US3710973A

US3710973A - Shipping and display container

Info

Publication number: US3710973A
Application number: US00082580A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Franks
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-10-21
Filing date: 1970-10-21
Publication date: 1973-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 1990-01-16

Abstract

A multi-sided, large shipping container which also serves as a display container once the merchandise is placed on sale such as in a supermarket or other store. Particularly useful for shipping and selling merchandise which may be handled by forklift trucks, the container has four wall sections each made from rigid frames and panels of plywood or other material with interlocking brackets at the bottom edges fastened to the reinforced bottom which has a pallet to accommodate the the fork on a forklift truck and may or may not have wheels on the bottom. A one-piece top has edges which fit down over the respective upper edges of each wall section for quick detachment therefrom. Other brackets are provided at intermediate heights on selected wall sections to latch them together. The merchandise which may be in the form of smaller boxes or cartons of goods or not containerized is stacked on the bottom of the present container which resembles a pallet. Then the wall sections are assembled in place by aligning interlocking brackets and inserting interlocking pins on one bracket into openings in matching bracket portions. Then the entire container may be lifted by a forklift truck and transported by truck, aircraft or boxcar to the store where it is placed for display and actual sale of the merchandise by removing one or more of the wall sections.

Description

United States Patent 1 Franks 1 3,710,973 1 Jan. 16, 1 973 [541 SHIPPING AND DISPLAY CONTAINER Hobart T. Franks, 920 Peachtree Battle Avenue N.W., Atlanta, Ga. 30327 [22] Filed: Oct. 21, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 82,580

[76] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl. ..220/4 R, 217/12 R [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 7/00 [58] Field of Search 220/4; 217/12, 43 A, 45

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,282,830 12/1961 France ..2l7/43 A Primary ExaminerLloyd L. King Att0rney-Patrick F. Henry [57] ABSTRACT A muIti-sided, large shipping container which also serves as a display container once the merchandise is placed on sale such as in a supermarket or other store. Particularly useful for shipping and selling merchandise which may be handled by forklift trucks, the container has four wall sections each made from rigid frames and panels of plywood or other material with interlocking brackets at the bottom edges fastened to the reinforced bottom which has a pallet to accommodate the the fork on a forklift truck and may or may not have wheels on the bottom. A one-piece top has edges which fit down over the respective upper edges of each wall section for quick detachment therefrom. Other brackets are provided at intermediate heights on selected wall sections to latch them together. The merchandise which may be in the form of smaller boxes or cartons of goods or not containerized is stacked on the bottom of the present container which resembles a pallet. Then the wall sections are assembled in place by aligning interlocking brackets and inserting interlocking pins on one bracket into openings in matching bracket portions. Then the entire container may be lifted by a forklift truck and transported by truck, aircraft or boxcar to the store where it is placed for display and actual sale of the merchandise by removing one or more of the wall sections.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures TE P5 PATENTED AH 16 ms 3.710 973 SHEET 1 0F 2 N VE/V roe Homer 7. TBA N/(S BY Q Q 1 A TTORNE SHIPPING AND DISPLAY CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Containers such as shipping containers with removable wall sections so that the container can be knocked down. Portable containers with rigid bottoms that may be handled by pallet trucks and similar wheeled containers.

2. Description of the Prior Art 7 Knocked-down shipping containers with pallet bases are known and these comprise a foldable container made of fiberboard or cardboard which is set up and attached to a rigid wooden pallet. Such containers sometimes are destroyed at the shipping department of the ultimate consumer because it is made from disposable fiberboard or cardboard and is sealed sometimes with registered seals to prevent pilferage. Such containers are not suitable for placement on floors of stores to merchandise the contents and must be opened and the contents distributed in some other manner. Since some of these prior art containers are made from box-blanks with hinged detached sections it is very similar to opening a large cardboard container in that while the pallet base may be saved the container is usually lost and there is no reuse. The cost of doing this is not insignifi' cant and it would be worthwhile to save the container'if possible as is the case of the present invention. Furthermore, unloading of the container takes time and costs money and it wouldbe desirable to let the public unload the container right in the retail merchandise area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The wall sections ofthe present invention are permanent and intended for reuse and may be readily attached together about the bottom or base of the shipping container on which the merchandise is loaded and any one or more of the panels may be removed for display and merchandising of the contents until the entire container is empty at which time all of the walls may be disassembled, knocked down and laid flat superposed on one another for return to the source. Since many retail outlets customarily receive shipments from the same source regularly this would result in a saving to both the shipper and the receiver. In addition this reduces the amount of trash handled by the shipping department of large merchandising establishments each day and saves them expense inunloading large containers of merchandise, and arranging displays. Still the contents may be sealed against pilferage and all the other advantages of other types of shipping containers are retained. If the container is damaged in shipment usually only one or more of the walls will have to be replaced and the remainder may be reused. Unlike most fiberboard and cardboard shipping containers there is more protection to the contents and larger containers of the present kind may be used more often than the less rigid cardboard and fiberboard containers.

The very fast assembly and disassembly feature of the container also makes it particularly applicable to cargo forwarders and shippers interested in the containerization of many smaller packages with a minimum of handling time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shipping and display container made in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container shown in FIG. 1 partly disassembled.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container shown in FIG. 1 with only one side removed to display merchandise.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 4- 4 in FIG. 1. 7

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 5 5 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along lines 6-6 in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The complete container is designated generally by reference numeral 10 and comprises four detachable wall sections or panels designated respectively l2, 14, 16 and 18, a top 20 and a bottom 22 which is a flat section such as a sheet of plywood provided with longitudinal flatwboards 24, 26 on which are mounted caster assemblies 28 having a wheel 30. The blades of a forklift truck (not shown) may be inserted between the boards 24, 26 to lift the entire container 10.

Each of the

wall sections

12, 14, 16 and 18 is constructed from a section of plywood, extremely durable corrugated material, or similar sheet material some times reinforced with a peripheral or marginal frame designated'generally by reference numeral 34 which is a rectangular frame made from channel material like aluminum or sheet metal into which channel thereof is inserted the edge and border of the respective walls. The bottom 22 is provided with an upstanding metal channel or angle 36 and near the edge of the bottom is fastened part of an assembly bracket designated generally by reference numeral 40 comprising the part 42 on the bottom 22 and a similar part 44 on respective other wall panels l2, l4, l6 and 18 which assemble with the bottom 22. Each bracket 40 comprises a flat plate 46 and a cylindrical attaching portion 48 with opening that matches with and is complementary to a similar attaching portion 48 on the other plate 46 of the bracket which carries a pin 50 to be inserted in the opening of the matching cylindrical portion 48 to assemble the brackets 46 thereby connecting and assembling a

respective side wall

12, 14, 16 and 18 with the bottom'22 and a respective bracket 40 thereon. The top 20 is a rectangular arrangement having a frame 54 therewith constructed from aluminum extrusions, channel line or other suitable material to form a border which is insertable over and around the upper edges of the respective assembly of

side walls

12, 14,16 and 18 to provide rigidity and to securely close the top of the container from pilferage, dust and the like.

Intermediate the height of one of the

walls

12, 14, etc., which for the sake of identification may be referred to as the front 12, there is one of the brackets 40 and another bracket 40 on the opposite sideso that side 14 may be detached and removed in the manner shown in FIG. 3 to expose the merchandise in the container 10 for purposes of display and dispensing to the public. In this manner, for example, cartons or layers of merchandise 60 may be placed on the floor of the merchandise establishment either by rolling the container on the wheels 30 from the shipping and receiving department to the floor of the establishment or by lifting with a forkliftt-ruck if such is available and usable on the premises. Of course, the sides 12, l4, l6 and 18 may be decorated with advertising material and designed and presented in any artistic or decorating theme or aspect desired. Before or after the contents 60 have been removed, the sides l2, 14, 16 and 18 and the top 20 may be removed. When the container is emptied; sides and top may be stacked on the bottom 22 and the entire disassembled and knocked-down con tainer moved back to' the shipping department for return to the sender.

The FIG. 6 frame 54 is an edge extrusion with a channel 64 and a second channel 66 at right angles thereto separated by a wall 68 to provide a quick way of inserting wall panels 20 and 14.v

While I have shown and described a particular-embodiment of this invention together with a suggested mode' of operation and a particular preferred use thereof this is by way of illustration only and does not constitute any sortof limitation on the scope of the invention since various alterations, changes, deviations, modifications, departures, a'dditions, subtractions, and changes may .be made in the container'as well as other uses and variationsthereof without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by proper interpretation of the appended claims.

What is claimed:

1. In a combined shipping and display container:

a. a three-dimensional container comprising four sides, a top and a bottom, the bottom being suitably formed to support the weight of the container with merchandise therein, each side comprising a substantially flat wall section and the respective edges of respective abutting'side's being in alignment to create the closed three-dimensional container, 7 certain one or more of the sides having attaching means mounted for detachably attaching the side to another side and to be detached manually, said merchandise being displayed for removal directly from the container, separable attaching means on each of the sides attachable to a portion mounted on the bottom so that the sides may detach from the bottom and remove therefrom, and there being bracket means intermediate the height of the wall as well as near the bottom.

2. The device in claim 1: one edge of the container being an integral extrusion having a panel slot on one end and another panel slot at right angles thereto separated by a wall.

3. The device in claim 1: the bracket means being brackets located on each wall inside the container, said brackets having detachable parts.

Claims

1. In a combined shipping and display container: a. a three-dimensional container comprising four sides, a top and a bottom, b. the bottom being suitably formed to support the weight of the container with merchandise therein, c. each side comprising a substantially flat wall section and the respective edges of respective abutting sides being in alignment to create the closed three-dimensional container, d. certain one or more of the sides having attaching means mounted for detachably attaching the side to another side and to be detached manually, said merchandise being displayed for removal directly from the container, e. separable attaching means on each of the sides attachable to a portion mounted on the bottom so that the sides may detach from the bottom and remove therefrom, f. and there being bracket means intermediate the height of the wall as well as near the bottom.