US3884935A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Shrink-film package
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-11-06
•
Granted: 1975-05-20
•
Expires: 1992-11-06
Abstract
Abstract An improved generally cube-shaped package made up of a plurality of rows of plural individual sub-packages of the articles being packaged and which package is overall embraced and stabilized by a heat-shrunk plastic film material. The improved package resides essentially in embodying initially formed smaller separate subpackages of predetermined and usually like-multiples of the aligned multiple unit articles which have been wrapped by a heatshrunk film essentially on all sides except perhaps their supported surface, thereby consolidating and partially stabilizing the unit articles therein. A plurality of the separate shrink-fit-wrapped sub-packages are disposed closely adjacent one another to constitute a given size layer or tier, upon which are superposed predetermined plural other rows or tiers, and often upon on in conjunction with suitable auxiliary lower level stabilizing members, which are wrapped so at least part of the auxiliary stabilizing members and all of the superposed plural tiers of the sub-packages are embraced within an overall enveloping heat-shrunk shroud of the film. An alternate form of the package comprises either vertical tiers or horizontal rows of the articles which have heat-shrunk-fit wrappings essentially around the full tier or full layer, rather than individual rows comprising a given layer, and which plural tier and/or layers are collectively wrapped in an essentially overall enveloping heat-shrunk shroud. The novel completed package is suitable for various articles but more particularly provides a stabilized, heat-shrunk wrapped package for heavy unit articles, such as of masonry bricks and similar articles whose individual tolerances collectively adversely effect stable stacking and packaging in tiers without the use of tie straps.
Inventors
- 👤 Iii Henry Knox Burns
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 02:20
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D71/00; B65D71/0088; B65D71/0092; B65D71/0096; B65B; B65B53/00; B65B53/02; B65B53/06; B65B53/063; B65D2571/00; B65D2571/00006; B65D2571/00012; B65D2571/00018; B65D2571/00067
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
137 words
A HEAT-SHRUNK FILM-WRAPPED RIGID, GENERALLY CUBE-SHAPED UNITARY PACKAGE OF MASONRY BRICK ARTICLES AND HAVING SUBSTANTIAL 3-DIMENSIONAL SIZE, SAID BRICK ARTICLES BEING OF PARALLELPIPED PRISMATIC FORM AND HAVING A PAIR OF MAJOR PLANAR OPPOSED SURFACES FOR STACKING SAID BRICKS AND HAVING INHERENT TOLERANCE VIRIATIONS WHICH CONTRIBUTE COLLECTIVELY TO THE UNSTABLE STACKING OF BRICKS IN SUBSTANTIAL HEIGHT, SUPERIMPOSED LAYER-RELATION WHEN UNIROFMLY ORIENTED, SAID BRICK PACKAGE COMPRISING: A. A PREDETERMINED PLURALITY OF GENERALLY UNIFORM MASONRY BRICK ARTICLES ORIENTED IN LIKE MANNER AND DISPOSED IN ABUTTING UNIFORM ALIGNMENT COLLECTIVELY HAVING CORRESPONDING SIDES COPLANARLY ALIGNED, AND COVERED AND HELD TOGETHETR TO COLLECTIVELY CONSTITUTE A SUB-PACKAGE BY AN OVERLAYING FILM OF HEAT-SHRUNK FLEXIBLE MATERIAL HAVING FILM EDGE PORTIONS OVERLAYING OPPOSITE END SIDES OF ENDMOST BRICK ARTICLES OF SAID SUB-PACKAGE; B. A PREDETERMINED PLURALITY OF SAID HEAT-SHRUNK-WRAPPED SUB-PACKAGES DISPOSED IN ADJACENT CONTIGUOUS AND GENER-
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
137 words
A HEAT-SHRUNK FILM-WRAPPED RIGID, GENERALLY CUBE-SHAPED UNITARY PACKAGE OF MASONRY BRICK ARTICLES AND HAVING SUBSTANTIAL 3-DIMENSIONAL SIZE, SAID BRICK ARTICLES BEING OF PARALLELPIPED PRISMATIC FORM AND HAVING A PAIR OF MAJOR PLANAR OPPOSED SURFACES FOR STACKING SAID BRICKS AND HAVING INHERENT TOLERANCE VIRIATIONS WHICH CONTRIBUTE COLLECTIVELY TO THE UNSTABLE STACKING OF BRICKS IN SUBSTANTIAL HEIGHT, SUPERIMPOSED LAYER-RELATION WHEN UNIROFMLY ORIENTED, SAID BRICK PACKAGE COMPRISING: A. A PREDETERMINED PLURALITY OF GENERALLY UNIFORM MASONRY BRICK ARTICLES ORIENTED IN LIKE MANNER AND DISPOSED IN ABUTTING UNIFORM ALIGNMENT COLLECTIVELY HAVING CORRESPONDING SIDES COPLANARLY ALIGNED, AND COVERED AND HELD TOGETHETR TO COLLECTIVELY CONSTITUTE A SUB-PACKAGE BY AN OVERLAYING FILM OF HEAT-SHRUNK FLEXIBLE MATERIAL HAVING FILM EDGE PORTIONS OVERLAYING OPPOSITE END SIDES OF ENDMOST BRICK ARTICLES OF SAID SUB-PACKAGE; B. A PREDETERMINED PLURALITY OF SAID HEAT-SHRUNK-WRAPPED SUB-PACKAGES DISPOSED IN ADJACENT CONTIGUOUS AND GENER-
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
278 words
A heat-shrunk film-wrapped rigid, generally cube-shaped unitary package of masonry brick articles and having substantial 3-dimensional size, said brick articles being of parallelpiped prismatic form and having a pair of major planar opposed surfaces for stacking said bricks and having inherent tolerance variations which contribute collectively to the unstable stacking of bricks in substantial height, superimposed layer-relation when uniformly oriented, said brick package comprising; a. a predetermined plurality of generally uniform masonry brick articles oriented in like manner and disposed in abutting uniform alignment collectively having corresponding sides coplanarly aligned, and covered and held together to collectively constitute a sub-package by an overlaying film of heat-shrunk flexible material having film edge portions overlaying opposite end sides of endmost bricks articles of said sub-package; b. a predetermined plurality of said heat-shrunk-wrapped sub-packages disposed in adjacent contiguous and generally coplanar relation to constitute at least one tier or layer of said package; and c. a predetermined plurality of said tiers or layers of sub-packages oriented in like manner and disposed in adjacent contiguous relation with said brick articles having corresponding minor planar side surfaces coplanarly aligned vertically so as to collectively form said generally cube-shaped package of brick articles; and d. said tiers or layers of sub-packages having at least one layer of flexible heat-shrunk material outwardly overlaying and fused at least in part to some exposed portions of said film of heat-shrunk material overlaying and holding said plural masonry brick articles in sub-package form, said outwardly overlaying layer of heat-shrunk material essentially tightly embracing said plural tiers or layers collectively to hold them in rigid assembly capable of being lifted from beneath, supported and transported as a unitary package.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
278 words
A heat-shrunk film-wrapped rigid, generally cube-shaped unitary package of masonry brick articles and having substantial 3-dimensional size, said brick articles being of parallelpiped prismatic form and having a pair of major planar opposed surfaces for stacking said bricks and having inherent tolerance variations which contribute collectively to the unstable stacking of bricks in substantial height, superimposed layer-relation when uniformly oriented, said brick package comprising; a. a predetermined plurality of generally uniform masonry brick articles oriented in like manner and disposed in abutting uniform alignment collectively having corresponding sides coplanarly aligned, and covered and held together to collectively constitute a sub-package by an overlaying film of heat-shrunk flexible material having film edge portions overlaying opposite end sides of endmost bricks articles of said sub-package; b. a predetermined plurality of said heat-shrunk-wrapped sub-packages disposed in adjacent contiguous and generally coplanar relation to constitute at least one tier or layer of said package; and c. a predetermined plurality of said tiers or layers of sub-packages oriented in like manner and disposed in adjacent contiguous relation with said brick articles having corresponding minor planar side surfaces coplanarly aligned vertically so as to collectively form said generally cube-shaped package of brick articles; and d. said tiers or layers of sub-packages having at least one layer of flexible heat-shrunk material outwardly overlaying and fused at least in part to some exposed portions of said film of heat-shrunk material overlaying and holding said plural masonry brick articles in sub-package form, said outwardly overlaying layer of heat-shrunk material essentially tightly embracing said plural tiers or layers collectively to hold them in rigid assembly capable of being lifted from beneath, supported and transported as a unitary package.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
A package as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said sub-packages of paragraph (a) includes portions of the film of said heat-shrunk material interposed between said abutting brick articles to better protect the adjacent sides thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
A package as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said plurality of tiers or layers have a major planar side and opposite ends, and said tiers or layers each are respectively covered with intermediately applied layers of the heat-shrunk film so as to overlay said major planar side and said opposite ends.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A package as defined in claim 3 wherein said package further includes auxiliary supporting, stabilizing and protective means in conjunction with at least a first and a second layer of sub-packages as operatively assembled.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A package as defined in claim 5 wherein said outwardly disposed layer of heat-shrunk material also tightly embraces a sufficient part of said auxiliary means so as to effect a rigid and stabilizing assembly therewith.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
160 words
A heat-shrunk film-wrapped rigid, generally cube-shaped unitary package of substantial 3-dimensional size, said package comprising a. a predetermined plurality of generally uniform size unit articles disposed in abutting uniform alignment collectively having corresponding sides coplanarly aligned, and covered and held together to collectively constitute a sub-package by an overlaying film of heat-shrunk flexible material having film edge portions overlaying opposite end sides of endmost unit articles of said sub-package; b. said sub-package of paragraph (a) includes portions of the film of material interposed between said abutting unit articles to better protect continuously adjacent sides thereof; c. a predetermined plurality of said hEat-shrunk-wrapped sub-packages disposed in adjacent contiguous and generally coplanar relation to constitute at least one tier or layer of said package; and d. said tier of sub-packages having at least one layer of heat-shrunk material outwardly overlaying and essentially tightly embracing all of said heat-shrunk film-wrapped sub-packages so as to hold them in rigid assembly as a unitary package.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
160 words
A heat-shrunk film-wrapped rigid, generally cube-shaped unitary package of substantial 3-dimensional size, said package comprising a. a predetermined plurality of generally uniform size unit articles disposed in abutting uniform alignment collectively having corresponding sides coplanarly aligned, and covered and held together to collectively constitute a sub-package by an overlaying film of heat-shrunk flexible material having film edge portions overlaying opposite end sides of endmost unit articles of said sub-package; b. said sub-package of paragraph (a) includes portions of the film of material interposed between said abutting unit articles to better protect continuously adjacent sides thereof; c. a predetermined plurality of said hEat-shrunk-wrapped sub-packages disposed in adjacent contiguous and generally coplanar relation to constitute at least one tier or layer of said package; and d. said tier of sub-packages having at least one layer of heat-shrunk material outwardly overlaying and essentially tightly embracing all of said heat-shrunk film-wrapped sub-packages so as to hold them in rigid assembly as a unitary package.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
A package as defined in claim 7 which further includes a plurality of said layers disposed in superimposed stacked relation, said plurality of layers being collectively essentially fully embraced by said outwardly overlaying layer of heat-shrunk material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
49 words
A package as defined in claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of layers have a major planar side and opposite ends, and said layers each are respectively covered with intermediately applied layers of the heat-shrunk film so as to overlay said major planar side and said opposite ends.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
107 words
A package as defined in claim 7 wherein said sub-packages as constituted by the plural unit articles are of generally rectangular parallelepiped prismatic form and have a major upper and lower planar surface and four angularly disposed minor planar surfaces interconnecting one another and said major planar surfaces, said four minor planar surfaces including a pair of opposite ends of the aligned unit articles which comprise a sub-package, and wherein the heat-shrunk flexible material embracing the articles of said sub-packages fully overlays at least one of said major planar surfaces and at least partially overlays a portion of at least said opposite end minor planar surfaces thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
A package as defined in claim 7 wherein said outer overlaying layer of heat-shrunk material is heat fused at least in part to part of said portions of the heat-shrunk film wrappings of said sub-packages which overlay said end sides of endmost articles.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
A package as defined in claim 7 wherein said package further includes auxiliary supporting, stabilizing and protective means in conjunction with at least a first and a second layer of sub-packages as operatively assembled.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
A package as defined in claim 12 wherein said outwardly disposed layer of heat-shrunk material also tightly embraces a sufficient part of said auxiliary means so as to effect a rigid and stabilized assembly therewith.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
A package as defined in claim 12 wherein said auxiliary supporting means includes metallic wire mesh-like material in cradle support of a first layer of articles beneath and in association with a directly superposed layer of said articles.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
41 words
A package as defined in claim 14, further including auxiliary board or panel means in association with at least opposite ends of said wire mesh material and disposed thereabove and beneath at least a portion of said superposed layer of articles.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
A package as defined in claim 14 further embodying recess areas collectively formed by said auxiliary supporting and stabilizing means and part of said wrapped articles to facilitate transporting of said wrapped package by conventional fork-lift-truck means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-05-19 | 1978-11-18 | 1979-05-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-19 | 1982-11-18 | 1983-05-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-19 | 1986-11-18 | 1987-05-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |