Box with carry handles to facilitate carrying the box

Abstract

A carton for cut sheets of paper has a bottom wall, opposite side walls, and opposite end walls. An opening is in each of the opposite end walls and a carry handle is secured to an inner surface of each end wall in aligned registry with a respective opening. The carry handles have a stowed position inside the carton and an extended position outside the carton for lifting and carrying the carton. A spacer panel in said carton has cutouts in aligned registry with respective carry handles to accommodate the carry handles when in their stowed position and prevent contact between the carry handles and paper in the carton.

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;   an opening in each of the opposite end walls;   a carry handle secured to an inner surface of each end wall in aligned registry with a respective opening, said carry handles having a stowed position inside the carton and an extended position outside the carton for lifting and carrying the carton; and   a spacer panel in said carton, said spacer panel having cutouts in aligned registry with respective carry handles to accommodate the carry handles when in their stowed position and prevent contact between the carry handles and paper in the carton.   
     
     
         2 . A carton as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said spacer panel is disposed horizontally within said carton between layers of paper and 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 and are formed in opposite ends of the spacer panel.   
     
     
         4 . A carton as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 a said spacer panel is vertically positioned in each end of the carton against a respective adjacent said end wall and has height and width dimensions to fit closely within the height and width dimensions of the interior of the carton.   
     
     
         5 . A carton as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein:
 said spacer panels are secured to an inner surface of a respective said carton end wall.   
     
     
         6 . A carton as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein:
 said spacer panels are loosely received in said carton.   
     
     
         7 . A carton as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein:
 said carry handles each comprise an elongate base member having enlarged pads on its opposite ends, said base member secured to an inner surface of a respective said end wall, and an elongate strap having opposite ends slidably received through slots in the pads, enlargements on said strap opposite ends preventing complete separation of the strap from the base member but permitting it to be withdrawn through a said opening for access exteriorly of the carton.   
     
     
         8 . A carton as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein:
 said carry handles each comprise an elongate base member having enlarged pads on its opposite ends, said base member secured to an inner surface of a respective said end wall, and an elongate strap having opposite ends slidably received through slots in the pads, enlargements on said strap opposite ends preventing complete separation of the strap from the base member.