Carton adapted for field assembly

Claim 2

A prefabricated carton which can be assembled by hand without tools or adhesive from a generally flat subassembly and comprising a stiff paperboard generally rectangular bottom and sides, with marginal tabs extending from at least the sides, and formed of integral sheet structure, generally rigid rectangular ends embodying a peripheral channel, the tabs extending into respectively adjacent portions of the channel, tab engagement means comprising hook members in at least the side portions of the channel, at least the side tabs embodying means comprising cutouts with edges which abut against the hook members interlocking thereby with the tab engagement means.

Claim 3

A prefabricated carton as defined in claim 1 in which at least the channel at the sides embodies tooth-type hook members with inner abutment faces and outer tapered surfaces, and guide ramps with surfaces tapered oppositely with respect to the tapered surfaces of the hook members disposed on a wall of said channel opposite said hook members; whereby the tabs are forced between the respective tapered surfaces so as to bring an edge of each cutout into engagement with the inner abutment face of a hook member.

Claim 4

A prefabricated carton as defined in claim 2 in which each end comprises a wall which is plane flat on the inside, and of a predetermined thickness in the central region, and the channel is formed by a framelike marginal extension on the outside of the wall surrounding the central region.

Claim 5

A prefabricated carton as defined in claim 1 in which said carton comprises a stiff paperboard generally rectangular bottom, sides and top with marginal tabs extending from at least the sides and top, in which the tab engagement means comprises hook members in at least the side and top portions of the channel, and in which at least the side and top tabs embody means comprising cutouts with edges which abut against the hook members interlocking thereby with the tab engagement means.

Claim 6

A prefabricated carton as defined in claim 1 in which said generally rigid rectangular ends embody a peripheral channel having sidewalls parallel with the general plane of the end wall and an opening around the edge thereof, and in which said tabs extending into said channel are disposed normal to the planes of the respective portions of the carton from which they extend.

Claim 7

A generally flat subassembly from which a carton can be field assembled by hand without tools or adhesive, comprising: a stiff paperboard generally rectangular blank, longitudinal score lines in the blank spaced apart and parallel and defining the ends of the carton, transverse score lines in the blank intersecting the longitudinal score lines and dividing the blank into an intermediately disposed bottom panel and opposite side panels, tabs extending outwardly from the longitudinal score lines adjacent the bottom panel and the side panels, hook engaging means in at least the tabs adjacent the side panels, generally rigid rectangular end members attached to the tabs of the bottom panel and embodying a peripheral channel, hook elements disposed in said channel at least in such locations as to be engageable by said hook engaging means when said blank is formed into carTon shape, whereby a carton may be assembled by forming the end members and the side panels into the general shape of an open rectangular box, bending in the tabs along their respective score lines and interlocking the hook engaging means of the tabs with the hook elements of the end members thereby interlocking the sides and ends.

Claim 8

A generally flat subassembly from which a carton can be field assembled by hand without tools or adhesive, comprising: a stiff paperboard generally rectangular blank, longitudinal score lines in the blank spaced apart and parallel and defining the ends of the carton, transverse score lines in the blank intersecting the longitudinal score lines and dividing the blank into an intermediately disposed bottom panel and opposite side panels, tabs extending outwardly from the longitudinal score lines adjacent the bottom panel and the side panels, hook engaging means in at least the tabs adjacent the side panels, generally rigid rectangular end members attached to the tabs of the bottom panel and embodying a peripheral channel, hook elements disposed in said channel at least in such locations as to be engageable by said hook engaging means when said blank is formed into carTon shape, whereby a carton may be assembled by forming the end members and the side panels into the general shape of an open rectangular box, bending in the tabs along their respective score lines and interlocking the hook engaging means of the tabs with the hook elements of the end members thereby interlocking the sides and ends.

Claim 9

A generally flat subassembly from which a carton can be field assembled by hand without tools or adhesive, as defined in claim 6 additionally provided with a longitudinal score line defining at least one top panel, a tab extending outwardly from said score line, hook engaging means in said tab and hook elements disposed in said channel in such location as to be engageable by said hook engaging means when said blank is formed into carton shape.

Claim 10

A generally flat subassembly from which a carton can be field assembled by hand without tools or adhesive, as defined in claim 6 in which said generally rigid rectangular end members embody a peripheral channel having sidewalls parallel with the general plane of the end member and an opening around the edge thereof, and in which said tabs are arranged so as to be disposable normal to the planes of the respective portions of the blank from which they extend for insertion into said channel.

Claim 11

A subassembly as defined in claim 6 in which the hook engaging means in the tabs comprise notches in the tabs.

Claim 12

A subassembly as defined in claim 9 in which the end members are molded plastic, embody peripheral channels for receiving the tabs of the blank, and the hook elements are disposed within the channels.

Claim 13

A subassembly as defined in claim 10 in which the hook elements are in the form of teeth each with an entrance incline and an inner abutment face, and entrance ramps are disposed in the channel opposite the teeth, the ramps having surfaces inclined opposite the incline of the teeth.