US3696918A

US3696918A - Christmas tree ornamentation package

Info

Publication number: US3696918A
Application number: US127244A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charlotte F Lerner
Original assignee: SMALL WORLD IMPORTING CORP
Current assignee: SMALL WORLD IMPORTING CORP
Priority date: 1971-03-23
Filing date: 1971-03-23
Publication date: 1972-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-10

Abstract

This package contains four different lengths of garland or other elongated flexible ornamentation to drape a Christmas tree at various levels, and to make it easy to drape the tree. To drape the upper end of a Christmas tree, a shortest length of ornament is used. As you drape at lower levels, the lengths of the ornamentation increase. Also the garland for upper levels are of less diameter than the garlands for the lower levels. The package comprises a box that contains separate holders for each length of garland. The holders are of uniform dimension from side to side to fit into a box of uniform width. All the holders are of uniform height to fit the height (or thickness) of the box. A holder holding a greater length of garland is of greater dimension lengthwise of the box than a holder holding a shorter garland. To facilitate use, the box has a window to expose part of the garland on each holder with the windows differing in size corresponding to the lengths of the garlands on said holders.

Description

United States Patent Lerner Oct. 10,1972

[541 CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTATION PACKAGE [72] Inventor: Charlotte F. Lerner, Brooklyn, NY.

[73] Assignee: Small World Importing Corp., New

York, NY.

[22] Filed: March 23, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 127,244

[52] US. Cl. ..206/45.3l, 206/46 AM, 206/51, 242/50 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 25/00 [58] Field of Search ..206/46 R, 45.31, 49-51, 206/56 R, 64, 65 R, DIG. 35; 242/50, 61

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 650,630 5/1900 Chamberlain ..206/64 2,344,862 3/ 1944 Funke ..206/51 1,441,266 1/1923 Clune ..206/49 1,974,466 9/1934 Marshbum ..206/45.31

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 438,397 11/1935 Great Britain ..206/5l 107,185 7/1965 Norway ..206/49 Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman Att0rney-J. B. Felshin [5 7] ABSTRACT This package contains four difierent lengths of garland or other elongated flexible ornamentation to drape a Christmas tree at various levels, and to make it easy to drape the tree. To drape the upper end of a Christmas tree, a shortest length of ornament is used. As you drape at lower levels, the lengths of the ornamentation increase. Also the garland for upper levels are of less diameter than the garlands for the lower levels. The package comprises a box that contains separate holders for each length of garland. The holders are of uniform dimension from side to side to fit into a box of uniform width. All the holders are of uniform height to fit the height (or thickness) of the box. A holder holding a greater length of garland is of greater dimension lengthwise of the box than a holder holding a shorter garland. To facilitate use, the box has a window to expose pan of the garland on each holder with the windows differing in size corresponding to the lengths of the garlands on said holders.

11 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures P'A'TEN'TEDBBI 10 I912 3.696.818

SHEET 1 OF 2 ENTOR. (x/4910775 aefise Armmve/ CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTATION PACKAGE This invention relates to christmas tree ornamentation packages.

I'Ieretofore, garlands or other flexible elongated ornamentation for decorating christmas trees were packaged and sold in one length. The individual purchaser had to estimate in what lengths to cut the length purchased, to drape different parts of the tree. This practice involved waste of time and material and was tedious. It is hence an object of this invention to package the garland in precut different lengths suitable for draping different parts of a tree.

Another object of this invention is to provide a package of the character described comprising a box, and a plurality of holders in the box, each having a different length of garland wrapped or wound thereon.

The holders are of the same dimension from side to side, corresponding to the width of the box. The height of the holders are the same and correspond to the thickness of the box. The dimensions of at least two holders, in the direction of the length of the box, differ, the holder carrying a lesser length of garland being of smaller dimension, in such direction, than the holder carrying a greater length.

Still another object of this invention is to provide in a package of the character described, a box for the holders, formed with a plurality of windows, each to expose to view a portion of the garland on a different holder, with the windows increasing in size with increase in the lengths of garlands on the respective holders.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a strong and durable package of the character described which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, attractive in appearance, which shall provide precut lengths of garland, for decorating various levels of a christmas tree, and which shall be easy to use and practical and efficient to a high degree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown various illustrative embodiments of this invention,

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a package embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially opened view of the package;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of one of the garland holders in the box of said package;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section view taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a Christmas tree showing one way in which garlands are draped thereon at different levels.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 designates a Christmas tree draped at different levels with different lengths ll, 12, l3, 14 of garland.

Garlands for decorating Christmas tress are well known. They are made by placing equal lengths of plastic strips between two wires and twisting the wires to grippingly hold the strips so that the strips radiate. The strips may be of silver or gold color or of any color. The wires may be made of any suitable lengths. The wires grip the strips at midlength of the strips. The garlands may be draped in sinuous fashion all around the tree as shown in FIG. 1 or on any other suitable position. Heretofore, long lengths of garland or other flexible ornamentation, were sold and the user or householder had to cut the long garland into parts, each to drape a different level of the tree. It will be seen, by looking at FIG. 1, that the topmost garland 11 is shorter than garland 12, which is shorter than garland 13; and the lowermost garland 14 is the longest. It is difficult to estimate the lengths required, and it is difficult for the purchaser to cut the long piece into proper lengths.

In accordance with the invention, the package 15 embodying the invention has a plurality of pre-cut pieces of predetermined lengths to provide the garlands 11,12,133, 14.

Said package 15 comprises a box 16 which may be made of cardboard or of any other suitable material. The box may have a front wall 17 of elongated rectangular shape. Extending from wall 17 are

side walls

18, 19, and end walls 20.

Side walls

18, 19 and end walls 20 are hinged to wall 17.

Extending from side wall 18 is a rear wall 21 of same dimensions as wall 17. Extending from wall 21 is a flap 22 contacting the inner surface of wall 19. Extending from wall 19 are a plurality of tabs 23 which pass through slots 24 at the junction of wall 21 and flap 22, and engage the inner side of wall 21.

Extending from the rear ends of end walls 20 are flaps 25 which engage the inner surface of rear wall 21.

Extending from the ends of

walls

18, 19 are flaps 26 engaging the inner surfaces of end walls 20.

The front wall 17 is made with four

window openings

30, 31, 32, 33. These are longitudinally spaced and of gradually increasing size. If desired, these openings may be covered with light transmitting, colored, or clear sheeting (not shown). The smallest opening 30 is at the top, while the largest is at the lower end of the box.

Within the box are four

holders

35, 36, 37, 38 carrying the lengths of

garland

11, 12, 13, 14, respectively. The holders are stacked in the box. The top two

holders

35, 36 are identical, and the bottom two

holders

37, 38 are identical. Holder 38 rests on the lower end wall 20. I-Iolder 37 rests on top of holder 38. Holder 36 rests on top of holder 37 and holder 35 rests on top of holder 36. All the holders are of the same dimension, from side to side, to lie between wall 18 and flap 22. All the holders are of same dimension to lie between

walls

17 and 21. The top two

holders

35, 36 are of smaller dimension in a vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 4, than the lower two

holders

37, 38.

Each of the

holders

35, 36, 37, 38, is of the same construction except as described hereinafter. I-Iolder 35 shown in FIG. 3 will now be described. Said holder is made of cardboardor similar material and comprises a web or wall 40 from which parallel flanges 41 extend. Parts of wall 40 are cut to form pairs of opposed openings 42 and the material from the openings extend to form tabs 43 in the same planes as flanges 41. The

ends of wall 40 adjacent flanges 41 are cut to allow end flanges 44 to be formed and these flanges are folded about fold lines 45 to be disposed between flanges 41.

In holders .35, 36, the walls 40 are similar to'each other but of less dimension than said walls in

holders

37,38.

Garland 1! is wound around wall 40 and flaps 44, so as to be disposed between flanges 41 and tabs 43.

Garland 12 is longer than garland ll. Garland 13 is longer than garland 12 and garland 14 is longer than garland 13. Thus, the purchaser can open the box, remove the holders and use the garland 11 from holder 35 to drape the upper end of the tree, the garland 12 from holder 36, to drape at the next lower level, the garland 13 from the holder 37 to drape at a still lower level, and the garland 14 from the holder 38 to drape the lowest level. Since a Christmas tree is somewhat conical shaped, such procedure will be practical, efficient and easy to carry out, since the garlands are draped around the tree and the girth of the tree increases from top to bottom.

The lengths of the garlands ll, 12, 13, 14 may be 15', and respectively.

The user does not have to cut one long string of garland. He does not have to measure around the tree or estimate the lengths of garland needed at various levels.

The window opening is located to expose part of the garland .11 on holder 35. The window opening 31 exposes part of the garland 12 on holder 36. The window opening 32 is located to expire part of the garland 13 on holder 37. The window opening 33 is located to expose part of the garland 14 on holder 38.

The

window openings

30, 31, 32, 33 are centered on wall 17 and indicate to the user, the locations of the holders which carry from the smallest to the greatest lengths. The user then knows that the smallest length garland is at top window 30 and so on.

Wall 17 may have marked thereon the respective lengths on the several holders, as shown in FIG. 1.

Furthermore, the length of the plastic, silvered strips of plastic in the garland may be of different lengths, so that the diameters of the garlands may differ. Garlands 11 and 12 may be of 3 inch diameter and garlands 13, 14 may be of 4 inch diameter. These dimensions may also be marked on wall 17 of the box 15 as shown in FIG. 1.

The

holders

35, 36, 37, 38 together fill the box 15 so as not to shake around loosely.

The construction of the box 15 may be varied to suit. Also, while garlands of twisted wires gripping radiating plastic strips, is shown, any other flexible elongated Christmas decoration may be employed. The garlands which are shown comprise the twisted wires 50 gripping the radiating strips 51, as indicated on FIG. 5.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative.

lclaim:

1. A package comprising a box, a plurality of holders therein, a single length of elongated flexible Christmas tree ornamentation on each of said holders, the length of ornamentation on at least one holder differing from the length of ornamentation on at least another holder, said box having parallel side walls, parallel front and rear walls, and parallel end walls, said holders being stacked in tandem in said box and being coextensive with each other between said side walls and between said front and rear walls.

2. The combination of claim 1, at least one of said holders being of greater dimension than another of said holders in the longitudinal direction of said side walls.

3. The combination of claim 2, the length of ornamentation on the holder of greater dimension being greater than the length of ornamentation on said another of said holders.

4. The combination of claim 3, the front wall of said box having separate windows overlying the ornamentation on the holders in the box, so that said ornamentation can be seen through said windows.

5. The combination of claim 4, the relative sizes of the windows being smaller or greater depending on whether the length of ornamentation seen therethrough is smaller or greater.

6. The combination of claim 5, said ornamentation comprising garlands having twisted wires gripping radiating plastic strips, the diameters of the shorter length of garland on a holder, being less than the diameter of longer length of garland on another holder.

7. The combination of claim 6, said box having marked thereon, adjacent said windows, the lengths of the garlands viewable through said adjacent windows.

8. The combination of claim 7, said box having marked thereon, adjacent said windows, the diameters of the garlands viewable through said adjacent windows.

9. The combination of claim 8, said holders being stacked in said box, said box having separate windows exposing to view ornamentation on the respective holders in said box.

10. The combination of claim 9, the relative sizes of the windows being smaller or greater depending on whether the lengths of the ornamentation seen therethrough are smaller or greater.

11. The combination of claim 10, said box having marked thereon, adjacent said windows, the lengths of the ornamentation viewable therethrough.