Box with Hand Holes and Spacer Panel to Facilitate Lifting and Carrying the Box

Abstract

A carton has hand holes in opposite walls and a spacer panel inserted between stacked articles in the carton. The spacer panel has cut outs in its opposite ends positioned behind the hand holes to provide space for inserting the fingers. The hand holes and spacer panel facilitate lifting, carrying and manipulating the carton. The spacer panel has width and length dimensions to fit within the interior width and length dimensions of the carton and reinforces the carton to reduce damage when the carton is dropped.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A carton for cut sheets of paper, wherein said carton comprises:
 a bottom wall, opposite side walls, and opposite end walls;   a hand hole in each of the opposite end walls through which fingers may be inserted for lifting the carton; and   a spacer panel inserted in said carton between layers of said sheets of paper, said spacer panel having a recess in each end thereof in registry with said hand holes to provide space for inserting the fingers between the sheets of paper to facilitate lifting the carton.   
     
     
         2 . A carton as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said spacer panel has width and length dimensions to fit closely within the width and length dimensions of the interior of the carton.   
     
     
         3 . A carton as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein:
 said cut outs are rectangularly shaped.   
     
     
         4 . A carton as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein:
 said cut outs are curvilinear.   
     
     
         5 . A carton as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein:
 said cut outs have spaced parallel side edges and a back edge comprising opposite ends that meet at a point at the middle of the back edge and diverge angularly outwardly and forwardly to an inner end of a respective side edge.   
     
     
         6 . A carton as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said hand holes each comprise a punch-out panel joined to a respective said end wall by a perforated line extending along a bottom and opposite side edges of said panel, and a fold along a top edge of said panel, whereby when said punch-out panel is pushed inwardly the perforated line fractures and the punch-out panel folds inwardly and upwardly against an inner surface of a respective said end wall.   
     
     
         7 . A carton as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein:
 said hand holes each comprise a punch-out panel joined to a respective said end wall by a perforated line extending along a bottom and opposite side edges of said panel, and a fold along a top edge of said panel, whereby when said punch-out panel is pushed inwardly the perforated line fractures and the punch-out panel folds inwardly and upwardly against an inner surface of a respective said end wall.   
     
     
         8 . A carton for holding articles, wherein said carton comprises:
 a bottom wall, opposite side walls, and opposite end walls;   a hand hole in each of said end walls; and   a spacer panel inserted in said carton between said articles, said spacer panel having cut outs in opposite ends thereof, said cut outs being behind and in registry with said hand holes to provide space for fingers inserted through said hand holes.   
     
     
         9 . A carton as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein:
 said spacer panel has width and length dimensions to fit closely within the width and length dimensions of the interior of the carton.   
     
     
         10 . A carton as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein:
 said cut outs are rectangularly shaped.   
     
     
         11 . A carton as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein:
 said cut outs are curvilinear.   
     
     
         12 . A carton as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein:
 said cut outs have spaced parallel side edges and a back edge comprising opposite ends that meet at a point at the middle of the back edge and diverge angularly outwardly and forwardly to an inner end of a respective side edge.   
     
     
         13 . A carton as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein:
 said hand holes each comprise a punch-out panel joined to a respective said end wall by a perforated line extending along a bottom and opposite side edges of said panel, and a fold along a top edge of said panel, whereby when said punch-out panel is pushed inwardly the perforated line fractures and the punch-out panel folds inwardly and upwardly against an inner surface of a respective said end wall.   
     
     
         14 . A carton as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein:
 said hand holes each comprise a punch-out panel joined to a respective said end wall by a perforated line extending along a bottom and opposite side edges of said panel, and a fold along a top edge of said panel, whereby when said punch-out panel is pushed inwardly the perforated line fractures and the punch-out panel folds inwardly and upwardly against an inner surface of a respective said end wall.