US2022566A - Fruit basket - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 26, 1935. F, JOSLIN 2,022,566

FRUIT BASKET Filed March 27, 1955 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRUIT BASKET Frank M. J oslin,

Amsterdam, N. Y., assignor to Inman Manufacturing Company, Inc., Amsterdam, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 27, 1935, Serial No. 13,341

6 Claims.

This invention relates to open top containers or receptacles basket type.

It is an object of vide an improved fruit particularly of the fruit or berry the present invention to proor berry basket formed of fibrous sheet material.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide a basket of the type described of conventional shape when assembled but formed from a blank which makes such economical use of the material that many more baskets can be formed from a ton of stock than can be formed using other types of blanks for similarly shaped and sized baskets.

An important feature of the invention consists in the provision of a fruit or berry basket of substantially rectangul ar configuration and having flaring sides, all the parts being formed from a single piece blank of suitable sheet material which is folded into a container having a reinforcing edge or cuif formed substantially continuously about the whole upper edge of the basket and in which the fiaps forming this cuff are all on two oppositely disposed ends of the blank whereby the maximum length of the blank in a direction at right a bottom and fiapped ngles to an axis through the sides is equal to the width of edge of the bottom disposed sides have and in which two oppositely their three free edges cut to the size of a finished side and in which the remaining sides have the outer edge a full length flap,

on their ends wings and on a flap being provided on each wing on the edge thereof which when the flaps are folded about an intervening side will form a continuous reinforcement to the upper edge of that intervening side.

Other and further featuresand objects of the invention will be m ore apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying drawing and following specification wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention with the understanding that such changes and variations may be made therein as fall within the scope of the without departing from the tion.

In said drawing:

appended claims spirit of the inven- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a completed fruit basket constru invention oted according to the present in one quart sizes and have been made from wood 0 splints or from paper-like material for many years. Various forms have been tried and some used successfully, but the most popular shape is one having a square bottom with four flaring sides. Irrespective of the material used it has 15 been found advisable to reinforce the upper edges of the four sides to prevent tearing or splitting and to stiffen these edges so as to prevent undue bulging of the sides due to the weight of the packed fruit or berries.

The present invention contemplates the use of a fibrous paper-like material of sufficient thickness to have the desired stiffness and preferably treated to be at least partially water repellant. It contemplates the provision of a substantially 25 continuous inturned flap along the upper edges of the four sides and a novel disposition of the flaps which form the reinforcing edge whereby great economy of material is effected.

In previous constructions where a reinforcing 30 edge was desired a flap has been provided on each side member of the blank along the edge which will finally form the top of the basket and then wings are formed on one pair of oppositely disposed sides which are folded over the intervening 35 sides and secured thereto to close the corners and hold the basket in assembled relation. With such a construction the blank has as a maximum dimension in one direction at right angles to the edges of the bottom the sum of the width of the 40 bottom, twice the height of a side and twice the width of a top flap. In a direction at right angles to this the dimension is formed from the same components. In accordance with the present invention the first dimension is approximately the 45 same as that in prior art devices, but the second dimension comprises only the sum of the width of the bottom and twice the height of a side, thus saving material for each blank in amount twice the width or height of a flap and of a 50 length equivalent to the longest dimension of the blank. This results in a saving of from 12% to 15% in the amount of material required without sacrificing at all the reinforcing properties of the cuff or flap and permits the manufacture of from 55 2,200 to 2,700 more baskets per ton of stock than with prior art devices.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to Figure 5 showing blank ID from which the box is formed, it will be seen to comprise a single sheet of suitable fibrous material such as paper board or the like including the bottom portion II having four sides, preferably rectangular and specifically square with the edges thereof defined by score marks, I2, I2 and I3, I3. These score marks define junctions between bottom II and two pairs of sides It, have flaring edges, those on posed pair I5, I5 being cut at I6, final shape of the sides.

I6 to define the H, H of these sides are cut off at'what wilL'be the final height of the sides.

The sides I4, I4 have their endsjdefined by; scores I8, I8 which are continuations of scores; I3, I3 but flare somewhat to define theproper" The outer or final upper defined by scores I9, H9. I9,

shapes of these sides. edges of sides M, I4 are The portion contained between scores 52, I8,

I8 is substantially the same in dimensions as a side I5 defined by score I3 and edges I6; II, I6.

The scores 58, I8 on sides M define a junction of these sides with wings 29, 20 and 2|, 2I,'one extending from each endof each of oppositely disposed sides I4, I4.

Each side I4, I4 is separated from its fiap 22 by the score I9. flap is parallel to score The outer edge '23 of this 59 and the flap extends the full length of the outer edge of its side and has its ends 2:; cut converging so that when the flap is turned in and down against the inner face of its side, these ends 24 substantially overlap scores I8, I8.

Each wing 2i) and 2| is likewise provided with a flap 25'Which is practically an extension of flap 22. The length of two flaps 25 is the same as the length of outer edge I! of one of the intervening sides I5.

Near the corners of the bottom are suitable apertures 26 joined to cuts IE, IS defining the edges of sides I5 and cuts 21 defining the lower edges of flaps 20, 2I. These openings are for assistance in folding the basket.

All the scoring is on one side of the blank.

since all of the folding takes place, for instance, in an upward direction from the position of the blank shown in the drawing. To assemble this blank into a basket such: as shown in Figure .1, sides I5 are first bent upwardly to the position shown in Figure 2. The sides I4 arethen bent upwardly until scores I8 substantially meet ends I5 of the intervening sides. The wings 2E! and 2I on sides I4 are then bent around the edges I6 of the intervening sides and are folded down against the outer faces of these intervening sides.

Here it is to be noted that lower edges 21 of the wings are cut away on an angle to slope upwardly and inwardly to expose a portion of the underlying sides. The ends of the. flaps abut each other in complementary-relationship but do not overlap each other. Preferably the abutting is not along a continuous straight line, but the flaps 2I are provided with points 28 and the other flaps 2!! with recesses'29, which two parts of a pair 20, 2I interfit exactly as shown in Figure 1 for a purpose to be later described.

After the basket is assembled to the extent just described, flaps 22, 22 are turned inwardly and secured against the inner faces of sides I4.

I4 and I5, I5. The sides the oppositely. dis- Likewise --outer edgesedges ll of intervening sides I5 and are secured against the inner faces of these sides.

Preferably the basket is secured together by ad hesive which is applied in a suitable manner to the upper faces of the four wings 20, 20, 2I, 2I and to the upper faces of .all six flaps before folding. It should be noted that the adhesive can be thus applied all to the same side of the blank which is of great convenience and simplifies the machine used for the purpose.

When the basket is fully assembled it has along the upper edge of each side I4 the continuous flap 22 and along and .around the edge ll of each side I5 the fiaps 25 which abut each other at 30. Since each flap composed of the two parts 25 has this junction 30 it is not quite as strong in reinforcing the side'against bulging as is the continuous flap 2|, so to overcome this difficulty the wings 28, 2!. do not meet along a line which is in the same plane with the line 35; preferably they meet on'a broken line as explained previously by the interfitting of the complementary point and recess on the ends of the two cooperating wings.

Suitable ventilating openings may be provided inany desired manner in each of the four sides 1 provision of the reinforcing flap or cuff on the inside of the upper edges of the basket prevents interference with the adjacent baskets when nesting and thus more baskets can be stacked in a given height than if the cuff were on the outside and itslower edge contacted the upper edge of the next lower basket and limited the amount of telescoping.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A fruit basket formed from a one piece blank andhaving a four sided bottom and a flaring side extending from each edge of the bottom, a wing extending from each end of two oppositely disposed sides, said wings being folded around the ends of and overlapping the outside of the intervening sides, the bottom edges of said wings sloping upwardly from the corners of the basket to expose a portion of the underlying'side and the ends'of each pair of wings abutting in complementary interfitting relation, each wing having a flap extending the full length of its upper edge and bent inwardly over the upper edge of the underlying side, and means securing said flaps against the inner face of that side.

2. A fruit basket formed from a one piece blank and having a square bottom and a flaring side extending from each edge of the bottom, a wing extending from each end of two oppositely disposed sides, said wings being folded around the ends of and overlapping the outside of the intervening sides, the wings overlapping each intervening side having their ends abutting near and at an angle to the vertical center of that side, a flap extending along the full length of the upper edge of each wing and folded closely over-the upper edge of the side reinforced thereby, the fiaps of the pair of wings extending the whole length of the side reinforced thereby.

3. A fruit basket formed from a one piece blank and having a four sided bottom and a. flaring side extending from each edge of the bottom, a wing extending from each end of two oppositely disposed sides, said wings being folded around the ends of and overlapping the outside of the intervening sides, the wings overlapping each intervening side having their ends abutting on a broken line near the vertical center of that side, a flap extending along the full length of the upper edge of each wing and folded inwardly closely over the upper edge of the side reinforced thereby, the flaps of the pair of wings extending the whole length of the reinforced side, and a flap extending the full length of the upper edge of each side having wings and being folded inwardly to reinforce the upper edge thereof, all of said flaps being adhesively secured against the inner face of the side which they reinforce.

4. A blank for a fruit basket comprising a generally rectangular sheet of suitable paper-like material including a rectangular portion to form the basket bottom, flaring side portions, one integral with each edge of the bottom portion with ascore defining the junction, a wing extending integrally from each flared end of two oppositely disposed sides with a score defining the junction, each of said winged sides having a flap integral with all of its remaining edge with a score defining the junction, and a flap on the outer edge of each wing and separate from the flap of the intervening side, the remaining sides being cut at their free edges whereby the maximum length of the blank in one direction is the sum of the height of two sides and the width of the bottom.

5. A blank for a fruit basket comprising a generally rectangular sheet of suitable paper-like material including a rectangular portion to form the basket bottom, flaring side portions, one integral with each edge of the bottom portion with a score defining the junction, a wing extending integrally from each end of two oppositely disposed sides with a score defining the junction, each of said winged sides having a flap integral with all of 5 its remaining edge with a score defining the junction, a flap on the edge of each wing which is in substantial alignment with the flapped edge of the intervening side, the remaining sides being cut at their free edges whereby the maximum length of the blank in one direction is the sum of the height of two sides and the width of the bottom, and the maximum length of the blank in a right angled direction is that length just described plus twice the width of a flap, said wing flaps each having a length equal to one-half the length of the free edge of an intervening side.

6. A blank for a fruit basket comprising a generally rectangular sheet of suitable paper-like material including a rectangular portion to form the basket bottom, flaring side portions, one integral with each edge of the bottom portion with a score defining the junction, a wing extending integrally from each end of two oppositely disposed sides with a score defining the junction, each of said winged sides having a flap integral with all of its remaining edge with a score defining the junction, a flap on the edge of each wing which is in substantial alignment with the flapped edge of the intervening side, the remaining sides being cut at their free edges whereby the maximum length of the blank in one direction is the sum of the height of two sides and the width of the bottom, such a blank being foldable into a basket having .a single thickness reinforcing flap folded over the whole length of each upper edge thereof.

FRANK M. JCS-LIN.

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