the binder element as best shown in Fig. 9, these articles being at the left end of the package as viewed in Fig. 9. The binder element C is then folded over the tops of these placed articles and beyond the articles the binder element is laid down against the exposed portion of the binder element extending across the articles in the next to the top row thereby providing a double thickness of the binder element as shown in Fig. 9. With the binder element in this position, one or more articles are placed in position across the double thickness binder element at the right end of the package as shown in Fig. 10. Following this, the terminal end of the binder element is folded up over these newly placed articles at the right of Fig. 10 and laid down in the space intermediate the articles at both ends of the package, thereby providing between these articles a triple thickness of the binder element as shown in Fig. 10. If the binder element is taken from a roll of such material, it is cut off at this point to provide the terminal end of the element. If the binder element is precut to the required length, the terminal end will automatically fall in the correct place.

As the concluding step, the intermediate space between the end articles in the top row is filled with sufficient articles to complete the row, these articles being placed on top of the triple thickness of the binder element, as best shown in Fig. 2. These lastly placed articles lock the terminal end of the binder element C in place and thus complete the binding together of all the articles in the package. Thereafter the package as a unit may be moved on its skid or pallet for transportation or storage, as desired.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts and that changes may be made in the steps of the method described and their order of accomplishment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described bemg merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. A unitary package for shipping and storing articles, comprising a plurality of articles arranged in rows, in close relation and with a plurality of rows stacked on top of each other, and a substantially continuous flexible binder element extending under the bottom row of articles and interwoven between the succeeding rows of the entire package to bind the articles together in a stable unitary package, the ends of the binder element being interwoven between articles in the bottom and in the top rows of the package and held by the weight of articles above them to anchor the ends of the binder element against displacement.

2. A unitary package for shipping and storing articles, comprising a support, a plurality of articles arranged on said support in rows, in close relation and with a plurality of rows stacked on top of each other, and a substantially continuous flexible binder element extending across said support under the bottom row of articles and interwoven between the succeeding rows of the entire package to bind the articles together in a stable unitary package, the free ends of the binder element being interwoven between articles in the bottom and in the top rows of the package and held by the weight of articles above them to anchor the ends of the binder element against displacement.

3. A unitary package for shipping and storing articles, comprising a support, a plurality of articles arranged on said support in rows, in close relation and with a plurality of rows superimposed upon each other, and a substantially continuous flexible binder element extending across said support under the bottom row of articles and around the end articles in said bottom row and further extending between each succeeding and adjacent pair of rows and around the end articles at oppositely disposed ends of alternate rows and around both end articles of the top row to bind the articles together in a stable unitary package, one free end of said binder element terminating in and being anchored in said bottom row by articles above and resting upon it and the opposite free end of said binder element terminating in and being anchored in said top row by articles in said row resting upon it to lock said element in place.

4. A unitary package for shipping and storing articles, comprising a movable support, a plurality of articles arranged on said support in rows, in close relation and with a plurality of rows superimposed upon each other, and a substantially continuous flexible binder element extending across said support under the bottom row of articles and substantially horizontally interwoven between the rows of the entire package to bind the articles together in a stable unitary package the free ends of the binder element being interwoven between articles in the bottom and in the top rows of the package to secure the ends of the binder element against displacement, the leading free end of said binder element extending under and being held in place by one or more articles in the bottom row of said package and the terminal free end of said binder element extending under and being held in place by one or more articles in the top row of said package.

5. A unitary package for shipping and storing articles, comprising a movable support, a plurality of cylindrical articles arranged on said support in rows, in close engaging relation and with a plurality of rows superimposed upon each other in staggered relation, and a substantially continuous flexible binder element extending under the bottom row of articles and interwoven sinuously between the rows of the entire package and partially surrounding the overhanging end article in each row to support all overhanging end articles, to bind adjacent rows together and to bind all of the rows together in a stable unitary package, the lower and upper free ends of the binder element being interwoven between articles in the bottom and in the top rows of the package, respectively, to secure the ends of the binder element against displacement.

6. A unitary package for shipping and storing articles of substantial weight, comprising a movable support, a plurality of articles arranged in contiguous relation on said support in uniformly staggered rows superposed upon each other with an end article of a superposed row overhanging a contiguous end article of a subjacent row and at least one substantially continuous flexible binder element snaked through a series of superposed rows and wound at least partially around each of said overhanging articles, the ends of said binder element being separated from each other, the lead end of said binder element being anchored by at least one article in a lower row of said package and the terminal end of said binder element being anchored by at least one article in a row higher than said lower rows of articles, thereby providing a unitary package of articles tightly bound together for shipment and storage.

7. A unitary package for shipping and storing articles of substantial weight, comprising a plurality of articles arranged in contiguous relation in uniformly staggered rows superposed upon each other with an end article of a superposed row overhanging a contiguous end article of a subjacent row and at least one substantially continuous flexible binder element snaked through a series of superposed rows and wound at least partially around each of said overhanging articles, the ends of said binder element being separated from each other, the lead end of said binder element being anchored by at least one article in a lower row of said package and the terminal end of said binder element being anchored by at least one article in a row higher than said lower rows of articles, thereby providing a unitary package of articles tightly bound together for shipment and storage.

WILLIE GILL. SAMUEL S. NICHOLSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,921,228 I-Ietherington Aug. 8, 1933 2,059,390 Pagel Nov. 3, 1936 2,284,616 Hedges May 26, 1942 2,300,059 Perry Oct. 27, 1942 2,635,965 Hensgen et al Apr. 21, 1953

Images