Abstract: A fish storage tray is provided with several modular plastic dividers which conform to the shape of the fish and hold fish in a belly-up position in the tray for individual freezing and storing. The individual dividers are elongated plastic strips having connectors either integral or separable at opposite ends to enable the dividers to be expanded to conform to the size of a fish placed between dividers. The method of storing fish includes the step of separating a tray into a plurality of compartments using flexible conforming plastic strips interconnected to one another at alternating opposite ends to form an accordion-type divider pattern within the tray. Fish are then placed between the plastic dividers in an alternating head-to-tail arrangement and with the bellies up. The fish are then frozen and, if desired, glazed and placed in storage.

Abstract: Comestible cones with frozen edibles deposited thereon are safely and securely held and transported in a carrying bag. The carrying bag contains a handle portion which is positioned above the center of gravity of the cone-filled carrying bag and insures that said filled carrying bag is in stable equilibrium. The bag comprises two substantially planar sheets, one of which is juxtaposed behind and in registration with the other. Said two sheets are joined together along their bottoms, along a portion of their sides, and intermediate their sides along a plurality of spaced zones which taper diagonally downwardly toward one another to thus define a plurality of quasi-conical pockets. The non-joined portions of the sides of said sheets define upper panel segments. The cones are receivable in the pockets of the bag and are securely and safely held therein during transport of said cones from place to place.

Abstract: A dual compartment sandwich package fabricated of foamed polystyrene or the like and adapted to retain therein in appealing and acceptable form a sandwich including a hot meat portion, such as a hamburger, and a cool trimmings portion, such as lettuce and tomato. The package includes a base and cover having central rib means for rigidifying the package and preventing bending about the longitudinal and transverse axes thereof. There are four cooperating slots and tabs for temporary or secure locking of the cover to the base, which latter condition also forms an external seal to prevent heat exchange with the ambient atmosphere, while the central rib means form an internal barrier to prevent transfer of air and heat between the two compartments. A method of packaging a hot meat portion-cool trimmings portion sandwich, such as a lettuce and tomato hamburger sandwich for dispensing and final assembly by a customer in such a dual compartment package is also disclosed.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved one-piece construction for taco shell holders, wherein, the holders are provided with a unique three legged support structure that allows the holders to be used in either a stand alone configuration or inserted into complementary recesses formed in a serving tray element specifically designed for use in combination with the taco holders.

Abstract: A bag for receiving the apple is prepared. An ethylene absorbent and a deoxidant are placed in the bag, each of the absorbent and the deoxidant being in an amount such that ethylene biosynthesis is suppressed for keeping freshness of the apple when the apple is placed within the bag. The apple is placed within the bag and then an opening portion of the bag containing the apple, the ethylene absorbent and the deoxidant is sealed. The sealed bag allows air to permeate through it to a degree such that minimum amount of air necessary for the apple is supplied in the presence of the ethylene absorbent and the deoxidant. The apple is stored in the sealed bag whereby mature of the apple is delayed for keeping freshness thereof.

Abstract: A bag for receiving the apple is prepared. An ethylene absorbent and a deoxidant are placed in the bag, each of the absorbent and the deoxidant being in an amount such that ethylene biosynthesis is suppressed for keeping freshness of the apple when the apple is placed within the bag. The apple is placed within the bag and then an opening portion of the bag containing the apple, the ethylene absorbent and the deoxidant is sealed. The sealed bag allows air to permeate through it to a degree such that minimum amount of air necessary for the apple is suppled in the presence of the ethylene abosrbent and the deoxidant. The apple is stored in the sealed bag whereby mature of the apple is delayed for keeping freshness thereof.

Abstract: Improved tray, suitable for packaging croissants.

Abstract: A food package and storage unit including a carton, a tray having an opening at the top adapted to be readily slid into and out of one end of the carton and a flexible separator sheet interleaved between thereby to separate food items positioned in the tray. A second sheet extends in a direction transverse to that of the separator sheet to wrap the ends of the food items.

Abstract: A hermetically sealable and reclosable package includes a body member of semi-rigid preformed plastic having a first planar marginal portion and a central portion shaped to provide a packaging chamber. A base member has a second planar marginal portion and is adapted to close the packaging chamber. A mat is sandwiched between the body member and the base member, with the mat, body member and base member being of generally similar rectangular configuration. The mat is permanently attached to either the body member or the base member on all four side edges thereof. The opposite side of the mat is permanently attached to either the body member or the base member along one side edge and peelably attached along the remaining side edges. The package is opened by separating the peelable sides so that the body member or the base member may be rotated about a hinge defined by the permanently affixed side edge to expose the products of the package.

Abstract: A reclosable package comprises a body member of semi-rigid preformed plastic with a first planar marginal portion and a central portion shaped to provide a packaging chamber. A base member has a corresponding second planar marginal portion and a central panel to provide a closure for the packaging chamber. The body member and base member are permanently bonded along one pair of adjacent sides of the first and second planar marginal portions. A hinge is situated within the pair of adjacent sides, which automatically locks when the package is open and unlocks when the package is closed. The hinge may comprise a line of perforations with integral locking tabs situated in one of the sides, or in a mat interposed between the sides. Different patterns of cut configurations may be employed as the hinge as long as the hinge includes areas which protrude to hold the package open when the lid is rotated past 90 to the open position.

Abstract: A container comprising an outer container and an inner container suspended therein by flexible suspension means.

Abstract: A quick hardening icing composition is disclosed which is used in conjunction with an improved bakery goods tray structure to carry out an improved method for processing and packaging bakery goods. Fresh, warm bakery goods are deposited upside-down onto a conveyor belt and the improved bakery goods tray structure is set down over the bakery goods. The tray structure and bakery goods are moved along the conveyor belt to a tipping station where the tray and bakery goods are oriented top side up without damage to the fragile bakery goods. The tray structure has substantially vertical sides terminated at their top by an outward projecting flange substantially coplanar with the top of the bakery goods. A layer of quick hardening icing is deposited on top of the bakery goods and overlaps and sealably mates with the outward projecting flange on the tray structure, sealing the bakery goods inside.

Abstract: A packaging arrangement for a generally friable product sealed in a plastic pouch, the latter of which is positioned in a sealed cylindrical container so as to be restrained from axial movement therein. A separator may be located in the container to bias the pouch radially outwardly into engagement with the inner cylindrical surface of the container. Moreover, a corrugated liner may be interposed between the plastic pouch and the inner wall of the container to thereby provide added protection to the friable product from shock loads iparted to the container.

Abstract: With the process, pasta products are packed in serving portions, ready for sale. For doing this, the pasta products are separated into serving portions prior to drying and packing into the package. In order to avoid mechanical breakage, provision is made, when separating the pasta products, to lay at least one serving of pasta product onto a carrying member of the at least two-part package. Afterward, the carrying member is combined with the remaining packaging members into a package.

Abstract: The package comprises a base (10) having flat horizontal wall (14) formed with a plurality of apertures (18, 20) and supported by a circumferential depending skirt (16). A flanged cup (28) containing the creamy product is removably inserted into a central aperture (18). Further flanged cups (32) containing comminuted edible ingredients such as peanut, hazel nut, pistachio, puffed rice or chocolate, are inserted into the remaining apertures (20). The whole is closed by a removable lid (12) superposed on the flat wall (14) of the base (10). The package also includes small spoons (40) which may be located in corresponding depressions (not shown) formed in the flat wall (14) of the base (10).

Abstract: A multiple-compartment container is formed from an elongated sleeve of flexible material. Opposing end portions of the sleeve are respectively sealed together. A third seal of the walls of the sleeve, at a location spaced between those end portions, defines first and second hollow compartments respectively on each side of that third seal. The third seal is effected by a twisting of the sleeve about its longitudinal axis. There is illustrated a still further and preferred fourth seal at a location spaced between the third seal and one of the end portions so as to define a still further hollow compartment, and that additional seal also is effected by a twisting of the sleeve.

Abstract: A package, especially tubular wrapper-type container for ice cream bars, candy bars, chocolate, and the like wares, is disclosed. The package includes at at least one end thereof a section extending around the package towards the seal seam thereof, which section is adapted to break or tear to open the package and expose the contents thereof.

Abstract: Two containers housing an expandable food product are placed in face-to-face juxtaposition and a sleeve complemental in shape to the exterior panels of the facing containers is wrapped around the containers to form a unitized package. The sleeve is bisected by a perforated score line which enables the sleeve to be separated into two pieces. Each piece has a linear and undulating edge wherein the sleeve half can be placed in a microwave oven on its linear edge to support one of the containers above the oven surface on the undulating edge enabling the microwave energy to be distributed along all surfaces of the container to heat the food product within the container.

Abstract: A package for strips of chewing gum, sweets, food, and other chewable and edible articles which are wrapped individually into flat packets arranged one above the other. Each of the packets at one end thereof is provided with an extension projecting in the longitudinal direction of the packet and beyond the content of the packet. Each extension has a hole therethrough through which extends a common pivot member which at its ends has a head or the like to keep the packets on the pivot member while all of the packets are pivotable about the common pivot member.

Abstract: A flexible tube container has a plurality of cells linearly disposed along the length of the tube. The cells are defined by a plurality of segmented weld lines, each segmented weld line extending the width of the tube. Each segmented weld line permits fluid communication between the various cells in the container and the formation of individual frozen confections within each of the cells upon freezing of the fluid therein. Dispensing of an individual frozen confection is easily done by bending the tube along any segmented weld line, which detaches an adjacent cell containing an individual frozen confection and immediately permits sanitary consumption of the frozen confection while it is hygienically protected within the detached cell.

Abstract: Sausages are made by stuffing a meat emulsion into a thermosealable tubular casing, effecting preliminary sealing of the casing into "sausage lengths", at least partially cooking the product and then effecting a final sealing at the site of the preliminary seals which seals are wider than the preliminary seals and thereby compress the meat into the unsealed portion of the tube.

Abstract: A packaging arrangement for a generally friable product sealed in a plastic pouch, the latter of which is positioned in a sealed cylindrical container so as to be restrained from axial movement therein. A separator may be located in the container to bias the pouch radially outwardly into engagement with the inner cylindrical surface of the container. Moreover, a corrugated liner may be interposed between the plastic pouch and the inner wall of the container to thereby provide added protection to the friable product from shock loads imparted to the container.

Abstract: A sealed package is provided wherein a plurality of quantities of product in a stack, such as cheese slices, are hermetically sealed in individual compartments by interleaf sheets which are releasably sealed to a backing board. Interleaf sheets are positioned between the respective quantities of product in the stack and releasably sealed along the marginal edge portions of the interleaf sheets to a peripheral portion of the backing board, outwardly of the edges of the quantities of product which are thereby encapsulated. The interleaf sheets can be hermetically sealed directly, respectively to the backing board in a progressive, concentric manner, or to each other with the innermost sheet sealed to the backing board, to form progressive but coincident seals. The backing board can be flat, or cup-shaped with a flange to which the interleaf sheets are sealed.

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for packaging U-shaped tortilla shells with or without filler including a container for receiving and enclosing a plurality of U-shaped tortilla shells and a spacer element within the container which is inserted in the open end of the shells.

Abstract: Plural recesses are formed on the surface of a sheet of a chemically crosslinked foam of a polyolefinic resin containing an inorganic calcium compound, the articles of food to be packaged are placed in the recesses and then the sheet is covered with a physically foamed sheet of a polyolefinic resin containing an inorganic calcium compound. Alternatively, the physically foamed sheet can be shaped to define a recessed support for the food articles and a sheet of foamed polyolefinic resin used as the covering. The polyolefinic resin has 30-60% by weight of an inorganic calcium compound incorporated therein.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for interleaving frozen food patties with sheets of protective material (e.g., paper), in which at least a spot of an edible "adhesive" material adheres each protective sheet to a patty. In one embodiment, a spot of a true adhesive (e.g., honey, sugar solution, etc.) is applied to a protective sheet that is subsequently moved into engagement with a frozen food patty. In another embodiment, at least a spot of an edible heat-activated adhesive material at the interface between a protective sheet and a frozen patty is activated by heat applied through the protective sheet. In this instance, the adhesive may be a separate material which is applied to either the protective sheet or the food patty; on the other hand, the adhesive may comprise moisture in the surface portion of the patty.

Abstract: A wrapper assembly for packaging articles includes a carrier element supporting the articles and a sleeve surrounding the carrier element and the articles. The carrier element comprises two compartments, each formed of a separate bottom wall, a separate lateral wall and at least one separate end wall. The two lateral walls are in a face-to-face contacting relationship.

Abstract: Fruit tray is covered with plastic film that is pressed by overlying tray into engagement with each fruit to prevent bouncing and rotation of the fruit.