Abstract: A wide three row 18 cell egg carton adapted to be stacked for use in standard 12 cell egg filling machinery has a tray section with three longitudinal rows of side-by-side egg cells, an upwardly and outwardly inclined stiff latch flap integrally hinged to the front top edge of the tray section, a dished cover section integrally hinged to the top rear edge of the tray section and a perpipheral wall on the cover bottoming on the top of the tray section adapted to receiver the latch flap there behind and having receptacles to receive the latches of the flap. Pairs of the cartons are molded in side-by-side relation on a standard width thermoforming machine from thermoplastic sheet material and sufficient molding area for the wider three roll 18 cell cartons and the flaps is provided by forming the flaps of the pairs in juxtaposed side-by-side relation inclined toward each other away from the sheet line as the trays and covers of the carton are formed.

Abstract: A divided cell carton for fragile articles, such as eggs, has a tray portion with divider walls providing a plurality of open top cells and a lid portion with a central longitudinal channel having alternating depending struts bottoming on the divider walls and depending straps between the struts. Each strap has a pair of opposed resilient fingers positioned to bias the articles in adjacent cells against the bottoms and sides of the cell walls for firmly seating the articles in the cells. The inner ends of the fingers of each pair are connected by a resilient bridge acting as a hair pin spring to stiffen the fingers. The bridge configuration may have many different forms to suit conditions so that the fingers will be effective to act on articles of different sizes in the cells, thus providing a standard size carton that can safely house articles of many different sizes.

Abstract: Molded plastic carton universally adapted for various sizes of articles such as eggs and including a tray section having rows or article-carrying cells. A cover section may be hinged to the tray section and has an undersurface provided with spring retainer fingers for resiliently biasing articles into their cells. The arrangement is such as to accommodate a range of different sizes of articles in the cells.

Abstract: Carton for eggs and the like including a tray section having rows of generally conical cavities with ovate sidewalls and corner bolsters hinged to opposite sides of the carton and connected together by side panels hinged along the same side lines as the bolsters and extending partially upwardly of the articles in the cavities when the bolsters are hinged upwardly to cover the corner articles in the carton. Stops spaced inwardly of the hinge lines extend upwardly of opposite edges of the carton and afford support for the side panels and limit inward movement thereof as the bolsters are moved to protect the articles in the corners of the carton.When the tray is loaded with eggs, it is placed in a plastic bag which is heat shrunk to the carton to rigidify the carton. The heat of shrinking seals the open end of the bag as the open end is drawn together by the heat shrinking operation.