US2512963A - Paperboard serving tray - Google Patents

Description

June 27, 1950 I w. L. PEIKE'R I 2,512,963

, PAPERBOARD SERVING TRAY Filed Oct. 11, 1948 v I0 Fig. a

'l1 l6 i "LEI "L F'r2r 24 2 s 324 27-1 I JNVENTOR.

Fig. 4 WALTER L. PEIKER ATTORNEY Patented June 27, 1950 PAPERBOARD SERVING TRAY Walter L. Peiker, Lakewood, Colo., assignor to Continental Paper Products Company, Denver, 0010., a corporation of Colorado Application October 11, 1948, Serial No. 53,799

1 Claim. (01.229-28) This invention relates to trays for the serving and handling of foods and drinks, and more particularly to such trays adapted for use where customers are served exteriorly of the purveying establishment, as at drive-ins," locations giving curb service, and the like, and has 'as an object to provide an improved, low-cost, dispensible tray unit emciently arranged for the simultaneous accommodation of foods and drinks.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved serving tray construction susceptible of development from paper-board and analogous low-cost sheet material.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved serving tray susceptible of production in compact, flat, unit form subsequently erectible into form for practical use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved dispensible, paper-board, serving tray adaptable to facile production in a variety of sizes and capacities.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an isometric view oi. a typical em such as paper-board, having the properties of strength and rigidity pertinent to the tray size and ultimate use, which sheet is scored with fold lines, incised, and trimmed, conveniently in a single mechanical operation common in the manthe bottom of the ultimate tray, said area l having a dimension longitudinally of the blank equal to the width of the finished tray and a dimension laterally of the blank determinative of the tray length. The end of the blank adjacent the area Ill extends beyond said area a short distance to provide a relatively narrow attaching tab it transversely of the blank and separated from the said area by a score line l2 perpendicular to the area-limiting, trimmed edge of the blank, and a score line i3 spacedly paralleling said line I! separates the area In from the remainder of the blank. At the side of the area remote from the blank trimmed edge forming one side of said area, a lateral extension of the blank material is provided as a wing i4 separated from said area by a score line l5 spacedly paralleling the area trimmed edge, said wing having a length longitudinally of the blank the same as the corresponding area Ill dimension and a width laterally oi the blank, determined by a score line It spacedly and outwardly paralleling the line i5, equal to and determinative of the depth desired for the finished tray. The blank material forming the wing it continues beyond the score line it as a relatively narrow, locking tab l1, coextensive in length with said wing, whereof the free margin is trimmed to generally parallel the area Ill trimmed edge and may be arcuately relieved, as at It, for reasons that will hereinafter appear.

Paralleling the score line I3 at a distance therefrom corresponding with the width of the wing ufacture of paper products, to outline and define It, a score line I! determines a central area of the blank in a size and relationship to constitute a side wall 20 of the tray, the material of said wall 20 projecting laterally at each side of the blank beyond score lines 2! aligned respectively with the score line l5 and the trimmed edge of the area ill to provide locking tabs 22 whereof 1 the projected margins are trimmed and cut away from adjacent blank material to permit the said tabs to fold on their score lines 2| into perpendicular relation with the wall 20.

A trimmed blank long margin aligned with the score line l5 and colinear line 2i and a spacedly parallel score line 23 aligned with the area Ill trimmed edge and colinear score line 2: cooperate with a perpendicularly-related score line 24 spacedly paralleling the line is to define a blank area 25 equalling the area. I in size and shape and spaced from the latter by the wall 2., said area 25 constituting the top of the finished tray, and a wing ll, identical with that formed on one side of the area Ill, projects laterally of the blank from the area 25 with its score line l outwardly paralleling the line 23 and its locking tab II projected from the blank side opposite that interrupted by the corresponding'wing of the 'yond the opposite ends of said area 26, thus com pleting the outline of the tray blank.

It is to be noted that the tray blank outline is ,such as to permit of its being cut efliciently, and

with minimum waste, from stock sheets or rolls of the material employed, the wing and tab projections of the blank being so arranged as to interflt with the outline of an adjacent or successive like blank. v

To condition the tray top area 25 for the intended use of the unit, said area'is centrally cut or incised, longitudinally of the blank, to form a line of separation 28 spanning between th score lines I9 and 24, and central portions of said score lines are cut through the material, as at 29, on each side of the line 28 and to the intersection therewith of score lines 30 traversing th area 25 in parallelism with andvon opposite sides of the line28 at like distances outwardly from the latto." equal to the wing H width, said cuts 28 and 29' hence cooperating with the score lines 33 to define opposed flaps 3| foldable independently in o perpendicular relation with the area 25. The rectangular area 25 portions at the sides of the flaps 3| are formed with symmetricallyarranged, circular openings 32, four such being illustrated, of a size to receive and support a drink container, such as apaper cup, and T- shaped incisions 33 are spaced apart to close with their stems against the score lines 30 in intersecting relation with the area 25 portions adjacent the flaps 3 I.

Completing the working of the blank, each wing I4 is similarly and centrally incised along the outer margin and both ends of an elongat panel 34 sized to open accommodation for the human fingers. and the inner margin of each said panels is defined by a score line 35 bridging between the panel end incisions as a line of weakness whereon the associated panel may fold out of coplanar relation with its wing II.

Working and conditioning of the tray blank having been completed as illustrated by Figure 4 and above described, the production processes are concluded through interconnection of the opposite blank ends. The blank is folded on the two score lines I 2 and ill, or, alternatively, on the two lines l3 and 24, it being immaterial which pair of lines is employed, to bring the two major areas l0 and 25 of the blank into non-registered super,- position and the trimmed edge margin of the area 25 into alignment with the score line l2 in overlapping relation of the area 26 outer portion on and over the tab ll, whereafter said tab is ad hesively, or otherwise, secured to the area 26 overlying portion to complete the unit, as a flat,

compact item convenient of storage and transportation. ready for the user.

As supplied to the user, the top and bottom areas of the tray are in superposition and out of registration by the width of one of the side wall units 20 and 26 with thewings l4 and tabs 22 projecting in coplanar relation with their respective areas from opposite sides of the unit. To condition the tray for use, the unemployed, transverse score lines are brought into play with consequent registration of the areas Ill and 25 in a spaced relation determined b the side walls 20 and 26 perpendicularly connecting therebetween, whereafter the tabs 22 are folded on their score lines 2| and 21 to enter and engage between the areas III and 25 in perpendicular projection from their respective walls 20 and 26, the tabs II are bent'on their score lines [5 inwardlytoward the assembly and into perpendicular relation with their wings ll, said wings are bent on their score lines I5 and 23 toward the assembly and into perpendicular relation with their respective areas I and 25, thereby entering the tabs I! under onev or the other of said areas to interlock with margins of the tabs 22 and dispose the wings II as end closures for a rectangular box, and the flaps 3! are pressed inwardly into perpendicular relation with their area 25 portions, hinging on their score lines 30, to free, long margin engagement with the inner surface of the area I0, thus quickly and easily erecting the tray for use.

As should be obvious, the circular openings 32 through'the top of the erected tray conveniently receive and adequately support cups or containers charged with either hot or cold drinks, it being convenient, when desired, to form smaller, supplementary holes through the area 25 portions for the reception of containers charged with sugar, cream, and the like, and the open central area of the tray defined between the bottom I 0, flaps 3i, and side walls 20 and 26 effectively and conveniently accommodates sandwiches, chips, and like comestibles characteristic of lunch orders', while the T-shaped cuts 33 yield to the introduction of and operate to hold and support paper or wooden utensils, soda straws, and analogous facilities. Transportation and manipulation of the charged tray is facilitated by the provision of panels 34 which readily swing inward about their score lines 35 in response to finger-tip pressures and open a passage through which the fingers may naturally engage to lift and move the tray.

The association of perpendicularly-related, interlocked top, bottom, side wall, end wall, and tab elements, supplemented by the uniquely-positioned flaps 3|, provides a tray of adequate strength and rigidity, even when sheet material of light weight and nominal cost is employed in the production of the blank, which, together with the simplicity of manufacture, contributes to the provision of a dispensible unit employable to obviate the complications, expense, and annoyances incident to conventional serving practices.

Since changes, variations, and modifications in the form, construction, and arrangement of the elements shown and described may be had without departing from the spirit of my invention, I wish to be understood as being limited solely b the scope of the appended claim, rather than by any details of the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

I claim as my invention:

A serving tray comprising a shallow, rectangular, paper-board fold-box characterized y spacedly-parallel, coextensive top and bottom areas fold-locked against separation and spacedly-parallel end closures perpendicular to said top and bottom areas, a food-receiving compartment opening centrally and transversely through the 5 REFERENCES CITED v The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 521,141 Fitch June 5, 1894 649,462 Laden et a1 May 15, 1900 909,664 7 Porter Jan. 12, 1909 1,136,099 Carter Y Apr. 20, 1915 1,892,092 Barad Dec. 27, 1932 1,901,583 Conway Mar. 14, 1933 2,355,206 Davidson Aug. 8, 1944 2,366,557 Rau Jan. 2, 1945

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