Package

Claim 1

In combination with a carton or container for packaging a plurality of five funnel-neck portions for television picture tubes, such carton having a rectangular bottom with a sidewall extending vertically from each of the edges thereof and said tube portions to be positioned therein with the seal edge of the funnel of a first of such portions resting on said bottom of the carton generally at the center thereof and with the remaining four tube portions positioned about said first tube portion with the seal edge of the funnel of each of such four portions respectively disposed adjacent a different one of said sides of said carton, the necks of each of such four portions respectively extending generally horizontally past each of four points separated approximately ninety degrees about the periphery of the neck of said first tube portion and spaced from such portion, a paperboard separator and support assembly for said tube portions, such assembly comprising; (A) a vertical support and spacer member including a lower edge conforming to and for resting on a selected area of the outer surface of the funnel of said first tube portion while surrounding the neck thereof and spaced from such neck; and, (B) a planar separator and support member for resting on the upper edge of said vertical support and spacer member, such planar member having a generally rectangular configuration for fitting inside said carton parallel with said bottom thereof and embodying, (I) a center hole for receipt therethrough of the neck of said first tube portion, (II) a pair of cut-lines extending from each edge of the planar member and generally curving inwardly towards each other from adjacent each respective edge to outline the configuration of part of the outer surface of a funnel of one of said four tube portions, the planar member material between each said pair of cut-lines providing a push-down tube portion support panel, (III) a crease-line extending between each said pair of cut-lines to provide for each respective said support panel a hinge means located so as to generally coincide with the funnel-neck junction of one of said four tube portions when the funnel part of such portion is disposed between the respective pair of cut-lines, and (IV) a cut-out associated with each said support panel, each such cut-out located adjacent said center hole so as to receive the flare of the neck of one of said four tube portions when the funnel part of such portion is disposed between the pair of cut-lines outlining the panel with which the respective cut-out is associated.