Twelve-article basket carrier

A foldable basket-type carrier suitable for holding twelve bottles has longitudinal partition panels connected between end wall panels on both sides of central panel and handle means thereof. Transverse partitions extend in opposite directions from the longitudinal partition panels to the side wall panels and to the central panel means completing the division of the carrier into twelve article receiving cells, two rows of three receiving cells being provided on each side of and parallel to the central panel and handle means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to foldable paperboard basket-style carriers for 
bottles and the like wherein two rows of article receiving cells are 
provided on each side of and parallel to a central partition and handle 
portion thereof. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The prior art, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 2,721,001 and No. 3,784,053, 
contains a number of bottle or article carriers of the basket type having 
two rows of article receiving cells provided on each side of and parallel 
to a medial handle thereof. The U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,053 discloses spaced 
transverse partition strips connected between the tops of side walls and 
the handle structures together with longitudinal partition strips struck 
from the transverse partition strips; these partition strips being located 
toward the upper ends or shoulders of articles in the carriers do not 
offer full protection or separation of bottles or the like at the bottom 
ends or portions thereof. The U.S. Pat. No. 2,271,001 discloses separator 
walls or partitions folded from bottom sections; this carrier is not 
foldable without disassembling the carton. 
Transverse partition panels struck from medial panels in six-bottle 
carriers of the foldable basket-type are illustrated in U.S. Pats. No. 
3,672,539 and No. 4,010,847; these patents are not suitable or adaptable 
for carrying twelve bottles or articles. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is summarized in a foldable carrier for holding twelve 
articles, including front and rear center panels secured back-to-back and 
having upper handle portions; front and rear first end panels hinged at 
inner edges thereof on first end edges of the respective front and rear 
center panels; front and rear side panels hinged at first end edges 
thereof on outer edges of the respective front and rear first end panels; 
front and rear full second end panels hinged at outer edges thereof on 
second end edges of the respective front and rear side panels; front and 
rear half second end panels hinged at inner edges thereof on second end 
edges of the respective front and rear center panels and secured to inside 
surfaces of inner portions of the respective front and rear full second 
end panels; front and rear bottom panel means hinged at outer edges 
thereof to bottom edges of the respective front and rear side panels and 
hinged at inner edges thereof to each other; front and rear longitudinal 
partition panel means hinged at second end edges thereof to outer edges of 
the respective front and rear half second end panels; the front and rear 
longitudinal partition panel means extending parallel to and midway 
between the front center and front side panels and between the rear center 
and rear side panels, respectively; the front and rear longitudinal 
partition panel means having respective tabs at first end edges thereof 
secured to the respective front and rear first end panels; and eight 
transverse partition panels having a first pair thereof being spaced and 
extending between the front side panel and the front longitudinal 
partition panel means, a second pair thereof being spaced and extending 
between the front longitudinal partition panels means and the front center 
panel, a third pair thereof being spaced and extending between the rear 
center panel and the rear longitudinal partition panel means, and a fourth 
pair thereof being spaced and extending between the rear longitudinal 
partition panel means and the rear side panel. 
An object of the invention is to construct a new and improved article 
carrier of the so-called basket-type having two rows of three article 
receiving cells on each side of a center handle. 
Another object of the invention is to provide partitions in a unitary 
three-by-four cell carrier wherein the partitions extend substantially the 
full height of the bottom portion of the articles received by the carrier. 
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an alternative 
twelve-bottle basket carrier to existing carriers. 
A further object of the invention is to eliminate or substantially reduce 
bottom panel sag of a three-by-four carrier when filled with bottles. 
An advantage of the invention is that a single blank can be formed into a 
foldable basket-type carrier having partitions fully separating bottles 
therein. 
One feature of the invention is that longitudinal partition panels are 
integrally connected to end wall panels at one end of a carrier and are 
secured to the opposite end wall panels at the other end of the carrier. 
Another feature of the invention is the provision of tongues cut from 
overlapping transverse partitions and left within the plane of 
longitudinal partition panels to accomplish full bottle separation in the 
carrier. 
Yet another feature of the invention is to provide downward extending 
portions on transverse partitions along the center line of cells to 
provide for full separation of the bottle. 
A still further feature of the invention is the provision of gusset panels 
formed in opposite diagonal corners of carrier halves on opposite sides of 
a handle for extending into all of the article receiving cells in the rows 
of cells adjoining the center handle portion to prevent bottom panel sag 
when filled with bottles. 
Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent 
from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in 
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
A foldable article carrier in accordance with the invention is illustrated 
in FIG. 1. This carrier is of the so-called basket-type having a center 
partition with an upper handle formed therein and having two rows of three 
article receiving cells on each side of the center partition to form a 
twelve-article or twelve-bottle carrier. 
In FIG. 5 there is illustrated a blank including all the integrally joined 
or connected parts of the carrier of FIG. 1. This blank is cut from 
conventional paperboard material used in forming similar bottle carriers. 
The parts in generally the upper half of the blank as illustrated in FIG. 
5 form the rear half of the carrier while the parts shown in generally the 
lower half of the blank of FIG. 5 form the front half of the carrier. It 
is noted that the front and rear halves are generally symmetrical. The 
adjectives "right", "left", "bottom", "outer", "inner", used hereafter 
refer to the carrier as assembled and shown in FIG. 1 rather than as shown 
in FIG. 5. 
The carrier includes full right end panels 10 and 12 which are hinged at 
outer edges thereof at partially slit scorelines 14 and 16 to right edges 
of respective side panels 18 and 20. Bottom panels 22 and 24 are hinged at 
outer edges thereof to bottom edges of the respective side panels 18 and 
20 along partially slit scorelines 26 and 28. A joint flap 30 is hinged on 
the inner edge of the bottom panel 22 along a scoreline 32 for being 
secured to the inner edge of the panel 24 to thus hinge the inner edges of 
the bottom panels 22 and 24 together. Gusset panels 34, 36 and 38 are 
formed in the right rear outer corner defined by the right edge of the 
rear bottom panel 22 at partially slit scoreline 40 and the bottom edge of 
the rear full right end panel 10 at partially slit scoreline 42. A 
45.degree. partially slit scoreline 44 is formed between the gusset panels 
34 and 36 while a 22.5.degree. angle partially slit scoreline 46 hinges 
the panels 36 and 38 together. A similar front right outer corner gusset 
arrangement is formed by gusset panels 48, 50 and 52 in the corner between 
the right edge of the front bottom panel 24 at partially slit scoreline 54 
and the bottom edge of the front full right end panel 12 at partially slit 
scoreline 56. A 45.degree. angle partially slit scoreline 58 is formed 
between panels 48 and 50 while a partially slit scoreline 60 is formed 
between panels 50 and 52 at a 22.5.degree. angle. Cutouts 62 and 64 are 
formed in the extreme tip or point of the angle between edges 40 and 42 
and edges 54 and 56, respectively, to facilitate folding of the gusset 
panels 34, 36, 38 and the gusset panels 48, 50 and 52. 
The left edges of the side panels 18 and 20 are hinged to outer edges of 
respective left end panels 66 and 68 at partially slit scorelines 70 and 
72. A cut line 69 separates the rear panels 10, 18 and 66 from the front 
panels 12, 20 and 68. Partially slit scorelines 74 and 76 form hinges 
between the inner edges of the left end panels 66 and 68 and the left 
edges of respective center or medial panels 78 and 80 which are hinged 
together at their top edges along a scoreline 81. A rear left inner corner 
gusset arrangement is formed by a gusset panel 82 between partially slit 
scoreline 84 at the bottom edge of panel 66 and a 45.degree. partially 
slit scoreline 86, a gusset panel 88 between the partially slit scoreline 
86 and a partially slit scoreline 92 aligned with the scoreline 74, and a 
panel 90 hinged to the panel 88 at the scoreline 92 and to a center 
portion of a bottom edge of the rear center panel 78 at partially slit 
scoreline 94. A similar gusset arrangement for the front left inner corner 
is formed by gusset panel 96 hinged at partially slit scoreline 98 on the 
bottom edge of the left end panel 68 and hinged at a 45.degree. angle 
partially slit scoreline 100 to a gusset panel 102, the gusset panel 102 
hinged at partially slit scoreline 106 aligned with scoreline 76 to a 
gusset panel 104, and the gusset panel 104 hinged to a center portion of a 
bottom edge of the front center panel 80 at partially slit scoreline 108. 
Cut outs 110 and 112 are formed at the corner of the intersection of lines 
84, 86, 92 and 94 and at the corner of the intersection of the lines 98, 
100, 106 and 108 to promote bending and folding of the gusset panels 82, 
88 and 90 and the gusset panels 96, 102 and 104. The openings 110 and 112 
are also cut to form hooks 114 and 116 extending downward from the left 
ends of the bottom edges of the center panels 78 and 80 for engaging a 
notch 117 formed in the left edges of bottom panel 22 and joint flap 30 at 
scoreline 32. Similar downward extending hooks 118 and 120 are formed at 
the right ends of the bottom edges of the respective center panels 78 and 
80 adjacent right edge score lines 122 and 124 thereof for engaging and 
supporting the bottom panels 22 and 24 at a notch 121 formed in the right 
edge of bottom panel 22 and joint flap 30 at the scoreline 32. Finger 
openings 126 and 128 are formed in the upper portions of the center panels 
78 and 80 for forming a handle for the carrier. Reinforcing flaps 130 and 
132 joined at partially slit scorelines 134 and 136 in the panels 78 and 
80 extend downward into the respective finger openings 126 and 128 for 
providing reinforcement of the lifting edge of the openings 126 and 128. 
Half right end panels 138 and 140 are hinged at inner edges thereof to the 
right edges of the respective center panels 78 and 80 along the partially 
slit scorelines 122 and 124. The half right end panels 138 and 140 are 
separated from each other at a cut 142. 
An inner rear longitudinal partition panel 144 is hinged to the outer edge 
of the half right end panel 138 at partially slit scoreline 146 while an 
outer rear longitudinal partition panel 148 is hinged to the top edge of 
the partition panel 144 at a partially slit scoreline 150. A cut line 151 
extends on two sides of the outer rear longitudinal partition panel 148 to 
separate the panel 148 from remaining portions of the blank except for the 
inner longitudinal partition panel 144. A glue tab 152 is hinged at 
partially slit scoreline 154 to the left edge of the rear longitudinal 
partition panel 144. Inner rear transverse partition panels 156 and 158 
are cut from the longitudinal partition panel 144 and are hinged at outer 
edges thereof along respective scorelines 160 and 162 to the panel 144. A 
glue tab 164 is hinged at a partially slit scoreline 166 to the inner edge 
of the transverse panel 156 while a glue tab 168 is hinged at a partially 
slit score line 170 to the inner edge of the transverse panel 158. Outer 
rear transverse partition panels 172 and 176 are cut from the outer rear 
longitudinal partition panel 148 and are hinged at inner edges thereof 
along respective score lines 174 and 178 to the panel 148. A glue tab 180 
is hinged at a scoreline 182 on the outer edge of the transverse partition 
panel 172 while a glue tab 184 is hinged at a partially slit scoreline 186 
on the outer edge of the transverse partition panel 176. It is noted that 
the cuts forming the transverse panels 156 and 158 in the panel 144 extend 
to the left while the cuts forming the transverse panels 172 and 176 
extend to the right in the panel 148. The scoreline 160 is aligned with 
the scoreline 174 while the scoreline 162 is aligned with the scoreline 
178 to divide the longitudinal partition panels 144 and 148 into three 
equal longitudinal lengths. The panels 158 and 172 extend to the bottom 
edges of the respective panels 144 and 148 while extensions 188 and 190 
are formed on the bottom edges of the transverse panels 156 and 176 for 
extending along the center portion thereof to a position slightly spaced 
above the bottom of the panels 144 and 148. Tongues 192 and 194 cut from 
the transverse panels 156 and 176, respectively, are left in the panels 
144 and 148. These tongues 192 and 194 extend to the left and right 
respectively so as to overlap when the panels 144 and 148 are folded 
together to produce a double thickness of separating material between 
center cells at the rear portion of the carrier. 
Similarly, inner front longitudinal partition panel 196 is hinged at its 
right edge at partially slit scoreline 198 to the outer edge of the front 
half right end panel 140. Outer front longitudinal partition panel 200 is 
hinged at its bottom edge along partially slit scoreline 202 to the bottom 
edge of the panel 196. Glue tab 204 is hinged at a partially slit 
scoreline 206 to the left edge of the panel 196. Inner front transverse 
partitions 208 and 210 are cut from the inner front longitudinal partition 
panel 196 and hinged thereto at their outer edges along respective score 
lines 212 and 214. A glue tab 216 is formed on the inner end of the 
transverse partition panel 208 by a slit score line 218 while a glue tab 
220 is formed on the inner end of the transverse partition 210 by a 
partially slit scoreline 222. Cut from the longitudinal partition panel 
200 are an outer front transverse partition 224 hinged at its inner edge 
along scoreline 226 to the panel 200 and an outer front transverse 
partition panel 228 hinged at its inner edge along scoreline 230 to the 
partition panel 200. A glue tab 232 is formed on the outer end of the 
transverse partition panel 224 by partially slit scoreline 234 while a 
glue tab 236 is formed on the outer end of the transverse partition panel 
228 by a partially slit scoreline 238. The transverse partition panels 208 
and 210 are cut from portions of the panel 220 extending toward the left 
from the scorelines 212 and 214 while the transverse partition panels 224 
and 228 are cut from portions of the panel 200 extending to the right of 
the respective scorelines 226 and 230. The scoreline 212 is aligned with 
the scoreline 226 while the scoreline 214 is aligned with the scoreline 
230 to divide the length of the partition panels 196 and 200 into equal 
third portions. The transverse partition panels 210 and 224 extend to the 
bottoms of the respective panels 196 and 200 while the panels 208 and 228 
have extensions 240 and 242 which extend along the center of the 
respective panels 208 and 228 to positions spaced slightly above the 
bottom edges of the panels 196 and 200. Tongues 244 and 246 are cut from 
the respective transverse partition panels 208 and 228 to remain within 
the panels 196 and 200. The length of the tongues 244 and 246 is selected 
so that ends thereof overlap and thus form a double thickness within the 
center of the center dividing portion of the longitudinal partition panels 
196 and 200. 
The assembling the blank of FIG. 5 into the carrier shown in FIGS. 1-4 
includes the application of glue to the inside surfaces of the panels 148 
and 200, or corresponding surfaces of the panels 144 and 196, excluding 
the tongues 192, 194, 244 and 246 as well as the transverse partitions 
156, 158, 172, 176, 208, 210, 224 and 228, and then the folding of the 
panels 148 and 200 underneath the respective panels 158 and 196 to bond 
the panels 144 and 148 together and to bond the panels 196 and 200 
together. Glue is applied to the top surfaces of the tabs 164, 168, 216 
and 220, or corresponding surface portions of center panels 78 and 80, and 
the carrier is folded about the scoreline 146 and 198 to bond the tabs 
164, 168, 216 and 220 to the respective center panels 78 and 80. Glue is 
then applied to the exposed surfaces of the tabs 180, 184, 232 and 236 (or 
corresponding areas of side panels 18 and 20) as well as to the upper 
surfaces of the gusset panels 88 and 102 (or corresponding areas of gusset 
panels 90 and 104) and the exposed surfaces of glue tabs 152 and 204 (or 
corresponding areas of left end panels 66 and 68); folding of the carrier 
about the scorelines 74, 76, 92 and 106 results in bonding of the tabs 180 
and 184 to the side panel 18, bonding of the tabs 232 and 236 to the side 
panel 20, bonding of the gusset panel 88 to the gusset panel 90, bonding 
of the gusset panel 102 to the gusset panel 104, bonding of the tab 152 to 
the left end panel 66 and bonding of the tab 204 to the front left end 
panel 68. Glue is applied to the exposed surfaces of the half right end 
panels 138 and 140 (or corresponding areas of full right end panels 10 and 
12) as well as to the upper surfaces of the gusset panels 34 and 48 (or 
corresponding areas of bottom panels 22 and 24); folding of the full right 
end panels 10 and 12 about scorelines 14 and 16 as well as the folding of 
the gusset panels 34, 36, 38, 48, 50 and 52 about the scorelines 40 and 54 
results in bonding of the half right end panels 138 and 140 to the inside 
surfaces of inner portions of the full right end panels 10 and 12 as well 
as the bonding of the gusset panels 34 and 48 to the bottom panels 22 and 
24. Bottom joint flap 30 is folded about scoreline 32 on top of bottom 
panel 22. Glue is applied to an inner portion of the exposed surface of 
the flap 30 (or corresponding inner portion of bottom panel 24) and to the 
exposed surface of one of panels 78 or 80; folding of the carrier about 
the scoreline 81 brings about bonding of the panels 78 and 80 together as 
well as the bonding of the joint flap 30 to the top surface of the bottom 
panel 24 and a portion of the exposed surface of the gusset flap 48. The 
carrier can then be unfolded as illustrated in FIG. 4 and the hooks 114, 
116, 118 and 120 engaged with the bottom panels 22 and 24 at the 
respective notches 117 and 121 as shown in FIG. 2 to complete the assembly 
of the carrier. 
It is noted that the longitudinal partitions in both the front and rear 
portions of the carrier including the respective panels 144, 148, 196 and 
200 extend substantially the full height of base portions of bottles to be 
placed in the carrier. Similarly the transverse partitions 156, 158, 172, 
176, 208, 210, 224 and 228 also have portions which extend centrally along 
a substantial portion of the bottoms of the bottles within the carrier to 
provide substantially full separation of the bottles. This is a 
substantial improvement over previous twelve-bottle carriers where only 
upper portions of the bottles were separated by partition straps and the 
like. 
Further the carrier provides for improved support of the bottles reducing 
sag from the weight of the bottles on the bottom panels 22 and 24. As 
shown in FIG. 3, gusset panels 90 and 104 hinged on the center portions of 
the bottom edges of the center panels 78 and 80 extend into the inner 
center cells of the carrier to help support the bottoms of bottles 
therein. Gusset panels 82 and 96 hinged on the bottom edges of the left 
end panels 66 and 68 extend under the left inner cells of the carriers as 
well as under the left outer cells of the carriers to support bottles 
therein. Gusset panels 38 and 52 hinged on the bottom edges of end panels 
10 and 12 extend into the right inner cells as well as the right outer 
cells of the container to help support bottles therein. The bottom panels 
22 and 24 being hinged on the side walls 18 and 12 adequately support the 
bottles within the outer central cells of the front and back halves 
without any necessity for providing additional support. 
The construction of the carrier with longitudinal partitions including 
longitudinal partition panels 144 and 148, 196 and 200 integrally 
connected at the score lines 146 and 198 to the right end of the carrier 
including the panels 138, 140, 10 and 12 and connected by tabs 152 and 204 
to left end panels 66 and 68 represents a substantially new and improved 
construction in a twelve-bottle carrier. Further the transverse partition 
panels 156, 158, 172, 176, 208, 210, 224 and 228 cut from the longitudinal 
panels 144, 148, 196 and 200 provides for substantial improvement in the 
manufacture of twelve-bottle carriers. The cutting and folding of the 
transverse partitions in opposite directions from the longitudinal 
partition panels to form the transverse dividers allows for full 
separation by both the transverse dividers as well as the longitudinal 
dividers in the 12-bottle carrier. The provision of the tongues 192, 194, 
244 and 246 aids in providing separation of the bottles by the 
longitudinal partition between center bottles in the rows in the front and 
back halves in the carrier. The extensions 188, 190, 240 and 242 on the 
respective transverse partitions further aid in full separation of the 
bottles in the carrier. 
In a modified carrier illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, some parts are 
identified by the same numbers used to identify parts in the carrier shown 
in FIGS. 1-5 indicating that such similar parts have substantially the 
same structure and/or function. The carrier of FIG. 6 differs from the 
carrier of FIG. 1 in that the top edges of the rear and front side panels 
18 and 20 as well as the end panels 10, 12, 66 and 68 are cut down and the 
handle portion of the carrier is doubled. 
As shown in FIG. 7, the blank is cut to form top edges 250 and 252 on the 
full right end panels 10 and 12, top edges 254 and 256 on the rear and 
front side panels 18 and 20, top edges 258 and 260 on the top edges of the 
left end panels 66 and 68, and top edges 262 and 264 on the top edges of 
the half right end panels 138 and 140. These top edges are designed to 
provide for allowing the top portions of the bottles to extend above the 
sides and ends of the carrier. 
The inside handle portion at the upper ends of the center panels 78 and 80 
have slits 266 and 268 formed therebetween to relieve the thickness of the 
material at the top edge thereof. Outside handle portions 270 and 272 are 
formed by a portion of the paperboard cut to form the lowered edges 254, 
256, 258 and 260. These handle portions 270 and 272 are hinged together at 
a slit scoreline 274 and include respective finger openings 276 and 278 
designed to be aligned with the openings 126 and 128 in the panels 78 and 
80. The reinforcing flaps 130 and 132 are formed in the openings 276 and 
278 rather than in the openings 126 and 128. 
Further, top edges 280, 282, and 284 on the panels 144, 196 and 200 are 
formed to extend slightly above the edges of the side and end walls of the 
carrier. 
Center riser flaps 286 and 288 are hinged to inner edges of the respective 
full right end panels 10 and 12 at partially slit scorelines 290 and 292. 
The flaps 286 and 288 are hinged together at partially slit scoreline 294. 
The slit scorelines 122 and 124 between panels 78 and 138 and between 
panels 80 and 140 are formed with much longer slits to permit easier 
bending of the carrier along the scorelines 290, 292 which are 
superimposed within scorelines 122 and 124. 
The carrier shown in FIG. 5 is assembled in a manner similar to the carrier 
of FIGS. 1-5 except that glue is applied to the upper surface of the 
handle portions 270 and 272 (or corresponding areas of panels 78 and 80) 
and these handle portions are folded on top of the handle portions of the 
panels 78 and 80 to bond the handle portions 270 and 272 to the panels 78 
and 80 prior to the folding of the carrier about scorelines 122 and 124. 
Also glue is applied to the upper surfaces of flaps 286 and 288 (or 
corresponding portions of center panels 78 and 80) prior to the folding of 
the panels 10 and 12 on top of the exposed surfaces of panels 138 and 140; 
this folding bringing about the bonding of the flaps 286 and 288 to the 
center panels 78 and 80. The flaps 286 and 288 are also bonded to each 
other when the front and back halves of the carrier flaps are folded 
together by glue applied to one of the flaps 286 and 288. 
Since many variations, modifications and changes in detail may be made to 
the above described invention, it is intended that all matter in the 
foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be 
interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.