Welding consumable packaging

A container for packaging a welding wire, said container comprising:

• a box comprising opposed first and second face panels that are separated by four vertical side walls and four vertically extending corners, each corner defining a corner void within an interior of the box;
• at least one aperture on the four vertical side walls, located adjacent to one of the four vertically extending corners and being defined by a frangible connection on one of the four vertical side walls so that the interior of the box is initially inaccessible;
• and
• at least one corner blocking insert comprising an outer profile that corresponds to a spool containing a coil of welding wire located within said box,
• wherein, after said frangible connection of the at least one aperture is breached, the at least one corner blocking insert is inserted into the interior of the box via said at least one aperture at one of the four vertical side walls, and
• wherein the at least one corner blocking insert is engageable with at least one of an outer perimeter rim of said spool containing a coil of welding wire, or an outer perimeter of the coil of welding wire, located within said box, and
• wherein the corner blocking insert that is inserted into the interior of the box through the at least one aperture is arranged to abut against an interior surface of two adjacent vertical side walls located at said one vertically extending corner,
• wherein the frangible connection of each aperture comprises at least one side with an at least partial die-cut or score line,
• wherein the frangible connection of each aperture comprises at least one non-frangible side that is secured to one of the face panels or vertical side walls to form a pivotable flap,
• wherein after said frangible connection is breached, the pivotable flap is rotated external to the box, or received within the interior of the box, to thereby expose the aperture, and, wherein each aperture has a generally rectangular geometry comprising at least one major side and one minor side.

A container for packaging a welding wire, said container comprising:

• a box comprising opposed first and second face panels that are separated by four vertical side walls and four vertically extending corners, each corner defining a corner void within an interior of the box;
• at least one aperture on the four vertical side walls, located adjacent to one of the four vertically extending corners and being defined by a frangible connection on one of the four vertical side walls so that the interior of the box is initially inaccessible;
• and
• at least one corner blocking insert comprising an expanding foam package, contained within a sealed malleable bag, that is initially malleable when inserted into the box, and cures thereafter to a rigid foam monolithic body with an outer profile that corresponds to a spool containing a coil of welding wire located within said box,
• wherein, after said frangible connection of the at least one aperture is breached, the at least one corner blocking insert is inserted into the interior of the box via said at least one aperture at one of the four vertical side walls, and
• wherein the at least one corner blocking insert is engageable with at least one of an outer perimeter rim of said spool containing a coil of welding wire, or an outer perimeter of the coil of welding wire, located within said box,
• wherein the corner blocking insert that is inserted into the interior of the box through the at least one aperture is arranged to abut against an interior surface of two adjacent vertical side walls located at said one vertically extending corner, and
• wherein the expanding foam package is sized, when fully expanded to the rigid foam monolithic body, to substantially completely occupy said corner void within the interior of the box, and
• wherein the container further comprises an overwrap assembly that includes first and second malleable cradles positioned external to the first and second face panels of the box, the malleable cradles each comprising an outer ring that defines and bounds a central recess that receives the box therein, wherein the central recess comprises a planar bottom surface configured to support and extend along one of the face panels of the box, and the planar bottom surface further comprises a rigid backing plate that extends across a majority of the planar bottom surface, the rigid backing plate being formed of a material that is substantially more rigid relative to a malleable material of the malleable cradles.