Carton

Abstract

Cartons for packaging and mailing books and the like include parallel major and minor walls which are foldably interconnected to form a tubular structure and a closure and protecting structure for each end of the tubular structure including end flaps which are folded to form triangularly shaped air cushions, and, in a modification, a trapezoidally shaped air cushion. The end flaps are provided with locking tabs which engage corresponding notches in the top surface of one of the major walls in order to form the air cushions.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cushioned shipping folder .Iadd.for use with automatic packaging machines .Iaddend.formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard or the like, comprising: first and second major parallel walls and first and second minor parallel walls foldably interconnected to form a tubular structure, said first and second major parallel walls being rectangular in shape, said first major wall being greater in length than said second major wall; a closure and protecting structure for each end of said tubular structure including first and second flaps foldably connected to each other along a straight fold line extending the entire length of said first and second flaps, said first and second flaps being rectangular in shape and coextensive in length with each other and with the width or shorter dimension of said first major wall, said first flap being foldably connected to said first major parallel wall along a straight fold line extending along the entire width or shorter dimension of said first major wall.[.,.]. .Iadd.; .Iaddend.said first flap being folded obliquely with respect to said first major wall, said second flap being folded to a position generally perpendicular to said first major wall, said first flap, said second flap and a portion of said first major wall forming a uniformly shaped triangular air cushion extending across the entire width of said first major wall, a pair of generally rectangularly shaped outer flaps foldably connected to said second major wall, each of said outer flaps being coextensive in length with the width or shorter dimension of said second major wall, being folded to a position in facing relationship with said obliquely extending first flap and being glued to said obliquely extending first flap in a flat oblique plane .Iadd.so that the fold line between each of said first and second flaps engages one of the fold lines between said outer flaps and said second major wall in the erected carton.Iaddend..   
     
     
       2. .[.The folder recited in claim 1,.]. .Iadd.A cushioned shipping folder formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard or the like, comprising: first and second major parallel walls and first and second minor parallel walls foldably interconnected to form a tubular structure, said first and second major parallel walls being rectangular in shape, said first major wall being greater in length than said second major wall; a closure and protecting structure for each end of said tubular structure including first and second flaps foldably connected to each other along a straight fold line extending the entire length of said first and second flaps, said first and second flaps being rectangular in shape and coextensive in length with each other and with the width or shorter dimension of said first major wall, said first flap being foldably connected to said first major parallel wall along a straight fold line extending along the entire width or shorter dimension of said first major wall, said first flap being folded obliquely with respect to said first major wall, said second flap being folded to a position generally perpendicular to said first major wall; said first flap, said second flap, and a portion of said first major wall forming a uniformly shaped triangular air cushion extending across the entire width of said first major wall, a pair of generally rectangularly shaped outer flaps foldably connected to said second major wall, each of said outer flaps being coextensive in length with the width or shorter dimension of said second major wall, being folded to a position in facing relationship with said obliquely extending first flap and being glued to said obliquely extending first flap in a flat oblique plane so that the fold line between each of said first and second flaps engages one of the fold lines between said outer flaps and said second major wall in the erected carton, .Iaddend.said closure and protecting structure further comprising a third flap foldably connected to said second flap along a fold line, said third flap being coextensive in length with said second flap, said third flap being folded to a position in facing relationship with said first major wall .Iadd.in the direction of the line of fold between said first major wall and said first inner flap thereby forming a double thickness along the entire length of said air cushion.Iaddend..  .[.3. The folder recited in claim 2, said third inner flap being folded to extend in the direction of the line of fold between said first major wall and said first inner 
     
     
        flap..]. 4. .[.The folder recited in claim 2,.]. .Iadd.A cushioned shipping folder formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard or the like, comprising: first and second major parallel walls and first and second minor parallel walls foldably interconnected to form a tubular structure, said first and second major parallel walls being rectangular in shape, said first major wall being greater in length than said second major wall; a closure and protecting structure for each end of said tubular structure including first and second flaps foldably connected to each other along a straight fold line extending the entire length of said first and second flaps, said first and second flaps being rectangular in shape and coextensive in length with each other and with the width or shorter dimension of said first major wall, said first flap being foldably connected to said first major parallel wall along a straight fold line extending along the entire width or shorter dimension of said first major wall, said first flap being folded obliquely with respect to said first major wall, said second flap being folded to a position generally perpendicular to said first major wall; said first flap, said second flap and a portion of said first major wall forming a uniformly shaped triangular air cushion extending across the entire width of said first major wall, a pair of generally rectangularly shaped outer flaps foldably connected to said second major wall, each of said outer flaps being coextensive in length with the width or shorter dimension of said second major wall, being folded to a position in facing relationship with said obliquely extending first flap and being glued to said obliquely extending first flap in a flat oblique plane; said closure and protecting structure further comprising a third flap foldably connected to said second flap along a fold line, said third flap being coextensive in length with said second flap, said third flap being folded to a position in facing relationship with said first major wall; .Iaddend.a pair of notches being formed in said first major wall.Iadd., each of said pair of notches being .Iaddend.in alignment with the line of fold between .Iadd.one of .Iaddend.said outer .[.flap.]. .Iadd.flaps .Iaddend.and said second major wall; said closure and protecting structure further comprising a tab formed on said second inner flap, said second inner flap being folded to a position of said tab engaging said major wall notches, said third inner flap being foldably connected to said second inner flap along spaced apart lines of fold, said tab being located between said spaced apart lines of fold, said tab being separable from said third inner flap by a cut line. 
     
     
           The folder recited in claim 4, each of said notches comprising a pair of closely spaced lines being cut into the top surface of said first major wall but not through said first major wall, the portion of said first major wall top surface between said lines being compressed thereby forming 
     
     
        a depression in said first major wall top surface. 6. The folder recited 
     
     
        in claim 2, said third flap being glued to said first major wall. 7. The folder recited in claim 1, a pair of notches being formed in said first major wall.Iadd., each of said pair of notches being .Iaddend.in alignment with the line of fold between .Iadd.one of .Iaddend.said outer .[.flap.]. .Iadd.flaps .Iaddend.and .Iadd.said .Iaddend.second major wall; said closure and protecting structure further comprising a tab formed on said second flap, said second flap being folded to a position of said tab 
     
     
        engaging said major wall notches. 8. The folder recited in claim 7, each of said notches comprising a pair of closely spaced lines being cut into the top surface of said first major wall but not through said first major wall, the portion of said first major wall top surface between said lines being compressed thereby forming a depression in said first major wall top surface.  .[.9. The folder recited in claim 1, the line of fold between said first and second inner flaps being engageable with the line of fold 
     
     
        between said second major wall and said outer flaps..]. 10. The folder recited in claim 1, the fold line foldably connecting each of said outer flaps to said second major wall being scored such that each of said outer 
     
     
        flaps tears away from said second major wall when pulled back. 11. A cushioned shipping folder formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard or the like, comprising: first and second major parallel walls and first and second minor parallel walls foldably interconnected to form a tubular structure, said first and second major parallel walls being rectangular in shape, said first major wall being greater in length than said second major wall; a closure and protecting structure for each end of said tubular structure including first and second flaps foldably connected to each other along a straight fold line extending the entire length of said first and second flaps, said first and second flaps being rectangular in shape and coextensive in length with each other and with the width or shorter dimension of said first major wall, said first flap being foldably connected to said first major parallel wall along a straight fold line extending along the entire width or shorter dimension of said first major wall, at least a .[.portion.]. .Iadd.section .Iaddend.of said first flap being folded obliquely with respect to said first major wall, said second flap being folded to a position generally perpendicular to said first major wall, .[.said first flap portion, said second flap and a portion of said first major wall forming a uniformly shaped air cushion extending across the entire width of said first major wall,.]. said closure and protecting structure further comprising an additional fold line being formed in said first inner flap thereby dividing said first inner flap into a first and a second section, said first inner flap first section being folded obliquely with respect to said first major wall, the fold line between said first inner flap first and second sections being engageable with the line of fold between said outer flap and said second major wall, said first inner flap second section being folded to a position in facing relationship with said second major wall, thereby forming a trapezoidally shaped bumper.Iadd.; said first and second sections, said second flap and a portion of said first major wall forming a uniformly shaped air cushion   
     
     
        extending across the entire width of said first major wall.Iaddend.. 12. A cushioned shipping folder formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard or the like, comprising: first and second major parallel walls and first and second minor parallel walls foldably interconnected to form a tubular structure, said first and second major parallel walls being rectangular in shape, said first major wall being .[.greater.]. .Iadd.lesser .Iaddend.in length than said second major wall; a closure and protecting structure for each end of said tubular structure including first and second flaps foldably connected to each other along a straight fold line extending the entire length of said first and second flaps, said first and second flaps being rectangular in shape and coextensive in length with each other and with the width or shorter dimensions of said first major wall, said first flap being foldably connected to said first major parallel wall along a straight fold line extending along the entire width or shorter dimension of said first major wall, .[.at least a portion of said first flap being folded obliquely with respect to said first major wall, said second flap being folded to a position generally perpendicular to said first major wall, said first flap portion, said second flap and a portion of said first major wall forming a uniformly shaped air cushion extending across the entire width of said first major wall,.]. said closure and protecting structure further comprising an additional fold line being formed in said first .[.inner.]. flap thereby dividing said first .[.inner.]. flap into a first and second section, said first .[.inner.].  flap first section being folded obliquely with respect to said first major wall, said first .[.inner.]. flap second section being folded to a position in facing relationship with said section major wall, .Iadd.said second flap being folded to a position generally perpendicular to said first major wall, said first flap first and second sections and said second flap forming a uniformly shaped air cushion extending across the entire width of said first major wall, .Iaddend.the fold line between said first .[.inner.]. flap first and second section being engageable with the end edge of said   
     
     
        second major wall. 13. The folder recited in claim 12, said first .[.inner.]. flap second section being glued to said second major wall. .Iadd. 14. The folder recited in claim 1 or 2, the bottom edges of said first and second minor parallel walls being co-extensive in length with said first major wall..Iaddend.