US2984399A - Packaging strip having accordion pleated cushions - Google Patents

Description

May 16, 1961 A. w. GAULKE 2,984,39

PACKAGING STRIP HAVING ACCORDION PLEATED CUSHIONS Filed July so, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ARTHUR W. GAULKE AT TORNEYS y 1961 A. w. GAULKE 2,984,399

PACKAGING STRIP HAVING ACCORDION PLEATED CUSHIONS Filed July 30, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O a jzg i @4? INVENTOR ARTHUR W. GAULKE ATTORNEYS Unite States Patent PACKAGING STRIP HAVING ACCORDION PLEATED CUSHIONS Arthur W. Gaulke, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Vauant Company, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation Filed July 30, 1957, Ser. No. 675,156

4 Claims. (Cl. 229-14) This invention appertains to the packaging of fragile articles for shipping and more particularly to a novel packaging strip for encircling the periphery of a fragile article, such as a sheet of glass and the invention is an improvement over the packaging strip shown in my pending application Serial Number 640,230 filed February 14, 1957, now abandoned.

One of the primary objects of my present invention is the provision of a packaging strip for encircling and receiving the peripheral edge of a sheet of glass or the like in such a manner that the glass will be resiliently supported at all points, when the glass and strip are placed in a shipping carton, so as to prevent breakage of the glass incident to jolts and jars during handling and shipping.

Another salient object of the invention is the provision of a packaging strip embodying a base ply or web having formed thereon or secured thereto at spaced points outwardly extending resilient cushioning members arranged in a longitudinal row, the outer ends of said members being slotted for receiving the edge of the glass.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a plurality of outwardly extending resilient cushioning members united by a base web or tie, the cushioning members each including side walls pleated to form resilient bellows folds and a connecting peak slotted to re ceive the edge of the sheet or the like to be protected.

A further important object of my invention is the provision of a novel means for forming the protecting strip, whereby the base ply or web and the cushioning members can be economically formed from a single length of material.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of novel means for forming the connecting peaks of the cushioning members, whereby not only will the fragile article be received inslots formed in the peaks, but whereby the material struck from the slots will form means for supporting the glass and for acting as a bridge between the accordion pleated sides of the cushioning members.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view through a fragment of the strip, showing the same supporting a sheet of glass, the section being taken on the line 11 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a fragment of my improved strip;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a detail fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, taken on the line 44 of Figure 5 looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating a modified form of the accordion pleated cushioning members;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view through the modified form of the strip taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing a still further modified form of the cushioning strip, the section being taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 7, looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view of a still further modified form of the strip, the section being taken on the line 7--7 of Figure. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter S generally indicates my improved cushioning strip and the same embodies a base ply, web or tie 10, and a plurality of outwardly extending, longitudinally spaced cushioning members 11.

As brought out in my pending application-heretofore referred to, the strip S is preferably of a width equal to the interior width of a carton and the same is adapted to encircle and receive the peripheral edge of a fragile article, such as a sheet of glass G shown in Figures 1 and 3. The strip is preferably formed from cardboard, chipboard, corrugated board or the like.

The base ply, web or tie 10 consists of a longitudinal length of material and the cushioning members 11 are arranged in a longitudinal row. The cushioning members themselves extend transversely of the base web 10. Each of the cushioning members include side walls 12 and 13 and these walls are provided with a series of accordion pleats 14 to form a bellows effect and the side walls 12 and 13 are united at their outer ends by a. peak. Each peak 15 is slotted, as at 16, and the slots 16 of all of the cushioning members are arranged in longitudinal alignment, whereby the edge of a sheet of glass can be inserted therein, as best shown in Figures 1 and 3. The material struck out from the slots 16 defines a connecting bridge 17 and the edge of the glass seats on these bridges. These bridges or seats 17 also constitute a connection for the walls 12 and 13 so as to prevent the spreading apart of these walls and the flattening out of the peaks 16.

The strip S with its base web 10 and cushioning members 11 can be formed in various manners and it is preferrect to form the strip from a single length of material and to fold the material to form the base web and the cushioning members 11.

As illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the base web is folded and brought outwardly and pleated to first form a side wall 12 and then the connecting peak 16 and then downwardly and pleated to form the side wall 13 down to the base. This normally leaves the inner ends of the cushioning members 11 open and pull on the base strip in a longitudinal direction will spread the side walls 12 and 13 of the cushioning members 11 apart. To overcome this, the abutting edges of the lower bellows folds of the side walls 12 and 13 and the folded part of the base web are firmly united together. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, wire stitching or staples 18 can be utilized for this purpose.

As illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the inner folds of the side walls 12 and 13 can also be tied or secured together by the use of wire stitches or staples 19. This will also prevent the spreading of the side walls 12 and 13.

In Figures 6 and 7, I have illustrated another means of folding the base strip to form the cushioning members 11 and in this form the base strip or web 10 is folded c0mpletely back on itself, as at 20, to form a base for each cushioning member, and this folded back portion 20 is then brought up and accordion pleated to form the wall 12 after which the connecting peak 16 is formed and the material is then accordion pleated to form the opposite side wall 13. The lower pleat is then brought down over the base 29 and continues to form the connecting base of the strip. Wire stitches or staples 21 and 22 are utilized for holding the base fold '20, the inner ends of the walls 12 and'13 and the base "strip 10 in their completed, folded position.

Much stress is laid on the formation of the cushioning members 1 1 and the accordion pleated side walls 12 and 13 give a very desirable cushioning effect for absorbing shocks and jolts and actually each cushioning member is resilient in nature and can be compressed under strain without material damages to the cushioning members.

Various other changes in details can be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

l. A wrap-around packaging strip comprising a plurality of equidistan'tly spaced outwardly extending resilient shock-absorbing cushioning members, a base ply conmeeting said members and constituting a tie between said members, means securing said members to said base ply and said members being arranged in a longitudinal row and each including accordion pleated side walls and a connecting peak, the peaks being slotted with the slots extending transversely of the pleats and in longitudinal alignment for receiving the edge of an article to be protected.

2. A wrap-around packaging strip comprising a base web and a plurality of outwardly extending resilient cushioning members arranged in spaced relation to one another and in a longitudinal row, said strip and cushioning members being formed from a single piece of material,

ieach of said cushioning members including pleated side walls and a connecting peak, the side Walls being bent out from the base web, and means firmly uniting the adjacent edges of the side walls of the cushioning members at the web, whereby to prevent the pulling apart of the said side walls at the web.

3. A packaging strip as defined in claim 2, and means firmly uniting the adjacent inner folds of the accordion pleats of the side walls together whereby to prevent spreading of said pleats.

4. A packaging strip for fragile articles comprising a base web and an outwardly extending resilient cushioning member extending transversely thereof, said cushioning member including side walls and a connecting outer peak, said side walls including a plurality of resilient accordion pleats, the web and the cushioning members being formed from a single piece of material and said base web being folded back upon itself and then folded to form a side wall, a peak, and the other side wall, and means firmly securing the folded back portion of the web and the lower ends of the pleats of the side walls to the base web.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 987,958 Clenny Mar. 28, 1911 1,196,320 Weber Aug. 29, 1916 2,603,349 Van Antwerpen July 15, 1952 2,741,362 Cortwright Apr. 10, 1956 2,742,219 Van Antwerpen Apr. 17, 1 956 2,776,745 Van Antwerpen Jan. 8, 1957

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