US2335636A - Merchandising container - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 30, 1943. 1 01315 2,335,636

MERCHANDISING CONTAINER 'Fi-led Feb. 4, 1941 fieazye 1 Jodie Patented Nov. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,335,636 MERGHANDISING CONTAINER George L. Bodie, Chicago, Ill. Application February 4, 1941, Serial No. 377,382

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in merchandising containers.

The invention is more particularly concerned with the provision, in containers of otherwise standard construction, of readily detachable tokens rigidly supported by the containers for the purpose of stimulating the sales of any given product dispensed in such containers.

The present invention is applicable to containers for dispensing many difierent varieties of products, but it is herein disclosed as a preferred example in connection with containers or cans containers are in the form of tin cans, coupons or tokens cannot conveniently be supported within the containers, and furthermore as such containers in most instances do not include a paper wrapper, the tokens or coupons cannot be offered as a printed portion of the wrappers.

This method of stimulating the sales of motor lubricating oils as well as other liquid products has not come into extensive use, principally for the reason, it is believed, that the containers for such products did not ofier any convenient means for carrying or supporting coupons or tokens.

Furthermore, while prize winning coupons are sometimes offered purchasers of bulk sales products, such, for example, as gasoline, nevertheless the practice may prove highly profitable to the manufacturer or salesman, for the reason that the average automobile driver purchases sufficient gasoline to interest him in purchasing such gasoticular brand may be unknown to the prospec tive purchaser and thereby the manufacturer would profit to substantially the same extent as if the prize winning tokens were offered the purchaser.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide improved merchandising containers for stimulating the sale of products dispensed in such containers.

A further and more specific object of the invention is the provision of readily removable prize winning tokens rigidly supported by containers for dispensing liquid products such as motor lubricating oils for stimulating the sale of such products.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a depression in a wall of a metallic container for liquid products, and a readily removable metallic prize winning token rigidly secured in said depression, such token stimulating the sale of any given liquid product by removing the same upon sale of the product.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference will be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the container illustrated in Fig. l.

Figure 3 is a still further enlarged vertical sectional view in a plane substantially as represented by the line 3--3 in Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the token of Figs. 1 to 3, same being removed from the container.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of container showing a further adaptation of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawing by reference characters, and wherein like characters designate like parts in the different views, the letter C designates a container which, except as hereinafter described, is of standard construction and may be of varying capacities as, for example, one quart, five quarts, etc.

The container C is a metallic can of the common construction now used in handling and dispensing motor lubricating oils and comprises the cylindrical side s, bottom b and top if.

The instant invention comprises a modification of the usual can construction as above described for the attachment and shrouding of a token designated as ID. The token is preferably v I if h 2,335,636

metallic and also preferably circular as illustrated. However, other forms, such as rectangular, hexagonal, etc., are clearly within the scope of the invention.

In order to shroud or guard the relatively thin disc-like token against catching on an attendants clothes, pinching or cutting the hands or causing possible other injury, the can or container C is provided with a depression ll formed by suitably stamping the metal of the container inwardly, as is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, wherein it will be seen that the depth of the depression is somewhat greater than the thickness of the token whereby the token is disposed below the level of the surrounding material of the container. formed in the top t of the container, as illustrated, but may of course be formed in the bottom b, if desired.

The token Ill is originally formed as an imperforate disc and is spot-welded or soldered at its center to the container C within the depression I I, as is indicated at l2, thus rigidly securing the token to the container within the depression H.

In order that the rigidly secured token may be removed with relative ease it is circularly scored, as at [3, in circumscribing relation to the rigid connection i2, whereby upon prying upwardly on the edge of the token it will break on the circular score line and thus be removed as a disc with a central aperture, indicated at a in Fig. 4. The aperture a in the tokens ID will provide for conveniently saving same as by stringing them on a 'rod or the like.

In order to facilitate the prying up of th token the depression I I merges into the top t in a. plurality of tapered grooves !4 whereby the end of an instrument, such as a screw driver or the like, may readily be entered beneath the edge of the token at one or several spaced points for breaking the token loose on the score line I3.

While the depression II is illustrated as being generally circular, still it may be rectangular, as indicated at [5 in Fig. 5, which also shows the adaptation of th invention to a container C of rectangular form in top plan.

With the rectangular form of depression IS, th corners thereof provide for the ready insertion of a token prying instrument.

The tokens Ill are suitably marked to indicate prize earning values according to the volumes of the various containers. Thus, a one quart can or container is preferably provided with a token marked 1 merit, while a five quart can will be provided with a token marked 5 merits, and containers of other capacities will be provided with tokens correspondingly marked. The trademark or brand of the company may also be marked on the tokens as the party responsible for redemption of the tokens.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing dis closure that, in accordance with this invention,

fluid containers are provided with readily removable prize winning tokens for the purpose of stimulating the sale of fluids, such as motor lubricating oils, in that a token may be removed from a container as by a station attendant upon The depression is most advantageously.

selling the contents thereof, and the value of such token will be greater in proportion to the greater capacity container sold. Thus the interest of a station attendant in selling a brand of oil dispensed in this manner will be greatly stimulated, to the extent that h will be more inclined to try to convince a prospective oil purchaser that that brand is as good as some better advertised brands with which such prospective purchaser may be familiar, whereby greater quantities of such brand of oil will be sold at a corresponding greater profit not only to the manufacturer but to the attendant or salesman as well.

The invention has been particularly disclosed as adapted for use with motor oils, but it will obviously find advantageous application to metal i containers for various products whether the products be directly dispensed from the containers when sold, or whether the containers with contained products be sold as an entity to the purchasers.

While I have disclosed only certain specific embodiments of my invention, nevertheless such are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the sub-joined claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. A merchandising container including an end wall having a portion thereof deflected inwardly and providing a depression having a plane bottom wall merging into the non-deflected portion of the end wall through a marginal inclined portion, a fiat circular token positioned in said depression in full surface contact with the bottom Wall thereof, a circular score line in said token circumscribing a central restricted area thereof, and a rigid connection between said bottom wall and said restricted area.

2. A merchandising container according to claim 1, wherein said marginal inclined portion merges into prying-instrument receiving grooves spaced circumferentially of said token and being defined by inclined bottom walls merging into said non-deflected wall portion radially beyond said inclined marginal portion relative to the center of said token.

3. A. merchandising container including an end wall having a fiat bottomed depression therein, a circular metallic token disposed in said depression in full surface contact with the bottom thereof, a circular score line in said token concentric with the center thereof, a rigid connection between said depression bottom and the token in an area within said score line, and a plurality of pry-instrument receiving grooves in said end wall radially disposed and uniformly circumferentially spaced with respect to the center of said token and each having an inclined bottom wall merging into said depression bottom for entrance of a pry-instrument beneath the token for breaking same away from its rigid connection around said score line with equal effort at any of said grooves.

GEO. L. BODIE.

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