Cartridge for hardware packages

• US 4,111,297 A
• Filed: 07/22/1977
• Issued: 09/05/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arthur Paulin
• Original Assignee: Arthur Paulin
• Inventors: Paulin, Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moy, Joseph Man-Fu
• Application Number:
  US05/817,933
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 206/607, 206/628, 206/611, 206/612, 206/806, 206/45.12, 206/44.12, 206/606, 221/312 R, 221/312 C
• US Class Current: 206/739
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/00 Decoration means, markings, information elements, contents indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/54 Lines of weakness to facilitate opening of container or dividing it into separate parts by cutting or tearing B65D5/06, B65D5/5233, B65D5/5253 take precedence ; break-in flaps, or members adapted to be torn-off, to provide pouring openings B65D5/70
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0088 Packages containing several articles intended to be suspended from a display rod, e.g. blisters, i.e. the package being used to facilitate suspending the articles from the rod
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/806 Suspension

Abstract

A cartridge is described for use in loading onto display racks, packages of hardware and like articles. The cartridge includes a disposable carton containing a plurality of such packages. A tear-strip is provided in one wall of the carton and is removable to expose the packages for individual pricing. After removal of the tear-strip, a top portion of the carton can be folded back to expose the tops of the packages so that they can be loaded seriatim onto a suspension element of a display rack.

Claims

1. A cartridge comprising:

a carton;

a plurality of similar packages of hardware and like articles disposed in said carton, each said package comprising a container having a hanging tab which is formed with an opening and by which the container can be suspended from a suspension element of a display rack in use;

the carton including front and rear walls, opposite end walls, and top and bottom walls which together define an enclosure, said packages being arranged in a row in said enclosure with the openings in their hanging tabs aligned with one another and with said end walls of the carton, said front wall of the carton being formed with upper and lower rows of perforations which extend from end to end of said front wall and which define a removable tear-strip, and each said end wall of the carton being perforated to allow an upper portion of the carton to be folded back about a line extending transversely of said back wall after removal of said tear-strip, thereby exposing the hanging tabs of the packages in the carton and permitting the packages to be loaded seriatim as a batch onto a suspension element of a display rack;

and an elongate member disposed in said carton and passing through the openings in the package hanging tabs, the member being in the form of a thin walled tube dimensioned to permit an end thereof to be engaged over an end of a display rack suspension element prior to loading of packages onto said element, so that the tubular member acts as a guide along which the packages can slide onto the suspension element;

one of said end walls of the carton being formed with a star-shaped perforation aligned with said openings in the package hanging tabs and through which said tubular member can be inserted into the carton after loading of the packages during assembly of the cartridge, whereby the portions of the carton defining said star-shaped perforation tend to return to their original positions after insertion of the member, and prevent the member leaving the carton.

2. A cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top wall of the carton is defined by a panel which is coupled to said rear wall of the carton at a fold line so that the carton can be opened for loading of packages by raising said panel, and wherein the panel has at its side remote from said fold line, a flap which can be inserted behind said front wall of the carton wherein the panel is in its closed position.

3. A cartridge as claimed in claim 2, wherein said front, rear and opposite end walls of the carton are coupled to one another at fold lines so as to define a rectangular configuration when the carton is assembled, and wherein said bottom wall of the carton is defined by interlocking flaps, whereby the carton can be stored in a flattened condition with said interlocking flaps and said top wall flap open prior to assembly of the cartridge.

4. A cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said end walls of the carton is perforated by a line of perforations which extends from said upper line of perforations in the front wall, to the back wall of the carton, and wherein the opposite end wall of the carton is perforated to define a first pull-tab forming part of said tear-strip, and a removable tab which is adapted to be engaged with a suspension element of a display rack and which is marked to identify the packages contained in the cartridge.

5. A cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said line extending transversely of the back wall of the carton is defined by a series of spaced, aligned slits arranged to ensure that the back wall folds accurately about said line when the upper portion of the carton is folded back, while preventing detachment of said upper portion of the carton from the remainder thereof.

6. A cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said upper and lower rows of perforations in the front wall of the carton is defined by a series of perforations, each of which includes an inwardly directed angled portion arranged to ensure that the tear-strip separates cleanly from the remainder of the carton.

7. A cartridge comprising:

a carton;

a plurality of similar packages of hardware and like articles disposed in said carton, each said package comprising a container having a hanging tab which is formed with an opening and by which the container can be suspended from a suspension element of a display rack in use;

the carton including front and rear walls, opposite end walls, and top and bottom walls which together define an enclosure, said packages being arranged in a row in said enclosure with the openings in their hanging tabs aligned with one another and with said end walls of the carton, said front wall of the carton being formed with upper and lower rows of perforations which extend from end to end of said front wall and which define a removable tear-strip, and each said end wall of the carton being perforated to allow an upper portion of the carton to be folded back about a line extending transversely of said back wall after removal of said tear-strip, thereby exposing the handing tabs of the packages in the carton and permitting the packages to be loaded seriatim as a batch onto a suspension element of a display rack;

and an elongate member disposed in said carton and passing through the openings in the package hanging tabs, the member being in the form of a thin walled tube dimensioned to permit an end thereof to be engaged over an end of a display rack suspension element prior to loading of packages onto said element, so that the tubular member acts as a guide along which the packages can slide onto the suspension element.