FR2515148A1 - Stackable packing case for live chickens - has openwork side walls with lateral out-stands at top corners to maintain air gap between two cases - Google Patents

Abstract

The packing case (1) has open work walls (3,4) and is used to transport live chickens. It is for superimposed stacking and for stacking side by side with air gaps. It has ears (9-12) projecting from the top corners being used to maintain a definite air gap between contiguous side walls. The width of the gap is equal to or greater than twice the lateral outstand of an individual ear, and the ears may be reinforced to permit the lifting of cases by fork lift trucks.

Description

 The present invention essentially relates to a box, in particular for the transport of live poultry.

 Various boxes are known for the transport of live poultry comprising perforated walls and ensuring sufficient ventilation of the animals during the transport of the boxes and their storage on reception areas and on transport trucks or wagons.

 In order to facilitate the handling of the boxes, these are made so that they can be stacked in several layers and arranged side by side in several lines and rows.

It is obvious that in such stacking conditions, the boxes, in particular towards the center of the piles, risk of not being sufficiently ventilated if special means are not adopted.

 To this end, it has already been proposed, as described in French patent 79 05681 filed on February 28, 1979 in the name of the same applicant, to provide for the interposition between two superimposed boxes of wedges, removable or not, which will thus leave a certain space for ventilation between the stacked boxes. In this way, the boxes are always ventilated at least by their perforated bottom and / or their cover by the narrow passages formed between the bottom and cover of the superimposed boxes between which the wedges are interposed.

However, such devices are not entirely satisfactory, presenting in particular the following drawbacks
1 - The range of the boxes on top of each other is less good; the bottoms tend to bend, the cases can slide and the constitution of piles is a little more delicate.

 2 - The height of the stacks is increased, so the center of gravity is raised, which is unfavorable for balance and reduces the number of stackable boxes on a given total height, for example in a truck.

 30- The ventilation of the boxes is improved, but for certain extreme unfavorable climatic conditions, it remains insufficient.

 The subject of the invention is a new box for transporting live poultry, avoiding the aforementioned drawbacks and ensuring sufficient ventilation of the boxes even under the most difficult conditions. In addition, the new cases in accordance with the invention facilitate the handling of cases during their storage or their destocking.

 A box according to the invention is characterized for this purpose in that lateral protuberances, forming ears, are provided at four upper corners of the boxes, providing, when the boxes are placed side by side, free spaces between adjoining side walls. Thus, the boxes can be efficiently ventilated by their four lateral faces, and no longer only by the upper face and the lower face, while simultaneously, the bottom of a box can come to bear on the entire lid of the lower box, this which is beneficial in terms of balance and battery formation.

The invention will appear more clearly with the aid of the description which follows, made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a box according to the invention,
FIG. 2 is a view from above of the box illustrated in FIG. 1, this view being made on a smaller scale,
FIG. 3 is a view on a larger scale, of the corner part surrounded in III in FIG. 2,
FIG. 4 is a sectional view made substantially along the line IV / IV of FIG. 3,
FIG. 5 is a view from below of the angle illustrated in FIG. 3,
- Figure 6 shows schematically how the boxes are stacked during transport.

 According to the example illustrated in the drawings, a box 1 has a bottom 2, normally openwork, from which rise four side walls also openwork 3, 4, 5, 6. The box is closed at its upper part by a cover 7 which has a folding door 8 for the introduction and removal of animals transported.

 It clearly appears that in the illustrated embodiment the side walls with skeleton 3, 4, 5 and 6 will ensure very good ventilation of the boxes if a certain passage is left free between two juxtaposed boxes.

 To this end, each box has at its four upper corners lateral protrusions 9, 10, 11, 12 forming substantially horizontal ears of a certain thickness.

Each ear protrudes (FIG. 5) by a distance h from the part of the adjacent side wall 4.

 To have better rigidity and on the other hand ensure good abutment by their ears in contact with two adjacent boxes, these ears, as it appears more clearly in FIG. 4, include ribs such as 13, 14, 15 projecting towards the bottom relative to the periphery of the cover 7.

 Under these conditions, as it appears in FIG. 6, when boxes such as 1, 1 ', 1' 'are stacked and juxtaposed, a space of width D is left free between two adjacent side walls such as 6, 4' ' two juxtaposed boxes 1, 1 ''. Under these conditions, the width of the space D is at least equal to twice the value h which protrudes from the ears of the boxes on their upper periphery.

 This ensures efficient ventilation of the stacked and juxtaposed boxes, without compromising the stability of the stacks or increasing their height.

 It will also be noted that the protruding ears can allow the lifting of a box or of several superimposed boxes by means of a forklift whose lifting forks, as shown schematically in 16, 17 in Figures 1 and 6, come s 'Engage on each side of the opposite sides of a box (such as the faces 4 and 6) below said ears.

Claims (3)

 1. Box, in particular for the transport of live poultry, of the type comprising perforated walls capable of being stacked one on the other and against each other by providing free spaces between certain walls facing the boxes for their best ventilation, characterized in that lateral protrusions forming ears (9, 10, 11, 12) are provided at the four upper corners of the boxes (1) providing, when the boxes are placed side by side, free spaces between adjoining side walls.  2. Box according to claim 1, characterized in that said free spaces are of width D at least equal to twice the distance h protruding by an ear relative to the part of the side wall from which it originates.  3. Box according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said ears are reinforced, allowing the lifting of a box or a stack of boxes by means of lifting forks 16, 17, engaging each side of opposite side faces of a box.