Abstract: The drawings and description disclose a thermoplastic coated square or rectangular cross-section container suitable for being filled with milk, juice or other still beverage, and having a top closure arrangement adapted to being readily partially opened to disclose an opening therein. The opening may be suitable for a straw or, alternatively, for drinking or pouring therefrom. The top closure arrangement includes edge panels on three sides thereof, with the front edge panel including straw opening means and having a central portion thereof adaptable to being folded back onto itself around a weakened or perforated line and having a lift tab extending therefrom, and a cover panel secured to the three edge panels such that the cover panel is peeled away from the front edge panel by manually lifting the lift tab. Alternately, in one embodiment, lifting the lift tab exposes a straw opening access to the contents, without disturbing the cover panel.

Abstract: There is disclosed a flat end closure arrangement for a thermoplastic coated paperboard container, and the blank therefor, wherein four sets of dual, oppositely skewed, supplementary score lines are formed on two sides of the resultant end closure, such that they are adapted to be folded into position just inside the usual horizontal score lines separating the end closure panels from the sidewall panels. These supplementary score lines provide a second, substantially 90.degree. bend for the paperboard layers, supplementing a 90.degree. bend about the respective horizontal score lines, in lieu of each usual 180.degree. bend about the respective horizontal score lines, thereby diminishing the chances for cracking of the thermoplastic coating at the bend locations.

Abstract: The drawings and description disclose a flat top end closure for a liquid carrying container, which does not include the usual, well-known gable top characteristics. The flat top end closure includes two oppositely disposed outer closure panels which are adapted to lie flat on top of the underlying fold-in panels and wherein one is longer and overlaps the edge portion of the other shorter one, with the longer one including a lift tab for lifting a portion of the pour spout from its flat attitude during the opening process, and two oppositely disposed, three-segment fold-in panels, one of which serves as the pour spout when opened and includes a lift tab on one of its segments for first lifting a portion of the pour spout from its flat attitude during the opening process, and then opening the full pour spout in such a manner that the pouring lip need not be handled.

Abstract: The drawings and description disclose a liquid carrying paperboard carton having straw opening means formed in a side wall panel thereof. The straw opening means includes a first tear strip formed on the side seam-supported edge of one side panel by spaced laterally-extending die cuts formed all the way through the paperboard layer, and extending from a side edge across a portion of the width of the underlying panel to a vertical score line for forming a flexible hinge. A second tear strip is formed on the underlying side seam by die cuts formed through the thermoplastic coating only, directly beneath the first tear strip. An arcuate cut is formed on the panel adjacent the side seam through the coating thereon so as to interconnect the inner ends of the second tear strip.

Abstract: The drawings and description disclose a thermoplastic coated square or rectangular container suitable for being filled with a juice concentrate which is frozen after filling, and having a top closure arrangement adapted to being readily fully opened to permit the frozen juice to be discharged through the top opening thereof. The top closure arrangement includes narrow edge panels on three sides thereof, with the front edge panel being folded back onto itself around a weakened or perforated line and having a lift tab extending therefrom, and a cover panel secured to the three edge panels such that the cover panel is peeled away from the three edge panels by manually lifting the lift tab and breaking the weakened line.

Abstract: A container and a blank therefor, wherein the container is adaptable to being folded into a "flat top" configuration. The blank and container include four body panels; bottom end closure panels; and top end closure panels including a pair of rectangular outer roof panels, and rectangular spout and closure panels. Each of the spout and closure panels includes a gable panel defined in part by diagonal score lines extending toward each other from the horizontal score line between respective body and gable panels, a pair of fold back panels on opposite sides of each gable panel, and a pair of infold lips separated from each other by a central vertical score line and separated from the respective fold back panels by horizontal score lines, one of which is lower than the other. These horizontal score lines meet the respective diagonal score lines at the upper ends thereof at spaced points along the vertical score line.

Abstract: The drawings illustrate two embodiments of a plastic coated, liquid carrying gable top container, and a blank for forming same, including an easily opened pouring spout by virtue of a slit being formed therein, and a flap integrally formed thereon for protecting the lip of the pouring spout and serving to permit liquid tight sealing of the filled container. In one embodiment, the pouring spout is in the conventional location at one of the folded-in gable end sections. In the other embodiment, the pouring spout is formed as one of the sides of the gable top.

Abstract: This disclosure illustrates and describes a bottom closure structure for a liquid carrying, thermoplastic coated paperboard carton or container wherein the shapes of the four main bottom panels of the blank from which the carton is formed are such that they provide bottom panel side score lines which are sufficient in length to support the panels during the folding and tucking operation changing the flat blank into a finished carton bottom closure. In one embodiment of the invention, complete interdigital nesting or overlapping of adjacent blanks is provided for. As such, the cutting operation on a paperboard roll may be accomplished with an uninterrupted cut, without any resultant paperboard scrap being produced therebetween.

Abstract: The accompanying description and drawings disclose a liquid carrying paperboard carton having straw opening means formed in a side wall panel thereof. The straw opening means includes a tear strip formed by cuts through the carton wall beginning at the edge of the side panel adjacent the usual underlying fifth panel. A tab is formed from material available from the adjacent blank during the scoring and cutting process, and serves as an extension of the tear strip. The formation of the tab automatically provides a cut-out portion on the edge of the side seam flap of the adjacent blank while being cut from a roll of paperboard, thus providing an opening for a straw hole when the tear strip of a completed container is peeled back from the underlying fifth panel.

Abstract: The drawings and description disclose a container having the usual fold-in end panels and roof panels interconnected by front and rear sets of fold-back panels, with inner sealing rib panels extending vertically from the fold-back panels and confined between oppositely disposed outer sealing rib panels extending vertically from the roof panels, supplemented by fold-over lip panels attached to and folded over onto the inner sealing rib panels, serving to provide a stiffer spout to facilitate the opening process, while eliminating a raw edge on the pouring lip and greatly diminishing fiber tear and delamination of the pouring surface.

Abstract: A coated paperboard container and a blank for constructing the container is disclosed as including a body portion having an upper end that is closed by a folded top end closure which includes closure panels and seal lips having a construction that enhances foldability and sealing. Front and back gable panels of the top end closure are each flanked by a pair of triangular inner roof panels that have different sizes than each other so as to facilitate folding of a top seal provided by the seal lips from a vertical position in a direction toward the smaller inner roof panels. Inner seal lips are each connected to one pair of the inner roof panels by a single score line and outer seal lips are likewise each connected to outer roof panels of the closure by a single score line. Terminal edges of the outer seal lips extend alongside each other in the constructed condition.

Abstract: A liquid proof coated paperboard container having a flat top end closure which can be opened exposing a reclosable pouring spout, and having a unique closing arrangement including a central seal and a sealed hold down tab provided with a thumb notch release means.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for forming sealed joints by welding layers of thermoplastic coated paperboard together. One outer surface of the paperboard layers is placed in engagement with back-up means, and the opposite outer surface of the paperboard layers is engaged by vibrating means so that the thermoplastic coating of the paperboard is heated by the vibration to weld the layers together. The apparatus and method is particularly useful in forming sealed joints for paperboard cartons, such as milk cartons of the type shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,309,841. The vibrating means may be an ultrasonic transducer of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,792, for example.