US3375631A

US3375631A - Bin panel construction

Info

Publication number: US3375631A
Application number: US553821A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wayne H Oliver
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-05-31
Filing date: 1966-05-31
Publication date: 1968-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 1985-04-02

Description

April 2, 1968 w. H. OLIVER 3,375,631

BIN PANEL CONSTRUCTION Filed May 31, 1966 2 Sheets$heet 1 X5 2/ m /o MF 1 2/ ,za/ m zs 2 2 24 6 H 6 ii u 34 7 Z 23 25 I 31 E if 1Q 23 I p INVENTOR. WAYNE H Ouvsn AT TOPNEYS April 6 w. H. OLIVER 3,375,631

BIN PANEL CONSTRUCTION Filed May 31, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet Z 0 Z3 /5 20 ii r f 1:? iii VzAY/VEH OLIVER 352 353 5k ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,375,631 BIN PANEL CONSTRUCTION Wayne H. Oliver, 1305 Spring Valley Road, Minneapolis, Minn. 55422 Filed May 31, 1966, Ser. No. 553,821 10 Claims. (Cl. 52-584) This invention relates generally to the construction of detachable panels for use .in the construction of rectangular enclosures, and more specifically relates to improvements in mounting frames for such panels.

The present invention is an improvement over the bin panel construction disclosed in my previous patent application, Ser. No. 334,288, filed Dec. 30, 1963, now Patent No. 3,279,140. That invention provided a novel metal construction panel having secured to the edges thereof a mounting frame that was adapted to cooperate with similar mounting frames on other panels to quickly and accurately construct rectangular enclosures of varying size. The metal walls of the bin panels of my earlier invention were quite thin and the angle iron frames were welded to the metal panel. Although my prior invention was not limited to the use of metal panels or V-shaped frame members, the construction shown there cannot be readily utilized with thicker wood panels.

In some construction situations, it is desirable to utilize a relatively thick sheet or panel to improve rigidity. The thin sheet metal panels tend to flex or warp much more easily than do the thicker wood panels. Since the frame construction disclosed in my earlier patent application does not lend itself to easy application in such situations, I have found it desirable to devise a new and improved bin panel frame construction for use in situations employing a thicker sheet construction. The new frame construction disclosed herein is also much stronger than that disclosed in my previous application since more surface area of the frame is in contact with the panel.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved frame construction for relatively thick imperforate bin panels.

Other objects of my invention will become apparent from the following specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views;

FIG. 1 is a view in top plan of a multiple bin-type construction formed in accordance with my invention, some parts thereof broken away;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the structure of FIG. 1, some parts being broken away; FIG. 3 is a; view in side elevation of one of the bin panels utilizedin formation of the structure of FIG. 1, some parts being broken away, and some parts being shown in section;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional detail of the central panel connection of FIG. 1 illustrating the structure used to connect four converging panels;

FIG. 5 is a view in vertical section as seen from line 5-5 of FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale, portions thereof being broken away;

FIG. 6 is a view in horizontal section as seen from line 6-6 of FIG. 2 onan enlarged scale; and

FIG. 7 is a view in horizontal section as seen from line 7-7 of FIG. 2, on an enlarged scale.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a rectangular, relatively thick wood panel. Panel 10 has a top edge 11, a bottom edge 12, and a pair of

side edges

13 and 14. Extending about the entire marginal edge of panel 10 is a metallic frame 15. Frame 15 covers the entire peripheral or marginal edge of panel 10 as shown best in FIG. 3.

Frame 15 includes a top frame member 16 and a pair 3,375,631 Patented Apr. 2., 1968 of

side frame members

17 and 18. Top frame member 16 and

side frame members

17 and 18 are constructed in the same manner so they can be described together.

Frame members

16, 17, and 18 each comprise a pair of identical frame sections numbered 16a and 16b, 17a and 17b, and 18a and 18b.

A sectional view of frame sections 16a and 16b is shown in FIG. 5. Frame sections 16a and 16b are identical and are mounted on opposite sides of panel or sheet 10 so that frame member 16 is symmetrical with respect to the plane of sheet 10. Frame sections 16a and 16b are connected to top edge 11 of sheet 10 by means of a plurality of bolts 20 extending therethrough. It is again noted that

side frame members

17 and 18 constructed in a manner identical to that described for top frame member 16.

Each of the

frame sections

16a, 16b, 17a, 17b, 18a, and 18b are constructed as follows. Each of the frame sections have a first fiat portion 21 lying adjacent the side of sheet 10 and through which bolts 20 extend. Extending from the inner edge of first flat portion 21 is a second fiat portion 22 that extends outwardly from the sheet perpendicular to first portion 21. A third fiat portion 23 converges inwardly from the outer edge of second portion 22 at approximately a 45 degree angle with respect to a plane extending through second portion 22 and outwardly therefrom.

A bottom frame member 25 includes a pair of identical bottom sections 25a and 25b that are mounted on the opposite sides of the sheet 10 so that bottom member 25 is symmetrical with respect to the plane of sheet 10. Each of bottom sections 25a and 2519 have a first flat portion 26 lying adjacent the side of sheet 10 and a second flat portion 27 diverging outwardly from sheet 10 at approximately a 45-degree angle with respect to a plane extending through sheet 10 and outwardly from the bottom edge thereof. A plurality of bolts such as 28, extend through bottom edge 12 of sheet 10 and also through holes in flat portion 26 of bottom frame sections 25a and 25b.

In FIG. 4, the method of connecting four converging panels is shown. Each sheet 10 is at right angles to the adjacent sheet with the side edges of the sheets abutting each other. Since each of the side frame members is symmetrical with respect to the plane of the sheet, third flat portions 23 of the adjoining frame sections thereby lie closely adjacent each other so that they can be fastened together by means such as a bolt 30. A plane extending between the adjoining third fiat portions 23 would bisect the angle formed by adjoining sheets 10. A plurality of bolts such as 30 would be used to secure each adjoining pair of sheets together, as shown by the plurality of associated holes 30a in FIG. 3. I

FIG. 6 discloses apparatus for connecting together two panels at right angles to each other. The connection between the inner frame sections is the same as that shown in FIG. 4 so need not be further described here. The pair of frame sections that extend outwardly from the enclosure, however, are connected by a flat metal strip 32 by means of a plurality of bolts such as 33 and 34.'Strip 32 has a plurality of holes along each edge thereof that correspond to holes 30a in the side frame sections. A side view of supporting strips or corner strips 32 is shown in FIG. 2. a

FIG. 7 discloses apparatus for connecting together three converging sheets 10, two of which lie in the same plane and the third of which is perpendicular to the other. The sheets that are mounted at right'angles with respect to each other are joined together as previously described by means of bolts 30. The two sheets 10 that are coplanar, however, do not have adjoining frame sections. To provide support for these nonadjacent frame sections a support strip 35 is utilized. The edges 35a and 35b of strip 35 are formed at approximately a -45-degree angle with respect to the plane of sheet 35. Edges 35a and 35b thus can be aligned with the nonadjoining pair of third flat portions as shown in FIG. 7. Again, support strip 35 has a plurality of holes formed in the edges thereof corresponding to holes a in the side frame sections so that strip can be bolted thereto by means of bolts 30.

Sheets 10 can also be mounted in an overlying relationship as shown in FIG. 5 to increase the height of the enclosures formed by the panels. As shown in FIG. 5, bottom frame member 25 fits directly over top frame member 16. The outer edges of frame sections 25a and 25b lie directly about and in line with the third flat portions of frame sections 16a and 16b. Thus, the adjoining frame sections can again be bolted together as shown.

It is evident from my disclosure that a wide variety of enclosures can be constructed utilizing my invention. The bin panels of my invention can be attached together in a wide variety of ways so that bins of various sizes can be built. Such enclosures can be built quickly and accurately with a minimum of labor and instruction. Further, because each panel has a fixed construction, it is impossible to construct an enclosure that is not aligned properly. While I have disclosed a preferred embodiment herein, my invention should be measured by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bin panel, comprising:

(a) a rectangular relatively thick wood sneet having first and second sides and having a top edge, a bottorn edge, and a pair of side edges connecting said top and bottom edges; and

(b) a mitered frame attached to the entire edge of said sheet comprising:

(1) a top frame member and a pair of side frame members, each of said frame members comprising a pair of identical frame sections, said frame sections being mounted on said first and second sides of said sheet so that each of said frame members is symmetrical with respect to the plane of said sheet, said frame sections each having a first flat portion lying adjacent the side of said sheet and being attached thereto, a second fiat portion extending outwardly from said sheet perpendicular to said first portion, and a third fiat portion converging inwardly from the outer edge of said second portion at approximately a degree angle with respect to a plane of said second portion extending outwardly therefrom; and

(2) a bottom frame member comprising a pair of identical bottom sections mounted on said first and second sides of said sheet so that said bottom member is symmetrical with respect to the plane of said sheet, said bottom sections each having a first fiat portion lying adjacent the side of said sheet and being attached thereto, and a second flat portion v.diverging outwardly from said sheet at approximately at 45 degree angle with respect to a plane of said sheet extending outwardly from said bottom edge.

2. Abin panel, comprising:

(a) a rectangular imperforate relatively thick sheet having first and second sides and having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a pair of side edges connecting said top and bottom edges; and

(b) a mitered frame attached to the entire edge of said sheet, comprising:

(1) a top frame member and a pair of side frame members, each of said frame members comprising a pair of identical frame sections, said frame sections being mounted on said first and second sides of said sheet so that each of said frame members is symmetrical with respect to the plane of said sheet, said frame sections each having a first flat portion lying adjacent the side of said sheet and being attached thereto, a second flat portion extending outwardly from said sheet perpendicular to said first portion, and a third flat portion converging inwardly from the outer edge of said second portion at a predetermined angle with respect to a plane extending outwardly from said second portion;

(2) a bottom frame member comprising a pair of identical bottom sections mounted on said first and second sides of said sheet so that said bottom member is symmetrical with respect to the plane of said sheet, said bottom sections each having a first fiat portion lying adjacent the side of said sheet and being attached thereto, and a second fiat portion diverging outwardly from said sheet at said predetermined angle with respect to a plane extending outwardly from said bottom edge.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said sheet is a wood panel.

4. The apparatus of claim2 wherein said frame sec" tions and said bottom sections are attached to the edge of said sheet by means of bolts extending through the sheet and through the sections on each side thereof.

5. Apparatus of claim 2 combined with a second bin panel of the same construction to form two sides of an enclosure, a side edge of each of said panelsbeing mounted adjacent and at right angles to the other, said third fiat portions of the adjoining inner frame sections on said panels thereby lying adjacent each other, means for fastening together said adjoining third flat portions, and means for fastening togther the other pair of third flat portions that extend outwardly from the enclosure.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said predetermined angle is an acute angle.

7. A bin panel, comprising:

(a) a rectangular imperforate relatively thick sheet having first and second sides and having -a top edge, a bottom edge, and a pair of side edges connecting said top and bottom edges; and

(b) a frame attached to the entire edge of said sheet,

comprising:

(1) a pair of side frame members, each of said side frame members comprising a pair of identical side frame sections, said side frame sections being mounted on said first and second sides of said sheet so that each of said side frame members is symmetrical with respect to the plane of said sheet, said side frame sections each having a first fiat portion lying adjacent the side of said sheet and being attached thereto, a second flat portion extending outwardly from said sheet perpendicular to said first portion, and a third fiat portion converging inw-ardly from the outer edge of said second portion at a predetermined angle with respect to a plane extending outwardly from said second portion;

(2) a bottom frame member comprising a pair of identical bottom sections mounted on said first and second sides of said sheet so that said bottom frame member is symmetrical with respect to the plane of said sheet, said bottom sections each having a first fiat portion lying adjacent the side of said sheet and being attached thereto, and a second portion diverging outwardly and downwardly therefrom; and

(3) a top framemember comprising a pair of identical top sections mounted on said first and second sides of said sheet so that said top frame member is symmetrical with respect to the plane of said sheet, said top sections eachhaving a first flat portion lying adjacent the side of said sheet and being attached thereto, a second flat portion extending outwardly from said sheet perpendicular to said first portion, and a third portion converging inwardly and downwardly from the outer edge of said second portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said third portion of each of said top sections lies in a plane that is parallel to a plane extending through the second portion of the bottom section that is mounted on the same side of said sheet.

9. In a bin panel including a rectangular, imperforate, relatively thick sheet, the improvement comprising a frame member having a pair of identical frame sections, said frame sections being mounted on opposite sides of said sheet along an edge thereof so that said frame memher is symmetrical with respect to the plane of said sheet, said frame sections each having a first fiat portion lying adjacent the side of said sheet and being attached thereto, a second flat portion extending outwardly from an inner edge of said first portion perpendicular to said first portion, and a third flat portion converging toward the center of said sheet from the outer edge of said second portion at a predetermined angle with respect to a plane extending outwardly from said second portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said predetermined angle is an acute angle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,279,140 10/ 1966 Oliver 52-584 3,333,376 8/1967 Marsters 52582 X DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

J. K. BEDL, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

9. IN A BIN PANEL INCLUDING A RECTANGULAR, IMPERFORATE, RELATIVELY THICK SHEET, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A FRAME MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF IDENTICAL FRAME SECTIONS, SAID FRAME SECTIONS BEING MOUNTED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SHEET ALONG AN EDGE THEREOF SO THAT SAID FRAME MEMBER IS SYMMETRICAL WITH RESPECT TO THE PLANE OF SAID SHEET, SAID FRAME SECTIONS EACH HAVING A FIRST FLAT PORTION LYING ADJACENT THE SIDE OF SAID SHEET AND BEING ATTACHED THERETO, A SECOND FLAT PORTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM AN INNER EDGE OF SAID FIRST PORTION PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FIRST PORTION, AND A THIRD FLAT PORTION CONVERGING TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID SHEET FROM THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID SECOND PORTION AT A PREDETERMINED ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO A PLANE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SECOND PORTION.