Patents by Inventor Jonathan T. Beales

Jonathan T. Beales has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230075117
    Abstract: Blanks for forming clamshell containers and the resulting clamshell containers are described. The clamshell containers include a tray and a lid that are hingedly connected together. The tray is liquid tight, and typically includes gussets on each corner to prevent leakage. The lid and tray can be locked via at least one locking mechanism, optionally two different locking mechanisms. A first locking mechanism involves a front panel on the tray, with an extension portion that terminates in a hook or tab. The extension portion can fold over the front panel of the lid, and the hook or tabs slide into a slit(s) on the top of the lid. An optional second locking mechanism involves lid detents and tray detents. In some embodiments, in the locked position, the lid detents are underneath the tray detents and the tray detents retain the lid detents in place until a force is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Paul Epstein, Jonathan T. Beales
  • Patent number: 11465798
    Abstract: Blanks for forming clamshell containers and the resulting clamshell containers are described. The clamshell containers include a tray and a lid that are hingedly connected together. The tray is liquid tight, and typically includes gussets on each corner to prevent leakage. The lid and tray can be locked via at least one locking mechanism, optionally two different locking mechanisms. A first locking mechanism involves a front panel on the tray, with an extension portion that terminates in a hook or tab. The extension portion can fold over the front panel of the lid, and the hook or tabs slide into a slit(s) on the top of the lid. An optional second locking mechanism involves lid detents and tray detents. In some embodiments, in the locked position, the lid detents are underneath the tray detents and the tray detents retain the lid detents in place until a force is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: KARI-OUT LLC
    Inventors: Paul Epstein, Jonathan T. Beales
  • Publication number: 20210229854
    Abstract: Blanks for forming clamshell containers and the resulting clamshell containers are described. The clamshell containers include a tray and a lid that are hingedly connected together. The tray is liquid tight, and typically includes gussets on each corner to prevent leakage. The lid and tray can be locked via at least one locking mechanism, optionally two different locking mechanisms. A first locking mechanism involves a front panel on the tray, with an extension portion that terminates in a hook or tab. The extension portion can fold over the front panel of the lid, and the hook or tabs slide into a slit(s) on the top of the lid. An optional second locking mechanism involves lid detents and tray detents. In some embodiments, in the locked position, the lid detents are underneath the tray detents and the tray detents retain the lid detents in place until a force is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Paul Epstein, Jonathan T. Beales
  • Patent number: 11014704
    Abstract: A container comprises, a first blank section including a first side panel with an opposed pair of corner panels extending form opposite ends of the first side panel. The container comprises a second blank section including a front panel with an opposed pair of corner panels extending from opposite sides of the front panel. One of the corner panels of the first side panel is adhered to one of the side panels of the front panel, forming a first double-thickness corner panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: WESTROCK SHARED SERVICES, LLC
    Inventor: Jonathan T. Beales
  • Patent number: 8733623
    Abstract: A carton (12) includes a first wall (22) and a second wall (20). The first wall (22) includes a first edge (21) and a second edge (23) that are opposed to one another. The first wall (22) and the second wall (20) are adjoined along the first edge (21). The carton (12) includes a handle (30). The handle (30) includes a handle opening (80) that is elongated along a longitudinal axis that extends transversely to the first edge (21). The handle opening (80) is configured to be engaged no closer to the second edge (23) than to the first edge (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: MeadWestvaco Packaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan T. Beales, Aaron L. Bates
  • Publication number: 20120085814
    Abstract: A carton (12) includes a first wall (22) and a second wall (20). The first wall (22) includes a first edge (21) and a second edge (23) that are opposed to one another. The first wall (22) and the second wall (20) are adjoined along the first edge (21). The carton (12) includes a handle (30). The handle (30) includes a handle opening (80) that is elongated along a longitudinal axis that extends transversely to the first edge (21). The handle opening (80) is configured to be engaged no closer to the second edge (23) than to the first edge (21).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: MeadWestvaco Packaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan T. Beales, Aaron L. Bates
  • Patent number: 6230966
    Abstract: A cigarette carton comprises opposite front and rear walls, opposing side walls, a top portion and a generally open bottom portion. The bottom portion comprises a plurality of closure flaps connected to at least several of the front, rear and side walls, and a horizontal hinge line connects each closure flap to its respective carton wall. Each closure flap has a fully open position where the flaps are inside the carton and rest on the carton walls to which they are connected to thereby enable cigarette packs to be placed in and removed from the carton. The closure flaps have a closed position where the flaps are positioned at an angle slightly inside the carton to retain the contents of the carton.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Jonathan T. Beales, Genine Regante
  • Patent number: 5711419
    Abstract: A bottle carrier is formed of one or more panels of paperboard and includes a plurality of bottle neck receiving openings. The periphery of each opening is defined by the tips of a plurality of radially extending fingers, the tips engaging beneath a portion of an abutment associated with each bottle neck. Each finger is bent upwardly at about 45 degrees after insertion of a bottle into a respective opening. Each radial finger is provided at its widest portion with a base slit extending thouugh the paperboard. Another and intermediate slit is located about half way along the length of each finger, the intermediate slit also extending through the paperboard. These slits are of lesser width than that of their respective fingers and are parallel to each other and are at right angles to the length of the finger. The base slit permits bending of each finger upwardly upon bottle insertion, while the intermediate slit facilitates removal of each bottle from its respective opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: International Paper
    Inventors: Jonathan T. Beales, Walter A. Krajci
  • Patent number: 5518169
    Abstract: A folded wrapper for a food product such as a taco or sandwich, the wrapper formed from a unitary circular blank of paperboard. In order to accommodate the thickness of the food product without squeezing it, the wrapper is provided with two major parallel fold lines at a generally diametrical fold location. The spacing between these lines is generally that of the thickness of the food product. When folded however about these fold lines, the wrapper would fold about only one or the other of them, thereby squeezing the product. Further, the ends of the folds would be open and thus permit pastes of other semi-liquid or liquid components of the product to escape. To seal the ends of the fold, and also to prevent folding about only one of the major parallel pairs of fold lines, the major parallel fold lines are shortened and a pair of shorter fold lines, located midway of the parallel fold lines and extending radially inwardly from the wrapper periphery, are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: International Paper
    Inventor: Jonathan T. Beales
  • Patent number: 5467916
    Abstract: A collapsible container is fashioned from a unitary blank of paperboard. The container is in the general form of a lower and truncated tray having a top closure lid hingedly secured to the top of the rear wall of the tray. After glueing of the lower tray, the tray is collapsed by bowing its side walls inwardly so that the entire tray may assume a substantially flattened configuration. The flattened container may then be shipped to a retail establishment, such as a fast food outlet, for subsequent set up or erection by merely unfolding the tray and pushing its sidewalls outwardly. In order to overcome the natural tendency of the sidewalls to resume their inwardly bowed configuration, having been stored in this shape for, typically, a substantial length of time, the sidewalls are provided with a novel latching slit and corner tab configuration which maintains the sidewalls in their desired substantially planar form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: International Paper Company
    Inventor: Jonathan T. Beales
  • Patent number: 5421508
    Abstract: A folded wrapper for a food product such as a taco or sandwich, the wrapper formed from a unitary circular blank of paperboard. In order to accommodate the thickness of the food product without squeezing it, the wrapper is provided with two major parallel fold lines at a generally diametrical fold location. The spacing between these lines is generally that of the thickness of the food product. When folded however about these fold lines, the wrapper would fold about only one or the other of them, thereby squeezing the product. Further, the ends of the folds would be open and thus permit pastes of other semi-liquid or liquid components of the product to escape. To seal the ends of the fold, and also to prevent folding about only one of the major parallel pairs of fold lines, the major parallel fold lines are shortened and a pair of shorter fold lines, located midway of the parallel fold lines and extending radially inwardly from the wrapper periphery, are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: International Paper Company
    Inventor: Jonathan T. Beales
  • Patent number: 5346121
    Abstract: A paperboard container which displays particular utility for the packaging of fast food products is formed from a unitary blank of paperboard. The blank, typically, employs an automatic bottom, i.e., a bottom which is automatically formed upon opening the container from a folded or flattened configuration. The container is characterized by side webs between the top edges of the end panels and the top cover panel. Upon folding the top cover panel down to close the container, after being loaded with food, each side web forms a point or apex along its edge, this apex then tucked into a complementary slit in a respective end panel. Each side web is in frictional, surface to surface engagement with a respective end panel. Further, the top closure cover is provided with a friction latch cooperating with the front wall panel to thereby yield three points of frictional engagement to maintain the container in its closed position prior to being opened by the consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1994
    Assignee: International Paper Company
    Inventor: Jonathan T. Beales
  • Patent number: 5330099
    Abstract: An eat-in paperboard container for frozen or refrigerated foodstuffs is provided with lateral flanges and triangular sections at its forward two corners. The package is opened by a tear strip which frees an edge of the top cover for lifting and access to the foodstuff. In use, the triangular sections rigidify the tray when the top cover is ripped up to open the container and when the consumer grasps one of the lateral flanges during eating out of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1994
    Assignee: International Paper Company
    Inventors: Jonathan T. Beales, David E. Stier
  • Patent number: 5160081
    Abstract: A tray formed from a unitary paperboard blank. The tray has a locking tab at each corner, each latching tab projecting beyond the next adjacent tray wall. Two such trays may be latched together to form a closed container. The tray structure is such that two of the trays may be latched together in only one of four possible angular relations of the trays. The tray is rectangular and may be square or oblong.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Assignee: International Paper Company
    Inventor: Jonathan T. Beales
  • Patent number: 5069335
    Abstract: A paperboard article carrier suitable for modular construction. The complete carrier is adapted to carry four cans or bottles (a four pack) and is formed by assembling two identical two pack article carriers. The two pack article carriers are each formed of a single blank of paperboard which is folded and glued. Each two pack carrier includes a lower basket like portion and an upper, centrally positioned, handle fashioned from two layers of paperboard. One portion of each handle contains a pair of projecting friction latch tabs. The lower or basket portion of each two pack carrier is provided with a latching tongue and a latching recess, the tongue and recess of each being positioned at opposite ends of the basket. Each carrier may be separately employed as a two pack carrier. If desired, the carriers may be assembled to form a four pack carrier by placing the latching tongues into respective latching slots and by securing the friction latching tabs of the handle portions together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1991
    Assignee: International Paper Company
    Inventor: Jonathan T. Beales
  • Patent number: 5060804
    Abstract: A wrap-around carrier to package a linear series of gable-top liquid cartons is formed from a one piece paperboard blank conformed so that an end flap will cover a major area of an end of the erected carrier to inhibit damage, loss, or pilferage of an object such as a straw temporarily secured to an otherwise exposed side of a contained carton.The top panel is provided with a longitudinally running tear strip, conveniently wide enough to form a returnable card or a coupon, the coupon provided with advertising or other indicia on one or both of its surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1991
    Assignee: International Paper Company
    Inventors: Jonathan T. Beales, Paul D. Richardson
  • Patent number: 5020921
    Abstract: A paperboard partition having particular utility as a partition for spacing and supporting items in a paper bag or any suitable holder is formed from a unitary blank of paperboard. The blank is die cut and provided with a plurality of fold lines. The die cuts define a plurality of locking tabs and also define apertures for receiving the locking tabs when the partition is erected. Two of the panels defined by the fold lines and die cuts are each provided with a spot of glue or other adhesive. Upon initial folding of the blank those panels, termed adhesive panels, which have been provided with glue spots, are attached to corresponding panels. The partition is formed in such a manner that it is collapsed to flat configuration for shipment and/or storage. For use, the user erects the folded partition by unfolding, i.e., spreading several of the panels apart from each other, with the partition then being placed into a paper bag or other holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1991
    Assignee: International Paper Company
    Inventor: Jonathan T. Beales