US2695723A - Sectional receptacle structure - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 30, 1954 N. s. WATERMAN SECTIONAL RECEPTACLE STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 6. 1952 NEIL 5. WZITEEMAN BY 5 United States Patent SECTIONAL RECEPTACLE STRUCTURE Neil S. Waterman, Stamford, Conn. Application September 6, 1952, Serial No. 308,220

4 Claims. c1. 220-4 This invention relates generally to an improved receptacle forming a crush-proof article-receiving space for housing, displaying and packaging sundry articles or" use, such as cigars or other items which require crush-proof receiving space.

It is an object of the invention herein toprovide a receptacle capable of surrounding, protecting and displaying wares of types requiring such protection such as above mentioned and which receptacle is capable of being opened, reused or discarded after the particular item is withdrawn.

A further object of the invention is to furnish a number of receptacles of the above kind combined or attached to each other and capable of distribution as a unitary package.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a receptacle which may readily be manufactured by automatic machinery and so that the receptacle may be marketed at a low price, the device embodying a rugged structure which will assure the consumer that the item within the package is in unbent or uncrushed condition.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear in the progress of the disclosure and as pointed out in the appended claims.

Accompanying this specification is a drawing showing a preferred form of the invention wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a number of receptacles combined to provide a type of package for wares such as cigars.

Figure 2 is an exploded view in perspective of the receptacle showing the members of a unit in separated position to form a single receptacle.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of Figure 1 across the plane 3-3 thereof.

In accordance with the invention and the preferred form shown, numeral 10 indicates generally the upperhalf and numeral 11 the lower half of a hollow body adapted to be detachably engageable for the formation of a frame to serve as a crush-proof receptacle. These hollow members forming the receptacle are formed from rods of suitable plastic material such as acetate, vinyl, styrenes, polyethylene and the like and are of any suitable shape such as square in a cross section. Each member 10 and 11 is comprised of vertical rods, the rods of body portion 10 being indicated by numerals 12, 13, 14 and 15 while the rods of body portion 11 are indicated by numerals such as 12a, 13a, 14a and 15a.

The outer terminals of the rods of each member or unit forming the receptacle are joined by suitable cross or bridge pieces such as 16, 17, 18, 19 and cross-bridge pieces 16a, 17a, 18a and 19a respectively. These cross pieces serve as closure means for the ends of the receptacle.

Provision is made for the detachable inter-engagement between the upper receptacle member 10 and the lower receptacle member 11. As shown and for this purpose diagonally disposed rods 13 and 14 of body member 10 and diagonally disposed rods 12a and 15a of member 11 are formed with rabbeted outer faces the reduced outer face portions being indicated by numerals 13'14 and 12a and 15a respectively.

In order that the vertical rods of members 10 and 11 be in alignment when these members are assembled to form the receptacle and in order to provide interengaging means for maintaining the members in integral relationship,

2,695,723 Patented Nov. 30, 1954 of the rabbeted wall portions 13 and 14' while the extensions 24 and 25 are continuations of the rabbeted wall portions 12'a and 15'a. l

The finger extensions of each of the receptacle members cooperate with the reinforcing bars of the opposite member, and for. this purpose reinforcing bars 20, 21, 20a, 21a are constructed for detachable: engagement therewith whereby members 10 and 11 when in an engaged position present a symmetrical appearance and the reinforcing bars 20 and 21 contact and superpose reinforcing bars 20a and 21a.

Thus, hooked finger extensions 22 and 23 of'receptacle member 10 are adapted to engage the cross bars 2th: and 21a at reduced inner and lower face portions 26 and 27 and inner and lower face portions 28 and 29 respectively.

Hooked finger extension 24 is adapted to engage the bar 20 at reduced faces 30 and 31 while finger extension 25 engages bar 21 at reduced inner face 32 and top face 33.

According to the structure above described, when member 10 is placed on 11, the reinforcing rods align with one another in contacting engagement and the finger extensions snap into the reinforcing rods at the reduced portions so that vertical rods 12 and 12a, 13 and 13a, 14 and 14a, and 15 and 1511 are in alignment while at the same time members 10 and 11 are rigidly integrated. In order to separate the members 10 and 11, the rods, being flexible, are suitably flexed and the finger extensions become disengaged from the receiving means in the reinforcing rods.

Cigars or other wares as indicated by A are introduced in either half. member 10 or 11 and the other half is snapped in therewith to form a crush-proof receiving receptacle. It is to be observed that the reinforcing bars 20 and 21 and 20a and 21a may assume suitable shapes so that when the bars are superimposed they form a suitable design such as an opening as shown in Figure 11.1 Of course these bars may assume any other desirable s ape.

It is furthermore to be observed that in Figure l a package of four receptacles are formed as an assembly and the outermost receptacles may contain a lateral crossbar such as 34-35. The combination of many receptacles to form a package is accomplished by providing fusion points capable of severance such as 36, 37, 38, 39, 40. When a receptacle is broken otf the package the same cannot be reincorporated in the package as indicated by the severed points 41 and 42.

When the receptacles are in the form of a package such as is shown in Figure l, the consumer merely breaks the end receptacle off from the fusion points if he wants to use the contents thereof. When this is done, the both halves are released by flexing the vertical rods so that the hooked finger extensions disengage the reduced wall portions of the reinforcing rods.

It is possible to remove the whole upper half of the package of receptacles shown in Figure l for introducing a series of cigars or other merchandise in the lower halves. The upper halves are then snapped into the lower halves and the package will not come apart while it is in the possession of the consumer through friction or bodily movements.

It is to be remembered that each receptacle is a part of the package or assembly, and when a receptacle is removed from the assembly it will house and protect the item it encloses.

I wish it understood that minor changes and modifications in the material, integration of parts, combinations, sizes and design may all be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A receptacle forming a crush-proof article receiving space including a framework of a pair of finger operable and resilient interengageable and aligned units, each unit having corresponding vertical rods and cross pieces joining the outer terminals of said rods to form the opposite ends of the receptacle, reinforcing cross bars joining the inner terminals of the rods of each unit, a pair of aligned extensions of the inner terminals of the rods of each unit diagonally disposed and terminating in abutments, the abutments of the first unit detachably engaging the underside of the reinforcing cross bars of the second unit, and the abutments of the second unit detachably engaging the upper side of the cross bars of the first unit whereby both units are detachably interengageable. I

2. A receptacle forming a crush-proof article receiving space as setforth in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said receptacles are severably joined at the sides thereof.

3. A receptacle forming a crush-proof article receiving space including aframework of a pair of finger operr ,able and resilient interengageable and aligned units, each unit having corresponding spaced vertical rods and cross- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,940,242 Burgess Dec. 19, 1933 2,467,678 Lockhart Apr. 19, 1949 2,530,481 Rawn Nov. 21, 1950 2,575,149 Watson Nov. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country I Date France Nov. 2, 1943 forming a crush-proof article receiv-

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