CA1058101A - Unit-element for transporting large quantities of products of various kinds, and which can be dismantled - Google Patents

Abstract

"UNIT-ELEMENT FOR TRANSPORTING LARGE QUANTITIES OF PRO-DUCTS OF VARIOUS KINDS, AND WHICH CAN BE DISMANTLED"

Abstract of the disclosure This invention relates to a unit element container, which can be used to transport large quantities of products of various kinds and can be dismantled at the end of the transporting work. The container according to the invention comprises a base element formed from a pallettised floor and low height side wall uprights, a top and a plurality of side wall elements which can be superimposed and relea-sably coupled to each other and to the side walls of said base element below said top. A plurality of corner upright elements can be releasably coupled to the neighbouring edges of the adjacent wall elements to lock them together.

Description

105~101 The present invention relates to a unit-element container for transporting large quantities of products of various kinds, and which can be dismantled.
So-called "containers", i.e. the large-dimension rectangular enclosures designed for transporting large quantities of products, are notably nothing other than large palletised based boxes conceived to provide a standard form and dimensions suitable for stowing products of the most varied shapes and sizes.
One of the problems related to t'ne use of such containers is the need to reconcile the large transporting ~.
capacity with the smallest possible overall size when empty.
Moreover, while their base dimensions must remain constant and ~ in accordance with precise standards, it would be preferable ¦ ~ if their height could be easily varied according to the quantity of products to be transported at the time.
The present' invention provides a container of which the height may be readily varied and the overall size when empty may be considerably reduced relative to that when 'r, transporting.
According to the invention there is provided a -unit-element container which can be dismantled, comprising a base element formed from a palletised floor and low height side walls, a top, a plurality of side wall elements which ; can be superimposed and releasably coupled to each other and to the side walls of said base element to form an extension thereof and a plurality of corner upright elements adapted to be releasably coupled to the adjacent edges of the adjacent wall elements to provide mutual locking said side walls of the base element and said wall elements having their upper ends provided with outwardly turned edges, and said wall elements having their lower ends also provided ~' ,~
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with outwardly turned edges shaped to be superimposed on and releasably coupled to the upper turned edges of the underlying ,., wall elements or base element, said side edges of said wall elements having profiled elements with U-shaped ends, and said corner elements having profiled upright elements of L-shaped section with U-shaped ends adapted to be coupled r to said U-shaped ends of the profiled elements of said ~: wall elements.

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The container according to the invention has two merits.
Cne is that it is possible to choose its height at the time of transportation, simply by choosing the number of wall elements to be superimposed on the base element. The other is that all the wall elements superimposed on the base element together with all the corner elements can be disassembled to reduce the height of the container to the height of the base element alone. The dismantled elements can be comfortably housed in this latter.
For greater clarlty, one practical embodiment of the container according to the invention is described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a container according to the invention, in the assembled condition;
Figure 2 is a section through the same container on the vertical plane II-II of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a section through the same container on the hori~ontal plane III-III of Figure l;
Figure 4 is an enlarged detail, seen as in Figure 2, of the releasable coupling between two superimposed wall elements in ehe container of Figure l;
Figure 5 is an enlarged detail, seen as in Figure 3, of the releasable coupling between a corner element and the neighbouring edges of two adjacent wall elements in the container of Figure l;
Figure 6 is a diagram~atic perspective view of the container of Figure 1 in the disassembled condition;
Figure 7 is a section through said container on the vertical plane VII-VII of Figure 6.
The container shown on the drawings generally comprises a base element 1~ a plurality of extension wall elements 2~ a plurality of corner elements 3 and a top 4.

The base element 1 is composed of a rectangular palletised floor 5 (Figure 3) and four side walls 6 which terminate at their upper ends in an outwardly turned edge 7 (Figures 1 and 2).
Each of the extension wall elements 2 consists of a metal plate 8, with ribs 9, and conprises at its upper end an outwardly turned edge 10 analogous to the turned edge 7 of the side walls of the base element 1 (Figures 1, 2 and 4) and at its lower end a further turned edge 11 configured so that it may be superimposed on and releasable coupled to a corresponding upper turned edge 7 or 10 of the base 1 or of the underlying wall element 2, to enable the wall element to which it belongs to take an erect stance (Figures 1, 2 and 4).
The side edges of the wass elements 2 are provided with profiled elements bent in the form of a U 12 (Figures 3 and 5), arranged to cooperate with the corner elements 3 (Figures 1, 3 and 5) which consist of profiled upright elements of L secion with turned edges (Figures 3 and 5). These corner elements enable the neighbouring edges of the adjacent wall elements to be releasably coupled together.
Finally, the top 4 consists of a sheet of metal 13 with ribs 14, and comprises turned side edges 15 arranged to lie over and cooperate with the upper turned edges 7 or 10 of the base element or wall element on which the top is rested.
The container shown in the drawings is normally used in its condition of maximum extension shown in Figures 1 to 5, in which two sets of wall elements 2 are superimposed one on the other and on the side walls of the base element 1, to provide the required extension of these latter walls. The releasable connections between the lower turned edges 11 and upper turned edges 7 and 10 and between the side profiled portions 12 and corner elements 3 enable the base element 1 and wall elements 2 to assume the rigid compact configuration l()SH~O~

of Figures 1 to 3. Finally~ the top 4 is placed on the whole a~sembly.
When the container has finished its transporting work, it msy be ea6ily dismantled into its various part6 to as6ume the configuration of very reduced bulk shown in Fi~ures 6 ~nd ?.
~lore precisely, the w~ll elements 2 znd corner elements 3 are removed from the base element 1 and placed inside this latter (Figure 7). The top 4 in this ca6e closes the ~ssembly.

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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A unit-element container which can be dismantled, comprising a box-like base element formed from a palletised floor and low side walls, a top cover, a plurality of side wall elements adapted to be superimposed and releasably coupled to each other and to the side walls of said base element to form an extension thereof, and a plurality of corner upright elements adapted to be releasably coupled to the adjacent edges of the adjacent wall elements to lock them together, said side walls of the base element and said wall elements having their upper ends provided with outwardly turned edges, and said wall elements having their lower ends also provided with outwardly turned edges shaped to be superimposed on and releasably coupled to the upper turned edges of the underlying wall elements or base element, said side edges of said wall elements having profiled elements with U-shaped ends, and said corner elements having profiled upright elements of L-shaped section with U-shaped ends adapted to be coupled to said U-shaped ends of the profiled elements of said wall elements.